Psychiatric Scale Research Articles

代币强化行为疗法对社区女性精神病人的康复研究

目的：研究代币强化行为疗法对社区女性精神病人的康复作用。方法：把100例女性精神病康复病人随机分为研究组和对照组，对研究组病人的良性行为采用“代币法”进行阳性强化训练和行为塑造，与对照组作比较，以精神病人护士观察量表(NOSIE)、精神病人康复疗效评定量表(IPROS)来评价强化的效果。结果：代币强化行为疗法对减少女性病人的病态体验、克服焦虑、抑郁、恐惧情绪，改善和强化病人适应环境的能力，恢复和重建人际交往有良好的作用。结论：代币强化行为疗法能塑造女性病人良性行为，促进病人早日康复，回归社区、回归家庭。利用有限的卫生资源，达到最大可能的社区功能水平。 Objective: To investigate the effects of token therapy on the rehabilitation of the female schizoph-renic patients in the community. Methods: 100 female patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into the research group and the control group (n = 50, per group). The benign behavior adopted the positive intensive training and the behavior shaping with token therapy in patients of the study group. Compared with the control group, the strengthening effects were evaluated by the Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation (NOSIE) and the Impatient Psychiatric Rehabil-itation Outcome Scale (IPROS). Results: Token therapy can reduce the pathological experience, overcome anxiety, depression and fear, improve and enhance the adaptive capacity of environment in the female schizophrenic patients. It also has a good effect in the recovery and reconstruction of interpersonal communication. Conclusions: Token therapy can shape benign behavior, facilitate the patients to recover and return the community and home. The optimal social functions of community could be developed by making full use of the limited sanitary resource in the female schizophrenic patients.

Anxiety, Depression and Quality of Life in Italian Youths with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Psychological problems and low quality of life (QoL) in children with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus T1DM) were reported as correlated with T1DM. This study wants to test if the prevalence of anxiety and depression is higher in young patients with T1DM than in controls, if the level of QoL is lower and if anxiety and QoL correlate with glyco-metabolic control. Methods: A total of 100 children with T1DM, aged 8-13 years, were recruited and 114 healthy children were recruited as controls. All children with T1DM were receiving a routine psychological support. Patients and controls underwent three questionnaires [the Self Administrated Psychiatric Scale Scales for Children and Adolescents (SAFA), the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)]. Diabetes–related, physical and socio-demographic parameters were also collected. Results: SAFA, CDI and PedsQL mean score were not statistically different in T1DM and in control group. Just the “separation anxiety” scale showed significantly higher mean score in the T1DM than in the control group (43.77 ± 10.34 vs. 23.11 ± 18.25, p<0.01). A significant correlation between QoL and metabolic control (HbA1c) (r=0.21, p<0.05) was found. HbA1c increased with the mother’s education (r=0.42, p<0.05) and occupation level (r=0.35, p<0.05), and with the number of siblings (r = 0.20, p<0.05). Conclusions: T1DM is not a condition promoting per se more psychological discomfort even if a higher level of separation anxiety was shown. Interestingly, a higher level of self-perceived QoL was associated with worse glycometabolic control. Significant findings of the study: 1. The anxiety, depression and QoL levels were not significantly different in children with T1DM vs healthy peers even if children with T1DM showed higher separation anxiety 2. There was not association between psychological parameters and the glycometabolic control (HbA1c) What this study adds: The self-perceived QoL, in subjects with T1DM, was higher in subjects with worse glycometabolic control and lower in patients with better glycometabolic control Psycho-educational and therapeutic programs should sustain parents and children with T1DM

70. Correlation between abnormal brain excitability, anger management and anxiety in migraine children

To analyze the possible correlation between abnormal brain excitability and psychological factors in migraine children. We studied 12 migraine children. P300 response was recorded in three successive blocks to test EP habituation. Psychological profile was assessed by Picture Frustration Study test for anger management (PFS) and Psychiatric scales for self-administraion for youths and adolescents (SAFA-A scale for anxiety). In migraineurs, all the EP components (N1, P2, and P300) showed a reduced habituation, as compared to healthy children. In both the second and third blocks, a significant correlation between P300 deficit habituation and SAFA-A (social anxiety subscale) was found. Moreover, the P300 habituation was also correlated with PFS-I (intraggressive anger) in the second block and with the total SAFA-A score in the third block. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing a correlation between abnormal brain excitability, intraggressive anger and anxiety, suggesting a possible role of the latters in producing the migraine phenotype.

