Community attitudes towards people with mental health problems: a discourse analytic approach

This paper addresses some methodological issues related to the generation of knowledge for mental health practice. It is suggested that a knowledge and understanding of attitudes towards the mentally ill has the potential to inform policy and practice regarding the establishment of community mental health facilities in order to encourage their acceptance by the public. Traditional approaches to attitude research are outlined followed by the proposal of an alternative approach: discourse analysis. The utility of each approach is assessed with regard to the potential relevance and applicability of research findings to practice. Traditional approaches are criticized on the grounds that they fail to take into consideration the social contexts within which attitudes are naturally expressed. As a result, information which is of potential interest to mental health practitioners is lost and it is unclear how the findings of such research might relate to or be translated into practice. It is argued, that since this information is to be found in the language used to describe people with mental health problems and to express attitudes towards them, that discourse analysis is ideally suited to the study of attitudes towards the mentally ill. The potential utility of the approach is demonstrated by an empirical example. Implications for practice are considered.     

Anin vitro electrophysiological study of the colon from patients with idiopathic chronic constipation

Preparations of the circular muscle layer from the sigmoid colon resected from patients with idiopathic chronic constipation were compared, at an electrophysiological level using the sucrose-gap technique, with preparations of the same region of the intestine resected from patients with rectal carcinoma. Non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic inhibitory neuromuscular transmission, represented by inhibitory junction potentials, was present in preparations from both groups. However, the inhibitory response in preparations from constipated patients had a slower or longer time-course than in those from cancer patients. Also, rebound activity following inhibitory transmission was observed in 34% of preparations from constipated patients but was observed in 67% of preparations from cancer patients. Preparations from both groups displayed the same patterns of spontaneous activity and the same proportion of each group was quiescent. The threshold for generation of action potentials and the passive resistance of the smooth muscle membrane were the same in both groups. However, quiescent preparations from constipated patients were less likely to discharge trains of action potentials when the smooth muscle membrane was depolarized than were preparations from cancer patients. These changes in transmission processes and excitability in tissue from constipated patients are discussed in relation to altered states of colonic motility found in people with idiopathic chronic constipation.     

What Are the Etiology and Epidemiology of Out‐of‐hospital Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Arrest in Ontario,Canada?

Background: Pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) outside of the hospital has a very high mortality rate. Objectives: To evaluate the etiology and initial compromise of pediatric CPA cases in hopes of developing strategies to improve out‐of‐hospital resuscitation. Methods: The Ontario Prehospital Advanced Life Support (OPALS) study was a large multicenter initiative to evaluate the impact of emergency medical services (EMS) programs on 17 communities with 40,000 critically ill and injured patients who were older than 11 years. As part of this study, the authors conducted a retrospective observational cohort study that included all children younger than 18 years of age with out‐of‐hospital CPA, during an 11‐year period from 1991–2002. CPA was defined as patient being pulseless, apneic, and requiring chest compressions. Data were collected from ambulance call reports and centralized dispatch data and were reviewed by two independent investigators. Results: There were 503 children with CPA in the sample. Mean age was 5.6 years (range, 0–17 yr); 58.4% of patients were male, and 37.8% were younger than 1 year of age. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) first was started by a bystander in 32.4% of cases, whereas 66.0% were unwitnessed arrests. Initial rhythms were asystole 77.2% of the time, pulseless electrical activity 16.4% of the time, and ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia 4% of the time. Annual incidence was 9.1/100,000 children. CPA was witnessed in 34.0% of cases; 80.7% of these were bystander‐witnessed, and 18.1% were EMS‐witnessed. Primary pathogenic cause of arrest was medical in 61.2% of cases, trauma in 37.2% of cases, and indeterminate in 1.6% of cases. Initial underlying physiologic compromise of witnessed arrests was judged to be respiratory in 39.8% of cases, sudden collapse (presumed electrical) in 16.4% of cases, progressive shock in 1.2% of cases, and indeterminate in 42.6% of cases. Presumed etiology was trauma, 37.6%; sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), 20.3%; and respiratory disease, 11.6%, most commonly. Survival to hospital discharge was 2.0%. Conclusions: This is one of the largest population‐based, prospective cohorts of pediatric CPA reported to date, and it reveals that most pediatric arrests are unwitnessed and receive no bystander CPR. Those that are witnessed most often are caused by respiratory arrests or trauma. Trauma, SIDS, and respiratory disease are the most common etiologies overall. These data are vital to planning large resuscitation trials looking at specific interventions (i.e., increasing bystander CPR) and highlight the need for better strategies for prevention and early recognition.     

