Use of mental health services among disaster survivors: predisposing factors.

Background: Given the high prevalence of mental health problems after disasters it is important to study health services utilization. This study examines predictors for mental health services (MHS) utilization among survivors of a man-made disaster in the Netherlands (May 2000).

Methods: Electronic records of survivors (n = 339; over 18 years and older) registered in a mental health service (MHS) were linked with general practice based electronic medical records (EMRs) of survivors and data obtained in surveys.

Health problems presented in general practice by survivors before and after a fireworks disaster: associations with mental health care.

Objective: To study the health problems presented to general practitioners by disaster survivors who received specialized ambulatory mental health care.

Design: (Longitudinal) case-control study based on general practitioners' electronic medical records.

Setting: General practice and a mental health institution (MHI) in Enschede, the Netherlands.

Catastrophizing and internal pain control as mediators of outcome in the multidisciplinary treatment of chronic low back pain.

The aim of the present study was to examine (a) whether a cognitive-behavioral treatment (differentially) affects pain coping and cognition; and (b) whether changes in pain coping and cognition during treatment mediate treatment outcome. Participants in this randomized clinical trial were 148 patients with chronic low back pain attending a multidisciplinary treatment program consisting of operant-behavioral treatment plus cognitive coping skills training (N = 59) or group discussion (N = 58) or allocated to a waiting list control condition (N = 31). Patients improved with respect to level of depression, pain behavior and activity tolerance at posttreatment and 12-month follow-up.

Experiences of foreign European nurses in The Netherlands.

As a result of the shortage of nurses, Dutch health care organizations want to recruit nurses from outside Europe (e.g. Indonesia, South Africa).