Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression among children in tsunami-affected areas in southern Thailand

Context  On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake occurred off the northwestern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The tsunami that followed severely impacted all 6 southwestern provinces of Thailand, where approximately 20 000 children were directly affected. Objective  To assess trauma experiences and the prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among children in tsunami-affected provinces in southern Thailand. Design, Setting, and Participants  Population-based mental health surveys were conducted among children aged 7 to 14 years in Phang Nga, Phuket, and Krabi provinces from February 15-22, 2005 (2 months posttsunami), and September 7-12, 2005 (9 months posttsunami). Main Outcome Measures  Trauma experiences and symptoms of PTSD and depression as measured by a tsunami-modified version of the PsySTART Rapid Triage System, the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index, and the Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale. Results  A total of 371 children (167 displaced and living in camps, 99 not displaced from villages affected by the tsunami, and 105 not displaced from unaffected villages) participated in the first survey. The prevalence rates of PTSD symptoms were 13% among children living in camps, 11% among children from affected villages, and 6% among children from unaffected villages (camps vs unaffected villages, P = .25); for depression symptoms, the prevalence rates were 11%, 5%, and 8%, respectively (P = .39). In multivariate analysis of the first assessment, having had a delayed evacuation, having felt one's own or a family member's life to have been in danger, and having felt extreme panic or fear were significantly associated with PTSD symptoms. Older age and having felt that their own or a family member's life had been in danger were significantly associated with depression symptoms. In the follow-up survey, 72% (151/210) of children from Phang Nga participated. Prevalence rates of symptoms of PTSD and depression among these children did not decrease significantly over time. Conclusions  This assessment documents the prevalence of mental health problems among children in tsunami-affected provinces in southern Thailand at 2 and 9 months posttsunami. Traumatic events experienced during the tsunami were significantly associated with symptoms of PTSD and depression. These data may be useful to target mental health services for children and may inform the design of these interventions.      

大学新生的心理问题与教育对策

通过对1360份大学一年级新生心理问题与心理健康的调查问卷,分析了大学新生心理健康状况和存在的主要心理问题.大学新生的心理健康水平普遍略低于全国成人正常水平,其中着重体现在强迫症状、人际关系敏感、焦虑、敌对和恐惧等方面.心理问题集中表现在人际关系问题、环境改变与心理适应问题、以及自我意识模糊等3个方面.针对存在的这些问题,探讨了原因,并提出了心理教育的对策.     

高校教师心理健康问题及对策研究

目的 随着社会的发展及高校教育变革的不断深入,高校教师迎来新的发展机遇的同时,也正在经受着更大的心理挑战和压力.很多高校教师在面临新的环境和工作时,没有能及时有效地调节自我心理,于是产生了诸多心理障碍,主要表现为抑郁、失眠、敏感和焦虑等心理症状.来自社会、职业及教师本人等方面的因素是造成高校教师心理健康问题的主要原因.针对当前高校教师心理健康问题的表现,认清高校教师心理问题产生的影响,分析高校教师心理问题产生的原因,从而提出解决当前高校教师心理健康问题的措施及途径是非常有必要的.     

Awareness of tobacco-related health hazards among adults in China

Objective To determine the level of awareness of the hazards of tobacco smoking and secondhand smoke inhalation among adults in China. Methods Household surveys were conducted with a total of 13 354 respondents aged 15 years or over from 100 counties of 28 Chinese provinces using a stratified multi-stage geographically clustered sample design. Results The findings revealed that 81.8% of the population was aware that smoking causes serious diseases, and 27.2% and 38.7% were aware that smoking causes stroke and heart attack, respectively. Only 64.3% of respondents were aware that secondhand smoke can cause serious diseases, and 27.5%, 51.0%, and 52.6% were aware that secondhand smoke causes heart disease in adults, lung disease in children and lung cancer in adults, respectively. Awareness regarding smoking-related hazards across all participants was significantly associated with several factors, including gender, smoking status, urban/rural residency, education level and exposure to tobacco control publicity in the last 30 days. Awareness regarding tobacco-related hazards in smokers was significantly associated with urban/rural residency, education level, exposure to tobacco control publicity in the last 30 days, and physician＇s advice. Awareness relating to the hazards of inhaling secondhand smoke was associated with smoking status, urban/rural residency, age, education level, and exposure to tobacco control publicity in the last 30 days. Medical professionals were found to know more about the health hazards of tobacco compared with people in other types of employment. Conclusions Overall awareness of the health hazards of tobacco has improved in the last 15 years in China, but is still relatively poor. Improved means of communicating information and more effective warning labels on cigarette packaging are necessary for increasing public awareness of tobacco hazards, particularly among rural residents and people with less education.     

