IMPACT OF BRIEF PSYCHO-EDUCATION ON CAREGIVER BURDEN AMONG CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IN A NIGERIAN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL.

Introduction: The effectiveness of Brief Psycho-education (BPE) is well-established among caregivers of adults with mental disorders, this is however not the case among caregivers of children and adolescents with Intellectual disability (ID) due to the dearth of data occasioned by relatively few studies in the area.

Objective: This study assessed the impact of BPE on Caregiver burden (CB) among caregivers of children and adolescents with ID.

Methodology: A single-blind RCT was conducted in the Child and Adolescent Clinic in the Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City.

Correlates of high-dose antipsychotic prescription amongst outpatients with Schizophrenia in a Nigerian Hospital.

Background: Treatment guidelines recommend the use of antipsychotic monotherapy at effective doses for the treatment of schizophrenia, although about a third of the sufferers still receive high-dose antipsychotic treatment. Current evidence suggests that high-dose antipsychotic prescription (HDAP) not only fails to improve outcomes but also increases side effects.

Aim: Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of HDAP and its association with illness severity, medication adherence behaviour and side effects amongst outpatients with schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic prescription and polypharmacy among outpatients with schizophrenia in a Nigerian hospital.

Background: International guidelines recommend antipsychotic monotherapy as the ideal treatment option in pharmacotherapy for schizophrenia, though this yields modest outcomes in a third of patients. Antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) has been tried in many patients with schizophrenia to improve outcomes in those with poor treatment response.

Objectives: This study examined the pattern of antipsychotic prescription and polypharmacy among outpatient attendees with schizophrenia in a Nigerian psychiatric hospital.

Psychosocial correlates of perceived stress among undergraduate medical students in Nigeria.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with perceived stress among medical students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of students (n=623) selected across eight medical schools in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire obtained socio-demographic characteristics, alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), other psychoactive drug use (Drug Abuse Screening Test), anxiety/depression symptoms (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale) and stress (Perceived Medical School Stress Scale).

Attitudes towards and rationale for antipsychotic polypharmacy among psychiatrists in Nigeria: Characteristics associated with high reported antipsychotic polypharmacy.

Antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) is commonplace despite lacking evidence of its effectiveness. We aimed to identify psychiatrists' rationale for and attitudes towards APP and to determine if attitudes influence antipsychotic polypharmacy prescription rates in a survey of a nationally representative sample of Nigerian psychiatrists (of which a majority were senior trainees: 74.2%).

Do stages of dentistry training affect anxiety provoking situations?

Background: Undetected and unaddressed anxiety negatively affects performance in clinical learning environments.

Aim: The aim was to investigate the anxiety provoking situations in clinical dental care delivery among students of preclinical and clinical years and house officers.

Subjects And Methods: A 38-item modified Moss and McManus clinical anxiety questionnaire, general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and the Zung self-rating anxiety scale were the data collection tools.

Prevalence and Correlates of Missed First Appointments among Outpatients at a Psychiatric Hospital in Nigeria.

Background: Missed appointments are common in psychiatric practice. It compromises quality of care, results in poor treatment outcomes and drains financial resources. In Nigeria, where mental health services are poorly organized, missed appointments and its resultant consequences may be burdensome.

Clergy as collaborators in the delivery of mental health care: an exploratory survey from Benin City, Nigeria.

The paucity of skilled manpower in sub-Saharan Africa limits the delivery of effective interventions for the mentally ill. Individuals with mental disorders and their caregivers frequently consult clergy when mental symptoms cause distress. There is an urgent need for collaboration with nonprofessionals in order to improve mental health care delivery and close the widening treatment gap.

The knowledge and attitudes of psychiatrists towards antipsychotic long-acting injections in Nigeria.

Background: Antipsychotic long-acting injections (LAIs) reduce covert nonadherence with medication in the clinical management of psychotic disorders. However, they are variably utilised by clinicians, especially in the long term. Factors including poor knowledge, stigma and perceived coercion can all adversely influence LAI utilisation.

Nigerian medical students' opinions about individuals who use and abuse psychoactive substances.

Substance use disorders are prevalent in Nigeria. The number of available specialist health providers is inadequate to fill the treatment gap. Interventions can be provided by nonspecialist health providers and have been found to be beneficial.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among individuals with severe mental illness in Nigeria: a case control study.

Background: While the aetiology for most psychotic disorders is unknown, a strong association has been observed between Toxoplasma gondii infection and psychosis. The proportion of individuals with psychotic disorders who have current or past infection with toxoplasma has been varied. Reports from the African continent have however been scanty.

