JOURNAL OF FUNDAMENTALS OF MENTAL HEALTH
Year:2008 | Volume:9 | Issue:35-36|Papers Count:17

Introduction: Beta-thalassemia major (TM), a chronic, genetically determined hematological. Disorder, has received little investigation on the psychological aspects of the disease and the psychosocial adjustment of patients with this anemia. In the present study, the aim was to explore the nature of psychopathology according to age, sex, school performance, severity and complications of the disease in TM patients.Methods and Materials: A Cross-section descriptive study was conducted at the 14-Thalassemia Unit of different hospitals of Mazandaran province Iran in 2006. Psychological aspects were evaluated by the Persian version of symptoms checldist-90-revised questionnaire. Information on relevant demographic characteristics, school performance, severity and complications of the disease was collected by one of the investigators who created the questionnaire. Analysis of data was done by Chi square method, t test and one way ANOVA.Results: 687 (41.08%) of the 1672 eligible patients with TM completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the participations was 21.93±5.90 years and with a range of 15-45 years. 363 (52.8%) were female, 602 (6.87%) were single, 465 (67.7%) had not higher educational level. In our study, 446 (64.9%) of TM patients had GSI > 0.7 as psychiatric patients, 141 (20.5%) had GSI between 0.4 to 0.7 as suspected psychiatric patients, and 100 (14.6%) had GSI < 0.4 as non-psychiatric patients.Conclusion: These findings show that beta-thalassemia major patients are at risk for psychiatric symptomatology and need appropriated psychiatric consults.

Introduction: Suicide by burning oneself is rare in developed countries, but more frequent in developing countries. Based on Iranian official data, 27% to 36% of patients may who committed suicide was via deliberate self-burning. Self-immolation caused up to 37% of all admissions to in Iran burn centers. Approximately 80 % of hospitalized self-immolation patients die. All descriptive self-immolation studies in Iran emphasize the need for implementing prevention programs. The Objective of this study was describing the effectiveness of a community based program targeting prevention of self-immolation. Methods and Material: In a Quasi experimental project, the populations of two Iranian cities; Gilangharb (Intervention) and Sarpolzahab (Reference); were participants in this intervention study. Hospital data collection on self-immolation patients and suicide attempts (all mechanisms) was made from March 21 1999 to March 20 2003. The first 12 months of the study provided baseline data, while the last 3 years comprised of a community based intervention, using a mix of passive and active interventions. Videos showing victim stories were an important component in the prevention program.Results: Compared to baseline, the mean self-immolation attempts rate decreased by 57 % after the implementation of the intervention in Gilangharb (P<0.05). Moreover, in Gilangharb a 19% decrease of suicide attempts (all mechanisms) was observed while the corresponding reference city rate increased by 24% (n.s.). While the suicide attempt rates were similar in the two populations during baseline, the mean rates observed during the intervention period differed significantly (p<0.001).Conclusions: A community prevention program targeting self-immolation can be effective. Local data and the showing of videos depicting victim stories from self-immolation attempts provided a stimulus for community action.

Introduction: The recognition of omega-3 fatty acids and their multiple roles in cellular biology and neuronal functions, and also some hypotheses based on the role of this substance in pathogenesis and treatment of schizophrenia made us test the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.Methods and Materials: This study is a double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial which was carried out on 106 schizophrenic inpatients in Mashhad Ebne-sina hospital in 1385-86. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. Subjects were randomly divided into omega-3 and placebo groups. The omega-3 group received Risperidone up to 6 mg/day (maximum dose) and 3 gr/day of omega-3 for six weeks. The placebo group received Risperidone and placebo with the same doses during the same time. Positive and negative symptoms of patients were assessed by PANSS test in weeks 0, 3, 6, and the movement and pharmacological side effects by AIMS test in weeks 0, 6. Positive and negative symptoms of patients were compared in each group by Friedman test in weeks 0, 3, 6 and between two groups by T test.Results: Both groups had no significant differences in age, sex, education, duration of illness and the number of previous hospitalizations. There were no significant differences in scales of PANSS test in both groups in weeks 0, 3, 6.Conclusion: In this study, omega-3 fatty acids had no superiority to placebo in decreasing positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia over six-week trial.

Introduction: today emotional intelligence is considered as a new subject in the field of psychology. Studies that have been done in this area indicated the importance of emotional intelligence and its components in different aspects of individuals' life such as education, marriage, employment and social relationship.Methods and Materials: the method of the present research that has been done in Islamic Azad university of Kashmar in 1385-86 is descriptive. Statistical sample includes 112 clinical psychology students selected by simple random sampling. The Bar-on questionnaire of emotional intelligence was used for gathering information. The mean scores of students were used as an index for academic achievement. Data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient and independent test.Results: Results indicated that the relationship between academic achievement and emotional intelligence and some of its components was significant, p<0.05. Also there were significant relationship between age and emotional intelligence p<0.01, and some of its components, p<0.05. Moreover results showed no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and sex, in spite of difference in sub-scales of emotional intelligence among girls and boys, p<0.05.Discussion: In addition to global cognitive abilities, students may have perfect development on many aspects such as controlling emotions and affects for reaching high levels of academic achievement; it means that students can not have optimum academic achievement without reaching these components that make emotional intelligence.

