Application and Perceived Effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Intervention Strategies for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Relationships with Affiliate Stigma.

This cross-sectional questionnaire survey study was designed to examine the complementary and alternative intervention strategies (CAIS) employed by caregivers for their children's attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the associations of affiliate stigma with the employment and rated effectiveness of these strategies in Taiwan. A total of 400 caregivers of children with ADHD participated. CAIS that the caregivers employed and their effectiveness rated by the caregivers were surveyed. Associations of affiliate stigma with the application and rated effectiveness of the strategies were determined using logistic regression analysis. The results indicated that sensory integration (30.3%), exercise training (29.3%), sugar restriction (20.5%), and omega fatty acid supplementation (11.3%) were the most common CAIS that the caregivers employed. Caregivers with stronger affiliate stigma were more likely to employ sensory integration, exercise training, and omega fatty acid supplementation but also rated them as ineffective in treating their children's ADHD. Various CAIS were employed by the caregivers to manage their children's ADHD. Affiliate stigma was significantly associated with the application and rated ineffectiveness of several CAIS.

Muscle relaxation for individuals having tattoos removed through laser treatment: possible effects regarding anxiety and pain.

Effectively managing pain is vital for the well-being and satisfaction of patients undergoing dermatologic treatments involving lasers. This study investigates the potential outcome of using muscle relaxation techniques to reduce pain among people having their tattoos removed with laser treatment. This study consists of 56 participants (mean age 18.1 ± 2.1 years) that had tattoos removed using the principle of selective photothermolysis. These participants underwent muscle relaxation before receiving the laser treatment. Their peripheral skin temperatures (PST) were measured both at the beginning and the end of the muscle relaxation period. Then, the Beck Anxiety Inventory was applied to evaluate anxiety levels. Once the laser treatment was completed, pain levels were measured using a visual analogue scale. A total of 125 person-sessions of laser treatment and psychometric assessments were performed in this study. The muscle relaxation method significantly increased the PST of the participants while reducing the levels of anxiety and pain throughout the course of the laser treatment procedure. The PST, anxiety scores, and pain scores all showed significant correlations with one another. According to the results obtained, this study proposes that muscle relaxation techniques be considered possibly auxiliary treatment options for individuals having tattoos removed through laser treatment. Additional studies with a comparison group and a larger sample size are required in the future to confirm the effectiveness of such intervention.

Trends in anxiolytic-hypnotic use and polypharmacy in Taiwan, 2002-2009: a nationwide, population-based survey.

OBJECTIVES: Use of anxiolytics-hypnotics, including benzodiazepines and "z" hypnotics, is a public health concern. This study aimed to investigate the trends in prevalence of anxiolytic-hypnotic drug use and polypharmacy (simultaneous use of two or more anxiolytics-hypnotics) in Taiwan. METHODS: A dynamic sample of one million individuals who were randomly selected from the National Health Insurance database was used to detect populationwide trends in the use of anxiolytics-hypnotics in Taiwan between 2002 and 2009. The analyses included drugs that are administered orally, intravenously, or intramuscularly as well as single or compound drugs. The authors identified the number of individuals who used the drugs, the sum of days of reported drug use for all individuals (person-days), and the distribution of anxiolytic-hypnotic polypharmacy for all claims for ambulatory, pharmacy, and hospital care. RESULTS: Annual prevalence of any anxiolytic-hypnotic use in Taiwan was higher than 20%. The number of person-days greatly increased from 2002 (4.0%) to 2009 (6.6%). The increases in use between 2002 and 2009 were greatest for clonazepam (prevalence, 7% versus 1.8%; person-days, .2% versus .6%) and zolpidem (prevalence, 2.4% versus 4.2%; person-days, .5% versus 1.5%). Polypharmacy accounted for almost 70% of all person-days of anxiolytic-hypnotic use. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide, population-based survey presents real-world epidemiological evidence about anxiolytic-hypnotic use. The adverse effects of the long-term use of anxiolytics-hypnotics have been established, and unnecessary use of these drugs, particularly in polypharmacy regimens, should be avoided.