scholarly journals Psychological Distress Related to COVID-19 Among Nepalese Professionals: An Online Cross-sectional Study

Med Phoenix ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-18
Author(s):  
Hussain Asraf ◽  
Sawant Sandesh ◽  
Jeetendra Mishra ◽  
Ramji Ram ◽  
Mahendra Pandey ◽  
...  

Background: COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV2 virus. It's psychological distress would be a major obstacle towards social normalcy to pre-COVID era. There were lacks of studies to assess these distresses. The aim of this study was to study psychological distress related to COVID-19 among Nepalese professionals. Methods: This online cross-sectional survey was conducted from 12th-20th, June-2020. Questionnaires were based on Corona-virus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Obsession with COVID-19 scale (OCS). Results: Among 244 participants, majority were in the age group of 20-45 years with male female ratio of 2.1:1. About one third were health workers, 46% were teachers and service holders and remaining were from other professions. Majority of participants had subclinical obsessive (83.2%) and sub-clinical anxiety symptoms (69.3%). Law enforcement professionals (30.0%) and journalists 18.2% had highest prevalence of problematic obsessive symptoms. Law enforcement professionals (40%) had highest prevalence of problematic anxiety symptoms followed by health care workers (28.4%). About 35% of participants opted for multiple positive methods to cope with their obsessive and anxiety symptoms. Participants with higher obsession score had higher anxiety symptoms (r=0.592, p=<0.001). Conclusion: Majority of participants only had sub-clinical obsession and anxiety related to COVID. But, health workers, law enforcement and journalism professionals were having problematic symptoms. Thus, efforts need to be concentrated towards formulation of policies for safe and productive environment for these professionals.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2971-2974
Author(s):  
Pavan Kumar K ◽  
Sudhakar P Reddy

Background: In India, 42 million people are suffering from thyroid disorders, out of which hypothyroidism is most common with a prevalence of 5.4%. It is more prevalent among females with the male-female ratio being 1:6. Hypothyroidism is a clinical syndrome resulting from a deficiency of thyroid hormones, which in turn results in a generalized slowing down of metabolic processes. Impaired metabolism can be compared with vitiation of Agni causing Agnimandhya according to Ayurveda. Agnimandhya further hampers the formations of Ahara Rasa and consecutive Dhatus Nirmana, diminishing the metabolism, thereby causing features similar to hypothyroidism. The objective of the Study: To assess the impact of diet & lifestyle on the prevalence of Hypothyroidism in Females. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional survey study. A total of 150 female subjects were selected for the study. With the help of a validated pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire, the interview was conducted on female subjects diagnosed with Hypothyroidism to assess the impact of diet and lifestyle on the prevalence of Hypothy- roidism in and around Mysuru city. Result: In the survey study, the majority of the hypothyroidism diagnosed subjects followed unhealthy daily regimes and the majority percentage of them practised unwholesome diet, food habits and lifestyle. Diet and lifestyle have a direct influence on the occurrence of hypothyroidism. Conclusion: Hypothyroidism is a metabolic disorder is mainly caused by Agni Mandhya and Rasa Pradoshaja as a result of faulty diet and lifestyle. One should follow Dincharya, Rutucharya and other Ayurveda principles to protect the Agni and thereby prevent Hypothyroidism. The practice of Ahita Ahara Vidhi and Ahita Vihara in the manifestation of Agnimandhya, followed by the development of features of hypothyroidism was substantiated by the result of the survey. Keywords: Hypothyroidism; Diet; Lifestyle; Agnimandhya; Rasa Pradoshaja Vikara.


