Perceptions of mental health nurses about psychosocial management of depression in adolescents, North West province, South Africa

Background: Depression in adolescents is a multifactorial global public health concern, with devastating consequences on the sufferer. The prevalence of depression amongst this age group is on the rise, and thus there is the need for greater attention. Aim: To explore and describe the perceptions of mental health nurses regarding the psychosocial management of depression in adolescents in North West province, South Africa. Setting: The study was conducted in two mental healthcare institutions and two mental healthcare units within two general hospitals in North West province, South Africa. Method: A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was used in conducting this study. Data were collected through focus group discussions from four groups of mental health nurses from each of the mental healthcare institutions and mental healthcare units with 18 mental health nurses. Data were analysed using Tesch’s open coding method. Results: Two themes emerged from the study: comprehensive psychosocial management and involvement of different stakeholders. Conclusion: The findings revealed clear psychosocial management for depression in adolescents. Adopting the findings of this study could improve depressive symptoms and curtail the prevalence of depression amongst adolescents in the North West province, South Africa

Exploring the psychosocial challenges faced by pregnant teenagers in Ditsobotla subdistrict

This manuscript is part of P.N.N.’s master’s dissertation. L.A.S. and I.O.M. were supervisors of the study. N.V.S. analysed the data.BACKGROUND : Pregnant teenagers usually experience psychosocial challenges such as a great amount of stress when they have to deal with an unwanted pregnancy, unpreparedness for parenthood and a lack of income as well as labour and birth complications. These are further complicated by the stigma from their families, friends and community. Unaddressed psychosocial challenges during teenage pregnancy can adversely affect the health outcomes of both mother and the child. AIM : This study explores and describes the psychosocial challenges faced by pregnant teenagers in the Ditsobotla subdistrict. SETTING : The study was conducted in three health centres in the Ditsobotla subdistrict. METHODS : A qualitative-exploratory-descriptive and contextual research design was used. Non-probability purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select the participants. Semistructured individual interviews through WhatsApp video calls were used to collect data, which were analysed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS : Three themes emerged from the findings of the study, namely psychological challenges, social challenges and suggestions to address psychosocial challenges faced by pregnant teenagers. CONCLUSION : The findings established that pregnant teenagers in the Ditsobotla subdistrict are faced with psychosocial challenges which negatively impact their psychological health and social life. Suggestions made in this study have the potential to improve the psychosocial well-being of pregnant teenagers in the Ditsobotla subdistrict if implemented. CONTRIBUTIONS : The findings of this study provide important information that may be used to improve the psychosocial well-being of pregnant teenagers in the Ditsobotla subdistrict.https://www.hsag.co.zaam2023Nursing Scienc

The status of integrating children and adolescents’ mental health care services into primary health care in South Africa : scoping review

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : PRISMA checklist is available as supplementary material on the publisher’s website and the published article.BACKGROUND : Many children and adolescents who need mental health care services in South Africa find it difficult to access these services. The PHC approach is the foremost strategy adopted by the South African government to improve access to health care services in the country. Therefore, the integration of children and adolescents mental health care services into primary health care should greatly improve access. OBJECTIVE : The objective of this review is to describe and interrogate the status of integrating children and adolescents’ mental health care services into primary health care in SA. METHODS : The scoping literature review was conducted following the framework of identifying the research question, identifying relevant studies, selecting studies, charting data, and finally collating, summarising, and synthesising the results. The databases used are APA, PsychINFO, Medline, Cabinet Discover, and Africa-Wide Informatio. Thematic analysis was used to qualitatively analyse the findings of the studies reviewed. RESULTS : Six studies were selected for inclusion in this research. The analysis yielded three themes : challenges to integrating child and adolescent mental health care, services into primary health care, the need for health care systems to enable integration of child and adolescent mental health services into primary health care, and the lack of child and adolescent mental health care services. CONCLUSION : The integration of child and adolescent mental health care services into primary health care in South Africa is far from realisation. Recommendations are made for practice, education, and research.https://openpublichealthjournal.comam2023Nursing Scienc

Exploring the perceptions of psychiatric patients regarding marijuana use

There is limited understanding on marijuana use by psychiatric patients, specifically with regard as to why they continue to smoke marijuana despite the negative consequences, such as readmittance to psychiatric hospitals following marijuana-induced psychosis. It is, therefore, important to understand why psychiatric patients continue to use marijuana, despite experiencing its negative effects. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of psychiatric patients with regard to marijuana use in Potchefstroom, North West Province, as well as to formulate recommendations for nursing education, nursing research and nursing practice, with the aim of reducing the readmission of psychiatric patients following marijuana-induced psychosis. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was followed in order to give ‘voice’ to the perceptions of psychiatric patients about marijuana use. Purposive sampling was utilised to identify participants who complied with selection criteria. The sample size was determined by data saturation, which was reached after 10 individual interviews with psychiatric patients. Unstructured individual interviews were utilised to gather data after written approval from the Ethics committee of the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), North West Provincial Department of Health, the clinical manager of the psychiatric hospital where data were collected, as well as from the psychiatric patients. The co-coder and the researcher analysed the data independently. The findings of this study include perceptions of psychiatric patients on the use of marijuana, the negative effects of marijuana use, marijuana use and mental illness, and quitting marijuana. Recommendations were formulated for nursing education, nursing research as well as for nursing practice. Opsomming Insig in die gebruik van marijuana deur psigiatriese pasiënte is beperk, spesifiek met betrekking tot hulle redes vir voortgesette marijuana verbruik ten spyte van die negatiewe gevolge daarvan, byvoorbeeld hertoelating tot psigiatriese hospitale na marijuanageïnduseerde psigotiese episodes. Dit is dus belangrik om te verstaan waarom psigiatriese pasiënte voortgaan om marijuana te gebruik ten spyte van die negatiewe uitwerking daarvan. Hierdie navorsing was ten doel om die persepsies van psigiatriese pasiënte in verband met die gebruik van marijuana in Potchefstroom in die Noordwesprovinsie te verken en te beskryf. So kan aanbevelings gemaak word vir verpleegonderrig, verpleegnavorsing en verpleegpraktyk om meer toepaslike versorging en behandeling te verseker en uiteindelik die heropname van psigiatriese pasiënte as gevolg van marijuana-geïnduseerde psigose te verminder. ‘n Kwalitatiewe, verkennende, beskrywende en kontekstuele navorsingsontwerp is gevolg om ‘n ‘stem’ te gee aan die persepsies van psigiatriese pasiënte aangaande die gebruik van marijuana. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om deelnemers te identifiseer wat sou voldoen aan seleksiekriteria. Die steekproefgrootte is bepaal deur dataversadiging, wat bereik is na 10 individuele onderhoude met psigiatriese pasiënte. Ongestruktureerde individuele onderhoude is gebruik om data te versamel ná geskrewe toestemming van die Etiekkomitee van die Noordwes-Universiteit (Potchefstroom Kampus), van die Noordwes Provinsiale Departement van Gesondheid, die Kliniese bestuurder van die psigiatriese hospitaal waar die data versamel is, sowel as van die psigiatriese pasiënte. Die medekodeerder en die navorser het die data onafhanklik van mekaar geanaliseer. Die bevindings van hierdie studie het die persepsies wat psigiatriese pasiënte het oor die gebruik van marijuana, die negatiewe effekte van die gebruik van marijuana, die gebruik van marijuana en psigiatriese toestande, en die staking van die gebruik van marijuana, uitgelig. Aanbevelings is geformuleer vir verpleegonderrig en verpleegnavorsing, sowel as vir die praktyk van verpleegkunde