Depressive symptoms and harmful alcohol use in hepatitis C patients: prevalence and correlates

Introduction It is important to understand the characteristics and vulnerabilities of people who have hepatitis C because this disease is currently an important public health problem. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and harmful alcohol use in patients with hepatitis C and to study the association between these outcomes and demographic, psychosocial and clinical variables. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study involved 82 hepatitis C patients who were being treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin at a public university hospital. The primary assessments used in the study were the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Beck Depression Inventory. Bivariate analyses were followed by logistic regression. Results The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 30.5% (n=25), and that of harmful alcohol use was 34.2% (n=28). Logistic regression analysis showed that individuals who were dissatisfied with their social support (OR=4.41; CI=1.00-19.33) and were unemployed (OR=6.31; CI=1.44-27.70) were at a higher risk for depressive symptoms, whereas harmful alcohol use was associated with the male sex (OR=6.78; CI=1.38-33.19) and the use of illicit substances (OR=7.42; CI=1.12-49.00). Conclusions High prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and harmful alcohol use were verified, indicating vulnerabilities that must be properly monitored and treated to reduce emotional suffering in this population.

Significados e sentidos da deficiência adquirida em policiais militares

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Função cognitiva e qualidade de vida de pacientes com doença renal crônica nos estadios III e IV

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB

História de vida, concepções sobre a família, maternidade e práticas parentais de mães atendidas pelo judiciário por denúncia de negligência materna

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB

Cultural consonance and arterial blood pressure in urban Brazil

In previous research in Brazil, we tested the hypothesis that cultural consonance is associated with arterial blood pressure. Cultural consonance is the degree to which individuals are able to approximate in their own behaviors the prototypes for behavior encoded in shared cultural models. Individuals who had higher cultural consonance in the domains of lifestyle and social support had lower blood pressures. The aim of the current research was to replicate and extend these findings. First, a more extensive cultural domain analysis was carried out, improving the description of cultural models. Second, more sensitive measures of cultural consonance were developed. Third, data were collected in the same community studied previously. The following findings emerged: (a) cultural domain analysis (using a mix of quantitative and qualitative techniques) indicated that cultural models for these domains are widely shared within the community; (b) the associations of cultural consonance in these domains with arterial blood pressure were replicated; and, (c) the pattern of the associations differed slightly from that observed in earlier research. This pattern of associations can be understood in terms of macrosocial influences over the past ten years. The results support the importance of long-term fieldwork in anthropology. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transtorno mental comum nos estudantes de medicina da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-UNESP: uma análise longitudinal

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB

O amanhã de quem cresce: influências e valores presentes na constituição de projetos de vida de jovens adolescentes de um curso técnico de uma instituição estadual

Pós-graduação em Educação - FFC

Predictors of Burnout Syndrome in Dentistry Students

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

As estratégias de coping e o impacto sofrido pela família quando um dos seus está em tratamento contra o câncer

The aim of the present study was to analyze the impact suffered by 40 people when discovering that one of their family members was diagnosed with cancer, to analyze their coping strategies and expectations towards the patient’s illness and future. The study made use of the Coping Strategies Inventory by Folkman and Lazarus. Results show that most of the patients’ caregivers are their married children, with an average age of 45.7 (dp=12.67), and gainfully employed. These family members reported the negative impact of the diagnosis, with the predominant feelings of sadness and fear of loss, even though they had a positive perspective about the future, expecting the patient’s recovery. As to the functional coping strategies, the most used were the resolution of problems, followed by social support; the least used was positive revaluation. As to the dysfunctional strategies, the most used ones were escape and avoidance and the least used was taking the responsibility for the illness. Conclusions are that despite suffering with the negative impact of the disease, the family members are optimistic about the patient’s future and seek to use strategies that solve the problem effectively, without blaming themselves for the patient’s illness.

Transtorno mental comum e lazer entre estudantes da área da saúde do campus de Botucatu-UNESP: um estudo transversal

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Condições de trabalho e transtornos mentais comuns em professores da rede básica municipal de encino de Bauru-SP

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB

Qualidade de vida e capacidade funcional em pacientes com doenças inflamatórias intestinais

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

O cuidador de paciente com neoplasia cerebral maligna primária: os desafios do cuidado

Patients with primary malignant brain tumor endure several motor and cognitive dysfunctions, demanding the presence of a caregiver even more because the time necessary for their assistance increases considerably. Usually this task is performed by a family relative, whose activities include taking care of the patient’s personal hygiene, escorting them to medical appointments, managing their money and performing their housework. All of this overwhelms the caregiver both physical and psychologically. This bibliographic research intends to analyze the role in which a caregiver plays in the quality of life of those kinds of patients, the complications of such task, the caregivers’ needs and the daily life of those terminal patients. It was used CAPES, PubMed and Google Academic databases for researching articles related to family caregivers who assisted adult patients with primary malignant brain tumor. The study concluded that being a caregiver of patients in such conditions harms one’s quality of life, with consequences such as stress, insomnia, financial problems and lack of social support. Theirs needs include: having someone to talk to about the matter, attending programs for reducing stress and increasing their knowledge about the disease. In advanced phases of the condition, the patient shows great mobility problems, aphasia and regular seizures, which end up overwhelming the caregiver. The level of quality of life found was above other types of cancer’s caregivers. Therefore, they represent a group with special needs, which should be especially handled by health professionals.

Relação entre transtorno do ciclo vigília-sono e trabalho noturno: desafios à segurança e saúde do trabalhador

The work and work organization influence the evolution of the health-disorder process by establishing a causal link with the work and the disorder. The present study aimed to verify the presence of the disorder of the sleepwake cycle triggered by non-organic factors, by identifying the possible effects on physical health, mental health and the social and family relations ten watchmen of a public institution of higher education. It was found that 80% of respondents had one or more of the symptoms that meet the criteria for the diagnosis of this non-organic disorder of sleep-wake cycle. We emphasize the need for specialized diagnostic, medical, psychological and social support for this population

Condições de trabalho e transtornos mentais comuns em professores do ensino fundamental de Avaré – SP

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB