This study compares levels of satisfaction of patients and carers in the provision of home-provided acute care with traditional in-patient care, and further compares subjective level of family burden in both treatment settings.

Patients and their carers completed Verona Satisfaction Questionnaires, and carers completed family burden scale. Responses were compared between groups receiving home-delivered acute care and those receiving hospital-based care.

Satisfaction scores for home-care patients are higher for 28 of the 34 questions, and this difference reaches statistical significance (p < 0.05) for four questions, and approaches significance (p< 0.1) for two further questions. Carers in home care group indicate a higher degree of satisfaction on all 18 Verona Questionnaire items, this difference reached significance at p< 0.05 level for 4 items and p< 0.1 level for a further 5 items.

Results from family burden measure indicate consistent lowering of subjective burden in home care group, with lower burden scores in 20 of the 22 questions. This difference reached statistical significance (p< 0.05) for 5 items, including the summative item (Total Family Burden Score), and was close to significance (p< 0.1) for 3 other items.

These results indicate both patients and carers express a consistent preference for home-delivered care for acute psychiatric illness, compared with hospital-based model. In-addition, families report a reduction in burden related to illness episodes. These findings provide evidential support for continued development of community delivered care in meeting the increasing demand for acute psychiatric care services in Ireland.

To investigate need for social support for persons with mental health problems and their families on example of screening-questionnaire of persons, visiting on World Mental Health Day Clinics of Mental Health Research Institute SB RAMSci, Tomsk, Russia.

Screening-questionnaire was carried out anonymously. Questions were answered by 14 persons of various ages, randomly selected by investigator. Respondents had to choose variants of answers for 4 questions:

100% of respondents have come to clinics for their mental health problems, among them 1 person (7%) was a relative of person with mental health problems. 2 persons (14%) had friends with mental health problems. One person said that it is simply interesting for him. Patients and relatives need more information about mental health. They’d like to know about available medication. Overwhelming number of respondents believed that establishment of site and organization for mentally ill and relatives is necessary. % of negative answers was significantly lower and was explained by unwillingness to attract attention of other people. Organization of leisure-time would diversify life of patients and relatives. Of interest is advocacy of patients and their relatives,

Analysis of screening-questionnaire has shown that social support is really needed by persons with mental health problems and it may be rendered by user-led organizations, need for which in Russia has not been still satisfied. Social support is important both for patients and their families because they are often isolated and hardly cope with challenge of poor mental health of ill family member.

Little is known about the physical co-morbidity in mentally ill living in psychiatric and social health care facilities with regard to variation, causes, risk factors and prevention strategies. Aim of this study was to determine patients’ and professionals’ perceptions, attitudes and thoughts of

1. (i) co-morbid physical health problems and illness,

2. (ii) risk factors and causes of somatic problems and

3. (iii) prevention measures across Europe.

A total of 52 focus groups in 14 European countries were conducted. Participants were recruited from psychiatric and social health care facilities. Data were content analyzed deductively and inductively.

The physical health problems that were often mentioned were weight problems, diabetes, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems, problems of the circulatory system, and general aches and pains. Regarding the causes of somatic problems and illnesses, focus groups repeatedly emphasized side-effects from medications. Besides treatment-related factors, country-specific aspects also were mentioned, mainly in the field of the living environment. Findings concerning “prevention” demonstrated the greatest distinctions between the participant groups, particularly with regard to the implementation and realization of health promotion interventions. Discussions revealed that patients preferred active learning (hands-on experiences) coupled with group classes for education and social support.

Focus groups identified behavioural, environmental and iatrogenic health risks. Efforts need to be directed toward interventions for physical illness prevention and health promotion on the background of the heterogeneity of mental disorders and the multitude of physical problems, and need to be based on an understanding of residents’ cultural beliefs and life situations.

Of this project was to study the characteristics of stress and depression in mental health professionals and the degree at which they are affected by demographic factors.

The sample of the study includes 62 mental health professionals. An anonymous closed questionnaire by Bedford & Foulds was used. The data analysis was made with the use of SPSS 16.0.

