Perceptions of Nurses at Ndola Teaching Hospital towards Sexual Health Needs of People with Mental Health Problems

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is among the fundamental packages of health care, which all clients seeking health care should receive. However, it is unclear how healthcare providers, in particular, nurses perceive the issue of people with mental problems having sexual health needs. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of nurses at Ndola Teaching Hospital towards sexual health needs of people with mental health problems. A general descriptive qualitative study design was utilized and data were collected using three focus group discussions (FGDs) that were recorded and later transcribed verbatim. Purposive sampling was used to select 21 nurses who participated in the study. Nine were male, while 12 were female. Each FGD comprised seven participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, and six major themes: 1) physiological interplay among different body systems, 2) disease process and effects of psychotropic, 3) participant differences in age, gender, educational level, and cultural backgrounds, 4) staff shortages in mental health units, 5) deficient record keeping, and 6) Social stereotypes and labelling theories emerged. Despite acknowledging the existence of sexual activity among people with mental health problems;participants had both positive and negative perceptions. It is, therefore, recommended that interventions aimed at strengthening implementation of SRH guidelines among nurses caring for people with mental health problems should be put in place.

Parental Educational Expectations,Academic Pressure,and Adolescent Mental Health:An Empirical Study Based on CEPS Survey Data

Background:This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental educational expectations and adolescent mental health problems,with academic pressure as a moderating variable.Methods:This study was based on the baseline data of the China Education Panel Survey,which was collected within one school year during 2013–2014.It included 19,958 samples from seventh and ninth graders,who ranged from 11 to 18 years old.After removing missing values and conducting relevant data processing,the effective sample size for analysis was 16344.The OLS(Ordinary Least Squares)multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between parental educational expectations,academic pressure,and adolescents’mental health problems.In addition,we established an interaction term between parents’educational expectations and academic pressure to investigate the moderating effect of academic stress.Results:The study found that adolescents whose parents had high educational expectations reported less mental health problems.(β=−0.195;p<0.001).Additionally,adolescents who had high academic pressure reported more mental health problems.(β=0.649;p<0.001).Furthermore,the study found that academic pressure had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between parental educational expectations and adolescents’mental health problems(β=0.082;p<0.001).Conclusion:Parental educational expectations had a close relationship with adolescents’mental health problems,and academic pressure moderated this relationship.For those adolescents with high levels of academic pressure,the association between high parental educational expectations and mental health problems became stronger.On the contrary,for those adolescents with low levels of academic pressure,the association between high parental educational expectations and mental health problems became weaker.These findings shed new light on how parental educational expectations affected adolescent mental health problems and had significant implications for their healthy development.

Brain Research on Mental Disorders: A Criticism

Objective: To expose the problems and inherent limitations of neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders. Method: Discussion of the theory underlying brain research on mental disorders, followed by a systematic evaluation of typical studies. Results: The fundamental problem is that brain researchers fail to differentiate between biological mental disorders in which brain processes cause the disorder (notably schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and melancholic depression) and learned mental disorders in which brain processes mediate but do not cause the disorder (which is the case with reactive depression, reactive anxiety, OCD, and PTSD). Researchers have been unsuccessful in identifying mechanisms in the brain that cause biological mental disorders, and will never be able to locate the innumerable specific neural connections that mediate learned mental disorders. Moreover, the author’s review of typical studies in this field shows that they have serious problems with theory, measurement, and data analysis, and that their findings cannot be trusted. Conclusions: Neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders, unlike other neurological research, has been an expensive failure and it is not worth continuing.

Ecological Momentary Assessment with smartphones for measuring mental health problems in adolescents

AIM To analyze the viability of Ecological Momentary Assessment(EMA) for measuring the mental states associated with psychopathological problems in adolescents.METHODS In a sample of 110 adolescents,a sociodemographic data survey and an EMA Smartphone application over a oneweek period(five times each day),was developed to explore symptom profiles,everyday problems,coping strategies,and the contexts in which the events take place.RESULTS The positive response was 68.6%.Over 2250 prompts about mental states were recorded.In 53% of situations the smartphone was answered at home,25.5% of casesthey were with their parents or with peers(20.3%).Associations were found with attention,affective and anxiety problems(P < 0.001) in the participants who took longer to respond to the EMA app.Anxious and depressive states were highly interrelated(rho = 0.51,P < 0.001),as well as oppositional defiant problems and conduct problems(rho = 0.56,P < 0.001).Only in 6.2% of the situations the subjects perceived they had problems,mainly associated with inter-relational aspects with family,peers,boyfriends or girlfriends(31.2%).We also found moderate-high reliability on scales of satisfaction level on the context,on positive emotionality,and on the discomfort index associated with mental health problems.CONCLUSION EMA methodology using smartphones is a useful tool for understanding adolescents' daily dynamics.It achieved moderate-high reliability and accurately identified psychopathological manifestations experienced by community adolescents in their natural context.

