Role of psychomotricity in the management of body image disorders in schizophrenia: a case report

Schizophrenia is one of the most debilitating psychiatric disorders affecting around 1% of people worldwide. Its causes and management are quite poorly controlled. Patients with schizophrenia often experience an alteration in their body image. Its corollaries such as depersonalization are felt like real torture. In the biopsychosocial model of the management of mental health disorders, very few tools are effective in the management of depersonalization syndrome which is often overlooked by psychiatrists who mainly focus on erasing hallucinations and other positive symptoms. Psychomotricity, a poorly known branch of the biopsychosocial model, is still trying to find a place between psychological and body therapies. For a period of 6 months, we conducted a prospective case-study on two patients living with schizophrenia and treated in the Psychiatry Department of Laquintinie Hospital in Douala in Cameroon. In those patients, the association of psychomotor therapies provided a satisfactory response to a problem of depersonalization, also known as fragmentation anxiety

LE NOUVEAU-NÉ PRÉMATURÉ OU DE PETIT POIDS DE NAISSANCE PEUT-IL SURVIVRE EN L’ABSENCE DE COUVEUSES À BÉBÉS ?

Ce travail met en évidence les limites auxquelles sont confrontés les États africains qui conditionnent la baisse de la mortalité néonatale à l’acquisition des incubateurs. Il propose la Méthode Mère Kangourou (MMK) qui se présente comme une alternative plus adaptée tant aux ressources qu’aux valeurs humaines et familiales des peuples Africains. Nous terminons par une expérience qui valide l’applicabilité de cette méthode au contexte Africain

Approche processuelle (Rumination mentale) de l’étiologie des troubles anxio-dépressifs chez les patients diabétiques de type 2 : quels sont les facteurs déterminants ?

Introduction : L’annonce du diagnostic et les exigences de soins que le diabète de type 2 impose ont une influence sur la santé mentale et la qualité de vie des patients. Plus de 40 % des patients rapportent un bien-être psychologique insuffisant. Nous nous intéressons dans ce travail à l’étiologie de ces troubles psychologiques chez les patients diabétiques de type 2. L’objectif de l’étude est d’identifier les facteurs étiologiques des symptômes anxio-dépressifs observés chez ces patients. Méthode : Nous avons recruté 154 patients diabétiques de type 2 dont l’âge varie entre 30 et 79 ans. Nous avons recueilli les données à l’aide de plusieurs questionnaires parmi lesquels : un questionnaire d’élaboration propre explorant les facteurs biologiques et sociaux ; l’Échelle de Réajustement social de Holmes et Rahes ; le score Adverse Childhood Expériences ; la Mini Cambridge Exeter Repetitive Thought Scale et le Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Les données collectées ont été analysées à l’aide du logiciel SPSS 21. Résultats : l'analyse des données montre qu'il existe une corrélation entre la rumination mentale et les symptômes anxieux et dépressifs présents chez les patients diabétiques. Nous constatons également que les expériences de vie défavorables vécues dans l’enfance et l’adolescence ; les événements de vies stressants sont corrélés à la rumination mentale. Conclusion: Ces résultats mettent en évidence que les expériences de vie défavorables vécues dans l’enfance et l’adolescence et les événements de vies stressants constituent les facteurs circonstanciels qui participent via la rumination mentale à l’apparition et au maintien des troubles anxieux dépressifs chez les patients diabétiques de type 2. Si l'on considère les relations existantes entre stress, système hormonal et diabète de type 2, ces résultats suggèrent également d'explorer le potentiel rôle joué par les expériences de vie défavorables vécues dans l'enfance et l'adolescence dans l'apparition du diabète de type 2