Two factors were found statistically essential; the age[F(5,41)=0,52 p=0,004] and the marital statue [F(5,41)=0.49 p=0.008]. The married people seem to statistically develop higher anxiety (p=0,001), higher tension (p=0,002) and higher insomnia (p=0,001) in comparison to the singles, the divorced and the widows/widowers. The singles seem to keep more calm (p=0.014) in comparison to the married and the divorced (p=0.001).Working people aged 35-49 experience more intense sorrow than the other age groups (p=0,003), more intense feelings of panic (p=0,018) and tension (p=0,049). The age groups in stressful or depression situations diversify their needs as regards smoking, with the 35-49 age group being the heaviest smokers (p=0,029).

It is discovered that a different defense mechanism is used by mental health professionals as regards their marital statue and their age, developing sleeping disorders, increase in smoking and sadness elements indifference for the future, more often.

Little is known about the physical co-morbidity in mentally ill living in psychiatric and social health care facilities with regard to variation, causes, risk factors and prevention strategies. Aim of this study was to determine patients’ and professionals’ perceptions, attitudes and thoughts of (i) co-morbid physical health problems and illness, (ii) risk factors and causes of somatic problems and (iii) prevention measures across Europe.

A total of 52 focus groups in 14 European countries were conducted. Participants were recruited from psychiatric and social health care facilities. Data were content analyzed deductively and inductively.

The physical health problems that were often mentioned were weight problems, diabetes, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems, problems of the circulatory system, and general aches and pains. Regarding the causes of somatic problems and illnesses, focus groups repeatedly emphasized side-effects from medications. Besides treatment-related factors, country-specific aspects also were mentioned, mainly in the field of the living environment. Findings concerning “prevention” demonstrated the greatest distinctions between the participant groups, particularly with regard to the implementation and realization of health promotion interventions. Discussions revealed that patients preferred active learning (hands-on experiences) coupled with group classes for education and social support.

Focus groups identified behavioural, environmental and iatrogenic health risks. Efforts need to be directed toward interventions for physical illness prevention and health promotion on the background of the heterogeneity of mental disorders and the multitude of physical problems, and need to be based on an understanding of residents’ cultural beliefs and life situations.

Depression is common in older patients with chronic diseases. Untreated depression leads to poor compliance with medical treatment and increases health care utilization.

We examined the management of depression in patients with COPD, severe osteoarthritis and unspecified symptoms by the general practitioners (GPs).

We assessed a national sample of general practitioners (n = 3956) in England, the management of depression for chronic diseases using a postal survey with three case vignettes.

864 (22%) completed responses were received (Men = 433, Female = 431). The mean (SD) age was 45.8 (8.47). The percentage of GPs who reported that they would explore the diagnosis of depression for each vignette were 95.4% for COPD, 88.3% for severe osteoarthritis and 86.3% for unspecified symptoms. There is significant difference in the percentage of GPs diagnosing depression more COPD patients compared with severe osteoarthritis and unspecified symptoms

(X2 = 76.6; p < 0.001). GPs that offer a diagnosis of depression for patients with COPD are more likely to prefer a combination of antidepressant drugs and psychological therapy as their first line of treatment F (3.00, 2534) = 2.39, p = 0.06. GPs endorse the importance of routinely screening for depression in patients who have COPD F (3.89, 3349) = 5.03, p < 0.0006 and depression impairs patient's self-management of COPD F (3.95, 3404.36) = 5.28, p < 0.0003.

GPs in England report the importance of screening for depression in patients with chronic diseases. Depression interferes on the self-management of COPD.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of health variables and work variables on academic performance of undergraduate students. We have two main goals:

1. 1) Examining the relationship between emotional and physical disturbances and academic performance;

2. 2) Investigating the influence of a parallel professional activity on academic performance.

Data was obtained on Superior School of Health Technology of Coimbra, in 2 different times: time 1 (T1), at the beginning of the academic term (195 students) and time 2 (T2), at the end of this term (177 students). A correlational design was used.