The attitudes of clergy in Benin City, Nigeria towards persons with mental illness.

Objective: The clergy in sub-Saharan Africa play a major role in the care and pathways to orthodox mental health services of the mentally ill. Their attitudes concerning mental illnesses would influence community mental health intervention efforts. This study aimed to determine the attitudes of clergy towards persons with mental illness.

Nigerian medical students' opinions about the undergraduate curriculum in psychiatry.

Objective: The number of psychiatrists in Nigeria is inadequate to meet the treatment needs for neuropsychiatric disorders. Developing mental health competency in the future Nigerian physician workforce is one approach to filling the treatment gap. The authors aimed to assess medical students' attitudes to this training and its relevance to their future practice and to assess whether they are getting adequate or relevant training.

Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness: a survey of medical students and interns from southern Nigeria.

Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness are commonly reported among health professionals. Familiarity with mental illness has been reported to improve these attitudes. Very few studies have compared future medical doctors' attitudes toward types of mental illness, substance use disorders and physical illness.

Oral health of psychiatric patients: the nurse's perspective.

Objective: To assess nurses' perspectives on character, prevalence and cause of oral diseases among psychiatric patients and also their approach and suggestions in relation to the care of oral problems.

Materials And Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of all cadres of nurses (n = 136) at the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, was conducted between December 2010 and January 2011.

Results: Two-thirds (67.

Prevalence and predictors of poor medication adherence among out-patients at a psychiatric hospital in Benin City, Nigeria.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and predictors of poor or non-compliance with medications among respondents attending an adult psychiatry out-patient clinic in Benin City, Nigeria.

Methods: Respondents (n = 137) were randomly selected over a 3-month period using a cross-sectional study design. They were administered a questionnaire adapting the Factors Influencing Neuroleptic Medication Taking Scale as well as the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to ascertain medication, illness-related and psychosocial variables.

Psychosocial characteristics of female infertility in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria.

Objectives: Women with infertility experience higher rates of psychological distress compared with their fertile counterparts. In developing countries, socio-cultural factors may aggravate this distress. We aimed to determine the prevalence of psychological distress as well as its associated socio-cultural characteristics among women attending the infertility clinic of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

Burden of care among relatives of patients with schizophrenia in midwestern Nigeria.

Background: Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder which places immense burden on family members. There are few studies that have explored the enormity of burden experienced by caregivers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Method: Two hundred caregivers who were relatives of 200 consecutive outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and undergoing treatment at the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin, between August and November 2008, were studied.

Depression and subjective quality of life among outpatients with diabetes mellitus at a teaching hospital in Nigeria.

Objective To determine the relationship between depression and the subjective assessment of quality of life (QoL) in a sample of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) attending outpatient clinics at a regional university teaching hospital in Nigeria.Methods A cross-section of 200 patients were administered the depression module of the Schedule for the Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment - brief version (WHOQoL-Bref) over a two-month study period.Results A major depressive disorder (MDD) was diagnosed in 30% of patients.

Electroconvulsive therapy: a comparison of knowledge and attitudes of student nurses and staff mental health nurses at a psychiatric hospital in Nigeria.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective in the treatment of some psychiatric disorders. Among other reasons, service users may refuse ECT when indicated due to myth and little or lack of knowledge about the procedure. The knowledge of and attitude towards ECT among nurses may reflect on patients and influence treatment choice.

Subdural haematoma presenting as catatonia in a 20-year-old male: a case report.

Introduction: Catatonia is a common presentation to psychiatric services in developing countries. Medical causes of catatonia are common and often missed. Identifying causes for catatonia is important not only to guide proper management but to determine prognostic outcomes

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 20-year-old male who presented with catatonia.

Unmodified electroconvulsive therapy: the perspective of patients from a developing country.

Background: The controversy that exists over the relevance of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in contemporary psychiatric care often excludes the opinion of patients. Optimizing ECT service delivery must include the perspectives and input of service users. In Nigeria, the opinions of patients have not been explored.

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders in a Nigerian family: 4 case reports.

Introduction: The risk of developing schizophrenia is higher among persons with an affected sibling compared to the general population. Beliefs about aetiology influence presentation, management and treatment outcomes. There are no reports on multiple occurrences of this disorder in a family in this part of the world.

Nigerian medical students attitudes to unmodified electroconvulsive therapy.

Unlabelled: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective and affordable form of treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders. Historical antecedents, the media, and movies have generated myths about its continued use and relevance.

Objectives: We explored medical students' knowledge of and attitude to ECT on completion of an 8-week clinical rotation (clerkship) in psychiatry.