Interformat reliability of digital psychiatric self-report questionnaires: a systematic review.

BackgroundResearch on Internet-based interventions typically use digital versions of pen and paper self-report symptom scales. However, adaptation into the digital format could affect the psychometric properties of established self-report scales. Several studies have investigated differences between digital and pen and paper versions of instruments, but no systematic review of the results has yet been done.ObjectiveThis review aims to assess the interformat reliability of self-report symptom scales used in digital or online psychotherapy research.MethodsThree databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO) were systematically reviewed for studies investigating the reliability between digital and pen and paper versions of psychiatric symptom scales.ResultsFrom a total of 1504 publications, 33 were included in the review, and interformat reliability of 40 different symptom scales was assessed. Significant differences in mean total scores between formats were found in 10 of 62 analyses. These differences were found in just a few studies, which indicates that the results were due to study effects and sample effects rather than unreliable instruments. The interformat reliability ranged from r=.35 to r=.99; however, the majority of instruments showed a strong correlation between format scores. The quality of the included studies varied, and several studies had insufficient power to detect small differences between formats.ConclusionsWhen digital versions of self-report symptom scales are compared to pen and paper versions, most scales show high interformat reliability. This supports the reliability of results obtained in psychotherapy research on the Internet and the comparability of the results to traditional psychotherapy research. There are, however, some instruments that consistently show low interformat reliability, suggesting that these conclusions cannot be generalized to all questionnaires. Most studies had at least some methodological issues with insufficient statistical power being the most common issue. Future studies should preferably provide information about the transformation of the instrument into digital format and the procedure for data collection in more detail.

Depression, Anxiety, and Anger in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a syndrome of heterogeneous nature, affecting multiple systems, particularly the endocrine system. We propose to investigate the possible relationships among hormonal changes, levels of anxiety, depression, and anger in patients with PCOS. Forty-four female patients with PCOS and 44 body mass index (BMI )-matched healthy women participated in this study. We measured the sociodemographic features, some serum hormonal levels (insulin, gonadotropins, prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), 17 OH-progesterone, and total and free testosterone), and some other biochemical parameters of the participants. Also, all participants completed the Trait Anger-Anger Expression Scale (STAS), Beck Depression, and Beck Anxiety Inventories. We evaluated the psychiatric scale scores obtained from PCOS patients and control subjects. We used the independent-samples t-test for parametric data to evaluate normal distribution, and Mann-Whitney U-test was used for both abnormally distributed and nonparametric data. We used Pearson correlation analysis to evaluate the potential connection between the two groups' data. The mean ages of the patients with PCOS and control subjects who participated in this study were 27.3±5.6 and 27.4±6.1 years, respectively. The measures of BMI, insulin, luteinizing hormone (LH), DHEAS, and total testosterone serum levels in the patient group were significantly higher than in the control group (p<.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between Beck anxiety scores and serum DHEAS levels (Pearson r=.4366, P=.0001). We found significant differences between the two groups in terms of trait anger, anger control, outward and inward anger, anxiety level, and depression scores (P<.05). Anxiety symptoms indicate a stronger relationship compared to depression with DHEAS serum levels via the autonomic nervous system, considering the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-antagonistic effect of DHEAS. Obesity, hirsutism, and infertility may reduce self-confidence and create depressive symptoms in patients with PCOS. In addition, changes in hormonal levels may lead to anxiety directly. Possibly, depressive symptoms are a secondary reflection of these changes.