Perfectionism and mental health problems:Limitations and directions for future research

Research has indicated that perfectionism is prevalent among adolescents and may be harmful in terms of its association with mental health problems.This letter aims to create a paradigm for future studies of the perfectionism.Specifically,we suggest gaps and implications that must be considered at perfectionism future research in terms of assessments,interventions,settings,potential treatments,gender,and social media.

Healing in Rwanda,Understanding and Naming Mental Health Problems:Translating Kinyarwanda Into a Clinically Applicable Language

Before the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi,reported rates of mental health disorders in Rwanda were low;Rwandan society and traditional healers had their own strategies to diagnose and address different mental health issues.Following the genocide against Tutsi in 1994,reports of psychological and mental health issues―including post traumatic stress disorders(PTSD),substance abuse and depression―increased significantly.To tackle these challenges,mental health specialists were trained―mainly in English and French―with key mental health concepts and disorders defined and elaborated in these languages.Consequently,specialists adopted Western ways of defining mental disorders and primarily referenced DSM-IV and V criteria for diagnosis.For example,most research names mental health problems that people experience as related to genocide and other events as“trauma”and“associated co morbidities”.From the research conducted by the Rwandan Biomedical Centre(RBC)on situational analysis for development of a model for management of trauma cases during the commemoration period of the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda through Ubuzima Burambye project named problems that people suffered from as trauma,some concepts(such as“Ihungabana”,“Ihahamuka”,and“Ibikomere”)have been used to name trauma.But mental health professionals still prefer to name them as emotional,traumatic,collective,and/or collective traumatic crises.However,this use of primarily Western terms is a challenge for many Rwandan psychologists,as counselling sessions and other therapeutic interventions are conducted in Kinyarwanda.Such names might simplify concepts,as they are unable to fully translate the nuances within Kinyarwanda.To further study this linguistic issue,this current study investigated how people in Rwanda contextualise,name and give representations to the mental health problems they suffer from.It combined clinical and participatory action 88research,which started in February 2019.Participants were young survivors of genocide,people addicted to drugs from WAWA Rehabilitation Centre,as well as people who were received in the clinic/Uyisenga Ni Imanzi.Responses from the participants were classified according to their life experience on mental health pains.Twenty-nine percent of names of mental health problems from the participants were reflected on darkness,25%of them have named as emptiness,11%of participants have named their problems as heaviness,while rejection,bondage,physical pain each represent 8%,addictiveness or deviance is at 5%whereas dirtiness and judgement each has 3%.Different mental health symptoms―such as guilt,pessimism,anxiety,loneliness,depression and panic attacks―were identified to assess the respondents’mental health.The data collected from this group showed that guilt among respondents takes a higher number of 22%of names for mental health related to pains,compared to the other symptoms.On other side,pessimism is ranked at 19%,anxiety at 18%,loneliness at 17%expressivity at 16%and panic attacks is ranked at 8%.Looking at the effect of mental health pains on different aspect of life,data represented that the most affected aspect of life is the human mind at 52%,social problems and emotions at 18%each,human body at 9%and relations among people are affected at 4%.Human senses(e.g.,touch,taste,smell,hearing,sight)were used to identify and describe mental health pains.Results show that 62%of the identified unique names of the problems were found to belong to what people can feel,followed by sight(37%),touch(15%),hearing(13%),and smell(1%).However,there was no name for mental health pains related to taste.Clearly identifying and describing mental health issues in participants’local language is an essential step towards finding effective solutions.Naming a problem helps practitioners and patients develop a shared understanding of the issue at hand and what can be jointly done to address it.Conversely,the inability to name the actual disorder leaves patients in a state of confusion,unable to progress with their treatment despite the availability of professional assistance.

