scholarly journals Anxiety and Suicidal Thoughts During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Country Comparative Study Among Indonesian, Taiwanese, and Thai University Students (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iqbal Pramukti ◽  
Carol Strong ◽  
Yajai Sitthimongkol ◽  
Agus Setiawan ◽  
Moses Glorino Rumambo Pandin ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of university students. OBJECTIVE This study examined the psychological responses toward COVID-19 among university students from 3 countries—Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand. METHODS We used a web-based, cross-sectional survey to recruit 1985 university students from 5 public universities (2 in Indonesia, 1 in Thailand, and 1 in Taiwan) via popular social media platforms such as Facebook, LINE, WhatsApp, and broadcast. All students (n=938 in Indonesia, n=734 in Thailand, and n=313 in Taiwan) answered questions concerning their anxiety, suicidal thoughts (or sadness), confidence in pandemic control, risk perception of susceptibility to infection, perceived support, resources for fighting infection, and sources of information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Among the 3 student groups, Thai students had the highest levels of anxiety but the lowest levels of confidence in pandemic control and available resources for fighting COVID-19. Factors associated with higher anxiety differed across countries. Less perceived satisfactory support was associated with more suicidal thoughts among Indonesian students. On the other hand, Taiwanese students were more negatively affected by information gathered from the internet and from medical staff than were Indonesian or Thai students. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that health care providers in Thailand may need to pay special attention to Thai university students given that high levels of anxiety were observed in this study population. In addition, health care providers should establish a good support system for university students, as the results of this study indicate a negative association between support and suicidal thoughts.

10.2196/24487 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. e24487
Author(s):  
Iqbal Pramukti ◽  
Carol Strong ◽  
Yajai Sitthimongkol ◽  
Agus Setiawan ◽  
Moses Glorino Rumambo Pandin ◽  
...  

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of university students. Objective This study examined the psychological responses toward COVID-19 among university students from 3 countries—Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand. Methods We used a web-based, cross-sectional survey to recruit 1985 university students from 5 public universities (2 in Indonesia, 1 in Thailand, and 1 in Taiwan) via popular social media platforms such as Facebook, LINE, WhatsApp, and broadcast. All students (n=938 in Indonesia, n=734 in Thailand, and n=313 in Taiwan) answered questions concerning their anxiety, suicidal thoughts (or sadness), confidence in pandemic control, risk perception of susceptibility to infection, perceived support, resources for fighting infection, and sources of information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Among the 3 student groups, Thai students had the highest levels of anxiety but the lowest levels of confidence in pandemic control and available resources for fighting COVID-19. Factors associated with higher anxiety differed across countries. Less perceived satisfactory support was associated with more suicidal thoughts among Indonesian students. On the other hand, Taiwanese students were more negatively affected by information gathered from the internet and from medical staff than were Indonesian or Thai students. Conclusions Our findings suggest that health care providers in Thailand may need to pay special attention to Thai university students given that high levels of anxiety were observed in this study population. In addition, health care providers should establish a good support system for university students, as the results of this study indicate a negative association between support and suicidal thoughts.


2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 346-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Webber ◽  
N Edwards ◽  
I D Graham ◽  
C Amaratunga ◽  
I Gaboury ◽  
...  

Cambodia has one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV in Asia and is scaling up HIV testing. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 358 health care providers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to assess readiness for voluntary testing and counselling for HIV. We measured HIV knowledge and attitudes, and predictors of intentions to take a sexual history using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Over 90% of health care providers correctly answered knowledge questions about HIV transmission, but their attitudes were often not positive towards people living with HIV. The Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs explained 56% of the variance in intention to take a sexual history: the control providers perceive they have over taking a sexual history was the strongest contributor (51%), while social pressure explained a further 3%. Attitudes about taking a sexual history did not contribute to intention. Interventions with Cambodian health care providers should focus on improving skills in sexual history-taking.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samina Ismail ◽  
Shemila Abbasi ◽  
Sobia Khan ◽  
Abdul Monem ◽  
Gauhar Afshan