The relationship between prosthesis use, phantom pain and psychiatric symptoms in male traumatic limb amputees

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to identify psychiatric symptoms by comparing male patients with traumatic leg amputations (LAs) with healthy controls and to determine the association between these psychiatric symptoms and phantom pain and prosthesis use characteristics. MethodsOne hundred four volunteers, 51 LA patients (group 1) and 53 healthy controls (group 2) were included. Demographic data including age, height, weight, time since amputation, duration of prosthesis use, and Satisfaction with Prosthesis Questionnaire scores were recorded. Phantom pain was measured a visual analog scale (VAS). Psychiatric symptoms were measured using the Symptom Checklist-90-R, Beck Depression Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Correlations were determined between time since amputation, duration of prosthesis use and satisfaction with prosthesis questionnaire scores and psychiatric scale scores. ResultsAmputee patients had higher phobic anxiety, state anxiety, trait anxiety and sleep disturbance scores (p<0.05) than the controls. No difference was determined in terms of psychiatric symptoms between the phantom pain and no phantom pain groups (p>0.05). There were significant negative correlations between time since amputation, duration of prosthesis use, duration of daily prosthesis use, and satisfaction with prosthesis questionnaire scores and psychiatric symptoms. ConclusionsApart from anxiety (state, trait or phobic) and disturbed sleep, other psychiatric symptoms in amputee patients undergoing lengthy prosthetic rehabilitation may not differ from those of healthy controls. The presence and severity of phantom pain appear to be unrelated to general psychiatric symptomatology. Length of time since amputation, length of prosthesis use, daily length of prosthesis use and prosthesis satisfaction are negatively correlated with general psychiatric symptoms. These characteristics must be borne in mind in psychiatric and prosthetic rehabilitation.

Electroconvulsive Therapy in First Episode Schizophrenia – Experiences from Nepal

Introduction: Little is known regarding efficacy and effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in young, first episode schizophrenia. Present study was done to evaluate short term and long term efficacy and effectiveness of ECT in patients with first episode schizophrenia. Materials and methods: This is a prospective study where forty five patients were evaluated at medical college in Nepal.12 patients received ECT as compared to 33 non-receivers. Patients were evaluated at admission, at discharge, 1st month, 6th month and at 12th month after discharge from the hospital. Evaluations were done using Brief Psychiatric Research Scale (BPRS), Global Assessment of Function (GAF). Results: The mean duration of hospitalization was25.42 days among ECT receivers as compared to 34.75 days among non-receivers. Patients who received ECT showed significant improvement in BPRS at discharge (p=0.001), 1st month (p=0.001, 6th month (p=0.001) and at 12th month (p=0.001). Similarly there was significant improvement in GAF at discharge (p=0.001), 6th month (p=0.053) and at 12th month (p=0.003). Conclusion: Though used infrequently, ECT in young first episode schizophrenia give significant overall improvement and wellbeing with very minimal side-effects. ECT also shortens duration of hospitalization with early discharge and improvement in psychosocial wellbeing. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v3i1.11350 J Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal Vol .3, No.1, 2014: 35-40

Self-esteem Mediates Associations of Physical Activity with Anxiety in College Women

Why physically active people report lower anxiety than those who are inactive is not well understood. This study examined whether physical self-concept and self-esteem would mediate associations of self-reported physical activity with anxiety disorder symptoms in young women, a population with elevated risk for developing an anxiety disorder. College women (N = 1036, mean ± SD = 19.7 ± 2.9 yr) completed a physical activity recall, the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire, and the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses. Physical activity had inverse, indirect associations with symptoms of social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder that were expressed through its positive association with specific and global physical self-concept and self-esteem. The results were independent of similar relations with symptoms of major depressive disorder as well as the estimates of body fatness and use of psychotropic medications. These correlational findings provide initial evidence to warrant experimental efficacy trials of whether physical activity will reduce the risk of anxiety disorders in young women by positive influences on physical self-concept and self-esteem.

Anxiety and depression levels in prepubertal obese children: a case-control study.