The Role of Moral Intelligence and Identity Styles in Prediction of Mental Health Problems in Healthcare Students

Background: Assessment of healthcare students’ mental health problems is an important aspect of health promotion. This study examined the roles of moral intelligence (MI) and identity styles in prediction of mental health problems in healthcare students. Methods: In a correlation study, two hundred healthcare students (100 girls, 100 boys) of Medicine, Density, and Paramedicine Colleges of Bobol University of Medical Sciences were selected. The subjects filled out three questionnaires;General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Moral Competency Inventory (MCI), and Identity Style Inventory (ISI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Pearson correlation, multivariate analysis variance model (MANOVA), and multivariate regression used to analyze the data. Results: Boys and girls did not have a meaningful difference in the mean of total GHQ, MCI, normative and informational identity. Girls had significantly higher mean level of diffused-avoidant identity than boys. There was a positive and significant relationship between moral intelligence, normative identity and mental health problems of students. Also, there was a negative relationship (p < 0.05) between diffused-avoidant identity and mental health problems of students. Moral intelligence, informational and normative identity predicted 25.8% of the variance in mental health problems for girls’ students. Normative and diffused-avoidant identity predicted 21.6% of the variance in mental health problems for girls’ students. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that moral intelligence and identity status contributed to the mental health problems of healthcare students. University administrators should adopt strategies that strengthen the moral intelligence and identity maturity associated with university students’ mental health.

Mental Health Problems Experienced by HIV Positive Adolescents;A Case of Choma District, Zambia

Several scholars have reported high mental health problems among adolescents with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) globally. However, little is known about the mental health of this peculiar group of young people in Choma district. This study aimed to determine the mental health problems experienced by HIV positive adolescents in Choma District. Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), data were obtained from 103 HIV positive adolescents receiving treatment at Choma General Hospital plus a corresponding number of parents/care givers. Information about mental health services was obtained qualitatively from 10 nurses working in the mental health unit and the Antiretroviral (ART) clinic. The results showed that more than three quarters of the adolescents had mental health problems. Of this number, 57.3 percent had multiple mental health problems: predominantly emotional and peer problems. The study also found a statistically significant relationship between level of stigma and presence of mental health problems (X2 = 1.123, P = 0.003). In conclusion, the study demonstrated that multiple mental health problems particularly emotional and peer problems are prevalent among adolescents with HIV/AIDS yet are most often undiagnosed. In addition, adolescents with high levels of internalized stigma are more likely to have multiple mental health problems. The findings suggest the need to integrate psychiatric services into routine care of HIV infected adolescents, routine screening for mental health problems and provision of continued professional development among nurses managing these patients.

Self-esteem enhancement as a strategy for promoting the mental health and averting the occupational problems of nurses

In recent years, shortage of nurses, high turnover rate, low self-worth, and team instability have become increasingly serious. With the development of positive psychology, more and more nursing managers have begun to attach great importance to the mental health of nurses. Self-esteem, as one of the core indicators of individual mental health, has received extensive attention from researchers in different fields since its inception. This paper reviews and summarizes the research status and development trends of nurses' selfesteem considering the aspects of self-esteem as a concept, assessment tools, significance, and intervention methods. At the same time, it also puts forward problems that need to be solved by undertaking research into nurses' self-esteem, in order to provide a reference for further studies on nurses' self-esteem.

How Are Minor Mental Health Problems Perceived by Traditional Chinese Medicine?

The purpose of this study was to reach a better understanding of how minor mental health problems (MMP) are perceived in China by professionals practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and by well-educated people living in three urban locations. The results derive from interviews with three TCM doctors, three TCM students and eight other students. Psychological problems are separated into two different categories: “serious” and “not serious”. MMP are labelled not as disorders or illnesses but looked upon as ordinary problems in daily living or as “heart problems”. MMP seem to have less serious consequences according to the Chinese than from a modern Western perspective. “Problems of life” rather than sickness was the category that best summarized perceptions of MMP. TCM professionals’ advice to change lifestyle and most Chinese regulate by themselves less serious mental problems. Both lay people and TCM professionals associate serious problems with pathological mental function in a disease perspective. Some reasons for and consequences of these comprehensions are discussed.

