Burden of Care among Caregivers of Patients with Bipolar Affective Disorder at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Calabar

Background: The advent of community‐based care and de‐institutionalization of persons with mental disorders have led to a progressive shift of care from formal health-care systems to informal care providers such as the family. This shift of care, from hospitals to the families, has led to a significant level of the burden on the family caregiver. This study aimed to identify factors which are associated with burden of care among caregivers of patients with bipolar affective disorder (BAD) seen at the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar. Materials and Methods: A simple random sampling technique of “yes or no” balloting was utilized to select 105 caregivers of bipolar patients seen at the outpatient clinic of the hospital. The selected caregivers(those who picked “yes”) were recruited along with their respective patients after obtaining their consent. They were assessed using a set of five questionnaires, of which three (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 [PHQ‐9], Young Mania Rating Scale [YMRS] and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale [BPRS]) were administered by the researchers on the patients whereas the remaining two (sociodemographic questionnaire and Family Burden Interview Schedule) were self-completed by the caregivers. Results: One hundred out of the 105 caregivers who were recruited completed the study procedure and returned properly filled questionnaires. The rates of objective and subjective burden on the caregivers were 79% and 74%, respectively. While the objective burden was associated with the patient’s educational attainment and his/her scores on the YMRS and BPRS, the subjective burden was associated with the caregiver’s monthly income and marital status, the patient’s gender, number of suicide attempts, and scores on PHQ-9, YMRS, and BPRS. Of all the variables, the patients’ scores on YMRS (P = 0.025) and PHQ-9 (P = 0.011) were the significant predictors of objective and subjective burden, respectively. Conclusion: This study identified the extent and factors associated with burden of care on caregivers of patients with BAD. Awareness of those factors might guide clinicians in instituting treatment strategies toward reducing the burden on caregivers

MARITAL HAPPINESS AND GENDER AS PREDICTORS OF STABILITY AMONG TEACHERS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Marital stability has as lot of implications for societal wellbeing, when there is stability in the family it will translate to stability in the society. There are efforts to consider factors that can predict stability and many scholars have investigated some. Therefore, this study examined marital happiness and gender as predictors of stability among teachers in Lagos state, Nigeria. This descriptive study adopted a survey design. Three hundred and seventy married teachers were selected using some pre-determined criteria. This sample was made up of a total of 163(44.1%) males and 207(55.9%) females. The age ranges from 24-60 years of age Two instruments were adopted to collect data; Marital Happiness Scale (MHS) and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS). Three research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to achieve the objectives of the study. The finding revealed a high marital happiness (74.6%) among married teachers and 22.7% of participants described their marriages as unstable. a gender difference was reported in marital happiness, with 69(18.6%) females reporting more unhappy marriage incidence than 25(6.8%) men. The result also indicated a gender difference in marital stability, with more women (18.6%) than men (4.1%) reporting unstable marriages. However, the finding of the first hypothesis indicated no significant gender difference in marital happiness with t=0.606 and p=0.545. The result equally showed no gender difference in marital stability with t=0.034 and p=0.973.The result equally revealed a positive and significant effect of marital happiness on the marital stability of married teachers at f(1,368)=962.010, r = .850, r2 = .723 and p= 0.000. In conclusion, in the last two decades, there has been a growing interest in the issue of marital happiness and long-term marriages. This present study results revealed a relatively high marital happiness in long-term marriages (marital stability). Three categories of individuals are affected by the recommendations; couples should realise that living together day in, day out can cause issues. No one is at their best all the time, and a happy and healthy marriage can take a great deal of hard work, marriage counsellors and government should make available programmes to promote resolutions of the immediate presenting problems among couples to foster happiness and stability in the homes

Bullying Behavior and its Association with Mental Health Symptoms among Senior Secondary School Students in Calabar, Nigeria

