Evaluation of Copper Levels in Dental Calculus of OSF Patients with Chewing Dried Areca-Nut Quids in Hunan Province of Mainland China.

Dental calculus is a potential material that can be used for assessing chronic exposure to trace heavy metals in oral cavity as it is a long-term reservoir. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between dental calculus copper levels and risk of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) due to chewing dried areca-nut quids in Mainland China. This study included 34 OSF (grade 1) sufferers with dried areca-nut quids chewing as the patient group and 23 healthy individuals without areca-nut chewing as the control group. The dental calculus sample was obtained from all 57 participants and evaluated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for dental calculus level of copper. This work revealed that the mean copper level of dental calculus was significantly higher in OSF (grade 1) sufferers with areca-nut chewing than those in healthy individuals without areca-nut chewing (p < 0.001). This work provided an evidence to support that there may be a positive correlation between elevated levels of copper in dental calculus caused by chewing dried areca-nut quids and an increased risk of developing OSF in Mainland China.

Attitudes towards mental illness in the Commonwealth of Dominica

Little is know about the perception of mental illness in the English-speaking Caribbean. This study was conducted in 1995 to determine the attitudes, knowledge, and help-seeking practices for emotional disorders in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Two groups in Dominica were surveyed: 67 community leaders, consisting of nurses, teachers, and police officers; and 135 community members grouped into five socioeconomic strata that were collapsed to three for the analysis. All the respondents were asked to identify and suggest management of individuals with psychosis, alcoholism, depression, and childhood hyperactivity, as depicted in case vignettes. The person in the psychosis vignette was diagnosed as suffering from mental illness by 84.0 percent of the leaders and by 71.2 percent of the community members. However, in each of the three other vignettes, fewer than 30 percent of the respondents thought that mental illness was present. The person with alcoholism was viewed as having a serious problem by only slightly more than half of the respondents. Fewer than half of the respondents thought that the individuals with depression or hyperactivity had serious problems. The community leaders did somewhat worse in recognising mental illness than did the community members. Respondents were most likely to refer to a family member with emotional problems to a medical practitioner. In conclusion, education about mental health problems is needed in Dominica. Especially disconcerting was the lack of knowledge on mental illness among nurses, teachers, and police officers, that is, professionals directly involved in the pathway to care (AU)

Attitudes towards mental illness in the Commonwealth of Dominica

Little is known about the perception of mental illness in the English-speaking Caribbean. This study was conducted in 1995 to determine the attitudes, knowledge, and help-seeking practices for emotional disorders in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Two groups in Dominica were surveyed: 67 community leaders, consisting of nurses, teachers, and police officers; and 135 community members grouped into five socioeconomic strata that were collapsed to three for the analysis. All the respondents were asked to identify and suggest management of individuals with psychosis, alcoholism, depression, and childhood hyperactivity, as depicted in case vignettes. The person in the psychosis vignette was diagnosed as suffering from mental illness by 84.0 per cent of the leaders and by 71, 2 per cent of the community members. However, in each of the three other vignettes, fewer than 30 per cent of the respondents thought that mental illness was present. The person with alcoholism was viewed as having a serious problem by only slightly more than half of the respondents. Fewer than half of the respondents thought that the individuals with depression or hyperactivity had serious problems. The community leaders did somewhat worse in redcognizing mental illness than did the community members. Respondents were most likely to refer a family member with emotional problems to a medical practitioner. In conclusion, education about mental health problems is needed in Dominica. Especially disconcerting was the lack of knowledge on mental illness among nurses, teachers, and police officers, that is, professionals directly involved in the pathway to care

Attitudes towards mental illness in the Commonwealth of Dominica / Actitudes hacia la salud mental en la Mancomunidad de Dominica

Little is known about the perception of mental illness in the English-speaking Caribbean. This study was conducted in 1995 to determine the attitudes, knowledge, and help-seeking practices for emotional disorders in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Two groups in Dominica were surveyed: 67 community leaders, consisting of nurses, teachers, and police officers; and 135 community members grouped into five socioeconomic strata that were collapsed to three for the analysis. All the respondents were asked to identify and suggest management of individuals with psychosis, alcoholism, depression, and childhood hyperactivity, as depicted in case vignettes. The person in the psychosis vignette was diagnosed as suffering from mental illness by 84.0 per cent of the leaders and by 71, 2 per cent of the community members. However, in each of the three other vignettes, fewer than 30 per cent of the respondents thought that mental illness was present. The person with alcoholism was viewed as having a serious problem by only slightly more than half of the respondents. Fewer than half of the respondents thought that the individuals with depression or hyperactivity had serious problems. The community leaders did somewhat worse in redcognizing mental illness than did the community members. Respondents were most likely to refer a family member with emotional problems to a medical practitioner. In conclusion, education about mental health problems is needed in Dominica. Especially disconcerting was the lack of knowledge on mental illness among nurses, teachers, and police officers, that is, professionals directly involved in the pathway to care

Poco se sabe acerca de la percepción que tienen los habitantes del Caribe de habla inglesa en torno a las enfermedades mentales. El presente estudio se llevó a cabo en 1995 con el fin de determinar las actitudes, los conocimientos y los comportamientos relacionados con la búsqueda de atención por trastornos mentales en la Mancomunidad de Dominica. Se encuestaron dos grupos en la isla: 67 líderes comunitarios, entre los cuales se encontraban personal de enfermería, maestros y policías; y 135 miembros de la comunidad divididos en cinco estratos socioeconómicos que se colapsaron a tres para el análisis. Todos los encuestados tuvieron que identificar y sugerir maneras de tratar a las personas con psicosis, alcoholismo, depresión e hiperactividad infantil, tal como se describe en los relatos de casos ilustrativos. Al protagonista del relato sobre la psicosis le diagnosticaron enfermedad mental 84,0% de los líderes y 72% de los miembros de la comunidad. No obstante, en cada uno de los otros tres relatos, menos de 30% de los encuestados identificaron un trastorno mental. Solamente poco más de la mitad de los encuestados eran de la creencia de que la persona alcohólica estuviera afectada por un problema serio. Menos de la mitad opinaban que las personas con depresión o hiperactividad tuvieran un problema grave. Los líderes de la comunidad mostraron menor capacidad para reconocer un trastorno mental que los otros miembros de la comunidad. La tendencia más acentuada entre los encuestados fue la de remitir a un médico a miembros de la familia con trastornos mentales. En resumen, en Dominica hacen falta programas de educación sobre la enfermedad mental. La falta de conocimientos sobre las enfermedades de la mente por parte del personal de enfermería, los maestros y los policías produjo especial desconcierto, ya que estos profesionales tienen participación directa en las vías de acceso a la atención.