Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Covid-19 And Mental Well-Being Of Nurses In A Tertiary Facility In Kenya, Sayed Karar, Jasmit Shah, Zohray Talib

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic is a global health emergency which has been shown to pose a great challenge to mental health, well-being and resilience of healthcare workers, especially nurses. Little is known on the impact of COVID-19 among nurses in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out between August and November 2020 among nurses recruited from the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. The survey questionnaire consisted of six components- demographic and work title characteristics, information regarding care of COVID-19 patients, symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, distress and burnout, measured using standardized questionnaires. Multivariable logistic …

Mental Health Disorders Among Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey From Three Major Hospitals In Kenya, Jasmit Shah, Aliza Monroe-Wise, Zohray Talib, Alphonce Nabiswa, Mohammed Said, Abdulaziz Abeid, Sood Mohamed, Mohamed Ali Mohamed, Sayed Karar

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: COVID-19 is an international global health emergency and has posed a great challenge to mental well-being and resilience. Little is known about the mental health impact of COVID-19 among healthcare workers (HCWs) in sub-Saharan Africa or other low-resource settings.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between August and November 2020 among HCWs recruited from three major hospitals in Kenya. The survey questionnaire consisted of six components: demographic and work title characteristics; information regarding care of patients with COVID-19; and symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, distress and burnout, measured using standardised questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed …

Workplace Mistreatment And Mental Health In Female Surgeons In Pakistan, Mahim Malik, Hina Inam, Russell S. Martins, Mahin B N. Janjua, Nida Zahid, Sadaf Khan, Abida K. Sattar, Shaista Khan, Adil H. Haider, Ather Enam

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background: Despite workplace mistreatment, which includes harassment, bullying and gender discrimination(GD)/bias, being serious problems for female surgeons, there are limited data from lower-middle-income countries like Pakistan. This study explored harassment and GD/bias experienced by female surgeons in Pakistan, and the effects of these experiences on mental health and well-being.
Methods: A nationwide survey was conducted between July and September 2019 in collaboration with the Association of Women Surgeons of Pakistan, an organization consisting of female surgeons and trainees in Pakistan. An anonymous online survey was emailed directly, disseminated via social media platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), and sent …

When Covid-19 Enters In A Community Setting: An Exploratory Qualitative Study Of Community Perspectives On Covid-19 Affecting Mental Well-Being, Naureen Akber Ali, Anam Shahil Feroz, Noshaba Akber, Rida Feroz, Salima Nazim Meghani, Sarah Saleem

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased level of anxiety and fear among the general population related to its management and infection spread. Considering the relevance of present circumstances, we explored perceptions and attitudes of community members towards their mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Setting: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a purposive sampling approach, at two communities of Karachi, Pakistan.
Participants: In-depth interviews were conducted with community members including, young adults, middle-aged adults and older adults of both genders. Study data were analysed manually using the thematic analysis technique.
Primary outcome: The primary outcome is …

Mental Health Of Children And Adolescents Amidst Covid-19 And Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review, Salima Meherali, Neelam Punjani, Samantha Louie-Poon, Komal Abdul Rahim, Jai K. Das, Rehana A. Salam, Zohra S. Lassi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: The COVID‑19 pandemic and associated public health measures have disrupted the lives of people around the world. It is already evident that the direct and indirect psychological and social effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic are insidious and affect the mental health of young children and adolescents now and will in the future. The aim and objectives of this knowledge-synthesis study were to identify the impact of the pandemic on children's and adolescent's mental health and to evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions employed during previous and the current pandemic to promote children's and adolescents' mental health.
Methodology: We conducted …

Harassment And Mental Health In Surgical Training: A Pilot Survey Of Surgical Trainees In Pakistan, Russell S. Martins, Syeda Amrah Hashmi, Hina Inam, Mahin Janjua, Mahim Malik