心理健康问题的当代诠释:学理与系统视角

在百年未有之大变局下,心理健康问题需要从多维的系统角度重新诠释。就心理健康问题的性质而言,要反对诊断主义、还原主义、教育万能论等“本本主义”倾向;就心理健康问题的特点而言,它是一个连续性与阶段性统一的发展系统;就心理健康问题的影响因素而言,它是人与环境相互作用的一个生态系统;就心理健康问题的作用机制而言,它是一个集文化潮流、时代变迁等社会心理因素叠加的复杂系统。因此,心理健康教育不能“就事论事”,心理健康问题更不能“头痛医头,脚痛医脚”,它应该是一个有章可循的系统工程,需要创新系统思维,以学校教育、卫生健康、社会建设三个领域为横坐标,以个体、人际、群体、社会和环境五个维度为纵坐标,纵横交错、抓住结点,“综合治理、网格化治理”。

新时代高职学报编辑心理健康问题探讨

高职学报编辑作为精神文化产品的传播者,这一群体存在着诸如紧张、焦虑、抑郁、强迫思维与强迫行为和职业倦怠等心理健康问题。他们的心理健康状况需要得到有关部门的高度重视与关注,并且要采取有效措施维护他们的心理健康。在分析高职学报编辑心理健康的重要意义后,归纳了高职学报编辑存在的若干心理健康问题,并提出了提升高职学报编辑心理健康水平的有效途径。

问题导向的“钢结构设计原理”课堂理论教学改革

“钢结构设计原理”是道路桥路与渡河工程专业的核心专业课程,扎实提升课堂理论教学效率和效果是该课程教学改革的重要任务和目标。细致分析“钢结构设计原理”的课程内容特点以及由此导致学生学习过程中存在的问题,有针对性地提出从多层次网格模块化教学内容、建立“思维主线”、引入真实工程案例、坚持精确理论推导与定性分析相结合、开展课程横向比较等方面开展课堂理论教学改革,进而从根本上提升课堂理论教学的效率与效果。

中国内地幼儿教师心理健康问题检出率的元分析:2000~2022

整合和分析中国内地幼儿教师心理健康问题的检出率及其原因,是针对性地改善幼儿教师心理健康问题的关键。2000~2022年间相关研究的元分析表明:(1)幼儿教师心理健康问题检出率由高到低分别为抑郁(11.2%)、焦虑(8.2%)、强迫问题(8.1%)、躯体化问题(6.6%)、敌对问题(6.4%)、偏执问题(5.7%);(2)城市地区躯体化、强迫、敌对和偏执问题检出率高于农村;(3)幼儿教师心理健康问题检出率随年代逐渐上升,其中抑郁和强迫问题最为显著;(4)测量工具和检出标准是检出率差异的关键因素。因此,呼吁研究者开发精确测量工具,统一检出标准,增加对城市地区幼儿教师的关注,有效遏制幼儿教师抑郁、强迫问题的增长趋势,为针对性的预防和干预措施提供支持。

中国内地大学教师心理健康问题检出率的元分析:2000~2022

为考察我国大学教师心理健康问题的基本情况,采用元分析方法对2000年至2022年发表的检出率研究进行综合分析。结果发现:(1)大学教师心理健康问题的检出率由高到低依次是睡眠问题(22.6%)、强迫问题(22.3%)、抑郁(21.3%)、焦虑(18.6%)、躯体化问题(15.3%)、偏执问题(14.1%)和敌对问题(14.0%)。(2)出版年代、测量工具、学校类型和经济区域是影响大学教师心理健康问题的重要因素。具体而言,大学教师的焦虑问题随年代呈上升趋势;焦虑、抑郁和睡眠问题的检出率与所使用的测量工具密切相关;普通高校教师的心理健康问题发生率普遍高于高等职业学校教师;东部地区教师的焦虑和抑郁问题比中西部教师更严重。未来应开发专门针对大学教师心理健康问题的测查工具,增加对普通高校和东部地区高校教师的心理援助,遏制大学教师焦虑的蔓延趋势,实现教师心理健康水平的整体提升。

中国内地小学教师心理健康问题检出率的元分析:2000~2022

小学教师心理健康问题的检出率在既有研究中存在较大分歧,难以准确掌握其总体心理健康水平。为明确小学教师心理健康问题的整体检出率并进一步分析其影响因素,对2000~2022年检索到的相关研究进行了元分析。结果发现:(1)小学教师心理健康问题的检出率由高到低依次是强迫问题(23.5%)、抑郁(18.3%)、躯体化问题(15.9%)、焦虑(14.7%)、敌对问题(13.8%)和偏执问题(12.4%)。(2)出版年代、测量工具和检出标准是影响小学教师心理健康问题的重要因素。(3)不同检出时间、性别、经济区域的小学教师心理健康问题检出率均不存在显著差异。总体而言,我国小学教师除强迫问题及抑郁检出率偏高外,整体心理健康状况尚可。结果提示未来研究应明晰检出标准,选择适合目标群体的心理健康测评工具;此外还应健全学校心理健康服务体系,防止教师抑郁、强迫问题转化为学生师源性心理障碍。