Author(s):  
Henry Olayere Obanife ◽  
Nasiru Jinjiri Ismail ◽  
Ali Lasseini ◽  
Bello B. Shehu ◽  
Ega J. Otorkpa

Abstract Background Road traffic accident (RTA) is the eighth leading cause of death worldwide. Motorcycle-associated head injury is the leading cause of road traffic associated morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Even though the incidence and mortality of head injury from motor cycle crash is on the increase in developing countries, especially in the African continent, most of the studies published in the literature on this subject matter took place in the developed Western countries. Methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of data from patients managed in our institution between December 2014 and November 2016. Results One hundred and eighty-four patients were analyzed. None of the patients used safety helmet for protection. The mean age was 27.6 ± 17.2 years with male female ratio of 6.7:1. Lone crash by cyclists and collisions accounted for 66.8% and 33.1% of the cases, respectively. Passengers and riders comprised 75% of the patients, while 25% were vulnerable pedestrians. The most frequently abused substance by the patients was tramadol (65.52%). Severe head injury and pupillary abnormality were found in 23.9% and 45.5% of the patients, respectively. Cranial CT scan showed abnormalities in 40.2% of the patients. Surgery was done in 28.3% of the patients with mortality rate of 20.7%. Conclusions The use of motorcycle as a mean of transportation has caused significant negative impact on the society. Young people, who constitute the workforce, are majorly affected, and this invariably leads to a serious economic burden on the concerned families and communities.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pratik Khanal ◽  
Navin Devkota ◽  
Minakshi Dahal ◽  
Kiran Paudel ◽  
Shiva Raj Mishra ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundHealth workers involved in COVID-19 response might be at risk of developing fear and psychological distress. This study aimed to identify factors associated with COVID-19 fear among health workers in Nepal during the early phase of pandemic.MethodsA web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in the month of April-May 2020 among 475 health workers directly involved in COVID-19 management. The Fear Scale of COVID 19 (FCV-19S) was used to measure the status of fear. Scatter plots were used to observe the relationship between fear and other psychological outcomes: anxiety, depression and insomnia. Multivariable logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with COVID fear.ResultsCOVID-19 fear score was moderately correlated with anxiety and depression, and weakly correlated with insomnia (p<0.001). Nurses (AOR=2.29; 95% CI: 1.23-4.26), health workers experiencing stigma (AOR=1.83; 95% CI: 1.12-2.73), those working in affected district(AOR=1.76; 95% CI: 1.12-2.77) and presence of family member with chronic diseases (AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.01-2.25) was associated with higher odds of developing COVID-19 fear as compared to other health workers, health workers not experiencing stigma, working in non-affected district and not having family member with chronic diseases respectively.ConclusionNurses, health workers facing stigma, those working in affect district and having family member with chronic diseases were more at risk of developing COVID-19 fear. It is thus recommended to improve work environment to reduce fear among health workers, employ stigma reduction interventions, and ensure personal and family support for those having family member with chronic diseases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi ◽  
Azza Mehanna ◽  
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi ◽  
Mohammad Yasir Essar ◽  
Haider M El Saeh ◽  
...  

Background: Healthcare workers intention to be vaccinated is an important factor to be consider for successful COVID-19 vaccination programme. Our study aimed to understand the intention of health workers to receive COVID-19 vaccine and associated concerns across 10 countries in Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO). Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2021 among healthcare workers using an online survey. A total of 2806 health workers (physicians, nurses and pharmacists) completed and returned the informed consent along with the questionnaire electronically. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software package version 20.0. Results: More than half of the respondents (58.0%) intend to receive COVID-19 vaccine, even if the vaccination is not mandatory for them. On the other hand, 25.7% of respondents were not intending to undertake COVID-19 vaccination while 16.3 % answered undecided. The top three reasons for not intending to be vaccinated were unreliability of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials (62.0%), fear of the side effects of the vaccine (45.3%), and that COVID-19 vaccine will not give immunity for a long period of time (23.1%). Conclusion: Overall, our study revealed suboptimal acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in the 10 countries in EMRO.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-9
Author(s):  
Binita Bhattarai ◽  
Koshal Shrestha ◽  
Sushila Patel ◽  
Laxmi Devi Manandhar ◽  
Rosy Karki ◽  
...  