Medical College Documents

Objective: To assess harassment among surgical trainees and its effects on mental health, and to explore its association with gender.
Methods: The nationwide cross-sectional pilot study was conducted by the Association of Women Surgeons of Pakistan from July to September 2019, and included surgical trainees of either gender working in both public and private hospitals. Data was collected using an anonymous online survey form to assess harassment and self-perceived burnout and depression. Data was analysed using SPSS 22.
Results: Of the 147 respondents, 49(33.3%) were males; 98(66.6%) were females; and 118(80.3%) were residents. Workplace harassment was reported by 80(54.4%) trainees. …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mental Health And Well-Being Of Communities: An Exploratory Qualitative Study Protocol, Anam Shahil Feroz, Naureen Akber Ali, Noshaba Akber Ali, Ridah Feroz, Salima Nazim Meghani, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly resulted in an increased level of anxiety and fear in communities in terms of disease management and infection spread. Due to fear and social stigma linked with COVID-19, many individuals in the community hide their disease and do not access healthcare facilities in a timely manner. In addition, with the widespread use of social media, rumours, myths and inaccurate information about the virus are spreading rapidly, leading to intensified irritability, fearfulness, insomnia, oppositional behaviours and somatic complaints. Considering the relevance of all these factors, we aim to explore the perceptions and attitudes of community …

Fear Of Covid-19 Among Pregnant Women In Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Sidrah Nausheen, Shelina Bhamani, Areeba Makhdoom, Lumaan Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Background: The emergence of COVID-19 and its pandemic nature has exacerbated fears worldwide. Pregnant women are considered a vulnerable group during the COVID-19 pandemic because the physiological changes make them more susceptible to infections. Pregnant women are found expressing much of the fear related to their course of pregnancy, the in-utero transmission of the disease, and questions related to infection control in healthcare settings. Hence, the purpose of this paper was to explore the fears faced by pregnant women related to COVID.
Methods: It was a cross-sectional survey among 201 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics of Aga Khan University Hospital. …

Promoting Positive Birth Experiences: Supporting Pregnant And Lactating Women During The Covid-19 Crisis, Marina Baig, Shelina Bhamani, Zohra Kurji, Lumaan Sheikh, Rozina Karmaliani

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, in January 2020. While international organizations and governments strive to strengthen the world’s emergency response mechanism to combat the pandemic, the public in general faces anxiety and fear. One of the most vulnerable groups is pregnant and lactating women. The pandemic has given rise to many apprehensions about the state of their health and well-being as well as that of their unborn or newly born child. A live Facebook session was conducted by a group of experts from a private university in Karachi, Pakistan, …

Piloting Relaxation Techniques As Part Of Occupational Therapy Programme In An In-Patient Psychiatric Setting, Humera Saeed, M. Shameel Khan, Natasha Farid

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

Maternal Health Challenges During Covid-19 And Way Forward, Muskaan Dosani, Salima Muhammad Farooq, Shahnaz Shahid Ali

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every country around the globe. Although every individual is at risk of getting the virus, maternal, fetal and newborn clients face specific and potentially unknown challenges which can make them highly compromised. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the maternal health challenges faced by women during COVID-19 and to propose possible strategies using the socio-ecological model (SEM) to promote the physical, social, and mental well-being of women and their infants during the perinatal period. SEM can be used as a framework to plan and implement strategies focusing on health promotion and disease …

Mental Health Challenges And Psycho-Social Interventions Amid Covid-19 Pandemic: A Call To Action For Pakistan, Salima Farooq, Saima Sachwani, Sonia Ijaz Haider, Sajid Abrar Iqbal, Yasmin Parpio, Humera Saeed

School of Nursing & Midwifery

The increase in death and spread-related coronavirus (COVID-19) has shifted the world focus to the containment of the disease by emphasising measures to prevent spread in the general population. Such a complex, threatening, and unprecedented situation has left the psycho-social wellbeing needs of general public unaddressed. This paper aims to review the current COVID-19 scenario and its effects on the psycho-social wellbeing of people; and an attempt to shed some light on the aforementioned questions. Furthermore, the review will propose some recommendations for overcoming the mental illness issues, during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. We extracted information from reliable published …

New Horizons: Covid-19 And The Burden Of Neuropsychiatric Illness In Pakistan, Ali M. Hashmi, Haider Ali Saleem

Medical College Documents

This manuscript reviews the current state of knowledge about the burden of mental illness and assesses the impact of COVID-19 illness on mental health in Pakistan. For this we analyzed secondary data obtained from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study draws from a wide range of data sources to quantify global and regional effects of a disease. We also did a literature search on the effects of COVID-19 illness on mental health and the psychosocial effects of COVID-19 and other Corona virus related illnesses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Data from the …

Economic Burden And Mental Health Of Primary Caregivers Of Perinatally Hiv Infected Adolescents From Kilifi, Kenya, Patrick V. Katana, Amina Abubakar, Moses K. Nyongesa, Derrick Ssewanyana, Paul Mwangi, Charles R. Newton, Julie Jemutai

Institute for Human Development

Background: Eighty per cent of perinatally HIV infected (PHI) adolescents live in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), a setting also characterized by huge economic disparities. Caregiving is crucial to the management of chronic illness such as HIV/AIDS, but the economic costs and mental disorders borne by caregivers of PHI adolescents often go unnoticed. In this study, we evaluated economic costs, coping strategies and association between economic cost and mental health functioning of caregivers of perinatally HIV infected adolescents in Kilifi, Kenya.

