Knowledge, attitudes, and experiences in suicide assessment and management: a qualitative study among primary health care workers in southwestern Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally, with over 75% of all suicides occurring in low-and middle-income Countries. Although 25% of people have contact with their health care workers before suicide attempts, most never receive proper suicide assessment and management. We explored primary care health workers' knowledge, attitudes, and experiences in evaluating and managing suicidality in structured primary healthcare services in Uganda. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study among health workers in southwestern Uganda from purposively selected health facilities. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 individuals (i.e., five medical doctors, two clinical officers, two midwives, and nine nurses) from 12 health facilities in the five selected districts. Four themes emerged from the discussions: a) Knowledge and attitudes of primary healthcare workers in the assessment and management of suicidality, b) Experiences in the assessment and management of suicidality, c) challenges faced by primary healthcare workers while assessing and managing suicidality, and d) Recommendations for improving assessment and management of suicidality in PHC. Most participants were knowledgeable about suicide and the associated risk factors but reported challenges in assessing and managing individuals with suicide risk. The participants freely shared individual experiences and attitudes in the assessment and management of suicide. They also proposed possible ways to improve the evaluation and management of suicidality in PHC, such as setting up a system of managing suicidality, regularizing community sensitization, and training health workers. CONCLUSION: Suicidality is commonly encountered by primary health care workers in Uganda who struggle with its assessment and management. Improving the knowledge and attitudes of primary health care workers would be a big step towards ensuring equitable services.

Exploring the burden of postpartum depression in urban Bangladesh: Prevalence and its associations with pregnancy-related factors from a cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a globally recognized public health concern, yet research focusing on women in urban areas of Bangladesh remains unexplored. This study aimed to address this research gap by investigating the prevalence and associated factors of PPD within the first 2 years after childbirth. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 259 women (26.66 ± 4.57 years) residing in urban areas who were attending healthcare delivery centers. Sociodemographic factors, child-related issues, pregnancy-related complications, and PPD using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were used for data collection. Data analysis involved the application of χ 2 tests and logistic regression analysis using SPSS software. Results: This study found a 60.6% prevalence of PPD using a cutoff of 10 (out of 30) on the EPDS scale. Logistic regression analysis identified several significant factors associated with PPD, including high monthly family income (odds ratio [OR] = 47.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.34-270.54, p < 0.001), income dissatisfaction (OR = 14.28, 95% CI: 4.75-42.87, p < 0.001), up to two gravidities (OR = 2.94, 95% CI = 1.25-6.90, p = 0.013), pregnancy-related complications (OR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.05-6.96, p = 0.039), increased antenatal care visits, and higher childbirth expenses. Conclusion: This study underscores the high prevalence of PPD among urban mothers in Bangladesh. The identified risk factors emphasize the need for targeted mental health initiatives, specifically tailored to support the vulnerable group. Implementing such initiatives can effectively address the challenges posed by PPD and enhance the well-being of postpartum women in urban areas.

Psychological benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination: A Bangladeshi comparative study.

Background and Aims: Despite evidence that COVID-19 vaccination can strengthen mental health, there is limited evidence about this in Bangladesh. Thus, this comparative study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with mental health problems between vaccine receivers and nonreceivers. Methods: Using a snowball sampling technique, a web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 459 participants. The survey questionnaire included sociodemographic information, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and the Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ-10). Results: The study found that mental health problems were nonsignificantly prevalent in the vaccine nonreceivers than those who received it (i.e., 24.79% vs. 20.60% for depression, 21.20% vs. 16.60% for anxiety, and 15.30% vs. 12.60% for posttraumatic stress disorder). Female gender, chronic condition, smoking status, and alcohol consumption were the risk factors for mental health problems. Conclusion: This study's findings suggest that the COVID-19 vaccination necessarily improves mental health outcomes. However, the study had limitations in terms of its design and sampling technique, and further research is needed to establish a cause-effect relationship between vaccination and mental health problems.