Background: The nature of our psychosocial environment and one’s response to stressful daily events are key determinants of current and future mental health status. The school environment is one of such settings which expose young people to potentially undue  stress, especially through bully-prone interpersonal interaction with peers and older individuals. Although bullying is thought to be prevalent in secondary schools, only a few studies have investigated the association between bullying and the mental health status of secondary school students in developing countries. The present study seeks to obtain data that may be helpful in addressing this research gap. Methodology: This was a cross‑sectional analytic study. Astratified sampling technique was used to select six secondary schools within Calabar metropolis. Proportional allocation using a simple random sampling method was employed to recruit the  required number of senior secondary students from the selected schools. Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale and Child and Youth Mental Health General Screening Questionnaires were used to assess for presence/degree of bullying and mental health problems, respectively. Mann–Whitney U-test and Spearman’s correlation analysis were used as inferential statistics, and P-value was considered significant if it was < 0.05. Results: Three hundred and four (304) respondents were surveyed, but complete data were obtained from 292. Their ages ranged from 13 to 20 years, with a mean age of 16.5 ± 2.1 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1:0.7. Within the past 12 months, 54.8% of the  respondents had bullied someone, while 62.3% had witnessed someone being bullied. Attack on the property was the most common form of bullying (61%), followed by social manipulation (52.7%), verbal (52.1%), and physical (47.9%) forms of victimization. Moderate-to-severe forms of social manipulation, physical victimization, verbal victimization, and attack on property forms of bullying were found in 26.0%, 26.7%, 28.8%, and 32.2% of respondents, respectively. The most frequently elevated component of mental health score in the respondents was conduct symptoms (50.7%), followed by mood symptoms (34.2%) and symptoms of generalized anxiety (19.2%). Respondents with abnormally elevated scores for hyperactivity/distractibility, conduct, generalized anxiety, and mood symptoms had significantly higher mean scores for each of the components of bullying assessed (P < 0.001). Elevated scores on oppositional defiant symptoms did not significantly influence the mean scores of each component of bullying, except for verbal victimization (P = 0.04). Asignificant positive correlation was observed between each component of bullying and each domain of mental health assessed (P < 0.001). A positive correlation was also observed between the total bullying score and each domain of mental health as well as the total mental health scores (P < 0.001). Of all the domains of mental health assessed, symptoms of hyperactivity/distractibility showed thestrongest positive correlation with a total bully score (r = 0.69, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The results from this study suggest that bullying is prevalent in our secondary schools, with a potential adverse effects on the mental health of affected individuals in the near or remote future. These findings may be useful for improvement in existing policies for school health programs in developing countries. Keywords: Bullying, Nigeria, psychological health, secondary school, senior secondary student

Coping strategies among patients in a tertiary hospital: associations with quality of life and mental wellbeing

Background: Coping is essential for adjusting to life's stresses to optimize wellbeing. This study examined associations between coping, quality of life, and psychological wellbeing among adult patients seen in the primary care clinic of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we elicited information from 230 subjects that were selected using systematic sampling. Four instruments were administered: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Coping Strategies Inventory – short form (CSI-SF), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-Bref) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Pearson correlation and logistic regression were done using IBM SPSS version 23.0. Results: Most subjects were less than 30 years old (54.3%) and female (53.0%). Problem-focused engagement positively correlated with all QOL domains and associated negatively with depression (p<0.05). Emotion-focused engagement positively correlated with the psychological and environmental domains (p<0.05). Emotion-focused disengagement negatively correlated with the physical, psychological, and social domains and positively correlated with anxiety and depression (p<0.05). Problem-focused disengagement positively correlated with the psychological domain and negatively correlated with depression (p<0.05). In logistic regression, emotion-focused disengagement was the only predictor of psychiatric diagnosis (OR: 1.05, 95%, CI: 1.01-1.09). Conclusion: Coping strategies are linked to life quality and mental wellness. More research is advocated to explore the observed interrelationship further

Effect of the Golden Liquid from Honeybees and Refined Granulated Sugar on the Blood Glucose and Serum Iron Levels of Albino Rats.