中国内地中学教师心理健康问题检出率的元分析:2000~2022

为澄清我国中学教师心理健康问题检出率的基本情况及影响因素,为强化社会心理服务体系建设、落实教师心理健康维护保健工作提供可靠数据遵循,对2000~2022年间的研究进行元分析。结果发现:(1)中学教师心理健康问题检出率由高到低依次是睡眠问题(36.4%)、强迫问题(23.0%)、抑郁(20.1%)、焦虑(18.9%)、偏执问题(17.4%)、敌对问题(16.7%)、躯体化问题(16.6%);(2)学校类别、出版年代、测量工具、检出标准、检出时间是导致中学教师心理健康问题检出率结果差异的关键因素。总体来看,我国中学教师心理健康状况有待提升。未来应加大对初高中教师心理健康问题的关注,制定适合的测量工具并统一筛查标准,推动中学教师心理健康问题筛查、诊断和干预常态化。

构建规范化的青少年心理健康评估与分级管理体系

青少年阶段是个体身心发育的关键时期,也是焦虑障碍、抑郁障碍、双向情感障碍等多种精神疾病的首次发作时期,该时期的心理健康对个体学业成绩、成年期心理健康、职业成就及家庭乃至社会稳定等方面至关重要。为提升学校、老师及家长对青少年心理健康状态的了解、管理和及时干预,有效减低青少年自伤自杀等高危事件的发生,本文分析了我国青少年心理健康问题的主要表现及形成原因,提出了完善和加强学校管理的举措,建议构建规范化的青少年心理健康评估及管理体系。

我国教师群体心理健康问题的特点、影响因素与发展趋势

为明晰我国教师心理健康问题的基本状况,并为未来教师政策制定提供实证依据,本研究借鉴横断历史研究方法,对1998—2020年间采用SCL-90量表测量我国教师焦虑、抑郁、躯体化、强迫、偏执和敌对问题的研究进行元分析。结果发现:①1998—2020年,整体上我国教师的心理健康问题呈现缓慢上升特点,其中强迫问题一直以来较为严重,躯体化问题波动幅度较大。②女性、幼儿与中学、大学学段以及东部、东北部地区教师,心理健康状况恶化较为明显。③招生人数、国民生产总值、人口数量、自然增长率和科技成果登记数等宏观因素对教师心理健康问题具有一定影响。④预测我国教师心理健康问题仍然延续缓慢上升的发展趋势。总体而言,未来构建教师心理健康问题监测体系是必然选择,控制教师心理健康问题风险因素是关键保障,杜绝教师心理健康问题的恶化趋势是核心行动。

大学教师心理健康问题的特点、影响因素与发展趋势

自高等学校扩招以来,各类社会变迁事件对大学教师的心理发展造成持续影响,教师心理变迁趋势不明。为探明大学教师心理健康问题的基本情况,本研究借鉴横断历史研究方法,对1999—2018年的研究进行元分析,采用SCL-90量表测量大学教师焦虑、抑郁、躯体化问题、强迫问题、偏执问题和敌对问题。结果发现:(1)大学教师的心理健康问题整体呈上升趋势,焦虑问题的上升幅度达中等效应量(d=0.56),男性、普通高校和西部地区三类教师的心理健康恶化趋势相对较快。(2)高等学校数量、教师人数、招生人数、总抚养比和卫生医疗机构数等政治、经济和社会因素对教师心理健康问题的预测作用较为明显。(3)未来教师心理健康问题呈现平稳波动的发展趋势。总体而言,大学教师心理健康问题与社会发展密切相关,提高教师心理健康水平应“由点及面”:以政策为导向,在关键时间点抓住重点问题,遏制大学教师心理健康问题的上升趋势;形成不同类别线,化整为零,提高大学教师心理健康干预效能;从“政经社技”各方面提高发展质量,搭建教师心理健康安全网。