Mental health literacy

وَقَالُواْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلذِّكۡرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجۡنُونࣱ‏

They say, ‘Receiver of this Quran! You are definitely mad

قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أُرۡسِلَ إِلَيۡكُمۡ لَمَجۡنُونࣱ‏

Pharaoh said, ‘This messenger who has been sent to you is truly possessed.’

وَيَقُولُونَ أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوٓاْ ءَالِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرࣲ مَّجۡنُونِۭ

and said, ‘Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?’

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوۡاْ عَنۡهُ وَقَالُواْ مُعَلَّمࣱ مَّجۡنُونٌ

they turned their backs on him, saying, ‘He is tutored! He is possessed!’

فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكۡنِهِۦ وَقَالَ سَٰحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونࣱ‏

Pharaoh turned away with his supporters, saying, ‘This is a sorcerer, or maybe a madman,’

كَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَتَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُواْ سَاحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٌ

Every previous people to whom a messenger was sent also said, ‘A sor-cerer, or maybe a madman!’

And they that is the disbelievers of Mecca say to the Prophet s ‘O you to whom the Remembrance the Qur’ān — as you claim — has been revealed lo! you are indeed possessed!

He said ‘Verily this messenger of yours sent to you is a madman!’

and would say ‘Are we to abandon our gods for a mad poet?’ that is for the sake of what Muhammad (s) says? as regards the hamzas in a-innā ‘are we’ the same applies as mentioned above.

And they say: "O you (Muhammad) to whom the Dhikr (the Qur'an) has been revealed! Verily, you are a madman (6)"Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful? (7)We do not send the angels down except with the truth, and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite (8)Verily, We, it is We Who revealed the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from corruption)(9) The Accusation that the Prophet (ﷺ) was a Madman and Demands for Him to bring down Angels Allah tells us about the disbelief, arrogance and stubbornness of the disbelievers as reflected in their words: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ (O you (Muhammad) to whom the Dhikr (the Qur'an) has been revealed!) i.e., the one who claims to receive it. إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ (Verily, you are a mad man!) i.e., by your invitation to us to follow you and leave the way of our forefath

Fir'awn said: "And what is the Lord of Al-'Alamin (23)(Musa) said: "The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty. (24)(Fir'awn) said to those around: "Do you not hear (what he says)? (25)(Musa) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers! (26)(Fir'awn) said: "Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman! (27)(Musa) said: "Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand! (28) Allah tells us about the disbelief, rebellion, oppression and denial of Fir'awn, as He says: وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ((Fir'awn said:) "And what is the Lord of the 'Alamin") This is because he used to say to his people: مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرِي (I know not that you have a god other than me.)(28:38) فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ (Thus he fooled his people, and

And they will turn to one another and question one another (27)They will say: "It was you who used to come to us from the right side. (28)They will reply: "Nay, you yourselves were not believers. (29)"And we had no authority over you. Nay! But you were a transgressing people. (30)"So now the Word of our Lord has been justified against us, that we shall certainly taste (the torment). (31)"So we led you astray because we were ourselves astray. (32)Then verily, that Day, they will (all) share in the torment (33)Certainly, that is how We deal with the criminals (34)Truly, when it was said to them: "La ilaha illallah," they puffed themselves up with pride (35)And (they) said: "Are we going to abandon our gods for the sake of a mad poet? (36)Nay! he has come with the truth and he confirms the Messengers (37) The arguing of the Idolators on the Day of Resurrection Allah tells us that the disb

