Somatization vs. Psychologization of Emotional Distress: A Paradigmatic Example for Cultural Psychopathology

This paper describes the developing area of cultural psychopathology, an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on the ways in which cultural factors contribute to the experience and expression of psychological distress. We begin by outlining two approaches, often competing, in order to provide a background to some of the issues that complicate the field. The main section of the paper is devoted to a discussion of depression in Chinese culture as an example of the types of questions that can be studied. Here, we start with a review of the epidemiological literature, suggesting low rates of depression in China, and move to the most commonly cited explanation, namely that Chinese individuals with depression present this distress in a physical way. Different explanations of this phenomenon, known as somatization, are explored and reconceptualized according to an increasingly important model for cross-cultural psychologists: the cultural constitution of the self. We close by discussing some of the contributions, both theoretical and methodological, that can be made by cross-cultural psychologists to researchers in cultural psychopathology

Impact of Dysmenorrhea and Health-seeking Behavior Among Female Adolescents

Dysmenorrhea is one of common health problems to occur during menstrual period and influences women life quality. The aim of the study is to know the effect of dysmenorrhea and health-seeking behavior to teenage girl. This study belongs to observation analytic using cross sectional design. The sample is girls, which is as many as 188, at the age of 15 to 19. The data are taken through questionnaire containing several questions, such as age of the respondents, age of menarche, effect dysmenorrhea, attitude on dysmenorrhea, and health-seeking behavior. Bivariate analysis is used Chi Square test. The Prevalence of dysmenorrhea is 68.8%. The effect of dysmenorrhea to girls include the absence from school (9.6%), sleep disorders (25%), decreased appetite (25.5%), inability to do exercise (19.7%), and daily activity disruptions (9.6%). There was relationship between the attitude on dysmenorrhea and health-seeking behavior of female adolescents (p=0.029). Adolescents with positive attitude about menstrual problems will develop good health-seeking behavior during menstrual period compared to those who have negative attitude. The needs to design reproduction health program as well as updating the information to create girls awareness on their health management during dysmenorrhea are necessary

The Best Predictor of Anxiety, Stress, and Depression Among Institutionalized Elderly

Anxiety, stress, and depression are the three most common negative emotional constructs found in the elderly. Evidences available worldwide about how psychological problem could be resulted in mental disorder, and there is significant difference in the context of living in the nursing home and in community setting. This study aimed to determine the best predictor of anxiety, stress, and depression in elderly living in the nursing home, useful for future modification and intervention development. This cross-sectional study involved 145 elderly in a private nursing home in Surabaya, Indonesia. HARS, SPST-20, and GDS were used in data collection. Linear regression and one way ANOVA tests were used in data analysis (α<0.05). Results showed that mostly in old individuals, mild anxiety and stress, and undepressed state were found. Sensory problems and concentration difficulties were the best predictor of anxiety and stress respectively, which were accounted for 61.2% and 65.6% variances of anxiety and stress in nursing home residents respectively. Spirits, life energy, happiness, and feeling wonderful to be alive could not predict depression significantly. Feeling inferior to others is the best predictor of depression, which was accounted for 25.9% variance of depression in this population. Low self-esteem leads to depression in nursing home residents

Night Eating Syndrome and Its Association with Sleep Quality and Body Mass Index Among University Students During the Covid-19

Night eating syndrome (NES) is a disordered eating behaviour characterized by hyperphagia at night and is often accompanied by a sleep disturbance. This study aims to determine the prevalence of NES and its association between sleep quality and body mass index (BMI) among the private university students during the Covid-19. A total of 166 students from a private university participated in this cross-sectional study. Online self-administered questionnaires were used to collect and determine socio-demographic data, BMI, NES, and sleep quality. NES was assessed using Night Eating Diagnostic Questionnaire (NEDQ) while sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire (PSQI). The results showed that 38.6% of the participants were engaging with NES, 45.2% were having poor sleep quality and 25.9% were overweight or obese during the Covid-19. There were significant associations between NES with sleep quality and BMI, which students with NES were found to have poorer sleep quality (r=0.306, p<0.001) and higher BMI (r=0.024, p=0.763). In addition, poor sleep quality was found to be positively associated with BMI (r=0.161, p=0.038). Males (AOR=2.198, 95% CI=1.005-4.808) and poor sleepers (AOR=1.176, 95% CI=1.028-1.346) were the risk factors of NES. In conclusion, the prevalence of NES, poor sleep quality, and overweight and obesity were at an alarming rate. NES was found to be related to both poorer sleep quality and higher BMI among the students. Therefore, interventions such as behavioural and cognitive therapy should be implemented to promote healthy eating behaviour among university students

Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome and Its Effects Among Regular Female Students in Ambo University, West Shoa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, 2019

Back ground - Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), also known as premenstrual tension is defined as a complex of emotional, physical and behavioral symptoms that start at the last week of a woman’s reproductive cycle and end with the onset of menstruation.Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of Premenstrual syndrome and its effects among regular female students in Ambo University, west shoa, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia, 2019.Method: Institutional based a descriptive cross sectional study was conducted from January 1_20, 2019. All regular female students in Ambo University. The sample size was determined using single population proportion formula and 288 study subjects were selected. The study subject was selected using systematic random sampling. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.Results:  Of the 288 regular female students, all responded to the questions 100%. The results of the study show that the prevalence of PMS was found to be 51(18%).Out of the regular female students diagnosed with PMS, 75% had stopped studying and class missing was reported by 40% of the students. Conclusion and Recommendation: The study concludes among 288 chosen samples regarding the prevalence of PMS among regular female students in Ambo University main campus and effects related to PMS. Although a full grasp of the concept of PMS in Ambo University has not been covered, this study revealed that Ambo university regular female  students have symptoms similar to other area in Ethiopia and some report so severe symptoms that they interfere with daily functioning.  Therefore, awareness about PMS appropriate medical treatment and psychotherapy services should be provided to affected female students. Keywords: Premenstrual Syndrome, regular Female students, Ambo University, Central Ethiopia. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/65-02 Publication date: August 31st 201

Un examen de la portée de la littérature dans les premiers jours de la crise du COVID-19 : dormir en temps de crise

Au cours des premiers jours de la pandémie et dans le contexte d'une menace mondiale apparemment inconnue, plusieurs perturbateurs majeurs potentiels du sommeil ont été identifiés par des chercheurs et des praticiens du sommeil à travers le monde. La pandémie de COVID-19 a combiné plusieurs caractéristiques qui, prises individuellement, ont montré qu’elles affectaient négativement la santé du sommeil dans la population générale. Ces caractéristiques comprenaient le stress, les restrictions sur les interactions sociales en personne, ainsi que l'adversité financière. En conséquence, les chercheurs et les praticiens se sont précipités pour identifier des preuves qui pourraient être utilisées pour améliorer les politiques de santé publique et se sont inspirés des premières études COVID-19, des précédentes épidémies de maladies infectieuses, ainsi que de la littérature scientifique portant sur l'isolement social et l'adversité financière. Pour remédier à l'absence d'un résumé complet de la recherche sur le sommeil dans ces trois domaines distincts, je mène une revue systématique et qualitative de la littérature, en utilisant la version adaptée du cadre d'Arksey et O'Malley pour les examens de la portée. Au cours de ce travail, nous avons systématiquement examiné 16 959 résumés et nous nous sommes efforcés de « cartographier » et de résumer les preuves scientifiques pertinentes existantes disponibles en début 2020 sur la santé du sommeil dans le contexte de : 1) la COVID-19, les autres pandémies et/ou crises ; 2) l’isolation sociale, la solitude ou le confinement ; et 3) l'adversité économique ou financière. Des facteurs modérateurs potentiels tels que l'âge, le sexe, l'origine ethnique, le statut socio-économique, la prédisposition psychologique, la profession et d'autres circonstances personnelles dans ces 3 contextes ont également été inclus dans notre revue. Pour conclure, nous soulignons la nécessité de développer des interventions de santé publique qui favorisent la santé du sommeil et qui peuvent réduire l'impact potentiel des crises futures.During the early days of the pandemic and in the context of a seemingly unknown global threat, several potential major sleep disruptors were identified by sleep researchers and practitioners across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic combined several features that, individually, had been shown to negatively affect sleep health in the general population. Those features included stress, restrictions on in-person social interactions, as well as financial adversity. Accordingly, researchers and practitioners scrambled to identify evidence that could be used to inform public policy and drew on early COVID-19 studies, past infectious disease outbreaks, as well as from the scientific literature on social isolation and financial adversity. To address the lack of a comprehensive summary of sleep research across these three distinctive domains, I lead a systematic, qualitative review of the literature, using the adapted version of Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping reviews. Over the course of this work, we systematically screened 16,959 abstracts and we endeavored to “map” and summarize the existing relevant scientific evidence available in early 2020 on sleep health in the context of: 1) COVID-19, other pandemics and/or crises; 2) social isolation, loneliness or confinement; and 3) economic or financial adversity. Potential moderating factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, psychological predisposition, occupation and other personal circumstances across these 3 contexts were also included in our review. To conclude, we highlight the need to develop public health interventions that foster sleep health and that can lessen the potential impact of future crises