Introduction: Today, emotional intelligence has gained a particular importance. Therefore, the present study was performed aiming at surveying emotional intelligence and its relation with computer anxiety of Arak university students.Methods and Materials: This descriptive study of (correlation type) analyzes student's Emotional intelligence and it's relation with computer anxiety. The statistical population consisted of all students of Arak university (faculties of Engineering, Science and Humanities).The sample consisted of 370 students selected based on Random Classification method. In order to analyze data, Statistical regression, Pearson's correlation and T-test were used. Data was collected through two kinds of questionnaires [Emotional intelligence, Computer Anxiety questionnaires].Findings: Findings indicated a meaningful relation (p<0.01) between emotional intelligence, its subcomponents and computer anxiety. They showed that only self-awareness, self-motivation and social consciousness, among emotional intelligence sub-components, and field, among individual variables, are effective on estimating computer anxiety while there wasn't meaningful difference between computer anxiety and emotional intelligence in terms of their effect on sex-dependant variability of the means.Conclusion: considering the low level of emotional intelligence among students the meaningful relation between emotional intelligence and computer anxiety, it seems very imporlant take to emotional intelligence in to consideration students mental health improve and help them do their tasks more successfully; hence it is suggested that educational authorities pay more attention tp emotional intelligence

Introduction: Burnout syndrome includes aspects of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decrement of personal accomplishment. Medical and health care staffs are vulnerable to burnout syndrome because of their exposure to physical and psychological stressors. The present study assessed the rate of aspects of burnout syndrome and its relations to demographic characteristics in staffs of health care centers of Mashhad.Methods and Materials: In this descriptive-analytical study we evaluated staffs of 30 health centers of Mashhad in 1385. Data was collected using the demographic questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). MBI is a Likert rating scale to assess different aspects of burnout. Data was statistically analyzed using SPSS and appropriate descriptive and analytic statistical tests.Results: This study showed that 24.5% of staffs had high rates of emotional exhaustion, 0.7% had high rates of depersonalization and 6.7% of subjects experienced the low rates of personal accomplishment. There were significant correlation between emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (P=0.000) and between personal accomplishment and emotional exhaustion (p=0.008). Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization had significant convert correlation with age of staffs (P=0.015 and P=0.010). Only depersonalization was significantly higher in men than women (P=0.035).Conclusions: High emotional exhaustion in staffs of health care centers in comparison with other reports was prominent and needs to close attention, but other aspects of burnout were in good position in them.

Introduction: The previous studies in Iran and around the world showed that the use of psychiatric drugs is high-and usually is not physician permitted. The students are exposed with various stressor factors, so they are at high risk. The purpose of this study is assessment of related factors of using these drugs among students of Zahedan-University of Medical Sciences.Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study carried out on 300 students of ZUMS in 2007.The subjects were selected using stratified random sampling. The data collected with interview and registered in questionnaire. In addition to demographic information, we asked from all subjects about history of use of these drugs, type of drugs, and history of illness. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 13 soft ware using descriptive and analytical (chi square test) statistics. Significant level was set as 0.05.Results: 208 (69.3%) of subjects was females and 92 (30.7%) was males. Thirty one percent were in medical and the others were in health, nursing and paramedical faculty. Only 10% of students were married. The prevalence of use of these drugs was 20.3% that were 18.9% and 24.7% among female and male students respectively (P>0.05). Use of drugs was related to grade point average in previous semester; field of students, history of referring to psychiatry and smoking (P<0.05) and was not related to interesting to current field, age, living place, sex, marital status, size of household and graduate level (p>0.05).Conclusion: As compared with previous studies in Iran and around the world, the use of these drugs among students of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences is high, so planning toward decreasing of these drugs consumption (especially when is not physician permitted) and discover it's cause is too important. It seems that more council with student that uninterested to their course, medical students and students with history of referring to psychiatrist and also prevention of smoking can be decreased use of these drugs.

Introduction: the purpose of this research was to examine the healthy relationship instructing efficacy on increasing awareness about abusive relationships among girls and boys.Method: the research was quassi-exprimental. The population sample of research consisted of all girls in dormitory of Isfahan University (3000). For sampling, at first Awareness about Abusive Relationships Scale was randomly administered among 100 of them, then 30 persons were selected who their awareness about abusive relationship were low. Finally, they were randomly assignee in control and experimental groups. Both groups were evaluated with Awareness about Abusive Relationships Scale by means of pre and posttest. The experimental group was received-instructing intervention while control group was in waiting list.Results: the results of Man cova showed healthy relationship instructing are effective on increasing awareness about abusive relationships and different aspects of it. (p<0/5).Conclusion: the results showed the instructing format could use as instructing model for healthy and abusive relationship for increasing awareness sand knowledge among girls in this field.