ولو كشف الغطاء لرأيت أكثر النفوس البشرية صرعى مع هذه الأرواح الخبيثة وهي في أسرها وقبضتها تسوقها حيث شاءت ولا يمكنها الامتناع عنها ولا مخالفتها وبها الصرع الأعظم الذي لا يفيق صاحبه إلا عند المفارقة والمعاينة فهناك يتحقق أنه كان هو المصروع حقيقة وبالله المستعان وعلاج هذا الصرع باقتران العقل الصحيح إلا الإيمان بما جاءت به الرسل وأن تكون الجنة والنار نصب عينه وقبلة قلبه ويستحرض أهل الدنيا وحلول المثولات والآفات بهم ووقوعها خلال ديارهم كمواقع القطر وهم صرعى لا يفيقون وما أشد أعداء هذا الصرع ولكن لما عمت البلية به بحيث ينظر الإنسان لا يرى إلا مصروعا لم يصر مستغربا ولا مستنكرا بل صار لكثرة المصروعين عين المستنكر المستغرب خلافة فإذا أراد الله بعبد حيرا أفاق من هذه الصرعة ونظر إلى أبناء الدنيا مصروعين حوله يمينا وشمالا على اختلاف طبقاتهم فمنهم من أطبق به الجنون ومنهم من يفيق أحيانا قليلة ويعود إلى جنونه ومنهم من يجن مرة ويفيق أخرى فإذا أفاق عمل عمل أهل الإفاقة والعقل ثم يعاوده الصرع فيقع في التخ

الثاني أن هذا باطل بصور كثيرة منها دخول الماء في العود والسحاب ودخول النار في الحديد ودخول الغذاء في جميع أجزاء البدن ودخول الجن في المصروع فالروح للطافتها لا يمتنع عليها مشابكة البدن والدخول في جميع أجزائه

فالعقل فن واحد وطريقه % أدرى فأرصد و الجنون فنون

هكذا ضعف الدين في قرون سالفة فكيف الظن بزمانك هذا وقد انتهى الأمر إلى أن مظهر الإنكار يستهدف لنسبته إلى الجنون فالأولى أن يشتغل الإنسان بنفسه ويسكت

وأما القسم الثاني، وهو المدح بسبب الجاه والمال، فالفرح بذلك، كالفرح بنبات الأرض الذي يصير عن قريب هشيما، ولا يفرح بذلك إلا من قل عقله، وإن كنت خاليا عن الصفة التي مدحت بها، ففرحك بالمدح غاية الجنون.

قالوا وكيف يمدح أمر يمنع القرار ويسلب المنام ويوله العقل ويحدث الجنون بل هو نفسه جنون كما قال بعض الحكماء الجنون فنون والعشق فن من فنونه كما قال بعض العشاق

The effectiveness of school mental health literacy programs to address knowledge, attitudes and help seeking among youth.: Aim: Conduct a systematic review for the effectiveness of school mental health literacy programs to enhance knowledge, reduce stigmatizing attitudes and improve help-seeking behaviours among youth (12-25 years of age). Methods: Reviewers independently searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, ERIC, grey literature and reference lists of included studies. They reached a consensus on the included studies, and rated the risk of bias of each study. Studies that reported three outcomes: kn

Is It Possible to "Find Space for Mental Health" in Young People? Effectiveness of a School-Based Mental Health Literacy Promotion Program.: Lack of knowledge regarding, and the stigma associated with, mental disorders have been identified as major obstacles for the promotion of mental health and early intervention. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based intervention program focused on the promotion of mental health literacy (MHL) in young people (“Finding Space for Mental Health”). A sample of 543 students (22 classes), aged between 12 and 14 years old, participated in the study. Each class of studen

Facilitators and Barriers for Advance Care Planning Among Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the U.S.: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature.: Growing evidence suggests a low engagement in advance care planning (ACP) among ethnic minorities in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from prior research about ACP among ethnic minorities. An extensive literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases. After applying inclusion criteria, 26 studies were included. Four categories of facilitators and barriers to ACP were identified: (1) Socio-demographic factors, (2) health status, literacy and experie

Adolescent health literacy and health behaviors: A systematic review.: Objectives: To systematically review and synthesize literature on the relationship between health literacy and health behaviors in adolescents. Methods: Searches in PsychInfo, PUBMED/MEDLINE, and Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) were conducted. Studies were included if they reported original data on the relationship between health literacy and a health behavior in adolescents, were written in English, and the population did not have a chronic illness or disability. Results: Sevent

