Does ragging play a role in medical student depression - Cause or effect?

Background: Medical students experience a lot of stress what may contribute to symptoms of depression. In this study we set out to look at the environmental factors which may be contributing in one medical school in Brazil. Methods: We assessed depressive symptoms using Beck's Depression Inventory in 465 and 267 medical students in 2001 and 2006 respectively. We explored possible social and environmental causes using qualitative data. Results: Nearly 15% scored above the cut off for depression in both the samples. Males in the pre-clinical stage in 2006 showed an increase in depressive symptoms than males in the same cycle in 2001 (aOR = 7.36 [95% CI = 0.85-63.5] p = 0.07). Qualitative data confirmed that factors such as ragging and low social involvement were correlated with depressive symptoms in pre-clinical stage males. Limitations: The sample size was small both for quantitative and qualitative aspects of the study. Conclusions: It appears that ragging plays an important role in the genesis of depressive symptoms in medical students. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The viewpoint of health professionals on the role of basic units in the healthcare network of the Brazilian Unified Health System

In the process of creation of the Unified Health System (SUS) as a universal policy seeking to ensure comprehensive care, unscheduled assistance in primary healthcare units (UBS) is an unresolved challenge. The scope of this paper is to analyze the viewpoint of health professionals on the role of primary healthcare units in meeting this demand. It is a transversal study of qualitative data obtained through questionnaires and interviews with 106 medical practitioners from 6 emergency medical services and 190 professionals from 30 units. They explained why people seek emergency care for occurrences pertaining to primary care. The content analysis technique with thematic categories was used for data analysis. Lack of resources and problems with primary health unit work processes (50.8%) were the reasons most frequently cited by emergency care physicians to explain this inadequate demand. Only 33.3% of the health unit professionals agreed that these occurrences should be attended in the primary healthcare services. The limited viewpoint of the role of health services on the unscheduled care, particularly among primary care professionals, possibly leads to restrictive practices for access by the population.

Access to healthcare services for tuberculosis: analysis of patient satisfaction

Tuberculosis remains a pubic health challenge. Uncountable efforts are made to control the disease, and patient treatment and accessibility to healthcare can hinder reaching a cure. The objective of this article is to analyze the satisfaction of tuberculosis patients regarding tuberculosis control services. This is an epidemiological, prospective study, using both a quantitative and qualitative approach. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Participants included 77 patients. The quantitative data were positively evaluated, and the qualitative data permitted an understanding of the patients' experience regarding their accessibility and treatment. Aspects such as the criteria for performing Directly Observed Treatment and the proximity of the healthcare facility to the patients' residence affected their satisfaction, which implies the need to reorganize healthcare services in order to provide more appropriate care to tuberculosis patients.

Optical aids for low vision: use of the Internet to guide teachers of the visually impaired

PURPOSES: To describe and interpret teachers' opinions about and responsiveness to guidance on optical aids for low vision. METHODS: It was conducted a cross-sectional analytical study. The convenience, non-random sample consisted of 58 teachers from the public school network of the city of Campinas. It was constructed and applied a structured questionnaire, available online at the assessed website. For qualitative data collection it was conducted an exploratory study using the focus group technique. RESULTS: Responses expressed, for the most part, a marked interest in the website, its easiness of access, and the comprehensive nature of the information provided. Most people reported frequent use of the Internet to seek information, and found it easier to access the Internet at home. Among the qualitative aspects of the evaluation, we should mention the perceived importance of the website as a source of information, despite some criticism about the accessibility and reliability of the information found on the Internet. CONCLUSION: Teachers' need for training to deal with visually impaired students and their positive response to advice and information lead to the conclusion that web-based guidelines on the use of optical aids were considered beneficial to ease the understanding of visual impairment and the rehabilitation of the affected subjects.

Motivação e ensino de espanhol na escola pública paulista: dados quantitativos e qualitativos de um estudo de caso

O presente artigo tem como objetivo apresentar e discutir os resultados de parte de uma pesquisa empírica levada a cabo em 2008 com alunos de espanhol de um dos Centros de Estudos de Línguas mantido pelo governo estadual de São Paulo. Tínhamos como meta conhecer e mensurar, até onde fosse possível, o nível de motivação dos alunos em sala de aula, assim como as suas principais causas. Uma vez que tais Centros são, no momento, os responsáveis em São Paulo pela aplicação da lei que torna obrigatória a oferta de língua espanhola nas escolas de nível médio do país (no que se refere à escola pública estadual), consideramos pertinente divulgar tais resultados, de forma que as discussões suscitadas por eles possam contribuir para um ensino de línguas mais motivador e, portanto, mais eficiente. A pesquisa, de cunho quantitativo e qualitativo, contou com 161 alunos informantes. Os principais resultados apontaram que i) os estudantes em geral encontram-se motivados durante as aulas de espanhol; ii) a figura do professor, o esforço depreendido, o conteúdo, a autonomia de escolha do idioma estudado e o prazer que têm em aprender a LE foram as principais causas de motivação apresentadas; iii) a falta de conhecimento sobre aspectos culturais da língua alvo foi apontada como uma das principais causas de desmotivação; iv) as atividades descritas como mais motivadoras foram, pela ordem, jogos e brincadeiras, vídeos/filmes e músicas; v) as atividades consideradas menos motivadoras foram seminário, prova oral/chamada oral e redação.