Honey is a naturally sweet substance produced by honeybees from water, pollen, and nectar. Due to its unique nutritional and therapeutic benefits, which are ascribed to the interaction of the various chemical groups it contains, natural honey is one of the most popular consumed products. Modern-day individuals consume a lot of refined granulated sugar, either directly through foods or indirectly from other sources. The consumption of large amounts of refined granulated sugar alters hematological and physiological changes in the body. According to several scientific studies, honey can be a healthier alternative to refined granulated sugar because it does not threaten human health. Consuming natural honey raises serum iron levels and red blood cell counts since it is known that the iron in honey serves as a precursor to hemoglobin. Overconsumption of refined granulated sugar has been identified as a risk factor for metabolic disorders such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of the golden liquid from honeybees (natural honey) and refined granulated sugar on the blood glucose and serum iron levels of 25 Wistar albino rats. The experimental animals used in this study were grouped into five treatments based on the dose of natural honey and refined granulated sugar administered namely: T1 (1.02 g of honey /kg BW), T2 (1.40g of honey /kg BW), T3 (1.02 g of refined granulated sugar /kg BW), T4 (1.40g of refined granulated sugar /kg BW), rats in T5 were not administered honey, and refined granulated sugar served as the control. The blood glucose concentration of the albino rats was measured using the glucose strips with a glucometer while the serum iron analysis was conducted using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The result revealed that the mean blood glucose level of the rats was highest in T3 (112.95mg/dl), followed by T5 (92.20mg/dl) while the least value was recorded in T2 (74.86mg/dl). There was a significant difference in the blood glucose levels of albino rats orally administered natural honey and refined granulated sugar at varying levels (P0.05) among treatments. It was found that the highest serum iron level was recorded in T5 (1.31±0.395 ppm) followed by T2 (1.22± 0.115 ppm), while the least serum iron level was recorded in T1 (0.88±1.319ppm). It was observed that there were no significant differences in the serum iron levels of the albino rats (p\u3e0.05) among treatments The use of natural honey is recommended since albino rats orally administered honey at varying doses had lower blood glucose levels than those given refined granulated sugar. This work will be a useful tool for understanding the role of honey over granulated sugars, especially among prediabetic and diabetic patients in order to control their sugar levels using diet as a source. This implies that the consumption of natural honey did not significantly increase blood glucose levels. It was therefore recommended that physicians and dietitians should advocate for natural honey use over refined granulated sugar which could be safe for consumption by diabetic patients

the impediment and resolution amoung children under five years of age

Abstract Background: Pneumonia is an acute infection with less than twenty one days duration and is characterized by inflammation of bacteria, viruses or fungi in the lungs parenchyma leading to cough or difficult breathing. These may be enhanced by malnutrition, indoor and outdoor air pollution and leaves the children fighting for breath. Their lungs become inflamed and the tiny air sacs, or alveoli inside the lungs becomes filled up with fluid and air. These are usually serious situations that can lead to death if not properly handled. As of 1902, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins Hospital and a pioneer medical teacher called William Osler gave pneumonia a name (Captain of the Men of Death). According to the publish report, Africa has the highest burden of global child mortality. According to the publish report by WHO 2016, 16% of the 5.9 million deaths recorded pneumonia deaths in 2015 were among children under five years of age. Design and method: A qualitative study design with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to explore nurses and pediatricians perception on impediments and resolution in fighting pneumonia among children under five years of age in Nigeria. Findings: Our analyses yielded eleven subcategories which were merged into four main categories. All categories influence in various ways, prevention and the combat against fatal pneumonia among children less than five years old in Nigeria Conclusion: The result from this study highlights a number of contextual issues playing a major role in pneumonia among children under five years of age death rate in Nigeria, which will also need a contextual approach in order to address the

Press Coverage of Islamic Banking Controversy in Nigeria: A Job Not Well Done

This study primarily set out to assess newspapers published in Nigeria from 1st January to December 31st, 2011 to determine their nature and pattern of coverage of the proposed introduction of Islamic Banking in Nigeria and the controversy it generated. The content analytical research method was adopted and code sheet was used to collect the needed data for the study. Although the population was all the newspapers published within the study period, three newspapers- New Nigerian, Vanguard, and The Guardian, were selected purposively. From these dailies, 108 editions were drawn as the sample size. The data were collected, presented, analyzed, among other things. The study revealed that the Nigerian print media paid scant attention to issues emanating from the introduction of Islamic banking. It is therefore recommended that more specialized tabloids in the area of business reporting should be encouraged, so that such issues as Islamic banking would be given priority attention. Key words: Islamic banking, Press coverage, Controversy, Religio