AbstractAims:The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors responsible for epidural analgesia (EA) refusal among parturient patients.Methods:In this prospective cross-sectional study of six months, we included all consenting postpartum patients having a non-operative delivery in the obstetric unit of our hospital. Data were collected on a predesigned questionnaire and included information such as parity, education, reasons for delivering with or without EA, source of information and patient satisfaction. Knowledge regarding EA was assessed from patients delivering without EA.Results:From 933 patients enrolled, 730 (78.2%) delivered without EA, and 203 (21.7%) with EA. Only 11 (1.5%) patients refused EA for the reason of having natural birth process. Otherwise common reasons were misconceptions (65.9%) and lack of awareness about EA (20.5%); 70.5% had no knowledge of common side effects of EA. Among patients delivering with EA, 92.6% were offered EA by health care providers and had obstetricians and anesthesiologists as their sources of information.Conclusions:Patients in developing countries are laboring without EA, even in centers where there is a provision for it. The main reasons for not availing themselves of EA are lack of awareness and knowledge and misconceptions, rather than the desire to have un-medicated natural birth.


2013 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kruti Acharya ◽  
Abigail Schindler

Abstract Developmental and behavioral pediatricians (DBP) diagnose and care for children with fragile X syndrome. Their attitudes toward FMR1 newborn screening (NBS) and FMR1 carrier testing in childhood could highlight potential pitfalls with FMR1 NBS. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with an adjusted response rate of 61%. Among DBP, 74% supported universal FMR1 NBS, preferring to identify both full mutations and premutations. DBP also support FMR1 testing of asymptomatic siblings. Although DBP support testing for premutations at various points in the lifespan, DBP are not familiar with the array of fragile X–associated disorders (FXAD). Targeted educational interventions are needed to ensure that all health care providers have the knowledge and competence to consent and to counsel families on FXAD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 351-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline M. Smith ◽  
Joel Mader ◽  
Andrew C. H. Szeto ◽  
Amelia M. Arria ◽  
Ken C. Winters ◽  
...  

Objective: The study sought to describe a Canadian sample of university students’ medicinal use of cannabis, including prevalence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) and replacement of traditional treatments with cannabis. Method: A random sample of 4000 university students was asked to complete a cross-sectional web-based survey. The survey was completed by 2212 (average age 23.2 years, SD = 5.2 years), representing a 55.3% response rate. To be eligible, students had to be enrolled in a class on campus and were 18 years or older. Result: Half (52%) of respondents used cannabis at least once in their lifetime, with ∼11% reporting medicinal cannabis use. Recreational motives to use cannabis were common among medicinal users (85%), several (38%) replaced traditional medication with cannabis, and more than a third received authorization by a health care provider. Of the medicinal users, 13.6% met the criteria for CUD. Common ailments for medicinal cannabis use were anxiety, sleep problems, depression, and pain. When mental health–related categories are combined, 78.2% of medicinal users used for at least 1 mental health condition. Conclusions: Medicinal cannabis use occurs among university students. None of the ailments listed by medicinal users meet the Canadian Family Physicians prescribing guidelines, and most are not among those viewed by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine as having strong evidence for therapeutic value. The results raise concerns for health care providers who are authorizing or counselling patients’ considering medicinal cannabis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-394.e2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennica Nichols ◽  
Michael Vallis ◽  
Stephanie Boutette ◽  
Carolyn Gall Casey ◽  
Catherine H. Yu

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-77
Author(s):  
Aadil Ameer Ali ◽  
Noman Haq ◽  
Muhammad Rafiq ◽  
Amjad Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Ismail ◽  
...  

This observational study was conducted to assess the attitude, knowledge and practices of health-care providers in context of novel corona virus or COvid-19 in Pakistan. A cross sectional survey has been conducted among the physicians, dentists, physiotherapists, pharmacists and nurses in a number of medical and health related facilities of Pakistan from April to June 2020. A self-constructed questionnaire was used among the 277 health care providers and SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the data. Male participants constituted 55.6% (n=154) of the total sample size. However, 91% of total participants aged between 23 to 33 years (n=252). In addition to this 71% participants were unmarried. In academic perspective 74.4% of the candidates were graduates and most of them were MBBS. Around 46.6 % people were permanent residents of Sindh while others belong to different regions of the country. Assessment revealed of knowledge, attitude and practice results showed that the great majority i.e. 96% (n=266) of the healthcare providers had adequate knowledge with respect to Covid-19. Moreover, 59.2% people (n=164) demonstrated positive attitude towards covid-19. Contrastingly, practices of a large number of healthcare providers were not found appropriate that makes up to 57.4% (n=159). The study concluded that the health care providers working in Pakistan have good knowledge and positive attitude towards covid-19, whereas the practice of Pakistani health care providers needs serious attention, because the results reveled the practice is below the mark.


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