IntroductionChildhood obesity has become a worldwide epidemic in Western and in developing countries and has been accompanied by many serious and severe comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea syndrome, depression, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose homeostasis, steatohepatitis, and intracranial hypertension, as well as medical concerns unique to youth, such as accelerated pubertal and skeletal development and orthopedic disorders. To date, no specific studies about the psychological assessment in pediatric obesity are present. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the putative relationship between psychological troubles and obesity in a sample of school-aged children.Materials and methodsThe study population consists of 148 obese subjects (body mass index [BMI] >95th percentile) (69 males, mean age 8.9±1.23 years) consecutively referred from clinical pediatricians to the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry department at the Second University of Naples. In all subjects, weight, height, and BMI z-score were evaluated. In order to assess the anxiety levels and the presence of depressive symptoms, the Children Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Italian Self-Administered Psychiatric Scales for Children and Adolescents (SAFA) were administered. The control group consisted of 273 healthy children (129 males and 144 females) (mean age 9.1±1.8 years), enrolled in schools within the Campania region of Italy.ResultsNo significant differences between the two study groups were found for age (8.9±1.23 years in the obese sample and 9.1±1.8 years in the control group) (P=0.228) or sex (ratio male/female: 69/79 in the obese group versus 129/144 in the control group) (P=0.983). Obviously, significant difference was found for the BMI z-score (2.46±0.31 in the obese group vs 0.73±0.51 in the control group) (P<0.001). The obese subjects showed significant higher level of depressive symptoms (CDI total score) (16.82±7.73 vs 8.2±2.9) (P<0.001) and anxiety (SAFA – Anxiety [SAFA-A]) scale score (58.71±11.84 vs 27.75±11.5) (P<0.001) compared with the control group. Moreover, the Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a significantly positive relationship between the BMI z-score and both the CDI (r=0.677; P<0.001) and SAFA-A scores (r=0.591; P<0.001).ConclusionOur findings highlighted the importance of assessing the presence of internalizing problems, such as anxiety and depression, in the common management of childhood obesity.

Child-evoked maternal negativity from 9 to 27 months: Evidence of gene-environment correlation and its moderation by marital distress.

Past research has documented pervasive genetic influences on emotional and behavioral disturbance across the life span and on liability to adult psychiatric disorder. Increasingly, interest is turning to mechanisms of gene-environment interplay in attempting to understand the earliest manifestations of genetic risk. We report findings from a prospective adoption study, which aimed to test the role of evocative gene-environment correlation in early development. Included in the study were 561 infants adopted at birth and studied between 9 and 27 months, along with their adoptive parents and birth mothers. Birth mother psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms scales were used as indicators of genetic influence, and multiple self-report measures were used to index adoptive mother parental negativity. We hypothesized that birth mother psychopathology would be associated with greater adoptive parent negativity and that such evocative effects would be amplified under conditions of high adoptive family adversity. The findings suggested that genetic factors associated with birth mother externalizing psychopathology may evoke negative reactions in adoptive mothers in the first year of life, but only when the adoptive family environment is characterized by marital problems. Maternal negativity mediated the effects of genetic risk on child adjustment at 27 months. The results underscore the importance of genetically influenced evocative processes in early development.

D06 Platelet Bdnf In Huntington's Disease: Evidence From A Preliminary Study

Background Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders; highly expressed in central nervous system, it can be detected in peripheral tissues such as blood, mainly stored in platelets. Wild type huntingtin (HTT) is believed to activate BDNF transcription and transport, mutated HTT is responsible for reduction of BDNF levels by inhibiting both processes. Several studies investigated BDNF in HD patients demostrating lower values in brain, blood and plasma with respect to controls; however results were not always confirmed and this lack of concordance could be due to extreme variability of sampling collection and laboratory techniques. Aims To evaluate BDNF levels in HD and possible correlations with psychiatric and motor scales by using platelet dosage. Methods 12 patients with symptomatic HD (S&F stage II) and 10 controls, matched for age and educational level were investigated by means of neuropsychological tests (MoCa, MMSE, FAB), psychiatric scales (BDI, PBA) and motor evaluation (UHDRS). Blood samples were collected to investigate BDNF platelet levels determined by ELISA. Results HD patients showed statistically significant lower performances at MoCa (p Conclusions Our finding of a lack of significant difference in platelet BDNF between HD and controls could suggest along with recent studies on human blood that peripheral levels of BDNF are not informative as HD biomarkers. However, the correlation between BDNF platelet levels and disease duration might indicate that the peripheral BDNF levels can fluctuate in different phases of the disease.