The association between living arrangements and subjective health and well-being among older adults in Thailand: a special focus on skip-generation households

Objectives: Older adults in skip-generation households (SGHs) play a valuable role in maintaining the cohesion of extended families in the absence of the middle generation. Little is known about the health and well-being of older adults in SGHs or how it varies depending on their age. This study aimed to examine 1) the association between living in SGHs and subjective health and well-being and 2) the association between subjective health and well-being of older adults in SGHs across age groups.Methods: Drawing data from the 2017 national survey of older people, older adults aged ≥60 years without disability in activities of daily living (n=38,088) were included for multiple regression analyses. Living arrangements were classified into SGHs and non-SGHs. Subjective health was evaluated based on self-rated health, whereas subjective well-being was evaluated using a happiness score. Ordinal logistic regression and linear regression models, stratified by age groups (young-old, 60–69; middle-old, 70–79; and old-old, ≥80), compared subjective health and well-being of older adults in SGHs and non-SHGs, while controlling for potential covariates.Results: Among older Thai adults, 10.1% lived in SGHs, and 11.1%, 9.5%, and 6.3% were among the young-old, middle-old, and old-old, respectively. Across age groups, older adults living in SGHs reported better health status but worse well-being than those living in non-SGHs. Older adults from the old-old group living in SGHs seemed to report the best health status, whereas those in the young-old and old-old groups tended to report the worst well-being. The direction of the association between living arrangements and subjective health and well-being did not differ by age group.Conclusion: Better health status but worse well-being were observed in SGHs. Social sectors should pay attention to the well-being of these older adults.     

临床医学实习生存在的心理健康问题及对策

目的了解临床医学实习生心理健康状况,为开展心理健康教育提供依据。方法采用症状自评量表(SCL-90)和自制的犯错和违纪情况表对我院2017年临床医学实习生98例(对照组)和2018年临床医学实习生102例(实验组)进行问卷调查,并对实验组实施干预。结果临床医学所有实习生SCL-90症状自测评分除了躯体化、精神疾病2个因子得分与全国医学生常模比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)外,其他因子得分比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);实验组焦虑、抑郁、强迫、恐怖、人际关系敏感与对照组比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05),其余因子得分比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05);实验组的心理健康问题阳性检出率较对照组显著下降(χ~2=4.046,P0.05),犯错率也明显降低(χ~2=5.356,P0.05)。结论临床医学实习生心理健康问题不容忽视,必须加强实习前培训及带教老师素质培养,并随时开展心理健康教育或心理咨询。     

山东省农村学龄前儿童心理健康状况及影响因素

目的：了解山东省农村学龄前儿童心理健康现状和影响因素,为进一步干预提供理论依据。方法采用自行设计儿童基本情况调查表与长处和困难问卷（SDQ）家长版对699名3～5岁农村学龄前儿童进行调查分析。结果被调查儿童情绪和行为问题检出率为29．76％,各因子异常检出率分别为：情绪症状,4．33％;品行问题,9．76％;多动注意力不集中,11．12％;同伴交往问题,6．16％;亲社会行为,12．85％。男童品行问题检出率高于女童（χ2＝14．38,P＜0．05）,留守儿童情绪和行为问题检出率高于非留守儿童（χ2＝4．07,P＜0．05）。Logistic回归分析显示,监护人不知晓健康的生活方式、对抚养孩子感到有负担和精力不足、在批评孩子前不给其申诉的机会以及孩子边吃饭边看电视是儿童出现情绪和行为问题的危险因素。结论农村学龄前儿童情绪和行为问题检出率较高,应当引起重视并进行有效的干预。     

针对新型冠状病毒肺炎的军人心理问题成因分析及应对策略

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情的暴发对社会生产和居民生活造成了极大影响，在此期间军人的心理健康对于维护军队稳定具有十分重要的意义。本研究基于既往研究分别对现阶段部队一线官兵、隔离官兵和营区驻守官兵可能出现的心理问题及其成因进行了阐述，并从问题解决和情绪调节等角度提出应对策略。     

Occupational health problems among agricultural and plantation workers

Agricultural and plantation works are associated with a variety of unique occupational health hazards in the form of physical factors like extreme weather conditions, sunrays, etc; chemicaVtoxicological hazards in the form of pesticides/fertilisers, etc, including different forms of biological and mechanical hazards. As most of our rural people are engaged in varied types of agricultural activities, they are highly susceptible for suffering from numerous work related health disorders. There are very few data regarding the epidemiology of occupational health disorders among agricultural and plantation workers. Clinically well recognised group of occupationally acquired health problems may be respiratory, dermatological, traumatic, poisoning and neoplastic in nature. Prevalence of some specific zoonotic diseases and behavioural health problems are also found to be more among them. There is lack of attention for prevention and control of these occupational health problems. An adequately developed comprehensive occupational health care programme having all the components of preventive, curative and rehabilitative aspects can only promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being in all types of agricultural and plantation workers of rural India.     

