Treatment Satisfaction and Recovery in Saami and Norwegian Patients Following Psychiatric Hospital Treatment: a Comparative Study

Artikkel som sammenlikner tilfredshet med behandling og bedring hos samiske og norske pasienter i psykiatrisk sykehus.Treatment, treatment satisfaction and recovery in Saami and Norwegian patients treated in a psychiatric hospital were compared. Although half of the Saami patients preferred to speak Saami with their therapists, only one patient did. The extensive use of traditional helpers was only partly recognized. Despite no differences in type and amount of treatment or symptom-change during the hospital stay, the Saami patients showed less satisfaction with all investigated treatment parameters including contact with staff, treatment alliance, information and global treatment satisfaction. There was less agreement between the ratings of the therapists and the Saami patients. Suggestions for improvements are made.Sametinget; Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norg

Should traditional healing be integrated within the mental health services in Sámi areas of northern Norway?: patient views and related factors

Artikkel som diskuterer integrering av tradisjonell helbredelse i psykisk helsevern i samiske områder i Nord-Norge.OBJECTIVES: the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether including traditional healing methods within mental health services is desirable among users of these services in Sámi areas of northern Norway. STUDY DESIGN: a cross-sectional questionnaire based survey among users of the mental health services in Finnmark and Nord-Troms Norway. METHODS: the percentages of participants desiring traditional healing modalities within the health services were calculated, and univariate and multivariate analysis were performed with respect to factors associated with a desire for integration. RESULTS: a total of 186 users responded to the survey, of which 72 reported some degree of Sámi cultural affiliation. Forty-eight had Sámi-speaking grandparents on both sides of the family. The desire for the integration of traditional healing was high among all with a Sámi cultural background. Eighty-one percent of those with Sámi speaking grandparents on both sides of the family desired such an integration. In a regression analysis, both Sámi affiliation and having used traditional healing forms were significantly associated with a desire for the integration of traditional healing within mental health services. CONCLUSIONS: the integration of traditional healing methods within health services has been suggested both by the World Health Organization and is used in some of the services to Indigenous populations in Western countries. This study shows that such integration is desirable among Sámi users of mental health services in Norway

Ethnic discrimination and psychological distress: a study of Sami and non-Sami populations in Norway

Vitenskapelig artikkel som omhandler sammenhengen mellom etnisk diskriminering, psykisk stress og mental helse.The prevalence of psychological distress and its association with ethnic discrimination was examined among 13,703 participants (36 to 79 years of age) in a population-based study of health and living conditions in areas with indigenous Sami, Kven (descendants of Finnish immigrants), and Ethnic Norwegian populations (the SAMINOR study). Sami and Kven males reported greater levels of stress than Ethnic Norwegians. Ethnic discrimination was strongly associated with elevated levels of psychological distress. Results suggest that ethnic discrimination is a major potential risk factor for poor mental health, and may contribute to ethnicity-related differences in mental health between Sami and non-Sami populations

‘Days of Frustration’: A Qualitative Study of Adolescents’ Thoughts and Experiences of Schooling after Early Dropout

School dropout increases the risk of unemployment, health problems, and disability benefits. Employing an ecological-developmental perspective, we analyzed the interviews of thirteen students from a peripheral Norwegian county, aiming to explore the possible influence of upbringing and schooling on dropout. The analysis revealed that dropout was associated with an unstable family situation, lack of structure in everyday life, unresolved complex learning difficulties, bullying, and a tough existence in a rented room. The participants conveyed a sense of defeat, frustration, and an absence of meaningful alternatives. However, two participants had actively chosen to discontinue their education; this was because they preferred work practice to allow them time to mature and re-orientate in relation to future educational and career choices. Their families and social networks contributed actively to the implementation of their future plans. The findings point to the importance of studying interventions that may prevent school dropout, and that address central factors in the process of school dropout, such as social support, academic achievement, and parental involvement.publishedVersio

Note to first-year university students: Just do it! In the end, the fact that you study may be more important than how you study.

Education is important to society, yet many students do not complete the educations they start. In the present study of 426 students at a Norwegian university, we examined the predictive value of study-related variables with regard to student status one and five years after initial enrollment (stayers versus dropouts). The logistic regression analyses indicated that older students and students who spent less time studying were more likely to drop out after the first year. Students who completed less ECTS during the first year were more likely to drop out after five years. Contrary to our hypothesis, learning approaches and procrastination were not significant predictors for dropout. Overall, just studying and staying (on) the course mattered more for student success in the first year than self-reported measures on how the academic work was actually done. A caveat relates to the low response rate of the study (∼9%), which is addressed in the discussion

Poorer self-reported mental health and general health among first year upper secondary school students do not predict school dropout: a five-year prospective study

IntroductionEducation is important for socioeconomic, work and health status; thus, dropping out of secondary school is of major concern. In Norway, 1 out of 5 is dropping out from upper secondary education. Academic performance is a known predictor for dropout, but the role of mental and general health status is studied less.MethodsBy use of student data collected during the first school year we examined the accumulated risk of school dropout over 5 years. Students entering upper secondary school in a North-Norwegian region (Troms County) completed a comprehensive questionnaire during August 2010 (N = 1,676, 69% response rate). The contribution of mental and general health problems in predicting five-year dropout was of primary interest, adjusted for demographics and academic performance.ResultsOne-third of the students had dropped out after 5 years. A logistic regression analysis showed no significant effect of mental and general health problems on dropout. Among the covariates, higher grades from lower secondary education reduced the chance of dropping out (OR = 0.31; p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that students in the vocational track reported poorer mental and general health, compared to students in the general track, but this difference was not related to dropout. General track students were also less likely to drop out than vocational track students (OR for dropout 0.66; p < 0.05).DiscussionIn conclusion, lower grades from lower secondary education represented a warning flag for school dropout during upper secondary education whereas mental health issues were not

