Psychometric validity of the distress thermometer and problem check list in ART-na\uefve HIV infected patients in Northern Nigeria

Background: HIV diagnosis comes with a lot of worry and distress. Ability to objectively estimate this distress by non-psychiatrist will enhance early detection of psychological distress for intervention. Objectives: To investigate the validity of the Distress Thermometer (DT) and its problem checklist in achieving early detection of mental distress among ART-na\uefve HIV infected patient. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 ART-na\uefve HIV infected patients completed the DT and its problem check list, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), Oslo Social Support Scale and the 14-item Resilience Scale. Results: The DT was positively correlated with all the measures of distress and reversely correlated with all the positive wellness in this study. The correlations were only significant for the negative measures of psychological wellness. The internal consistency of the DT\u2019s problem list overall and sub-categories were within acceptable range (i.e. \u3b1 > 0.50). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and Area Under the Curves (AUC) analysis were significant and found the DT and Problem List to respectively differentiate between cases of distress, anxiety and depression. The DT\u2019s cut-off was >5.0 with AUC range (0.754 \u2013 0.709); sensitivity range (81.0% \u2013 70.4%); specificity range (68.3% \u2013 65.2%) for distress, anxiety and depression as determined by HADS. And the Problem List cut-off was >6.0 with AUC range (0.854 \u2013 0.821); sensitivity range (90.5% - 85.7%); specificity range (68.3% - 65.2%) for distress, anxiety and depression as measured by HADS. Conclusion: The DT and Problem List were found to be valid measures of distress in ART-na\uefve HIV infected patients

Pattern and reasons for substance use among long-distance commercial drivers in a Nigerian city

Objective: To determine the pattern and reasons for psychoactive substance use by long-distance commercial vehicle drivers in a Nigerian city. Materials and Methods: All licensed long-distance commercial vehicle drivers who travel a distance of at least 500 km from the city metropolis were recruited. Each fourth consecutive driver who was to load his vehicle for the day was interviewed at the 10 long-distance motor parks. They responded to a sociodemographic and semi-structured pro forma requesting the type of drug used and the reason and pattern of use. The data obtained were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16. Results: All the respondents were males with a mean age of 43.4 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean age of substance users and nonusers (t = 0.491, P = 0.853). The reasons given for drug use were to keep awake while driving, for pleasure, as part of the culture, peer influence, as a substitute for food and for no obvious reason. The pattern of use tended to be related to the reason given for the use. Conclusion: The reason for drug use in long-distance drivers could be used to modify the pattern of use to minimize the risk associated with drugged driving

Psychotropic prescriptions for the treatment of schizophrenia in an outpatient clinic

Abstract Introduction There is an unpredictable pattern in the prescription of antipsychotics and other psychotropic medications for the treatment of schizophrenia, particularly in resource-limited settings in developing countries. Objective To determine the psychotropic prescriptions given to patients with schizophrenia in an outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital and to describe the choices and trends of these prescriptions. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of prescriptions for adults with schizophrenia. After clinical consultation, patients’ case notes were randomly selected over a period of 2 years. Using a structured form, data were extracted from the case notes including biodemographic data, psychotropic medications prescribed and changes made to these prescriptions. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. Results A total of 103 patients were selected, with a mean age of 35.96±9.78 years; 48.5% were males and 51.5% were females; 33% were unemployed and 38% had been hospitalized in the past. There were 231 initial prescriptions and 228 current prescriptions, with about 2.2 prescriptions per patient. Haloperidol (mean dose 14.77±6.28mg and 11.44±5.55mg for initial and current) and other old-generation antipsychotics were the most commonly prescribed for new cases (98%). Mean duration of psychotropic use was 7.78±5.6 years. All the patients were prescribed trihexyphenidyl, and 56.3% of the patients had their medications changed as a result of side effects. Conclusion There was a very high preference for the use of first-generation antipsychotics for all treatment settings (in- and outpatients), a pattern that is likely to persist