Hong Kong nurses' health-related behaviours: implications for nurses' role in health promotion

The health-related behaviours of a random sample (n=92) of Hong Kong nurses were assessed by a questionnaire written either in English or in English and Chinese. Hong Kong nurse reported negligible smoking or a alcohol use, low levels of breast self-examination, cervical screening behaviour and regular exercising, seat belt use and driving within the speed limit. The sample reported high levels of making efforts to avoid foods high in cholesterol, eating foods high in fibre and eating fruit daily. Dental hygiene was reported to be high. Just over half the sample reported sleeping 7–8 hours each night and eating breakfast daily. Most nurse reported maintaining their body weight at a healthy level and eating snacks between meals. The English language version of the questionnaire produced a slightly better response rate than the bilingual questionnaires. The results are discussed with reference to previous studies of females' health-related behaviours in Hong Kong and elsewhere. The implications for Hong Kong nurses' role in health promotion is discussed.     

The meaning of spirituality: a literature review

This paper presents a literature review in relation to the meaning of spirituality. It is proposed that meeting the spiritual needs of patients is a fundamental part of providing holistic nursing care, but that the assessment and meeting of those needs is impeded by inadequate definitions and conceptual frameworks. It should not be assumed that spirituality is either synonymous, or coterminous, with religion, and it is suggested that to adopt this restrictive view is unhelpful in the provision of individualized care. Reflection on the literature reveals that the self, others and 'God' provide the key elements within a definition of spirituality, and that other emerging themes namely meaning, hope, relatedness/connectedness, beliefs/belief systems and expressions of spirituality, can be articulated in the context of those three key elements. In particular, it is proposed that the nature of 'God' may take many forms and, essentially, is whatever an individual takes to be of highest value in his/her life. It is suggested that the themes emerging from the literature can be utilized as a framework to give practitioners and researchers a direction for future exploration of the concept of spirituality.     

Building a relationship: communications and relationships between staff and stroke patients on a rehabilitation ward

Communications among staff and patients on a stroke rehabilitation ward form the focus of this article, which reports on some aspects of a larger study using a grounded theory approach. Tape-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed concurrently according to recommendations for the approach. A main theme entitled building a relationship was identified, and this process was found to occur in a context varying from participative at one end of a continuum to hierarchical at the other. Building a relationship was found to be influenced by role, personal qualities and organizational context. Appropriate relationships between role-holders were subject to negotiation, leading to a resulting congruence or incongruence between participants' expectations of each other and their roles. Personal qualities were brought into play in the process, with patients' views of staff and staff views of patients both being influential. Some of these views seemed to parallel what has been described in earlier literature as ‘the sick role’ and the labelling of patients as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Responses to personal qualities led to nurses ascribing meaning to patients' behaviour in terms of adjustment to their stroke, giving time to them to help them to adjust, and withdrawal and handing over to other staff if this strategy failed. Organizational context also had an influence on building a relationship, with time constraints being identified particularly by nurses, and the need to fit in the most essential aspects of care. Place was also important, in that nurses were confined to the ward as a work location, whereas other therapists and doctors worked in other places and sometimes had the facility to take patients off the ward to concentrate on therapy. The findings are discussed against the background of related literature and the conclusion is drawn that the crucial role of nurses in rehabilitation is not recognized and valued, and that shortages of resources - especially suitably qualified and trained nursing staff- are a negative influence on building the relationships which are vital to successful rehabilitation.