Exploring mental health stigma among Indonesian healthcare students towards individuals with mental illnesses: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The social disapproval or stigma surrounding mental illness contributes to the postponement of individuals seeking assistance and frequently undermines therapeutic alliances between mental illness sufferers and health care professionals. AIMS: This study explored perceptions and attitudes towards individuals with mental illness among college healthcare students in Indonesia. METHODS: This study used a qualitative method. Twenty five students enrolled in six healthcare programs were interviewed using a semi structured format. The data analysis adopted a thematic analysis. RESULTS: Our thematic analysis generated four main themes: (1) general perceptions of mental health and mental illness; (2) knowledge about mental illness; (3) mental health stigma; and (4) mental health stigma campaigns. CONCLUSIONS: The participants exhibited positive perceptions of mentally ill people. Students understood mental health, and they exhibited positive attitudes toward mentally ill people. Some students have stigma and lack of confidence to assist those who have mental illness. Further efforts are required to acquaint students with mental health issues and facilitate their interaction with mentally ill individuals. Anti-stigma campaigns are required to combat the pervasive stigmatization of individuals with mental illness. It is recommended to conduct a more extensive study about the stigma that students encounter in relation to mentally ill individuals.

Effect of antipsychotic drugs and orthostatic hypotension on the risk of falling in schizophrenic patients.

BACKGROUND: Management of schizophrenia using psychopharmaceuticals requires a long-term treatment. The use of antipsychotic drugs can cause the occurrence of orthostatic hypotension, which leads to the risk of falling in patients. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the use of antipsychotic drugs and orthostatic hypotension on the risk of falling in schizophrenic patients. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study used a descriptive design with 53 respondents. Data were analyzed using the contingency coefficient correlation and Spearman Rank test methods. RESULTS: The results of the first study showed no positive effect between the use of antipsychotics on orthostatic hypotension in schizophrenic patients. In addition, a contingency coefficient correlation (C) of 0.199 and p-value of 0.335 (p>0.05) was obtained. The results of the second study showed that there was a significant positive effect between orthostatic hypotension on the risk of falling in schizophrenic patients with a value of r = 0.483 and a p-value of 0.000 (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: It was suggested that the development of this study's result is needed for further research in dealing with the incidence of orthostatic hypotension in order to prevent or reduce the risk of falling in schizophrenic patients.

The relationship between forests and freshwater fish consumption in rural Nigeria.

Nigerians depend on fish for maintaining diverse and healthy diets. Fish are a key source of protein and micronutrients, both of which are important for healthy diets. Some research has shown that forests provide important ecosystem functions that support the productive capacity and sustainability of inland fisheries. Our study aims to empirically assess the relationship between forest cover around rivers and fish consumption. We use data from the Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) and spatially merge household and village data with forest cover and river maps. We estimate the relationship between forest cover around rivers and average village fresh fish consumption, while also accounting for other socio-economic and geographical determinants. We find that that the density of forest cover around rivers is positively and significantly correlated with village consumption of fresh fish. Our results suggest that forests influence the consumption of fresh fish by improving the productivity of inland fisheries and increasing the availability of fish. Aquatic habitats tend to be overlooked in debates on land use and food production, and yet can be critically important sources of nutrient-rich foods that are limited in rural diets in developing countries, particularly for the poor. Clearing forests for agriculture in order to produce more agricultural crops might have the unintended consequence of reducing another important food source.