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Professional Help (professional + help)
Selected AbstractsGrowing old and getting sick: Maintaining a positive spirit at the end of lifeAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2007David M. Clarke Abstract End of life throws up significant mental health challenges. A high proportion of people in the terminal stages of illness experience depressive symptoms. This paper integrates a theory of hierarchy of human needs and empirical research describing experiences of grief and depression in terminal illness, to develop a model of care aimed at reducing depression and suffering. This care attends to physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects, taking into account the concerns of patients and their families. Professional help can be offered to patients to restore dignity and hope, strengthen their ways of coping, and encourage social connections. To offer this, a well-resourced and coordinated, multidisciplinary and skilled workforce is needed. [source] Parent and caretaker knowledge about avulsion of permanent teethDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Marconi Eduardo Sousa Maciel Santos Tooth avulsion, the most severe dentoalveolar lesion, is a dental emergency. The prognosis of avulsed teeth significantly depends on prompt and efficient action at the site of the accident, thus requiring that parents or caretakers be knowledgeable about the correct management of this situation. The objective of the present study was to assess the level of knowledge of parents or caretakers concerning the management of tooth avulsion and to investigate the association between level of knowledge and schooling, monthly family income and age. We interviewed 107 parents or caretakers using a 12-item questionnaire comprising objective questions whose answers received a score from 0 to 3. The results show that 99% of those interviewed would immediately seek professional help; however, 71% did not know what avulsion was. Only 3% would use milk as storage medium and 16% would attempt replantation of the avulsed tooth. The distribution of final means for the overall level of parent or caretaker knowledge was 44.63% for score 3, 15.88% for score 2, 17.99% for score 1 and 21.47% for score 0, showing a low level of knowledge concerning tooth avulsion. Schooling, monthly family income and age were not associated with the knowledge scores for any of the 12 questions. The level of parent and caretaker knowledge concerning the management of tooth avulsion is low, without association with age, schooling and monthly family income. [source] Individual use of online-consulting for persons affected with eating disorders and their relatives,evaluation of an online consulting serviceEUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 4 2006Martin Grunwald Abstract This paper describes an independent online consulting service for persons affected with eating disorders and their relatives (http://www.ab-server.de) which was developed by physicians and psychologists in Germany. This study aims to understand the individual use of the online consulting by affected persons and their relatives. In order to do this, two online questionnaires were developed: one for affected persons and one for their relatives. These questionnaires were sent digitally to those people who had posted an e-mail to the online consulting service between 1/1999 and 11/2003 (n,=,2760). Finally, 240 data sets of affected persons and 85 of relatives were included in the analysis. Respondents said that the online consulting had had important effects on their lives: (a) 22.5% of affected persons and 49.4% of relatives stated that the answers provided by the online consultants led to a better understanding of the disease; (b) 32.1% of affected persons and 52.9% of relatives experienced that they had been talking more about the disease since they had contacted the online consulting service; (c) 20% of affected persons went to see a therapist as a consequence of the online consultation. 55.4% of affected persons and 81.2% of relatives had not turned to professional help before they contacted the online service. The results of the evaluation sugest that people seeking help are made sensitive to their existing problem and that they have been encouraged by the online consultation to seek further professional help. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source] What do we know about dementia?: a survey on knowledge about dementia in the general public of JapanINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2008Yumiko Arai Abstract Objective The importance of early detection of dementia has been highlighted in recent years by the medical and scientific community; however, delays often occur between the recognition of signs or symptoms and a decision by the patient or family to seek professional help. Such delays may be caused by a lack of knowledge about dementia among patients and family members. The aim of this study was to determine the understanding of dementia among the general public. Methods We conducted a survey in Japan that asked 11 questions regarding knowledge of ,general' information, ,symptoms', and ,biomedical' issues related to dementia. A quota sampling method was used to select 2,500 participants, 2,115 of who were eligible for the analyses. Results The average number of correct responses among females was significantly greater than that among the males. A multiple comparisons test demonstrated that middle-aged women were more knowledgeable than younger and older respondents. It was revealed that there was a lack of knowledge on biomedical aspects of dementia, i.e. cause, treatment, and prognosis along with a misunderstanding of dementia as senescence forgetfulness among the general public. Conclusions There appeared to be gaps in knowledge on dementia among the general public, which may prevent caregivers from planning upcoming social and financial challenges. Correct information needs to be given by health professionals and care staff. Educational initiatives planned for the general public could be useful, and should target those groups, men and non-middle aged women who have lower knowledge. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Barriers and facilitators to the utilization of adult mental health services by Australia's Indigenous people: Seeking a way forwardINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2010Anton Neville Isaacs ABSTRACT Mental disorders are the second leading cause of disease burden among Australia's Indigenous people after cardiovascular disease. Yet Indigenous people do not access mental health services in proportion to their need. This paper explores the barriers and facilitators for Indigenous people seeking mental health services in Australia and identifies key elements in the development and maintenance of partnerships for improved service delivery and future research. The process of seeking help for mental illness has been conceptualized as four consecutive steps starting from recognizing that there is a problem to actually contacting the mental health service. We have attempted to explore the factors affecting each of these stages. While people in the general population experience barriers across all four stages of the process of seeking treatment for a mental disorder, there are many more barriers for Indigenous people at the stage of actually contacting a mental health service. These include a history of racism and discrimination and resultant lack of trust in mainstream services, misunderstandings due to cultural and language differences, and inadequate measures to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Further research is required to understand the mental health literacy of Indigenous people, their different perceptions of mental health and well-being, issues around stigma, and the natural history of mental illness among Indigenous people who do not access any form of professional help. Collaborations between mainstream mental health services and Aboriginal organizations have been promoted as a way to conduct research into developing appropriate services for Indigenous people. [source] Help-seeking among Korean American women with urinary incontinenceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2009Youngmi Kang ABSTRACT Background: Despite the availability of effective treatments, many women manage their urinary incontinence (UI) silently rather than seeking professional help. Delays in seeking help in effectively managing UI can lead to a worsening of the incontinence and in overall quality of life. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the help-seeking behaviour (HSB) among Korean American women with UI. The following research question guied this study: is there any difference in HSB for UI according to severity of UI among Korean American woment with UI?. Methods: 149 community-dwelling Korean American women who are age 30 years and older and self-identified as being incontinent were invited to particpate in the study. Data collection was conducted in 12 Korean religious organizations. This study uses a correlation descriptive design by means of interviews. The HSB scale was used to measure the propensity ot help-seeking. Results: This study showed that the propensity of seeking help among Korean American women was lower than that of general population. It indicated that Korean women cope urinary symptoms nonmedical measures rather seeking professional help. The severity of UI is associated with help-seeking among Korean American women with UI. Conclusions: Health care providers need to be aware of low rates of seeking care among Korean women for this problem, and the need for further education in this area. [source] Family and segregation studies: 411 Chinese children with primary nocturnal enuresisPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 5 2007QING WEI WANG Abstract Background: The aim of the present paper was to determine the incidence of primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) among relatives of Chinese children with PNE, the inheritance pattern, and to identify the characteristics of PNE with positive family history. Methods: From July 2003 to June 2004, an epidemiological survey on PNE children was carried out by self-administered questionnaires to parents of 5,18-year-old Chinese students in Henan Province, central China. A detailed family history was recorded in order to determine the presence of familial PNE as defined as any close relative with PNE beyond the age of 5 years. Results: The response rate was 88% (10 383/11 799), and 411 children (235 boys and 176 girls) with PNE were identified. A positive family history was found in 94 families (22.87%) of 411 probands with PNE, including 48.94% of fathers, 8.51% of mothers, 6.38% of both parents, 6.38% of the siblings and 29.79% of grandfathers or (and) mothers. Among the probands the ratio of male to female was 1.3:1 excluding sex-linked inheritance. Autosomal dominant inheritance was in 14.60%, and autosomal recessive inheritance was consistent in 1.46% of families. In PNE children with positive family history, the proportion of adolescents, with associated daytime symptoms, marked PNE and seeking professional help were significantly higher than those in PNE children without positive family history. Conclusions: PNE has a significant family clustering, and all modes of inheritance can occur in different families on the basis of a formal genetic