Background: Chalazion is a common eyelid disease caused by plugged meibomian glands and chronic lipogranulomatous inflammation. It can affect individuals of all ages and may cause local eye symptoms such as irritation and inflammation and cosmetic disfigurement. There are mainly three methods of treating chalazion: Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide (0.1-0.3 ml of 40mg/ml), Incision and Curettage and Conservative Treatment (hot compression +lid hygiene + antibiotic ointment) to the affected eyelid. To comparing which method is the best this study has been carried out Methodology: Patients with chalazion presenting to OPD from 15 March to 15 July 2017 were included in the study. They underwent any of the three procedures according to their choice. Follow up visit was done at two weeks to determine effectiveness in terms of reduction of size or complete resolution of the chalazion. Results: Out of 112 patients enrolled in study 65(58%) were females and 47(42%) were male with a male: female ratio of (0.7:1). The mean age of involvement was 25.7years (SD 10.3). At 2 weeks follow up there was complete resolution in incision and curettage (I and C) group 77 %( 41/53) and in Triamcinolone Acetonide (TA) injection group 63 %( 20/32). Pearsons correlations showed that I and C were superior to any other forms of intervention for any size of chalazion followed by intralesional injection of TA. Conclusion: Among the three methods, Incision and Curettage remained the best choice for treatment of chalazion followed by triamcinolone acetonide injection but may need multiple injections. Keywords: Chalazion, Intralesional Triamcinolone, Incision and Curettage, Meibomian Gland


Healthline ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
Kiranjit Kaur ◽  
Naveen Krishan Goel ◽  
Manoj Kumar Sharma ◽  
Navpreet Singh ◽  
Mamta Bishnoi ◽  
...  

Introduction: Social capital is defined as social cohesion among communities. This refers to processes between people which establish network, social trust and co-operation and mutual benefit. The present study was conducted to know the status of social capital among elderly population of Chandigarh city, India. Methods: The study was conducted from January to April 2017. The study was community based using convenience sampling. A total of 300 elderly subjects were selected for interview from the electoral rolls. The survey instrument was modified Onyx and Bullen scale consisting of 30 items with responses on likert scale from 1-4. Results: Mean age of respondents was 66.47 years. Male: Female ratio was 1.4:1. 45.7% owned their residence whereas 54.3% lived as tenants. Social capital score of majorities of elderly was good (63.7%) followed by average (19.3%).Highest mean scores were received for questions namely: would you help someone if their vehicle breaks down (3.03±0.69), do you agree to helping yourself when you help others (3.15±0.78) and have you visited your neighborhood in the past week (3.01±0.82). Poorest scorewere received for questions: while on shopping, are likely to run into friends (1.11±0.53) and have you done a favor for a sick neighbor in last 6 months (1.33±0.53). Conclusion: Social capital status among elderly of Chandigarh city was good andhigher scores were seenamong males. Highest mean scores were seen in factor 4 (proactivity in social context) and lowest among family and factor 5 (friend’s connections).


Author(s):  
James Prah ◽  
Anna Hayfron-Benjamin ◽  
Mohammed Abdulai ◽  
Obed Lasim ◽  
Yvonne Nartey ◽  
...  

Background: Stigma against people living with HIV (PLHIV) among health workers remains a barrier to the provision of needed care to HIV patients worldwide. We sought to investigate predictors of HIV stigma among health workers in Cape Coast, Ghana. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in three hospitals from November 2016 to February 2017. The study made use of a pre-existing self-administered questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis and Pearson’s coefficient tests were performed to determine the relationship between the dependent variable, stigmatized attitudes of health workers and some independent variables, and to determine which of the independent variables predict stigma amongst health care workers. Results: A total of 331 health workers of different categories participated. Respondents’ personal opinions on HIV, fears/worries of getting infected and category of staff {F(3,327)= 23.934 p<0.00 }, R2 = 0.180) significantly predicted their stigmatizing behaviour. Compared to other health workers, nurses had higher scores for stigmatizing behaviour. Conclusions: the study found evidence of discriminatory and stigmatizing behaviour towards PLHIV by health workers. Stigma reduction programmes aimed at health workers should be strengthened at all health facilities that provide care to PLHIV.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
Elina Shrestha ◽  
Narayan Bikram Thapa ◽  
Shankar Bahadur Singh Rajbhandari