Main results suggest that:

1. 1) Students that have a parallel professional activity have a performance academic worst than those who haven’t this activity;

2. 2) From all the variables considered, only age may be considered predictor of the academic performance;

3. 3) Students that have been medically assisted had a worst performance;

4. 4) No statistically relevant differences were found on the academic performances of individuals with and without chronic diseases, and of individuals with and without emotional disturbances;

5. 5) No statistically relevant differences were found either the start and the end of the academic term, on the physical and emotional symptoms under evaluation.

Given the results obtained, the main conclusion can be drawn from this study is: Although the emotional and physical symptoms are not relevant, when they are medically assisted, they report worst academic performance.

In recent years some studies could show that beside the negative effects of the stressful encounters resulting from disorders and handicaps also positive experiences can be made. The aim of our study is to determine which strategies help the hearing impaired to gain positive experiences.

The Trierer Persönlichkeitsfragebogen (Becker 1989) and a german translation of a questionnaire which was designed to measure the positive experiences in life with acquired hearing impairment (Stephens and Kerr 2003) were distributed to persons with aquired hearing impairment, which were recruted at acousticians and ENT-doctors.

Positive experiences are gathered mainly by successful communication behaviour.

(Eisenwort et al. in press)

Successful communication helps the hearing impaired to gain positive experiences.

The purpose of this research is to compare personality traits and mental health in athletes and nonathletes students.

67 athletes and 64 nonathletes students were randomly selected and NEO-PIR inventory and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)were administered on them. Data were analyzed with independent T formula.

Findings showed significant differences between variables. Nonathletes have more neuroticism personality trait and were high in components of mental illness.

It is concluded sport rehearsals and physical fitness have positive effects on temperament and mood and reduce mental illness symptoms and give sense of happiness and newness in life.

Stress is integral part of human life todays. Stressful situations not only affect on the short-term events such as death or birth, but also it affects on events such as marriage, employment situations and particular political atmosphere that are to long-term events. However, whether these factors are short-term or long-term, individual reaction to cope with situations will be different. So the study aimed to investigate one of problems of 20th century, addiction to internet, and its relation to strss.

In sampling process 100 university students were randomly selected. All participants were requested to complete Coudron's Stress Inventory (CSI) and Addiction to internet inventory (AII).

Analyzing of the data showed that there is significant positive correlation between stress and addiction to internet. It showed people with stress are more dependent to the Internet and have more tendency to overuse of internet.

With regards to results, it is bettter to plan for increasing of skills of cope with stress and decrease addiction to internet in university students.

Without any sampling, we included all IV drug abusers of Kashan prison in our study. They were assessed through GHQ-28 and demographic characteristic questionnaire. In addiction, they were interviewed via DSM-IV check list and evaluated by three psychiatrists.

Through psychiatric interviews, the most common disorders, in this study, include anti-social personality disorder in 28 persons (93/6%), mood disorder in 21 ones (47/7%), anxiety disorder in 8 ones (18/8%) and adjustment disorder in 3 ones (6/8%)19 ones (43/1%) multi disorder and 25 ones (56/8%) one disorder. In this study, no meaningful relationship between disorder and marital status, job and educational level could be found, but it should be emphasized that the emergence of mental disorder among the unemployed male IV drug abusers and those male IV drug abusers younger than 30 has been more than other IV drug abusers.

Based on the findings of this study, IV drug abusers are not in good mental health. This subject investigation needs more comprehensive and extensive study in this area.

The purposes of this study were to determine the mental health and defenses mechanism level, to compare mental health with defenses mechanism, personal and cases data, and to compare defenses mechanism with personal and cases data among country-wide Thai inmates and prisoners.

The samples, selected from jails and prisons around country by stratified systematic random sampling, comprised of 5,274 inmates and prisoners during March to May, 2003. Data were collected by three sets of questionnaires, which were personal and case data, Thai Mental Health Indicators (66-items version), and Defense Style Questionnaire 40 (DSQ-40) respectively. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test.

