ABSTRACT
Spiritual sensitivity (SS) is defined as attention to the available spiritual values in a conflicting situation and awareness of one's roles and responsibilities in that situation. It helps differentiate between the right and the wrong and leads to sound practice. This study explored the concept of SS from the perspectives of healthcare providers in Iran. This qualitative study was carried out in 2017-2019 using conventional content analysis. Twenty-two physicians, faculty members with clinical work experience, and healthcare providers were purposefully recruited. Data were collected using unstructured interviews and were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Participants' experiences of the concept of SS were grouped into three main themes, namely sense of value, spiritual growth and morale boosting, and SS as a motivator for purposeful service delivery. The findings of the present study will help healthcare managers develop programs for improving healthcare providers' spiritual sensitivity and also will help healthcare providers develop spirituality-based holistic care plans.
Subject(s)
Physicians , Spiritual Therapies , Health Personnel , Humans , Iran , Qualitative Research , SpiritualityABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Major depressive disorder is a chronic disease which may be associated with other mental illnesses. Lavandula officinalis and venlafaxine, herbal and chemical drugs respectively, are used to treat depression. Despite pharmacotherapy, major depressive disorder has a complicated pattern of resistance and recurrence. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of L. officinalis and venlafaxine in treating depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this study, 120 patients referred to the psychiatry clinic of the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran, were randomly selected. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups: venlafaxine (Control Group), venlafaxine + L. officinalis (L. officinalis Group), and venlafaxine + placebo (Placebo Group). All the patients underwent treatment for six weeks. Depression test was administered to the three groups at different time intervals before the treatment, four weeks after the treatment and at completion of the treatment. The data were analysed by SPSS version17.0. RESULTS: Depression scores of all the groups decreased over time (p=0.001). The depression scores were significantly different between the control and L. officinalis groups (p=0.004), and the control and placebo groups (p=0.002), but were not significantly different between the L. officinalis and placebo groups (p=0.95). CONCLUSION: Adding L. officinalis or a placebo is equally effective in decreasing mean depression score and venlafaxine obviously decreased this score.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Opioid dependence relapse is a complex and multidimensional problem, and lack of spiritual well-being is a major concern in opioid addicts. AIM: This study was conducted to determine spiritual well-being and factors associated with relapse among opioid addicts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2015 to September 2015. According to purposive sampling, 312 eligible addicted patients were enrolled in the study. The patients had at least an attempt of detoxification in the past six months and referred to an outpatient detoxification clinic in Shahrekord (Southwest, Iran). They completed Paloutzian and Ellison's Spiritual Well-being Scale. A researcher-developed questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics and 20 questions about associated factors with relapse was administered. Data were analysed by version 16.0 (SPSS Inc.,Chicago, IL) using one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation test, chi-square, Friedman test, and student's t-test. RESULTS: The most important factors associated with opioid dependence relapse consist of relation with an addict friend, unemployment, living expenses, family conflicts, and somatic pain. In the present study, 157 patients had never experienced relapse while the mean of relapse in the rest participants was (3.25±1.53) times. Furthermore, the addicted patients with relapse had significantly lower scores of spiritual well-being and its subscales compared with non-relapse patients (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study indicate the necessity of paying attention to spiritual well-being, family and economical, personal, and occupational factors as crucial factors in opiate addiction relapse.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many herbs have been used to treat psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression in traditional medicine. OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to determine the effect of using Lavandula angustifilia infusion on depression in patients taking Citalopram. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among all patients referred to the Hajar Hospital psychiatric clinic, Shahrekord, Iran, 80 patients who met the criteria of major depression according to the structured interviews and the Hamilton questionnaire for Depression were included in the study. They were randomly assigned into two groups of experimental treatment group and standard treatment group at this study. In standard treatment group, the patients were given Citalopram 20 mg. In experimental treatment group, the patients took 2 cups of the infusion of 5 g dried Lavandula angustifilia in addition to tablet Citalopram 20 mg twice a day. The patients were followed up for four and eight weeks of the study onset using Hamilton Scale questionnaire and treatment side effects form. Data were analyzed using student t-test, pair t-test and chi square. RESULTS: After four weeks of the trial onset, the mean depression score according to the Hamilton Scale for Depression was 17.5 ± 3.5 in the standard treatment group and 15.2 ± 3.6 in the experimental treatment group (P < 0.05). After eight weeks, it was 16.8±4.6 and 14.8±4 respectively (P < 0.01). In addition, the most commonly observed adverse effects were nausea (12.8 %) and confusion (10%). In terms of side effects, there were no significant differences between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the results of this study, Lavandula angustifilia infusion has some positive therapeutic effects on depressed patients most importantly decreases mean depression score and might be used alone or as an adjunct to other anti-depressant drugs.
