ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A considerable number of patients infected with HIV also have mental health problems. Individual psychotherapy is an effective way to treat these issues. Lack of social acceptance is a barrier to patients receiving proper medication and emotional/psychological support. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the individual factors of social acceptance in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty HIV-infected patients who were registered in the Behavioral Consultation Center entered the study. Each of them filled out a questionnaire based on the Crown-Marlow social acceptance scale. Their answers were evaluated according to the questionnaire key. RESULTS: Forty-five patients (90%) were male and five (10%) were female. Their ages ranged between 28 and 52 years old. Other variables researched in this study include patients' age, sex, education, occupation, place of living, marital status, family history of HIV, and family history of psychological disorders. Employed patients experienced more social acceptance than housewives and people who were unemployed or retired. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that HIV-infected patients with jobs enjoy a great deal of acceptance from the people around them and a higher quality of life in general. It also led to suggestions for further study with the purpose of finding more effective solutions for HIV prevention and better strategies for dealing with psychological disorders. Such research could also help in providing an enhanced understanding of the potential psychological impact that AIDS has on patients in Iran.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a fixed pattern of disregard and hyperactivity that is much more severe than what is normal in children of the same age. Multiple drugs are used for the treatment of children with ADHD; however, their side effects and efficacy are not clearly known. This study was designed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic effects of two drugs, that is, omega-3 and methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin(®)), used to treat patients with ADHD. METHODS: In a randomized, placebo control clinical trial in Yazd, Iran, 85 ADHD children were divided into two experimental and one control groups. Thus, 29 subjects were treated with Ritalin(®), 28 subjects received omega-3, and the remaining 28 received placebo. The data collection tools used in this study consisted of the Conners' Parent Rating Scale and Teacher Rating Scale. The scores obtained from these questionnaires were analyzed using chi-square test and paired t-test in PASW Statistics. RESULTS: The average age of the population was 8.22 (± 1.65) years. Significant associations were observed between Ritalin(®) therapy and the changes before and after the treatment, and the omega-3 treatment and the changes before and after treatment (p < 0.001). There was no significant association between the placebo group and the changes before and after the treatment (p > 0.050). Omega-3 had considerable efficacy as well as Ritalin(®) (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More attention should be given to screening, prevention, and treatment with omega-3 and its effective role in the development of the brain and mental health, and increasing children's attention span and thinking ability.