Methods: We used a cost of illness descriptive analysis approach to determine the economic burden and Patient Health Questionnaire …

Psychosocial Factors Of Deliberate Self-Harm In Afghanistan: A Hospital Based, Matched Case-Control Study, Akbar Paiman, Murad M. Khan Dr., Tazeen S. Ali, Nargis Asad, Iqbal Azam Syed

Department of Psychiatry

Background: Deliberate self-harm is not only a major global public health problem but also an important index of psychological distress and a risk factor for suicide.
Aims: We aimed to determine the psychosocial risk factors for deliberate self-harm in patients aged ≥ 16 years presenting to tertiary care hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted from February 2015 to May 2015. We recruited 185 cases (patients with deliberate self-harm) and 555 age- and sex-matched controls (patients with general medical conditions) from 4 tertiary care hospitals in Kabul. We developed a questionnaire to record the sociodemographic characteristics …

Personality Traits And Mental Health Of University Male Students Viewing Internet Pornography, Komal Razzaq, Muhammad Rafiq, Fatima Sana, Zahid Mahmood

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Studies have indicated that viewing internet pornography is like addiction and has been implicated in the development of psychosocial issues leading to mental health. However, in view of Pakistani culture, psychosocial issues and mental health problems associated with viewing internet pornography especially in perspective to personality traits are not studied yet. Objective: Objective of the current study was to investigate any effect of personality traits on mental health of university male students viewing internet pornography.

Self-Reported Academic Performance In Relation To Health Behaviours Among Bahria University Students, Rehana Rehman, Amara Zafar, Aleena Mohib, Mehwish Hussain, Rabiya Ali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To find an association between self-reported academic performance with different socio-demographic factors, health behaviours and mental health amongst university students.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahria University, Karachi, from January 2012 to December 2013, and comprised university students of different disciplines. An anonymous, self-reported questionnaire was distributed among the subjects. Convenient sampling technique was used. Demographic information, including age, gender and field of study, were obtained. Depresion was evaluated via Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. SPSS 22 was used to analyse data.
Results: Of the 813 respondents, 334(41.1%) were males and 479(58.9%) females. The mean age …

Conflict In South Asia And Its Impact On Health, Siddarth David, Rukhsana Gazi, Mohammed Shafiq Mirzazada, Chesmal Siriwardhana, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Nobhojit Roy

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

South Asia has a large population affected by different types of protracted conflict and can provide critical insights to understand health challenges in conflict zones.
Health systems in conflict affected areas should prioritise domestic and gender-based violence, along with reproductive and sexual health services.
Mental health and psychosocial services for conflict-affected populations in South Asia need to be strengthened, and these services should be integrated into existing primary care platforms.
Building the capacity of the existing healthcare system and developing a trained local workforce can improve the access to and availability and acceptability of health services in conflict-affected communities.
Research …

Mental Health Of African Asylum-Seekers And Refugees In Hong Kong: Using The Social Determinants Of Health Framework, William Chi Wai Wong, Sealing Cheung, Heidi Yin Hai Miu, Julie Chen, Kelley Ann Loper, Eleanor Holroyd

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: Hong Kong is non-signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and has no systematic domestic policies committed to the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees (ASRs). This creates a tenuous setting for African ASRs there. This study explored how mapped social determinates of health has impacted the mental health and wellbeing of African ASR’s in Hong Kong.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 374 African ASRs. The survey comprised of: (a) sociodemographics; (b) health status; (c) health behaviours; and, (d) social experiences. Associations between social determinants of health and depression screen were explored and multivariable …

The Government Of Kenya Cash Transfer For Orphaned And Vulnerable Children: Cross-Sectional Comparison Of Household And Individual Characteristics Of Those With And Without, Lukoye Atwoli, Lonnie Embleton, Julius Koech, Paula Braitstein, Allan Kamanda

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: The ‘Cash Transfer to Orphans and Vulnerable Children’ (CT-OVC) in Kenya is a government-supported program intended to provide regular and predictable cash transfers (CT) to poor households taking care of OVC. CT programs can be an effective means of alleviating poverty and facilitating the attainment of an adequate standard of living for people’s health and well-being and other international human rights. The objective of this analysis was to compare the household socioeconomic status, school enrolment, nutritional status, and future outlook of orphaned and separated children receiving the CT compared to those not receiving a CT.

