The Pattern of Help-Seeking Behavior Among Patients With Sexual Dysfunctions Attending in Psychiatry Outpatient Department in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Identifying the possible pattern of help-seeking can explain the gap between care need and actual use of care. Aim: To know the patterns of help-seeking behavior among patients with sexual dysfunction in the context of a developing country. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, qualitative study using criterion sampling among the diagnosed patients of sexual dysfunction attending the psychiatry outpatient department. Based on data saturation, 18 in-depth interviews were done. For method triangulation, 1 key informant interview, 1 informal interview, and 1 focus group discussion were performed. Data were analyzed manually using the thematic analysis method. Main Outcome Measure: Using an interview guideline, face to face interview was performed and the participants reported their pattern of help-seeking regarding their sexual problems. Results: The majority of the participants were male, within 20–35 years of age range, literate, and from an urban background. Premature ejaculation and female sexual interest/arousal disorder were the most common disorders. After the identification of the problems, help-seeking was done mostly from close and intimate relationships, although a few of the participants choose a self-search strategy. The complementary and alternative medicine approach was mostly used where traditional healers played a major role. The biomedical approach was the last to seek help and most of the participants visited the dermatology and venereology department. Self-help techniques and internet use were found as emerging ways to seek help. Conclusion: Sex education is necessary to improve general awareness because surrounding people were found as the primary source of information. Acharjee P, Mullick MSI. The Pattern of Help-Seeking Behavior Among Patients With Sexual Dysfunctions Attending in Psychiatry Outpatient Department in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh. Sex Med 2021;9:100381

Level and Associated Factors of Literacy and Stigma of Suicide among Bangladeshi Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Assessment

Objectives. Literacy and stigma of suicide among doctors affect health-service delivery for persons with suicidal behavior. However, no attempt has been identified to assess those among physicians in Bangladesh. We aimed to determine the level and associated factors of suicide literacy and stigma toward suicide among physicians in Bangladesh. Methods. We collected data from 203 physicians in February 2022 by Google Forms. We used the Bangla literacy of suicide scale (LOSS-B) and the Bangla stigma of suicide scale (SOSS-B) to assess the literacy and stigma of suicide. The instrument also included questions for collecting sociodemographic variables and assessing suicidal behavior. Results. The mean age of the physicians was 34.17±7.86 (range 23–66) years, 109 (53.7%) were females, 150 (73.9%) were married, and 181 (89.2%) were Muslim. The mean LOSS-B score was 5.9±1.96 (range 1-10). Suicide literacy was higher in singles (p=0.013), doctors with a family history of suicide (p=0.018), a history of suicidal thought in lifetime (p≤0.001), and in the last year (p=0.03). Muslims (p=0.017) and city dwellers (p=0.021) had higher scores in the stigma subscale of SOSS-B whilst respondents with history of mental illness had a significantly lower level of stigma (p≤0.006). The stigma and isolation subscales were positively correlated indicating a higher value stigma creates higher isolation (p≤0.001). No relationship between suicide literacy and suicide stigma was identified among the physicians. Conclusions. Suicide literacy among the physicians of Bangladesh is low albeit higher than the level among the students. Appropriate programs should be designed to improve the status quo because physicians play fundamental roles as health-service providers as well as gatekeepers in suicide prevention