Introduction: Proptosis is defined as bulging of eye anteriorly out of the orbit. Our main objective was to analyze the pattern of computerised tomographic findings in evaluation of proptosis. Computerised tomography (CT) is noninvasive, easily accessible, affordable and reliable imaging which helps in early diagnosis and prompt treatment. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study of total 58 patients presenting with proptosis referred to our department of radiology for computerised tomography evaluation during one year period were undertaken into study. The clinical information provided by ophthalmologist also helped our study to derive into conclusion. SPSS version 20 software was used for statistical data analysis. Results: Out of 58 patients, the most common cause of proptosis was neoplasm constituting of 25 cases (43.1%). Retinoblastoma was the commonest orbital tumor. Out of remaining cases, 15 (25.8%) were infective, 14 (24.1%) were inflammatory, two (3.44%) were traumatic and remaining two cases (3.44%) had no definitive cause for proptosis. Bilateral proptosis was commonly associated with thyroid ophthalmopathy. Among the subjects 32 were male, 26 were female. Male: Female ratio was 1:1.23. Age group was ranging from 1 month to 73 years.Mean age was 26.4 ± 22 years. Conclusions: Computerised tomography has an important role in distinguishing the different types of lesions based on their characteristics, location and extension prior to undertaking definitive surgical and medical treatment. Overall accuracy of CT in our study was 81%, sensitivity of 82.6%, specificity of 80.6%, positive predictive value of 76% and negative predictive value of 86.2%.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e042752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsion Firew ◽  
Ellen D Sano ◽  
Jonathan W Lee ◽  
Stefan Flores ◽  
Kendrick Lang ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with significant occupational stressors and challenges for front-line healthcare workers (HCWs), including COVID-19 exposure risk. Our study sought to assess factors contributing to HCW infection and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA.DesignWe conducted a cross sectional survey of HCWs (physicians, nurses, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), non-clinical staff) during May 2020. Participants completed a 42-item survey assessing disease transmission risk (clinical role, work environment, availability of personal protective equipment) and mental health (anxiety, depression and burn-out).SettingThe questionnaire was disseminated over various social media platforms. 3083 respondents from 48 states, the District of Columbia and US territories accessed the survey.ParticipantsUsing a convenience sample of HCWs who worked during the pandemic, 3083 respondents accessed the survey and 2040 participants completed at least 80% of the survey.Primary outcomePrevalence of self-reported COVID-19 infection, in addition to burn-out, depression and anxiety symptoms.ResultsParticipants were largely from the Northeast and Southern USA, with attending physicians (31.12%), nurses (26.80%), EMTs (13.04%) with emergency medicine department (38.30%) being the most common department and specialty represented. Twenty-nine per cent of respondents met the criteria for being a probable case due to reported COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test. HCWs in the emergency department (31.64%) were more likely to contract COVID-19 compared with HCWs in the ICU (23.17%) and inpatient settings (25.53%). HCWs that contracted COVID-19 also reported higher levels of depressive symptoms (mean diff.=0.31; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.47), anxiety symptoms (mean diff.=0.34; 95% CI 0.17 to 0.52) and burn-out (mean diff.=0.54; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.71).ConclusionHCWs have experienced significant physical and psychological risk while working during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight the urgent need for increased support for provider physical and mental health well-being.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rice ◽  
S. Mehta ◽  
A. Shapiro ◽  
J. Pope ◽  
M. Harth ◽  
...  

Background. Patients diagnosed with chronic pain (CP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represent two samples with overlapping symptoms, such as experiencing significant pain.Objectives. To compare the level of psychological distress among patients diagnosed CP attending a specialist pain clinic with those attending a specialist RA clinic.Measures. A cross-sectional study was conducted at an academic specialist chronic pain and rheumatology clinic.Participants. 330 participants included a CP group (n=167) and a RA group (n=163) completed a booklet of questionnaires regarding demographic characteristics, duration, and severity of their pain. Psychological and personality variables were compared between the CP and RA participants using a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA).Results. Level of psychological distress based on the subscales of the DASS (depression, anxiety, and stress), PASS (escape avoidance, cognitive anxiety, fear of pain, and physiological anxiety), and PCS (rumination, magnification, and helplessness) was significantly higher in the CP group compared to the RA group. Categorization of individuals based on DASS severity resulted in significant differences in rates of depression and anxiety symptoms between groups, with a greater number of CP participants displaying more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms.Discussion and Conclusions. This study found greater levels of psychological distress among CP individuals referred to an academic pain clinic when compared to RA patients referred to an academic rheumatology clinic.


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