Nurses' knowledge, attitude and practices on use of restraints at State Mental health care setting: An impact of in-service education programme.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of short-term in-service education program in improving nurse's knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices related to physical restraint use. METHODS: A quasi-experimental one group pre-post study was conducted involving nurses working at a tertiary mental health care setting, Dharwad, India. We provided 3 consecutive days of intensive restraint management education (total 6 hours-two hours per day) with a follow-up assessment after one month. The standard questionnaires on knowledge, attitude and practice regarding physical restraints were used as tools for measuring the impact of in-service education program. The program was conducted for a group of five to six nurses at a time. Teaching was done using lecture method, group discussion and demonstrations. RESULTS: Of the 52 nurses who participated in the study, 52% were male, 58.5% had a baccalaureate degree. The mean age of respondents was 33.3 years, the mean work experience was 6.7 years. The findings of the study revealed that the mean scores on the knowledge regarding physical restraints increased after the in-service education from 6.4 to 8.2 (p<0.001). The mean attitude scores improved from 18.5 to 23.1 (p<0.001). There was a significant difference in mean practice scores between pre and post-intervention phases (23.7 versus 25.4; p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between post-test knowledge, attitude and practice scores. CONCLUSIONS: The in-service education program improved nurse's knowledge, attitude and self-reported practice scores. This may lead to more effective restraints management by psychiatric nurses.

Effectiveness of holistic group health promotion program on educational stress, anxiety, and depression among adolescent girls - A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Academic stress is one of the major stresses among adolescents and it has been associated with poor mental health. AIM: Evaluate effectiveness of holistic intervention on educational stress among adolescent girls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized controlled design was adopted and study was conducted at selected colleges of Dharwad city, India. 60 adolescent girls were randomly assigned to either experimental or control group. All subjects were initially assessed for educational stress, depression and anxiety. The experimental group subjects received 8 sessions of holistic intervention. No intervention was given to control group subjects. Post intervention assessments were done at the end of 1st, 2nd and 3rd months. RESULTS: Experimental group subjects showed statistically significant decrease in educational stress, depression and anxiety over 3 months follow-up compared to control group subjects. CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence of integrating a holistic intervention in reducing stress.

Impact of holistic stress management program on academic stress and well-being of Indian adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Academic stress among adolescents is a significant contributor to a variety of mental and behavioral disorders. Holistic stress management interventions equip adolescents with good mental health and improve academic performance. AIM: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of holistic group-based stress management program in reducing academic stress, depression, anxiety, and improving well-being among adolescent girls. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Randomized control trial was adopted and the study was conducted at selected colleges of Dharwad city, Karnataka, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and thirty adolescent girls were randomly selected and assigned to either experimental (n = 115) or control group (n = 115). Both group participants were initially assessed for academic stress, depression, anxiety, general stress, and well-being. The experimental group participants participated in eight sessions of holistic group-based stress management program over a period of 1 month. The intervention comprises of body-mind-spirit strategies focusing on techniques to handle stressful situations, accept responsibility for their own well-being, and take charge of self-health. Control group participants did not receive any intervention. Postintervention assessments were conducted for all the participants on monthly intervals for 6 months. RESULTS: Over 6 months follow-up compared to control group, the experimental group participants showed statistically significant decrease in academic stress (F = 131.60, P < 0.01, n2 G = 0.14), depression (F = 156.70, P < 0.01, n2 G = 0.13), anxiety (F = 190.50, P < 0.01, n2 G = 0.16), general stress (F = 166.10, P < 0.01, n2 G = 0.16), and improvement in well-being (F = 156.40, P < 0.01, n2 G = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that holistic stress management program has a positive effect on reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and improving well-being.