Methods: This project analyzes …

Media Created Violence: A Social Determinant Of Mental Health., Shamshad Begum, Shaneela Sadruddin Khowaja, Gulnar Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery

In today's high technological world, scientific discoveries contribute remarkable development to human life, but it could also have an adverse impact on mankind. Among all these advancements, media is one of the inventions which aims at capturing a countless group of viewers and transmit information via various mediums. Media violence is considered one of the hampering determinants which harms an individual psychologically. The primary goal of a health professional is to work for the maintenance of mental health. Therefore, it is imperative to create an understanding about the impact of media violence on mental health, particularly in the Pakistani context. …

General Practitioners' Awareness And Management Of Common Psychiatric Disorders: A Community-Based Survey From Karachi, Pakistan, H A. Naqvi, S Sabzwari, S Hussain, M Islam, M Zaman

Department of Psychiatry

This study assessed the knowledge and management of common psychiatric disorders by general practitioners (GPs) in Karachi, Pakistan. Structured interviews were carried out in 2009 with 360 GPs selected by cluster random sampling. Patients with psychiatric disorders were estimated to be up to 10% of the daily caseload according to 71.8% of doctors. Two-thirds of GPs were unaware of the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for depression and anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines were the most recognized category of medication (75.3%) and were the most commonly used medication for all mental health conditions. Fewer GPs were familiar with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (35.1%) or …

Displaced And Dispossessed: Caring For The World’S Refugees, Shela Akbar Ali Hirani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Mapping Exercise Of Mental Health Research And Researchers In Pakistan, Haider A. Naqvi, Murad M. Khan

Department of Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE: To systematically identify mental health research and researchers in Pakistan. Subsidiary objectives were to identify methodologies of studies published in the indexed journals along with their country wide mean impact factor.

METHODS: A systematic search strategy using key words related to neuropsychiatry was carried out to identify various studies published in Indexed and Non-indexed databases.

RESULTS: We identified 108 studies from Indexed data bases (77.8% Medline; 22.2% PsychInfo). Beside these, 51 studies were also identified from non-indexed databases. Among the indexed articles, 97 (89.8%) were Journal articles while 10 were other type of documents--there were 3 clinical trials of …

Psychiatric Rating Scales In Urdu: A Systematic Review, Syed Ahmer, Rafey A. Faruqui, Anita Aijaz

Department of Psychiatry

Background: Researchers setting out to conduct research employing questionnaires in non-English speaking populations need instruments that have been validated in the indigenous languages. In this study we have tried to review the literature on the status of cross-cultural and/or criterion validity of all the questionnaires measuring psychiatric symptoms available in Urdu language.Methods: A search of Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and http://www.pakmedinet.com was conducted using the search terms; Urdu psychiatric rating scale, and Urdu and Psychiatry. References of retrieved articles were searched. Only studies describing either cross-cultural or criterion validation of a questionnaire in Urdu measuring psychiatric symptoms were included.Results: Thirty two …

Keeping Alive The "Jazba", Murad M. Khan

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

Clinical And Demographic Characteristics Of Psychiatric Inpatients Admitted Via Emergency And Non-Emergency Routes At A University Hospital In Pakistan, E U. Syed, S Mehmud, R Atiq

Department of Psychiatry

Objective: To examine the differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients admitted through emergency versus non-emergency routes and see if these two groups of patients were significantly different from each other with respect to criteria mentioned in the title.Methods: Retrospective data was analysed in all 2576 patient records were reviewed and these patients were divided in two groups with respect to their mode of admission (emergency vs non emergency). These groups were then compared with respect to sex, age, length of stay, discharge status and diagnostic categories. Statistical package for social sciences version 8.0 (SPSS 8.0) was used …

Neuroleptic Induced Incontinence--Case Report, Tabasum Alvi, Hashim Reza

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

Managing Depression In General Practice In Pakistan: Do We Need To Re-Invent The Wheel?, Hashim Reza, Murad M. Khan

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Nurses Attitudes To Hiv And Aids: A Short Report, David Arthur, T Mccann, K. Usher, A Williams

School of Nursing & Midwifery

No abstract provided.