Challenges and recommendations for addressing under-five pneumonia morbidity and mortality in Nigeria

Background: Pneumonia is a severe infection and one of the most common causes of mortality among children under five years of age, when not appropriately managed. Infection of the lungs by bacteria, viruses, or fungi and consequent inflammation may lead to cough and difficult breathing. Some of the key predisposing factors are malnutrition and air pollution. WHO reports that Africa has the highest burden of global child mortality, and 16% of all deaths in pneumonia, were children under five years of age in 2016. Objectives: This study aimed to explore how health providers perceive pneumonia as a cause of under-five mortality in Nigeria. Methods: A qualitative study design with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions was used to explore and understand nurses and pediatricians' views regarding the pneumonia situation, vaccinations, and preventive suggestions to reduce under five pneumonia deaths in Nigeria. Results: Two themes and four categories emerged: participant's anxiety over the situation, their views on impediments, current policies and strategies, and suggestions on addressing severe pneumonia. Conclusions: The results from this study highlight contextual issues playing major roles in pneumonia mortality among children in Nigeria, which will need approaches on several levels to address them

The Nexus between Family Enterprises and the Sustainable Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Nigeria: A Critical Review

The interplay between Family Enterprises (FEs) and Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) in Nigeria holds crucial implications for sustainable growth in the evolving global business landscape. This in-depth analysis explored the intricate interplay between these two separate yet interlinked entities. Family-led enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) stand as pivotal catalysts for economic progress, fostering innovation, and fueling the growth of employment opportunities. While family-owned SMBs contribute significantly to Nigeria's economy, their unique dynamics, including succession planning challenges, familial conflicts, and attachment to tradition, can hinder sustained growth. Effective succession planning requires clear guidelines, open communication, and structured processes to navigate conflicts and ensure seamless transitions. Balancing familial ties with professional management necessitates well-defined governance structures to enhance decision-making and transparency. Access to finance remains a key obstacle for SMBs in Nigeria due to limited credit options, high interest rates, and collateral requirements. Moreover, resistance to innovation within family-owned SMBs can hinder adaptation to changing market dynamics. Intensifying competition in Nigeria's SMB sector from domestic and international players underscores the need for family-owned businesses to embrace innovation and recalibrate strategies. To thrive in this competitive landscape, family enterprises must strike a balance between tradition and adaptability while leveraging their strengths and adopting best practices. Recommendations included developing clear succession plans, establishing transparent governance structures, collaborating with financial institutions, promoting innovation, and seeking strategic partnerships to navigate the evolving business environment. Understanding and addressing the nuanced relationship between family enterprises and SMBs are pivotal for fostering sustainable growth and economic development

The Prevalence, Pattern, and Predictors of Sleep Disorders Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in a Southern Nigerian City

Background: Sleep disorders are a common and often undiagnosed chronic health problem associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome and pregnancy complications. Aim: The purpose of this study was to find out how common sleep disturbances are among pregnant women in Calabar, as well as their patterns and risk factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 antenatal attendees in the three major public health facilities in Calabar and 338 completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Socio-demographic, medical, and obstetrics information were obtained using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Major international sleep classification tools were used to identify the patterns of sleep disturbance. Their weights and heights as well as their blood pressures (BPs) were measured. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. The predicting factors were extracted using a logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence of sleep disorder was 44.1%. The most common pattern of sleep disorder was insomnia (34.6%). Nineteen (5.6%) of them reported mixed disorders. On logistic analysis, pregnant women with normal BP (odds ratio [OR]: 0.440, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.230–0.843, P = 0.013), normal body mass index (OR: 0.365, 95% CI: 0.133–1.001, P = 0.050) and maternal age 20–30 years, (OR: 0.169, 95% CI: 0.30–0.969, P = 0.046) were significantly less likely to suffer from sleep disorders. Residing in a single a room apartment with family members was an independent social determinant of sleep deprivation (OR: 2.009, 95% CI: 1.003–4.025, P = 0.049). Conclusion: The study suggested that the prevalence of sleep disturbance is high among pregnant women. Counseling on good quality sleep during pregnancy may improve pregnancy outcome by ensuring appropriate weight gain and good BP control