Prevalence and associated factors of non-medical use of prescription drugs among adolescents in secondary schools in Buea, Cameroon: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The non-medical use of prescription drugs is a growing public health problem worldwide. Recent trends in Cameroon show that the use of psychoactive substances, among which are prescription drugs by adolescents is becoming a public health issue and is linked to juvenile delinquency and violence in schools. However, there is a paucity of data on the burden of this phenomenon among adolescent secondary school students in the country. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of non-prescription drugs in secondary schools in Buea, South West region of Cameroon. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study from 1st February 2021 to 30th April 2021. Secondary school students were recruited using a multistage stratified cluster sampling. A modified and standardized version of the World Health Organization student drug-use survey model questionnaire was used. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea (No. 2021/1273–02/UB/SG/IRB/FHS). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of participants. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore associated factors of non-medical use of prescription drugs. Results A total of 570 participants were enrolled for the study, and 510 participants responded giving a response rate of 89.5%. The prevalence of non-medical use of prescription drugs was 15.3%, tramadol being the most used. Motivators for non-medical use of prescription drugs were “to work longer”, “to be courageous”, and “curiosity”. Logistic regression results showed that alcohol consumption [OR 3.68; 95% CI: 2.24–6.06; p < 0.001], smoking [OR 6.00; 95% CI: 3.07–11.75; p < 0.001] and use of illicit drugs [OR 10.85; 95% CI: 5.48–21.48; p < 0.001] were independent factors associated with non-medical use of prescription drugs. Conclusion Non-medical use of prescription drugs was prevalent among adolescent secondary school students in Buea, Cameroon. Tramadol is the main drug of prescription involved. Our results can guide policymakers on strategies to screen, prevent and control non-medical use of prescription drugs among secondary school students in Cameroon

Exploring Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Caregivers of Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease and HIV: A Comparative Analysis

Introduction. Paediatric HIV and sickle cell disease (SCD) are two stigmatising and potentially fatal illnesses that place a significant burden on families. HIV patients benefit from a longstanding free-service national programme in Cameroon, and this could considerably alleviate burden of care on HIV caregivers, possibly leading to better quality of life (QoL) in HIV caregivers compared to SCD caregivers. Our study aimed to compare the QoL between caregivers of children and adolescents with SCD and HIV and explore factors associated with this QoL in Cameroon. Methods and Materials. We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional analytic study at Douala Laquintinie Hospital from February to May 2023. A questionnaire was administered to caregivers of paediatric patients (≤18 years) with SCD and HIV. The Pediatrics Quality of Life-Family Impact Module (PedsQL FIM), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and the 9-item Patient Health Question (PHQ-9) tools were used as measures of quality of life, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine factors associated with quality of life. A significance level was set at p<0.05. Results. We included 199 caregivers: SCD = 104 and HIV = 95. The mean age of caregivers in our sample was 40.47 ± 10.18 years. Caregivers of paediatric patients with HIV had a better mean quality of life than SCD (93.01 ± 7.35SD versus 64.86 ± 9.20SD, p<0.001). PHQ-9 score (B = −1.52, 95% CI = [-2.08; −0.96], p=<0.001), GAD-7 score (B = −1.46, 95% CI = [-2.09; −0.83], p=<0.001), spending less than 75 000 FCFA on medications monthly (B = 12.13, 95% CI = [5.73; 18.94], p=<0.001), and being a SCD caregiver (B = −11.62, 95% CI = [-18.46; −4.78], p=0.001) were factors independently associated with quality of life on multivariable analysis. Conclusion. Quality of life is lower in caregivers of children and adolescents with SCD than with HIV. Preventing depression and anxiety as well as advocating for the subsidization of medications through a national SCD program may improve quality of life in SCD caregivers

Factors predicting in-hospital all-cause mortality in COVID 19 patients at the Laquintinie Hospital Douala, Cameroon.

Despite being a global pandemic, little is known about the factors influencing in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to provide data on in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a single large center in Cameroon. A hospital-based prospective follow-up was conducted from March 18 to June 30, 2020, including patients >18 years with positive PCR for SARS-COV-2 on nasopharyngeal swab admitted to the Laquintinie Douala hospital COVID unit. Predictors of in-hospital mortality were assessed using Kaplan Meir survival curves and Weibull regression for the accelerated time failure model. Statistical significance was considered as p < 0.05. Overall 712 patients (65,7% men) were included, mean age 52,80 ± 14,09 years. There were 580 (67,8% men) in-hospital patients. The median duration of hospital stay was eight days. The in-hospital mortality was 22.2%. Deceased patients compared to survivors were significantly older, had a higher temperature, respiratory rate, and heart rate, and lowest peripheral oxygen saturation at admission. After adjusting for age, sex, and other clinical patient characteristics, increased heart rate, increased temperature, decreased peripheral oxygen saturation. The critical clinical status was significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality. In contrast, hospitalization duration greater than eight days and the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) + azithromycin (AZM) therapy was associated with decreased risk of in-hospital mortality. One in five hospitalized COVID-19 patients die in a low-middle income setting. Critical clinical status, dyspnea, and increased heart rate were predictors of in-hospital mortality. This study will serve as a prerequisite for more robust subsequent follow-up studies. Also, these results will aid in revising national guidelines for the management of COVID-19 in Cameroon