Systematic review of pharmacological treatments for depressive symptoms in Huntington's disease.

Depressive symptoms are common in Huntington's disease (HD), profoundly affect quality of life, and predict suicidal ideation. However, no recent review of antidepressant treatment in HD has been published. We performed a PRISMA systematic review of HD studies, which used a recognized antidepressant and measured change in depressive symptoms using a validated psychiatric scale. Controlled trials, uncontrolled trials, observational studies, and case series were included. Eleven studies were included, totalling 190 patients. One study examined venlafaxine, one fluoxetine, one citalopram, one atomoxetine, one modafinil, one lithium, and five antipsychotics. No studies were of adequate duration, size, or outcome, and no controlled trial in a depressed population produced a positive result. Inadequate evidence exists to guide antidepressant treatment in HD. Further research is needed to assess antidepressant efficacy and to examine whether treatment of depression represents a modifiable target for the high suicide rate in HD.

Reasons for desiring death: Examining causative factors of suicide attempters treated in emergency rooms in Korea

BackgroundSuicide attempters treated in emergency rooms were studied in order to understand the motives behind this behavior. Disparities between the etiological contributions to suicidal ideation, intention, and action were examined in order to characterize motives in these categories. MethodsSuicide attempters who visited the emergency departments of seven university hospitals were analyzed. Attempts leading to mortality were excluded from the analysis. Participants were assessed using semi-structured questionnaires, the results of which were noted on their medical records. These were analyzed retrospectively. ResultsAttempter self-report assessment revealed that participants chose external sources of stress (75.4%) and psychiatric symptoms (19.1%) as their main reasons for attempting suicide. However, assessments by interviewers indicated that stressors contributed to suicide attempts to a lesser degree (52.8%) while psychiatric symptoms were more etiologically relevant (36.6%). Compared to those with stressors that was identified as causal in both self-report and clinician assessed evaluation, the participants—regardless of their self-report evaluation—who identified with causal psychiatric symptoms by psychiatrist had more severe and intense suicidal ideation and more determined suicidal intention. LimitationsWe collected samples from only university hospitals, resulting in selection bias. In addition, we did not use psychiatric scales to evaluate the participants׳ symptoms. ConclusionsStress was the greatest motive for attempting suicide, affirmed in both self-report and clinician assessed evaluation. A fair proportion of people were objectively identified as being motivated by psychiatric symptoms, yet were unaware of what they suffered from. Furthermore, suicide severity, intensity, and suicidal intention were stronger in psychiatrically driven cases.

The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions in reducing stress among nurses working in hospitals: a systematic review protocol

Review question/objective The objective of this review is to present the best available evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions in reducing stress, preventing burnout, improving mood states, and reducing work absences among hospital nurses. The specific review questions to be addressed are: 1.What is the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions in comparison to usual care in reducing stress, preventing burnout, improving mood states, and reducing work absences among hospital nurses? 2.What is the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions of different formats (for example, didactic teaching, workshop, role play) in reducing stress, preventing burnout, improving mood states, and reducing work absences among hospital nurses? 3.What is the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions of different intensities (for example, different duration and frequency of sessions) in reducing stress, preventing burnout, improving mood states, and reducing work absences among hospital nurses? Usual care is defined as either no intervention or general stress management interventions such as massage therapy, yoga, meditation, and mantra. Inclusion criteria Types of participants This review will consider studies that included nurses working in acute, rehabilitation, convalescent settings and community centers, regardless of gender or ethnicity. Nurses will include enrolled nurses, registered nurses, midwives, nursing officers, advanced practice nurses, and managers. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest This review will include studies which apply cognitive behavioral therapy interventions which includes cognitive restructuring and behavioral stress management. Programs which are conducted by psychologists, trained healthcare workers or trained nurses, either in groups or individually one on one, will be considered. They may be delivered in either a role play format or through workshops and may be conducted in a one day session or in separate sessions ranging from eight hours to 16 hours. Types of outcomes The primary outcomes include stress reduction and improving physiological parameters. Stress reduction is defined as decreasing levels of stress as measured by subjective methods like self-reported level of stress, for example Perceived Stress Scale27, Psychiatric Occupational Stress Scale 28, Nursing Stress Scale29, DeVilliers Carson Leary Stress Scale30, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Physiological parameters are defined as a decrease in the blood pressure TRUNCATED AT 350 WORDS

Pallidal stimulation in Parkinson's disease does not induce apathy.

