BJPsych International最新文献

Background: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a rapidly growing public health challenge in developing countries across socioeconomic divides. In sub-Saharan Africa, the situation of SUD is particularly concerning and largely unexplored, with projections indicating a worsening trend.

Aims: This study seeks to fill the gap by generating insights into the multifaceted nature of alcohol and drug use disorders among a young adult population in Nigeria.

Method: This is a cross-sectional survey of 192 current students at a university of a metropolitan city in North-Western Nigeria, using the NIDA-Modified ASSIST version 2.0, adapted from the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test.

Results: About half of the participants (49.7%) were heavy drinkers, 36.5% and 56.8% reported past year tobacco smoking and use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, but only 7.4% had used illegal drugs daily in the past year. Cannabis and sedatives were the most used substances in the lifetime (56.2% and 47.9%, respectively) and past 3 months (52.4% and 51.1%, respectively). Men had greater odds of substance use in their lifetime (odds ratio 4.167, 95% CI 1.61-10.77; d.f. = 1, P = 0.003) and past three months (odds ratio 6.059, 95% CI 2.20-16.69; d.f. = 1, P ≤ 0.001), compared with women.

Conclusions: The burden of SUD remains a major public health concern in Nigeria despite existing legislation, regulations and policies in the country. There is an urgent need improve diagnostic, treatment and preventative resources by engaging a massive public health campaign to alert the public of the dangers of SUD.

Background: In recent decades inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream settings has gained momentum all over the world. However, teachers' attitudes to this have an impact on the success of implementing inclusive practices, while their efficacy beliefs are a crucial factor for promoting educational reform.

Aims: To explore the psychometric properties of the Opinions Relative to Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ORI-ASD) and the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale - Autism Spectrum Disorder (TSES-ASD).

Method: A total of 853 educators (155 preschool teachers, 388 primary school teachers and 310 university students) reported sociodemographic characteristics and completed the ORI-ASD and TSES-ASD, which were Greek-language adapted versions of the Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities scale and the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted.

Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed for the two scales. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the three-factor structure of the ORI-ASD and one-factor structure of the TSES-ASD for both pre-service and in service teachers, which show satisfactory psychometric properties. Moreover, the results showed that educators hold moderate self-efficacy beliefs.

Conclusions: The translated and adapted ORI-ASD and TSES-ASD showed good psychometric properties in a Greek sample of teachers and university students. The current study indicates that the ASD-adapted versions of the ORI and TSES are reliable and valid scales for rating pre-service and in-service teachers' opinions related to perceived self-efficacy and the inclusion of students with ASD. Our findings could have important implications for policy and practice relating to inclusive education.

We synthesise perinatal mental health (PMH) evidence and provide recommendations for future research and practices in Pakistan. The burden is significantly higher relative to many other countries, with adverse effects on women and children. Few locally developed interventions involving non-specialists have shown promise, but integrating these into maternal and child health services (MCH) at scale remains a challenge. We recommend broadening the scope of PMH research in accordance with the World Health Organization's stepped care model, and advancing the use of implementation science, digital technology and exploring low-cost models. Programmes and policies should prioritise incorporating PMH into MCH services in health planning and budgeting.

This paper aims to give an overview of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in Aotearoa New Zealand. We provide a brief overview of the demographics of the country and include the most up-to-date epidemiological data on child and adolescent mental health. To meet these psychiatric needs, we consider the present workforce, governance, funding and structure of CAMHS. Current psychiatric practice is heavily influenced by the country's unique history and cultural mix. Aotearoa New Zealand is noted for outstanding epidemiological research.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a ten-item standardised questionnaire to assess an individual's vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. Three of these ten questions are related to alcohol consumption. Nepal has a distinct alcohol culture, where alcohol use is socially and religiously acceptable in some caste/ethnic groups and is prohibited in others, thereby influencing the scores of AUDIT questions related to all three conceptual domains. Identifying and endorsing subsets of AUDIT questions relevant to different ethnic groups could be the way forward for effective screening of alcohol use disorders in Nepal.

Previous research has focused on the significance of occupational burnout and the role of emotional intelligence and poor coping abilities among physicians. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of occupational burnout among first-year medical residents in Oman, exploring the relationship between trait emotional intelligence subscales and the three dimensions of burnout syndrome, and examining the association between sociodemographic covariates and the three dimensions of burnout syndrome. The outcome measures included various indices of the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEI) and its subscales were examined. The data showed a high burnout rate of 25.8%. Specifically, among the residents, 57.5% reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, 50.8% reported high depersonalisation and 49.2% reported a low sense of personal achievement. Age was significantly associated with depersonalisation (P < 0.003) and personal achievement (P < 0.0001). Marital status was the only variable significantly associated with emotional exhaustion (P = 0.001). Single residents had considerably lower emotional exhaustion than married residents (P = 0.001). The global mean score for the TEI was 4.77 (±0.64). A statistically significant relationship was found between personal achievement and emotional intelligence (r = 0.203, P = 0.026).

The South Asian region, including India, faces an increased prevalence of illicit drug use. Key challenges include rising opioid use, injecting drug use and spread of stimulant use from some pockets to other regions of the country. Challenges faced are poor surveillance, lack of evidence-based and structured prevention programmes, wide treatment gaps and inadequate social capital for reintegration of substance users into society. The drug control efforts in India have resulted in an improved drug offence surveillance system, increased community awareness, a growing network of drug treatment centres and resource-building measures. India has made pioneering efforts in the field of harm reduction in the South Asian region. The steps taken have the potential of applicability across other South Asian, as well as most low- and middle-income, countries around the world.

Uzbekistan's mental health system is undergoing significant reform aimed at improving care and service delivery. This article provides a comprehensive evaluation of the current state of Uzbekistan's mental health system using the WHO 2010 monitoring and evaluation framework. It also details ongoing reforms designed to address systemic issues, enhance mental healthcare and ensure better health outcomes for the population.