Personality traits, alcohol use and problem drinking among undergraduates in southwest Nigeria.

Problem drinking, which may be more prominent among young adults, is associated with mental and physical complications. The onset, use, and abuse of alcohol may be related to personality traits such as agreeableness, neuroticism and extraversion. This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits and alcohol use among undergraduates in southwest Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study carried out among undergraduates in southwestern Nigeria. Four hundred and twelve (412) students were recruited using multi-stage random sampling from the total full-time student population. Each participant completed Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). The result showed that the lifetime prevalence of alcohol use was 31.8% while 10.8% were involved in problem drinking. Also, there was an association between alcohol use, male gender and parental history of psychoactive substance use. Out of the 5 personality traits, the extraversion trait was higher among drinkers (P = 0.001) while agreeableness was significantly lower among drinkers (P = 0.033). Extraversion trait was significantly higher in respondents involved in problem drinking (P < 0.001). The predictors of problem drinking in this study were extraversion trait and male gender. The study suggests there are intervening factors mediating personality traits and problem drinking among undergraduates.

Pyridoxal 5 phosphate for neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia.

BACKGROUND: Tardive dyskinesia is a chronic and disabling abnormal movement disorder affecting the muscles of the face, neck, tongue and the limbs. It is a common side effect of long-term antipsychotic medication use in individuals with schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders. While there are no known effective treatments for tardive dyskinesia to date, some reports suggest that pyridoxal 5 phosphate may be effective in reducing the severity of tardive dyskinesia symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of pyridoxal 5 phosphate (vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine or Pyridoxal phosphate) in the treatment of neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia among people with schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders. SEARCH METHODS: The Cochrane schizophrenia group's register of clinical trials was searched (January 2013) using the phrase: [*Pyridoxal* OR *Pyridoxine* OR *P5P* OR *PLP* OR *tardoxal* OR *Vitamin B6* O *Vitamin B 6* R in title, abstract or index terms of REFERENCE, or interventions of STUDY. References of relevant identified studies were handsearched and where necessary, the first authors of relevant studies were contacted. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies described as randomised controlled trials comparing the effectiveness pyridoxal 5 phosphate with placebo in the treatment of neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia among patients with schizophrenia. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The review authors independently extracted data from each selected study. For dichotomous data, we calculated risk ratios (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) on an intention-to-treat basis based on a fixed-effect model. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD) with 95% CIs, again based on a fixed-effect model. We assessed risk of bias for each included study and used GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach to rate quality of evidence. MAIN RESULTS: Of the 12 records retrieved by the search, three trials published in 2001, 2003 and 2007, involving 80 inpatients with schizophrenia, aged 18 to 71 years, admitted in a psychiatric facility and followed up for a period nine weeks to 26 weeks, were included. Overall, pyridoxal 5 phosphate produced a significant improvement in tardive dyskinesia symptoms when compared with placebo, assessed by a change in Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale (ESRS) scores from baseline to the end of the first phase of the included studies (2 RCTs n = 65, RR 19.97, CI 2.87 to 139.19, low quality evidence). The endpoint tardive dyskinesia score (a measure of its severity) assessed with the ESRS, was significantly lower among participants on pyridoxal 5 phosphate compared to those on placebo (2 RCTs n = 60, MD -4.07, CI -6.36 to -1.79, low quality evidence).It was unclear whether pyridoxal 5 phosphate led to more side effects (n = 65, 2 RCTs, RR 3.97, CI 0.20 to 78.59, low quality evidence) or caused deterioration in tardive dyskinesia symptoms when compared to placebo (n = 65, 2 RCTs, RR 0.16, CI 0.01 to 3.14, low quality evidence). Five participants taking pyridoxal 5 phosphate withdrew from the study because they were not willing to take more medications while none of the participants taking placebo discontinued their medications (n = 65, 2 RCTs, RR 8.72, CI 0.51 to 149.75, low quality evidence).There was no significant difference in the endpoint positive and negative psychiatric symptoms scores, measured using the Positive and Negative symptoms Scale (PANSS) between participants taking pyridoxal 5 phosphate and those taking placebo. For the positive symptoms: (n = 15, 1 RCT, MD -1.50, CI -4.80 to 1.80, low quality evidence). For negative the symptoms: (n = 15, 1 RCT, MD -1.10, CI -5.92 to 3.72, low quality evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Pyridoxal 5 phosphate may have some benefits in reducing the severity of tardive dyskinesia symptoms among individuals with schizophrenia. However, the quality of evidence supporting the effectiveness of pyridoxal 5 phosphate in treating tardive dyskinesia is low, based on few studies, short follow-up periods, small sample sizes and inadequate adherence to standardised reporting guidelines for randomised controlled trials among the included studies.

