Further testing of the Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire

AIM OF THE STUDY: This paper reports a two-part study relating to the further psychometric development of the Mental Health Problems Perceptions Questionnaire. BACKGROUND: The instrument was developed and used originally in a study to investigate the role of district nurses in caring for people with mental health problems, who live in rural settings. It is underpinned by an explicit theoretical framework in which therapeutic commitment, role support and role competency are core concepts. DESIGN: A two-part study is described. Part One used a test-retest method to examine the stability of the instrument on repeated administration. Part Two examined the instrument's internal reliability and construct validity by calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficients and exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: Satisfactory internal reliability for a new instrument was demonstrated. Exploratory factor analysis supported the previously proposed theoretical framework. Significant correlations were demonstrated between the scales which constitute the instrument, thereby providing further evidence of construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: The Mental Health Problems Perceptions Questionnaire provides a potentially useful instrument in relation to future educational, clinical and managerial research.     

In-patient suicide in psychiatric hospitals

OBJECTIVE: In-patient suicides continue to be a matter of concern in hospital psychiatry. In-patients at risk for suicide need to be identified. METHOD: In-patient suicides in two psychiatric hospitals were assessed over a time-span of 8 years. Cases were detected by comparing police suicide data with the hospitals' admission and discharge records. Further information was then gathered from patients' records. RESULTS: During the period under investigation 44 in-patients committed suicide, the majority of them being diagnosed with affective disorders (45.4%) or schizophrenia (27.3%). The most commonly used method was 'jumping in front of a vehicle' (34.1%); 79.5% were treated in an open ward at the time of their suicide, 15.9% in a locked unit. The majority of open ward suicides happened outside the hospital; 39.4% of patients had left the ward without giving notice. CONCLUSION: Additional cautionary measures are warranted especially for patients in open wards.     

接纳与承诺疗法在中青年维持性血液透析患者中的应用

目的探讨接纳与承诺疗法对中青年维持性血液透析患者自我效能和创伤后成长的影响。方法采用方便抽样法,选择2018年2月—2019年2月在连云港市第二人民医院接受维持性血液透析的患者作为研究对象。采用随机数字表法,随机分为试验组和对照组各42例,对照组采用常规护理,试验组在常规护理的基础上实施接纳与承诺疗法干预,采用一般自我效能感量表(GSES)、创伤后成长量表(PTGI)比较两组干预效果。结果试验组1例中途退出研究,最终试验组41例、对照组42例患者完成研究。干预6周后,试验组患者GSES量表(30.85±3.12)分,PTGI量表总分(67.89±8.43)分,均高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(t值分别为12.254、10.002;P<0.05)。结论接纳与承诺疗法可改善中青年维持性血液透析患者创伤后成长水平,提高患者自我效能。     

Exploitation of stem cell plasticity

For many years, adult haemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been considered 'plastic' in their proliferative and differentiation capacities. Recently, evidence that supports newer concepts of adult stem cell plasticity has been reported. In particular, stem cells from haemopoietic tissues seem to have 'extraordinary' abilities to generate or switch between haemopoietic and nonhaemopoietic lineages, exhibiting an unexpected degree of developmental or differentiation potential. The mechanisms by which cell fate reprogramming occurs are still poorly understood. Nevertheless, an increasing number of studies is challenging one of the main dogmas in biology, namely that mammalian cell differentiation follows established programmes in a hierarchical fashion, and once committed to a particular somatic cell lineage, cells do not change into another somatic lineage. The 'nonhierarchical', 'reversible' phenotype of stem cells in haemopoietic tissues, if it exists, would be an advantage that could be exploited in regenerative medicine. Here, we review the recent advances in HSC biology and discuss the general concepts of adult stem cell plasticity with respect to these cells and how these might be exploited clinically.     

Transformation of Accessible Chromatin and 3D Nucleome Underlies Lineage Commitment of Early T Cells

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