Mental health and nutritional status among the adult Serbian minority in Kosovo

CONTEXT: Since the beginning of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization intervention in Kosovo in June 1999, few objective data have been available on relevant health indicators for the Serbian ethnic minority in Kosovo. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of undernutrition among Serbian adults aged 60 years or older and psychiatric morbidity among the adult Serbian population in Kosovo. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A systematic random sample survey of 212 households was conducted between September 27 and October 2, 1999, in Pristina, the capital city, and in 10 towns in the rural municipality of Gnjilane in Kosovo. Of the 212 households surveyed, 204 adults aged 15 years or older completed the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and anthropometric measurements were taken for 98 adults aged 60 years or older and for a comparison group of 51 adults aged 18 to 59 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Body mass index of less than 18.5 kg/m(2) in older adults; nonspecific psychiatric morbidity among adults; and self-reported use of health care services, access to food rations, and primary sources of prewar and postwar income. RESULTS: Undernutrition was found in 11.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7%-19.2%) of Serbian adults aged 60 years or older compared with 2.0% (95% CI, 0.1%-11.8%) of Serbian adults aged 18 to 59 years. The mean (SE) total score for the GHQ-28 was 13.0 (0.52). In a comparison of the GHQ-28 scores of the Serbian adults with the Kosovar Albanian adults (data from a recent survey), the mean (SE) score adjusted for age and sex was 12.8 (0.52) vs 11.1 (0.58); P =.03, respectively. The GHQ-28 scores were also higher for the Serbians in the subcategories of social dysfunction (2.8 [0.17] vs 2.2 [0.13]; P =.008) and severe depression (1.9 [0.15] vs 0.9 [0. 09]; P<.001), respectively. Serbian women and persons living alone or in small family units were more prone to psychiatric morbidity. Of the 141 respondents reporting the need for health care services, 83 (57.6%) reported not obtaining such services; 204 of 212 (96.2%) households were on a food distribution list. The majority of prewar income came from government jobs compared with farming and humanitarian aid for postwar income. CONCLUSIONS: The undernutrition of older Serbian adults in Kosovo should be monitored. The high prevalence of symptoms of social dysfunction and severe depression suggest the need for implementation of mental health programs in the Serbian community. JAMA. 2000;284:578-584     

Physical and psychological health problems among Japanese family caregivers

The authors commenced research in 2005 with the goal of on constructing a health support system for primary caregivers. This ongoing study aims to develop a health support program and construct a system of regional assistance based on examining the health situation of family caregivers. Furthermore, it aims to present proposals that will put the minds of citizens at ease in respect to their ability to live in a super aging society. A survey was conducted with 213 male and female caregivers and a control group of 477 community residents not engaged in care. This paper collates the various research findings reported in journals and conference presentations by the authors. Among both male and female caregivers, blood pressure levels required regulation. Among female caregivers, grip strength and musculoskeletal symptoms were worse than those in the control group, even when participants were matched for age. We attempted to determine the characteristics of caregivers who have strong feelings of responsibility and obligation toward their provision of care. Age was a significantly higher factor in the group with stronger feelings in that regard. The group with weaker feelings of responsibility and obligation was younger. The percentage of participants who were caring for a spouse, living with a spouse, had no secondary caregivers, or were providing all-day care, was significantly higher in the group with stronger feelings of responsibility and obligation. There was no significant difference between the groups in the mean total score on the J-ZBI-8 that measures burden of care. As the aging population of Japan grows larger, support for caregivers with physical and psychological health problems, and at the very least, concern of government administrators and the general public, will assume greater importance.     

呼和浩特市农区居民健康状况调查分析

目的通过开展健康状况调查,了解呼和浩特市农区人群中疾病的患病情况,为制定相关政策及发展规划提供可靠数据。方法采用整群随机抽样的方法,对农区人群中疾病指标进行研究。结果中老年贫困人群是患病的主要群体,该人群疾病的防治应作为农村卫生工作的重点之一。