Prevalence of mental distress and factors associated with symptoms of major depression among people living with HIV in Norway

For people living with HIV (PLHIV) who can access lifesaving treatment, HIV has become a chronic lifelong condition; however, PLHIV have more mental and somatic comorbidities than their HIV-negative peers. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the prevalence of mental distress and identified factors associated with major depression among 244 well-treated PLHIV residing in Norway. Participants completed validated questionnaires covering mental and somatic health. The prevalence of mental distress, defined as a score on the Hopkins Symptom Check List-25 >1.75, was 32%, and that of symptoms of major depression, defined as a score on the Beck Depression Inventory-II ≥20, was 15%. The factors associated with major depressive symptoms identified using logistic regression were risk of drug abuse (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 15.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.28, 69.3), fatigue (AOR 12.5, 95% CI 3.90, 40.0), trouble sleeping (AOR 7.90, 95% CI 2.85, 21.9), African origin (AOR 3.90, 95% CI 1.28, 11.9), low education (AOR 3.31, 95% CI 1.18, 9.30), and non-disclosure (AOR 3.22, 95% CI 1.04, 10.0). Our findings indicate that the prevalence rates of mental distress and major depressive symptoms are higher among well-treated PLHIV residing in Norway than in the general population. These conditions are under-diagnosed and under-treated, and increased awareness is needed

Factors associated with health-related quality of life in people living with HIV in Norway

Background - Despite the advances in the treatment of HIV, people living with HIV (PLHIV) still experience impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The aim of the study was to explore factors associated with HRQOL in a well-treated Norwegian HIV population. Methods - Two hundred and forty-five patients were recruited from two outpatient clinics to participate in this cross-sectional study of addiction, mental distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, fatigue, somatic health, and HRQOL. The latter was measured using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the adjusted associations between demographic and disease-related variables and HRQOL. Results - The study population was virologically and immunologically stable. Their mean age was 43.8 (SD = 11.7) years, 131 (54%) were men, and 33% were native Norwegians. Compared with the general population (published in previous studies), patients reported worse SF-36 scores for five of eight domains: mental health, general health, social function, physical role limitation, and emotional role limitation (all p  Conclusions - HRQOL was poorer in PLHIV than in the general population in Norway. It is important to focus on somatic and mental comorbidities when delivering health-care services in the ageing population of PLHIV to improve HRQOL even among a well-treated group of PLHIV as found in Norway

Prevalence and predictors of fatigue among people living with HIV in Norway

Fatigue is the most commonly noted symptom among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and predictors of fatigue among PLHIV in Norway. Two hundred and forty-four people were recruited from two hospitals to participate in a survey, which contained seven instruments used to investigate mental health, addiction, quality of life, and fatigue. More than a third of the participants (38.5%) suffered from fatigue. Predictors of fatigue were the presence of mental distress (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 8.98, 95%CI 3.81, 21.15), multimorbidity (AOR 5.13, 95%CI 1.40, 18.73), living alone (AOR 2.99, 95%CI 1.36, 6.56), trouble sleeping (AOR 2.67, 95%CI 1.06, 6.71), and increased body pain (AOR 1.44, 95%CI 1.25, 1.67). To improve the quality of life for many PLHIV, the continuum of HIV care must address fatigue and its predictors

Clinical outcomes and safety assessment in elderly patients undergoing decompressive laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis: a prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To assess safety, risk factors and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with spinal stenosis after decompressive laminectomy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective cohort of patients 70 years and older with spinal stenosis undergoing conventional laminectomy without fusion (n = 101) were consecutively enrolled from regular clinical practice and reassessed at 3 and 12 months. Primary outcome was change in health related quality of life measured (HRQL) with EuroQol-5 D (EQ-5D). Secondary outcomes were safety assessment, changes in Oswestry disability index (ODI), Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) score for self reported health, VAS score for leg and back pain and patient satisfaction. We used regression analyses to evaluate risk factors for less improvement.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean EQ-5 D total score were 0.32, 0.63 and 0.60 at baseline, 3 months and 12 months respectively, and represents a statistically significant (P < 0.001) improvement. Effect size was > 0.8. Mean ODI score at baseline was 44.2, at 3 months 25.6 and at 27.9. This represents an improvement for all post-operative scores. A total of 18 (18.0%) complications were registered with 6 (6.0%) classified as major, including one perioperative death. Patients stating that the surgery had been beneficial at 3 months was 82 (89.1%) and at 12 months 73 (86.9%). The only predictor found was patients with longer duration of leg pain had less improvement in ODI (P < 0.001). Increased age or having complications did not predict a worse outcome in any of the outcome variables.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Properly selected patients of 70 years and older can expect a clinical meaningful improvement of HRQL, functional status and pain after open laminectomy without fusion. The treatment seems to be safe. However, patients with longstanding leg-pain prior to operation are less likely to improve one year after surgery.</p