Prevalence and predictors of irritable bowel syndrome among medical students and interns in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a frequent, costly, and potentially disabling gastrointestinal disorder. Medical education is among the most challenging and the most stressful education, and this may predispose to high rates of IBS.Objective: To determine the prevalence and predictors of IBS among medical students and interns in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 597 medical students and interns selected by multistage stratified random sample method in 2012. A confidential, anonymous, and self-administered questionnaire was used to collect personal and sociodemographic data, level of emotional stress, and food hypersensitivity during the past 6 months. Rome III Criteria and the Standardized Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were also used.Results: The prevalence of IBS was 31.8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the first predictor of IBS was female gender (aOR2.89; 95.0% CI: 1.655.05). The second predictor was presence of morbid anxiety (aOR2.44; 95.0% CI: 1.304.55). Living in a school dormitory, emotional stress during 6 months preceding the study, and the academic year were the next predictors.Conclusions: High prevalence of IBS prevailed among medical students and interns. Female gender, morbid anxiety, living in school dormitory, emotional stress, and higher educational level (grade) were the predictors of IBS. Screening of medical students for IBS, psychological problems, and reducing stress by stress management are recommended.Keywords: epidemiology; irritable bowel syndrome; medical students; Jedda

All around suboptimal health — a joint position paper of the suboptimal health study consortium and European association for predictive, preventive and personalised medicine

First two decades of the twenty-first century are characterised by epidemics of non-communicable diseases such as many hundreds of millions of patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and the type 2 diabetes mellitus, breast, lung, liver and prostate malignancies, neurological, sleep, mood and eye disorders, amongst others. Consequent socio-economic burden is tremendous. Unprecedented decrease in age of maladaptive individuals has been reported. The absolute majority of expanding non-communicable disorders carry a chronic character, over a couple of years progressing from reversible suboptimal health conditions to irreversible severe pathologies and cascading collateral complications. The time-frame between onset of SHS and clinical manifestation of associated disorders is the operational area for an application of reliable risk assessment tools and predictive diagnostics followed by the cost-effective targeted prevention and treatments tailored to the person. This article demonstrates advanced strategies in bio/medical sciences and healthcare focused on suboptimal health conditions in the frame-work of Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (3PM/PPPM). Potential benefits in healthcare systems and for society at large include but are not restricted to an improved life-quality of major populations and socio-economical groups, advanced professionalism of healthcare-givers and sustainable healthcare economy. Amongst others, following medical areas are proposed to strongly benefit from PPPM strategies applied to the identification and treatment of suboptimal health conditions:Stress overload associated pathologiesMale and female healthPlanned pregnanciesPeriodontal healthEye disordersInflammatory disorders, wound healing and pain management with associated complicationsMetabolic disorders and suboptimal body weightCardiovascular pathologiesCancersStroke, particularly of unknown aetiology and in young individualsSleep medicineSports medicineImproved individual outcomes under pandemic conditions such as COVID-19