ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anxiety is a common phenomenon in some professions including medical emergency settings. Nurses deal with grief and other psychological disturbances when they lost clients due to death at clinical settings. Thus, the level of anxiety among nurses working at emergency and intensive care unit is expected to higher as a result of life threatening cases and frequent loss of clients at emergency settings. However, the burden of anxiety and its associated factors among nurses working in emergency clinical settings are not well addressed in Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 415 randomly selected nurses working at emergency and Intensive Care Unit at public hospitals in Addis Ababa. Data were collected using interviewer administered questioner. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale was used to measure level of anxiety symptoms. The collected data were entered to a computer using Epi-Data Version 3.1 and exported to SPSS Version 20.0 for analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with anxiety. Variables with P- Values of < 0.05 were considered as having statistically significant association with higher level of anxiety symptoms with 95 % confidence intervals. RESULTS: The result of this study shows that 19.8 % nurses working at emergency and intensive care unit had a higher level of anxiety symptoms [95 % CI (16.1 %- 23.6 %)]. Marital status{0.28:95 %CI(0.16-0.50)}, cigarette smoking{2.48:95 %CI(1.18-5.18)}, work overload {0.35:95 %CI(0.16,0.76)} and night duty shift{0.41:95 %CI(0.19-0.87)} were factors significantly associated with higher level of anxiety symptoms among nurses working at emergency medical settings. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses working at emergency and intensive care unit showed higher level of anxiety symptoms than the general population and nurses working at other medical settings. Marital status, cigarette smoking, work overload and night duty shift had statistically significant association with higher anxiety symptoms among nurses working at emergency medical settings. This demonstrates a need for the implementation of counseling services regarding effective coping mechanisms and problem-solving strategies for nurses working at emergency medical settings.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Depression is the leading cause of disability at a population level and globally 350 million people are suffering from depression. Despite a high prevalence and serious consequences, people with depression are reluctant to seek help and a large proportion remains untreated. The aim of this study was to assess intention to seek help for depression and associated factors among residents of Aykel town, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: This cross-sectional population based study included 832 participants. We used a major depressive disorder case vignette and general help-seeking questionnaire (GHSQ) to assess intention. Study participants selected by multistage cluster sampling technique. Face-to-face interview used to collect data. We performed adjusted multiple linear regression analyses to identify factors for intention to seek help. RESULTS: The mean score on intention to seek help from any health professionals was 3.72 (SD = 1.23) with a range of (1 "very unlikely" to 5 "very likely"). Majority of the respondents had an intention to visit health professionals to get a remedy for their illness depicted in the vignette. The proportion of those who had an intention to seek help from any health professionals if they were having depression was 71.2%. Favorable attitude towards seeking professional help for depression positively associated with an intention to seek help with (unstandardized ß = 0.03, 95% CI (0.01, 0.05), p-value < 0.001). Other factors positively associated with an intention to seek help for depression were age (ß = 0.02, CI (0.01, 0.03) p < 0.001), and perceived need of treatment for depression (ß = 0.19, CI (0.01, 0.38), p < 0.05). Poor social support was negatively associated with an intention to seek help for depression (ß = - 0.39 CI - 0.68, - 0.10, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that over two-third of the respondents reported that they were likely or very likely to seek help from health professionals if they were having depression. Increased age, favorable attitude to depression, and perceived need for treatment were factors for intention to seek help. Interventions focusing on awareness creation and attitude change towards depression are necessary.
ABSTRACT
Background: Suicidal ideation and attempts are more frequent in people with epilepsy than in general population and suicide attempt increases the chance of later completed suicide. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation and attempt among people with epilepsy in Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2014 at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital among people with epilepsy. The pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used for interviewing the study participants. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess predictors of suicidal ideation and attempt. Results: The study indicated that the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among people with epilepsy were 29.8 and 14.1%, respectively. Poor social support, drug treatment for mental illness, had co-morbid depression, no seizure free within 1 year and family history committed suicide were significantly associated with suicidal ideation and attempt. Conclusion: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt in people with epilepsy found to be higher when compared to general population. Therefore, screening all epilepsy patients should be done for early diagnosis and treatment.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Relapse and hospital admission are common among, and carry a heavy burden in, patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of relapse and hospitalizations in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder at the St Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2016. Systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit 521 (260 schizophrenia cases and 261 bipolar disorder cases) study participants. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained psychiatry professionals. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria and Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-IV (SCID) were used. RESULTS: The risk of relapse and hospitalizations was slightly higher in patients with bipolar disorder than in patients with schizophrenia. A majority of schizophrenic (213 [81.92%]) and bipolar (215 [82.37%]) patients had a history of hospital admission, and 228 (87.69%) schizophrenic and 230 (88.12%) bipolar patients had a history of relapse. Patients who had a history of hospitalizations also had co-occurring substance use disorders compared to those who had no history of hospitalizations for schizophrenia (81.5% vs 37.9%) and bipolar disorder (82.56% vs 38.2%), respectively. Similarly, those patients who had a history of relapse had high comorbid substance use disorders than those who had no history of relapse for both schizophrenia (87.88% vs 47.37%) and bipolar disorder (88.37% vs 47.19%), respectively. CONCLUSION: It is vital that, in the local context, mental health professionals strengthen their therapeutic relationships with patients and their caregivers. This might enable patients and their caregivers to express their needs and concerns to them, as well as help to plan proper interventions for patients. Attention needs to be given to screening for comorbid substance use disorders in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, especially in those who have had a history of relapse and hospitalizations.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are frequently and highly occurring mental disorders in patients with tuberculosis. When depression and anxiety co-morbid with tuberculosis, it leads to poor adherence to anti TB medication, which is important barrier to global control of tuberculosis & increases the risk of morbidity and mortality due to TB. Cross sectional study was conducted to assess prevalence and correlates of depression and anxiety among patients with TB at WolaitaSodo University Hospital and Sodo Health Center, WolaitaSodo, Ethiopia. METHODS: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014.A total of 417 TB patients, who had regular follow up at WolaitaSodo University Hospital and Sodo Health Center, WolaitaSodo, South Ethiopia, were recruited to assess depression and anxiety and its associated correlates. Depression and anxiety were assessed through face to face interviews by trained psychiatry nurses using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Correlates for depression and anxiety were assessed using a structured questionnaire, Oslo social support scale and TB stigma Scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with TB were 43.4% (181) and 41.5% (173) respectively. When we adjusted for the effect of potential confounding variables, patients who had co-morbid HIV infection [AOR = 5.90,(95% CI: 2.34,15.93)], poor social support [AOR = 18.06, (95% CI:11.21,25.45)] & perceived TB stigma [AOR = 10.86, (95% CI:10.26,23.47)] were more likely to have depression as compared to individuals who had no co-morbid HIV infection, good social support and no perceived TB stigma respectively. Patients who had co-morbid HIV infection [AOR = 9.61,(95% CI:3.56,25.96)], poor social support [AOR = 8.93,(95% CI: 5.01,15.94)], perceived TB stigma [AOR = 3.11,(95% CI:1.78,5.42)], being female [AOR = 1.72 (95% CI: 1.06, 2.95)], current substance use[AOR = 4.88, (95% CI: 1.79, 13.28)] and being on intensive phase of TB treatment [AOR = 1.91, (95% CI: 1.08, 3.39)] were more likely to have anxiety as compared to individuals who had no co-morbid HIV infection, good social support, no perceived TB stigma, being male and being on continuous phase of TB treatment respectively. CONCLUSION: Developing guidelines and training of health workers in TB clinics is useful to screen and treat depression and anxiety among TB patients.