analysis. Those with positive family history often manifest marked PNE, and have daytime symptoms. [source] Perspectives on Health Among Adult Users of Illicit Stimulant Drugs in Rural OhioTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2006Harvey A. Siegal PhD ABSTRACT:,Context: Although the nonmedical use of stimulant drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine is increasingly common in many rural areas of the United States, little is known about the health beliefs of people who use these drugs. Purpose: This research describes illicit stimulant drug users' views on health and health-related concepts that may affect their utilization of health care services. Methods: A respondent-driven sampling plan was used to recruit 249 not-in-treatment, nonmedical stimulant drug users who were residing in 3 rural counties in west central Ohio. A structured questionnaire administered by trained interviewers was used to collect information on a range of topics, including current drug use, self-reported health status, perceived need for substance abuse treatment, and beliefs about health and health services. Findings: Participants reported using a wide variety of drugs nonmedically, some by injection. Alcohol and marijuana were the most commonly used drugs in the 30 days prior to the interview. Powder cocaine was used by 72.3% of the sample, crack by 68.3%, and methamphetamine by 29.7%. Fair or poor health status was reported by 41.3% of the participants. Only 20.9% of the sample felt they needed drug abuse treatment. Less than one third of the sample reported that they would feel comfortable talking to a physician about their drug use, and 65.1% said they preferred taking care of their problems without getting professional help. Conclusions: Stimulant drug users in rural Ohio are involved with a range of substances and hold health beliefs that may impede health services utilization. [source] headspace: National Youth Mental Health Foundation: Making headway with rural young people and their mental healthAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2007Craig A. Hodges Abstract Mental health is the number one health issue affecting young people in Australia today, yet only one in four of these young people receive professional help. Approximately 14% of 12- to 17-year-olds and 27% of 18- to 25-year-olds experience mental health problems each year. However, many do not have ready access to treatment or are reluctant to seek that help. These issues might be exacerbated in the rural and remote regions of Australia where sociocultural barriers such as stigma, lack of anonymity and logistic difficulties including cost and availability of transport can hinder young people accessing mental health services. headspace: the National Youth Mental Health Foundation has been funded to address these issues. headspace will provide funding for the establishment of communities of youth services across Australia, provide national and local community awareness campaigns and plans, establish a centre of excellence that will identify and disseminate evidence-based practice in addressing youth mental health issues, and translate findings into education and training programs that are targeted at service providers to work with youth mental health. The communities of youth services will build the capacity of local communities to identify early, and provide effective responses to, young people aged 12,25 years with mental health and related substance use disorders. Specific approaches in rural, regional and remote areas will be developed as well as specific programs to involve young Indigenous people. [source] Feasible Model for Prevention of Functional Decline in Older People: Municipality-Randomized, Controlled TrialJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2005Mikkel Vass MD Objectives: To investigate the effect of an educational program for preventive healthcare professionals in routine primary care on functional ability, nursing home admissions, and mortality in older adults. Design: A prospective, controlled 3-year follow-up study (1999,2001) in primary care with randomization and intervention at the municipality level and outcomes measured at the individual level in two age cohorts. Setting: Primary care. Participants: Of 81 eligible municipalities in four counties, 34 agreed to participate. A total study population of 5,788 home-dwelling subjects aged 75 and 80 were asked to participate. Written consent was obtained from 4,060 persons (70.1%), of whom 2,104 were living in 17 intervention municipalities and 1,956 were living in 17 matched control municipalities. Intervention: Intervention municipality visitors received ongoing education, and local general practitioners were introduced to a short geriatric assessment program early in the study period. Control municipalities visitors and general practitioners received no education. Measurements: At the 3-year follow-up, the outcome measures of mortality and nursing home admissions were obtained from all, and the outcome measure of functional ability was obtained from 3,383 (95.6%) of 3,540 surviving participants. Results: Education improved functional ability (odds ratio=1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.01,1.42, P=.04) in intervention municipality participants, notably in the 80-year-olds. There were no differences in mortality (relative risk (RR)=1.06, 95% CI=0.87,1.28, P=.59) or rates of nursing home admissions after 3 years (RR=0.74, 95% CI=0.50,1.09, P=.13). Subjects aged 80 benefited from accepting and receiving in-home assessment with regular follow-ups. Conclusion: A brief, feasible educational program for primary care professionals helps preserve older people's functional ability. [source] | ||||||||||