Psychiatric Morbidity and Subjective Burden Among Carers of Outpatients of a Psychogeriatric Clinic in Southwestern Nigeria.

Few studies in Nigeria have investigated the burden of caring for elderly persons with mental illness. The aim of this study was to examine psychiatric morbidity and burden of care among caregivers of outpatients of a psychogeriatric clinic. Burden of care was evaluated with Zarit Burden Interview. A questionnaire was also used to elicit caregivers' sociodemographic and caregiving variables while psychological well-being was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Overall, 52.3% had high care burden. High care burden was associated with financial difficulty (χ(2) = 9.37; df = 1; p = 0.002; OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 1.50-6.4), restrictions on caregivers' social activity (χ(2) = 4.87; df = 1; p = 0.027; OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.09-5.27), lack of support from relatives (χ(2) = 6.85; df = 1; p = 0.009; OR = 6.3; 95% CI = 1.35-29.6), physical health problems (χ(2) = 10.52; df = 1; p = 0.001; OR = 4.7; 95% CI = 1.75-12.7), and psychiatric morbidity (χ(2) = 4.05; df = 1; p = 0.044; OR = 2.62; 95% CI = 1.00-6.85). Psychiatric morbidity was predicted by physical health problems (OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.1-8.1), financial difficulty (OR = 17.2; 95% CI = 3.8-77.5), and job loss (OR = 5.3; 95% CI = 2.0-13.8). Care burden is a significant problem among caregivers of elderly persons with mental illness attending the clinic. This may have important implications for the mental well-being of the patients.

Supportive psychotherapy or client education alongside surgical procedures to correct complications of female genital mutilation: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Supportive psychotherapy, in individual or group settings, may help improve surgical outcomes for women and girls living with female genital mutilation (FGM). OBJECTIVES: To assess whether supportive psychotherapy given alongside surgical procedures to correct complications of FGM improves clinical outcomes. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched major databases including CENTRAL, Medline, African Index Medicus, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, and others. There were no language restrictions. We checked the reference lists of retrieved studies for additional reports of relevant studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included studies of girls and women living with any type of FGM who received supportive psychotherapy or client education sessions alongside any surgical procedure to correct health complications from FGM. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two team members independently screened studies for eligibility. MAIN RESULTS: There were no eligible studies identified. CONCLUSIONS: There is no direct evidence for the benefits or harms of supportive psychotherapy alongside surgical procedures for women and girls living with FGM. Research evidence is urgently needed to guide clinical practice. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: 42015024639.

The 4th Schizophrenia International Research Society Conference, 5-9 April 2014, Florence, Italy: a summary of topics and trends.

The 4th Schizophrenia International Research Society Conference was held in Florence, Italy, April 5-9, 2014 and this year had as its emphasis, "Fostering Collaboration in Schizophrenia Research". Student travel awardees served as rapporteurs for each oral session, summarized the important contributions of each session and then each report was integrated into a final summary of data discussed at the entire conference by topic. It is hoped that by combining data from different presentations, patterns of interest will emerge and thus lead to new progress for the future. In addition, the following report provides an overview of the conference for those who were present, but could not participate in all sessions, and those who did not have the opportunity to attend, but who would be interested in an update on current investigations ongoing in the field of schizophrenia research.

Breaking bad news in clinical setting - health professionals' experience and perceived competence in Southwestern Nigeria: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Communication skills are vital in clinical settings because the manner in which bad news is delivered could be a huge determinant of responses to such news; as well as compliance with beneficial treatment option. Information on training, institutional guidelines and protocols for breaking bad news (BBN) is scarce in Nigeria. We assessed the training, experience and perceived competence of BBN among medical personnel in southwestern Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted out among doctors and nurses in two healthcare institutions in southwestern Nigeria using an anonymous questionnaire (adapted from the survey by Horwitz et al.), which focused on the respondents training, awareness of protocols in BBN; and perceived competence (using a Five-Point Likert Scale) in five clinical scenarios. We equally asked the respondents about an instance of BBN they have recently witnessed. RESULTS: A total of 113 of 130 selected (response rate 86.9%) respondents were studied. Eight (7.1%) of the respondents knew of the guidelines on BBN in the hospital in which they work. Twenty-three (20.3%) respondents claimed knowledge of a protocol. The median perceived competence rating was 4 out of 5 in all the clinical scenarios. Twenty-five (22.1%) respondents have had a formal training in BBN and they generally had significant higher perceived competence rating (P = 0.003-0.021). There is poor support from fellow workers during instances of BBN. CONCLUSION: It appears that the large proportion of the respondents in this study were unconsciously incompetent in BBN in view of the low level of training and little or no knowledge of well known protocols for BBN even though self-rated competence is high. Continuous medical education in communication skills among health personnel in Nigeria is advocated.

