Psychological distress, burnout, and coping strategies among Nigerian primary school teachers: a school-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The teaching profession is highly stressed job. A high level of stress is associated with poor health outcomes, such as burnout and psychological distress. Therefore, teachers' use of coping styles becomes imperative. However, relatively little is known about primary school teachers' psychological distress, burnout, coping strategies, and associated factors in Nigeria. The study investigated psychological distress, burnout, coping strategies among primary schools, and associated factors in Nigeria. METHODS: A total of 264 teachers aged 20-59 years participated in the study between May 2019 to October 2019. Questionnaires on psychological distress, burnout, coping strategies, and demographic profile form were used for data collection. Factors associated with psychological distress, burnout, and coping strategies were identified using t-test, univariate ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, Chi-square test, and hierarchical linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 264 participants enrolled for the study, 253 responded, giving a response rate of 95.8%. The prevalence of psychological distress and burnout was 69.9% (176/253) and 36.0% (91/253), respectively. Sex (ß = 0.158), a high level of emotional exhaustion (ß = 0.193) and reduced personal accomplishment (ß = 0.358), adoption of problem-focused strategies (ß = 0.904), and dysfunctional strategies (ß = 0.340) were positively associated with psychological distress. Age (ß = - 0.338), academic qualification (ß = - 0.210), and income level (ß = - 0.146) were inversely associated with psychological distress, which together explained 51.5% of the total variance. Psychological distress (ß = 0.275 vs. ß = 0.404) was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion (EE) and reduced personal accomplishment (PA) and explained 11.4 and 24.2% of the variance in EE and reduced PA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of psychological distress and burnout among teachers should receive urgent attention. Teachers' training curricula should include developing interpersonal skills, stress management abilities, and resilience to equip them for the job. Also, teacher training curricula should integrate mental health promotion interventions.

Behaviour change communication for control of tuberculosis by healthcare workers in DOTS facilities in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: prevention and control of tuberculosis (TB) should be behaviour-centred to facilitate change of unhealthy behaviours that encourage the spread of the infective agent. This study aimed to ascertain the knowledge, beliefs and practices of Behavior Change Communication (BCC) in the control of TB by healthcare workers in DOTS in Nigeria. METHODS: using the qualitative research approach, we interviewed 38 healthcare workers from two states in Nigeria. The interview questions consisted of 13 open-ended questions framed to elicit information about the health workers' knowledge, beliefs and practices of BCC in the control of TB. Analysis was done using the conventional content analysis. RESULTS: the following themes emerged: lack of knowledge and understanding about BCC; BCC believed to be important in the control of TB; lack of adequate skills for BCC; some aspects of BCC practiced; BCC was mainly done in health facilities; and lack of adequate system for maintaining long term change. CONCLUSION: the BCC training needs of healthcare workers in the area of study have been revealed. These should form the basis for effective BCC capacity building programme for healthcare workers in the prevention and control of TB. We recommended that BCC should go beyond interpersonal communication to community-wide campaign through mass media to produce a massive change in behaviour that will enable the elimination of TB.