Whereas apathy is known as a common consequence of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease, few studies have investigated the psychiatric consequences of internal globus pallidus deep brain stimulation. Twenty consecutive parkinsonian patients who underwent bilateral pallidal stimulation were assessed 3 months prior to surgery (M‒3) and at both 3 (M3) and 6 months (M6) after surgery, using psychiatric, neuropsychological, and motor scales. Apathy, mood state, and anxiety state were scored using the Apathy Evaluation Scale, the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, and the anxiety scale from the Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry, respectively. The mean apathy score remained stable between the preoperative M‒3 assessment (37.2±6.2) and both the postoperative M3 (36.9±7.5) and M6 (37.2±5.0) assessments. The mean depression score did not differ between the M‒3 assessment and M3 and M6 assessments. There was no difference between the preoperative mean anxiety score and both the postoperative M3 and M6 scores. The mean score for the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale remained stable at each study visit. The main result of this study is the absence of deterioration in psychiatric and cognitive scores 3 months and 6 months after pallidal stimulation.

Differences in job stress experienced by female and male Japanese psychiatric nurses.

In psychiatric nursing, female nurses tend to spend more time building rapport with patients and developing cooperative working relationships with colleagues; they encounter more sexual harassment by patients. In contrast, male nurses respond to aggressive patients and tend to resist physically caring for female patients; they encounter more physical and verbal assault from patients. These gender differences might result in differences in job-related stress. We quantitatively examined gender differences in psychiatric nurses' job stress. The Psychiatric Nurse Job Stressor Scale and the Stress Reaction Scale of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire were administered to 159 female and 85 male Japanese psychiatric nurses. The results indicated that female nurses had significantly higher stress levels than males related to psychiatric nursing ability, attitude towards nursing, and stress reactions of fatigue and anxiety. Moreover, the factors affecting stress reactions differed somewhat between sexes. In particular, male nurses reported that greater irritability was affected by patients' attitudes. Their anxiety and somatic symptoms were affected by their attitude towards nursing, and depressed mood was affected by psychiatric nursing ability. Knowledge of these differences can lead to better mental health-care interventions for psychiatric nurses.

FRI0097 Factors Associated with Major Depressive Disorder in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

BackgroundPsychiatric disorders occur in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients very often. It is considered that major depressive disorder (MDD) in RA is stress-related and associated with disease activity and chronic pain.Objectivesto...

AB0714 Psychiatric Symptoms in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

ObjectivesThis study was intended to identify general psychiatric symptoms in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to determine the distribution of these psychiatric symptoms by degree of disease activity.MethodsOne hundred...

THU0031 Factors Associated with Fatigue in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Backgroundevidence exists that fatigue is a significant problem for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients (pts). The causes of fatigue aren't enough investigated. SLE activity and depression are confounding fatigue factors.Objectivesto...

Exploring Family Resilience in a Community Mental Health Setup in South India

The purpose of the study is to identify the socio-demographic characteristics and understand the level of family resilience of clients and their caregivers seeking treatment for mental illness within a community mental healthcare set-up. The sample consists of 60 respondents from impoverished urban and semi-urban families whose family members are currently undergoing treatment at the community mental health clinic run the Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT), a local NGO based in the northern region of Kerala in South India. The methodology requires the participants to report the current symptom severity for their family members suffering from chronic mental illness, using the 18-item Brief Psychiatric Scale. They were then interviewed about how different aspects of family resilience applied to their own lived experiences as primary caregivers using Sixeby's Family Resilience Scale based on Walsh's conceptual framework of family resilience. The study is expected to contribute to understanding how families might be nurtured and strengthened using Walsh's family resilience approach in an Indian cultural context.