Psychosocial correlates of hazardous alcohol use among undergraduates in southwestern Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between alcohol use and psychological well-being among undergraduates of a Nigerian tertiary institution. The objectives included determining the prevalence and pattern of problematic alcohol use and ascertaining the association between alcohol use and some sociodemographic variables. METHOD: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to evaluate for alcohol-related problems in 443 students of a university in southwestern Nigeria. A questionnaire was also used to obtain data on sociodemographic variables while psychological well-being was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire-28. RESULTS: The prevalence of alcohol use was 40.6% while alcohol-related problems were found in 14.9% of the students using the AUDIT questionnaire with a cutoff score of 5. Heavy episodic alcohol use was reported by 31.1% while alcohol-related injury had occurred in 8.9% of the students. Male gender (χ2=4.54; P<.05), older age (χ2=3.92; P<.05) and higher paternal education (χ2=4.40; P<.05) were associated with problem drinking. In addition, psychological distress was significantly associated with heavy episodic drinking (χ2=9.58; P<.05) and history of alcohol-related injury (χ2=3.96; P<.05). CONCLUSION: The significant relationship between hazardous drinking and mental ill health among undergraduates in the institution suggests the need for integrating mental health services in screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment services in Nigerian university settings.

Demographic and clinical correlates of sexual dysfunction among Nigerian male outpatients on conventional antipsychotic medications.

BACKGROUND: In psychotic disorders, early intervention with antipsychotic medications increases the likelihood of favourable long-term course. However, the pharmacologic management especially with conventional antipsychotic medications is complicated by a high rate of adverse effects including sexual dysfunction. This study aims to determine the demographic and clinical factors associated with sexual dysfunction among male psychiatric outpatients on conventional antipsychotic medications in South-western Nigeria. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy five consecutive male outpatients with psychotic disorders on conventional antipsychotic medications were interviewed. Data was collected on demographic characteristics, illness-related and medication-related variables. Illness severity was assessed with the Brief psychiatric rating scale. The International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire was used to assess for sexual dysfunctions. RESULTS: A total of 111 (40.4%) respondents had one or more forms of sexual dysfunction. Sexual desire dysfunction was present in 47 (17.1%) of respondents, erectile dysfunction in 95 (34.5%), orgasmic dysfunctions in 51 (18.5%), intercourse dissatisfaction in 72 (26.2%) and overall dissatisfaction in 64 (23.3%). Sexual dysfunction was significantly associated with employment status, age, marital status, haloperidol use, medication dosage, and presence of psychopathology. Unemployment was the only significant independent correlate of sexual dysfunction, with unemployed respondents twice more likely to have sexual dysfunction compared with those employed (Wald = 3.865, Odds Ratio = 2.033, 95% confidence interval = 1.002 - 4.124, p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of sexual dysfunction found in this study suggests a need among clinicians for increased awareness and recognition of the sexual side effects in patients taking conventional antipsychotic medications. This knowledge should guide conventional antipsychotic medication prescription in the at-risk population to improve treatment adherence.

Medication adherence and quality of life among Nigerian outpatients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine medication adherence among outpatients with schizophrenia in relation to their subjective quality of life and other sociodemographic, clinical and service related factors. METHODS: Three hundred and thirteen consecutive outpatient clinic attendees with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of schizophrenia confirmed with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnosis were recruited for the study. Respondents were interviewed using a questionnaire evaluating sociodemographic, medication, illness and clinic attendance related variables. Medication adherence was assessed using the Morisky medication adherence questionnaire. Participants also completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-BREF questionnaire as a measure of their subjective quality of life, while severity of illness was measured using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). RESULTS: Overall, 40.3% of the respondents were medication nonadherent. Medication adherent respondents significantly reported their perceived social support as "good" (P=.006), took significantly fewer number of medications (P≤.001), had higher medication use recall scores (P≤.001), had lower total BPRS scores (P=.001) and were "very satisfied" with their outpatient care (P=.002). Independent predictors of medication nonadherence were BPRS score [odds ratio (OR)=1.08, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.03-1.13], outpatient clinic default (OR= 4.97, 95% CI=2.59-9.53) and moderate satisfaction with outpatient care (OR=2.78, 95% CI=1.47-5.24). Medication nonadherence was significantly associated with lower scores on all domains and facets of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Medication nonadherence is common among outpatients with schizophrenia and is associated with poor quality of life. Clinicians' awareness of the risk factors for medication nonadherence early in patients' management may significantly improve treatment outcomes, including patients' quality of life.