Mental Health First Aid Training with the Nepalese Community in Australia: An Evaluation of Effects on Knowledge, Confidence, Intentions, Willingness to have Contact and Stigmatizing Attitudes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training amongst the Nepalese community in Australia by exploring the impact on knowledge about mental health first aid, confidence and intentions to help, willingness to have contact and stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness. We hypothesized that since MHFA has been extensively evaluated with other communities and has been found to be effective, it would therefore be effective with this community as well. MHFA training was conducted by an accredited Nepalese-Australian MHFA Instructor with 162 participants from the Nepalese community in four states of Australia. Participants completed an evaluation questionnaire prior to the training (pre-test) and at the end of the training (post-test). The evaluation questionnaire assessed participants? knowledge about what was taught in the course, ability to recognize depression as described in a vignette, confidence in providing help, intentions to provide help, and willingness to have contact and stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness. There were large improvements from pre-test to post-test in knowledge, confidence and intentions to help, medium improvements in willingness to have contact, small-to-medium improvements in stigmatizing attitudes and small improvements in recognition of depression. Participants gave high ratings of the course and the instructor. MHFA training produced improvements in knowledge, confidence, intentions, willingness to have contact and stigmatizing attitudes. The training was also well received. Further research is needed to assess persistence of these effects following the course and any changes in mental health first aid provided to the community.

Evaluation of lung infiltration score to predict postural hypoxemia in ventilated acute respiratory distress syndrome patients and the lateralization of skin pressure sore.

CONTEXT: Mechanical ventilation with positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) is associated with unequal aeration of lungs in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. Therefore, patients may develop asymmetric atelectasis and postural hypoxemia during lateral positioning. AIMS: To validate proposed lung infiltration score (LIS) based on chest x-ray to predict postural hypoxemia and lateralization of skin sores in ARDS patients. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: University hospital ICU. Prospective, observational study of consecutive patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen adult patients of both genders on mechanical ventilation with PEEP for 24 to <48 hours. On chest x-ray, 6 segments were identified on each lung. The proposed LIS points (0- normal; 1- patchy infiltrates; 2- white infiltrates matching heart shadow) were assigned to each segment. Without changing ventilation parameters, supine, left and right lateral positions at 45 degrees tilt were randomly changed. At the end of 20 minutes of ventilation in each position, we observed arterial oxygen saturation, hemodynamic and arterial blood gases. Later, position change protocol (4 hourly) was practiced in ICU, and skin pressure sore grading was noted within a week of ICU stay. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Nonparametric Bland and Altman correlation analysis, ANOVA and Student t test. RESULTS: Arterial oxygenation (PaO2/FiO2 = 313 +/- 145.6) was significantly (P<0.01) higher in better lung (lower LIS)-down position than supine (PaO2/FiO2 = 199 +/- 70.2) or a better lung-up position (PaO2/FiO2 = 165 +/- 64.8). The positioning-related arterial oxygenation was significant (P<0.05) at LIS asymmetry > or =3 between two lungs. CONCLUSIONS: The LIS mapping on chest x-ray was useful to differentiate between asymmetric lung disease and postural hypoxemia in ICU patients, which predisposed patients to early skin sore changes on higher LIS side.