Most of samples, classified by types of jails and prisons, had poor mental health. Their mature defenses mechanism score was higher than neurotic and immature defenses mechanism respectively. The respondents who stay in different types of jails and prisons; who had different age, educational levels, sentenced status, numbers of crime-doing and numbers of criminal cases, had significantly different mental health level. They used different defenses mechanism significantly among different mental health, age, sex and educational level. The samples who had different numbers of crime-doing and numbers of criminal cases, and who convicted to different crimes, used some different immature defenses mechanism significantly.

The results of this study can be used as the basic benchmark for mental health development monitoring in the jails and prisons.

The study aimed to investigate relationship between personality characteristics and optimism in university students.

Study sample included a number of students that randomly were selected. To measure characteristics of personality questionnaire, NEO-FFI and optimism inventory was used. After collecting data Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the data.

Findings showed that there were positive significant correlation between Extroversion, Agreement, Conscience and optimism in university students.

Based on results, it is recemonded that with applying plans to increase optimism elements in students, mental health will increase.

The stress of infertility is the problem that involves many couples. The reaction manner of infertile couples to this stress and finally the mental health of them are affected by many factors that one of them is the coping styles that such couples use in contrast with the stressor.

This research with the aim of realizing psychological aspects of infertility and showing it's effects, studies the coping styles and the mental health of infertile men and women to the stress of infertility.

The questionnaire of mental health(GHQ), the questionnaire of coping styles of Lazarus and Folkman and the scale of stressor factors, filled by infertile couples(40 men, 40 women). Acquired information, analysed with the X^2 test, independent T test, dependent T test, U Man Witney test and the ways of regression analysis.

Infertile women have less mental health rather than infertile men, and also results show that infertile couples use problem focused coping less than emotion focus coping and such people that use problem focused coping more than emotion focus coping, have higher mental health.

The results of this study emphasis on effective role of coping styles that infertile couples use,for prediction of mental health and the role of gender on relation between mentioned variables.

Religious orientation can be understood in terms of two dimensions: extrinsic religiosity and intrinsic religiosity. Those with an “intrinsic religious” orientation dedicated their life to God or a higher power and reported they were less afraid of death and experienced greater feelings of well-being, happiness and mental health than people who fit into the “extrinsic religious” category of using religion for external ends, such as a way to make friends or increase community social standing.

80 senile people were randomly selected and Allport's religious orientation scale (AROS), Argyle's happiness inventory (AHI) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were administered on them. Pearson correlation formula was used for analyzing the data.

Findings showed that there is negative and significant correlation between intrinsic religious orientation and components of mental illness, positive and significant correlation between extrinsic religious orientation and components of mental illness, negative and significant correlation between components of mental illness and happiness.

In seeking of satisfaction and happiness of / in life people choose some ways. One of the most ways is being religious and religious orientation. In religious orientation, people with intrinsic religious orientation tend to internal value and personal relationship with God and this attitudes makes them hopefully in life and make happy them in every time of life. People with extrinsic religious orientation tend to be religious for getting the situation and prestige and social confirmation. When they do not reach to their goals they disappoint specially in aging period and get depressed.

The prevalence of psychotic disorders is %2-%2.5 in general population. This study has been performed to evaluate mental health status in caregivers of patients with chronic psychiatric disorders. Materials and methods: This research was a descriptive - Analytic study performed in Mazandaran province northern Iran. Two hundred caregivers of patients with sever psychiatric disorders completed (GHQ-28) and Demographic Questionnaire. The caregivers had to care at least one year continuously. Sever psychiatric disorders is referred to patients with schizoaffective or schizophrenia or bipolar mood disorder that at least 2 years was passed from onset of disease. Data were analyzed in descriptive statistical method with SPSS soft ware.

Our study showed that %35 of caregivers had GHQ>23 and didn’t have mental health. We found significant association between patients age, Age of onset of disease with GHQ Score (p=0.0001). And there was an association between caregivers’ GHQ score with marital status in patients, although this was not significant (p=0.08). In addition, the X2 test didn’t show significant relationship between duration and type of disease and patient's sex and caregiver's sex with GHQ score.

According to the results of pervious studies and ours, it seems that further investigations with more samples and other Questionnaire is needed to evaluate of caregivers needs and it is suggested that a logical planning be conducted by the authorities, to decrease caregivers’ burden.