An exploration of attitudes towards psychological interventions for pain management amongst Maltese pain chronic sufferers

Chronic pain is a living reality for many individuals. Research reveals that individuals are often reluctant to seek psychological help. Chronic pain research and attitudes towards psychological treatment among a Maltese chronic pain population is solely lacking. This study sought to explore attitudes towards psychological interventions for the management of chronic pain amongst persons with chronic pain. A grounded theory methodology was adopted. Interviews were conducted with 21 participants. Five superordinate categories comprising 12 sub-categories were generated. An attitude model reflecting inter-relationships between categories was developed. The theory entitled ‘Readiness to Try What Ever it Takes’ reveals that a number of facilitating factors contribute to the formation of positive attitudes to psychological help-seeking. Although the study did not reveal polarized views in relation to gender, impeding factors comprising negative affect, lacking resources and stigma hinder help-seeking behaviour. Most participants were unfamiliar with psychological services for pain management. Findings also indicate that individuals who perceive a link between psychological factors and pain are not necessarily more inclined to access psychological help, mostly because help-seeking behaviour is influenced by an array of psychosocial factors which are difficult to quantify. Service uptake can be enhanced by adopting a bio-psychosocial framework incorporating cultural factors and a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment involving not just health care professionals, but also significant others who influence the chronic pain sufferers’ decision-making, including family members and the clergy.peer-reviewe

Landmarks in Maltese Constitutional History 1849-1974

Ever since the successful uprising against the French in 1800, the Maltese educated classes were fully aware of the need to have a say in the public administration of the islands. The bitter experience of French domination showed that the islanders could not rely exclusively On the good will of foreign masters to reach their aspirations. When the British took control of Malta , hopes and expectations were high , but After the end of the Napoleonic era, it did not take long for the Maltese To realize that theirs was to be an uphill struggle. However, they proved To be very willing to Lake up the challenge.peer-reviewe

Avoiding the Pheidippides effect : how theories contribute to endurance trail practice

Ultra endurance sport has shown a significant increase during the last couple of decades. This paper focuses on theories which explain the phenomenal efforts ultra endurance athletes face when running extreme distances. These ultra athletes have to endure physical pain and mental distress for long hours or even days before crossing the finishing line. This extreme running on technical terrain requires considerable physiological effort (Millet, Hoffman, & Morin, 2012). Freund et al. (2012), states that as a consequence of running such distances, runners will experience muscle soreness, cramps, ruptured muscle fibres that lead to myalgia and myofascial pain, compartment syndrome, inflammation of tendons and joint capsules, and fatigue fractures. And yet, none of them succumb to their injuries or exhaustion under normal conditions, as in the case of Pheidippides. Various theories argue that the body is a high functioning machine which depends on physical measures to determine its efficiency while others put the brain as central to endurance practice and argue that the brain is the ultimate regulator which is there to protect the body. The athlete can never be harmed as the brain is taking measures so that body systems are never in distress. The beating heart is protected and catastrophe cannot occur. This paper illustrates various diverse theories which posit different arguments regarding extreme running and how it is actually achievable, without the athlete perishing due to the effort.peer-reviewe

Anton’s syndrome

57-year-old male admitted to ITU with a severe Community Acquired Pneumonia. Stayed in ITU for about three weeks and during this period suffered an episode of deterioration which was attributed to multiple venous infarcts of the brain. This caused the patient to become blind. Anton’s Syndrome is a very rare type of brain damage that occurs in the occipital lobe. People with the condition suffer from cortical blindness.peer-reviewe

Neuropeptide receptors as potential antiepileptic drug targets : focus on the ghrelin axis

Epilepsy is a very serious neurological disorder which is often underrepresented. Around 50 million individuals worldwide have active epilepsy with recurrent seizures and in spite of the medical advances over the years, 30% of these patients remain as drug resistant (Pati 2010). Even after several years of research, there is still a lack of good understanding on the pathophysiology of seizure disorders (Perucca 2011). Investigators in this field believe that there is a great need for novel antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) that act differently than the drugs available on the market. The majority of AEDs act by blocking sodium channels (phenytoin, carbamazepine) or by the augment of GABAergic transmission (phenobarbital, valproic acid). A newer generation of AEDs has expanded therapeutic options, however these are not superior to the older drugs (Hitiris 2006). Patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) are among the most pharmacoresistant to these medications (Pati 2010). In order to attempt the rectification of this dilemma, the neuropharmacologist needs to not only try and find AEDs with new mechanisms of action, but to also keep in mind what information is currently available on the pathophysiology of epilepsy. It is clear that during the complicated process of epileptogenesis, several different mechanisms are taking place, thus one should ideally identify new compounds that are capable of targeting different pathways simultaneously. The focus of epilepsy researchers is to identify compounds that are not only capable of attenuating seizures (anticonvulsant), but are also antiepileptogenic (can prevent epilepsy) or disease-modifying (halting its progression).peer-reviewe

Maltese dentistry in the E.C. context

The practice of Dentistry in the European Community is regulated by the Council Directives of 1978 which provide for the activities of and training programmes for dental practitioners, and the mutual recognition of qualifications to facilitate the right to freedom of movement and the establishment of dental practices by non-nationals. In this article the author describes the dental health and the dental manpower in Malta and E.C.peer-reviewe

The "discussion - case study approach" in introduction to philosophy of education courses

These selections, taken from B. Ed. students' reflective commentary at the end of a 10 week introductory course in philosophy of education, capture the popular expectations, stereotyped impressions or feelings that pre-service education students normally hold about foundations courses especially philosophy of education: scepticism, intimidation, boredom, uselessness, fear and practical irrelevance. A grim though very real picture! The delicate task of teaching introductory foundations courses becomes more difficult and also tragic when one learns, as stated in a couple of the above selections, that most students come with a strong and long background of "traditional teaching" in which complacency, uncriticallness, and the urge to acquire the right answer, which the teacher possesses, to get the highest grade, are implanted explicitly via the formal curriculum or implicitly via teaching styles. These qualities are essentially incompatible with a foundations perspective, and, some believe, even with the very notion of education.peer-reviewe