The effect of a community-based self-help multimodal behavioral intervention in Korean American seniors with high blood pressure.: Background: Great strides have been made in improving heart health in the United States during the last 2 decades, yet these strides have not encompassed many ethnic minority populations. There are significant health disparity gaps stemming from both a paucity of valid research and a lack of culturally sensitive interventions. In particular, many Korean Americans with chronic illnesses encounter difficulty navigating the healthcare system because of limited health literacy. Methods: The effect o

Workplace Interventions Targeting Mental Health Literacy, Stigma, Help-Seeking, and Help-Offering in Male-Dominated Industries: A Systematic Review.: Mental ill-health and suicide represent a significant proportion of the burden of global disease among men. Connell's relational theory of masculinities provides a useful framework to explore how mental health literacy, mental health stigma, and delayed help-seeking and help-offering behaviors are associated with mental ill-health among men, particularly within male-dominated industries. To address the high incidences of mental ill-health in male-dominated industries, several workplace intervent

The effect of a short message service maintenance treatment on body mass index and psychological well-being in overweight and obese children: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Maintaining weight loss results in childhood obesity treatment is difficult to achieve. Self-management techniques such as self-monitoring are associated with increased weight loss and maintenance. This study analyzes whether self-monitoring of lifestyle behaviours through a short message service maintenance treatment (SMSMT) via mobile phones with personalized feedback positively effects weight, lifestyle behaviours and psychological well-being in obese children. Methods: After 3 months of behavioural lifestyle treatment, 141 overweight and obese children (7-12 years) were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving SMSMT for 9 months (n = 73) or to the control group (n = 68). The intervention group sent weekly self-monitoring data on exercise and eating behaviour and their mood via mobile phones. In return, they received tailored feedback messages. Primary treatment…

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Stillbirths and newborn deaths in slum settlements in Mumbai, India: a prospective verbal autopsy study.

Background: Three million babies are stillborn each year and 3.6 million die in the first month of life. In India, early neonatal deaths make up four-fifths of neonatal deaths and infant mortality three-quarters of under-five mortality. Information is scarce on cause-specific perinatal and neonatal mortality in urban settings in low-income countries. We conducted verbal autopsies for stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Mumbai slum settlements. Our objectives were to classify deaths according to international cause-specific criteria and to identify major causes of delay in seeking and receiving health care for maternal and newborn health problems. Methods: Over two years, 2005-2007, births and newborn deaths in 48 slum areas were identified prospectively by local informants. Verbal autopsies were collected by trained field researchers, cause of death was classified by clinicians, and famil…

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Mediating effects of group cohesion on physical activity and diet in women of color: health is power.

Purpose: To determine the effects and mediating factors of a physical activity (PA) or vegetable and fruit (VF) group cohesion intervention. Design: Longitudinal design. Setting: Harris County and Travis County, Texas. Participants: Community-dwelling African-American and Hispanic or Latina women. Intervention: Three hundred ten women were randomized to a PA (n  =  204) or VF (n  =  106) intervention group. Women met in groups six times over the course of 6 months and were exposed to a group cohesion intervention to promote walking or to increase VF consumption. Measures: Women completed the International PA Questionnaire, National Cancer Institute VF and fat screeners, PA Group Environment Questionnaire, and 7-day accelerometer protocol at baseline and post-intervention. Analyses: The direct and mediated effects of the intervention on outcomes were evaluated using a mediational chain mo…

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A cluster-randomized evaluation of a responsive stimulation and feeding intervention in bangladesh.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine if a responsive stimulation and feeding intervention improved developmental and nutritional outcomes compared with a regular information-based parenting program. The hypothesis was that mothers in the intervention would exhibit better parenting skills and children would exhibit better developmental and nutritional outcomes than controls. Methods: A cluster-randomized field trial was conducted with 302 children aged 8 to 20 months and their mothers in rural Bangladesh who were randomly assigned according to village to 1 of 3 groups. The control mothers received 12 informational sessions on health and nutrition. The intervention groups received an additional 6 sessions delivered by peer educators who included modeling and coached practice in self-feeding and verbal responsiveness with the child during play. A second intervention group rec…

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What predicts intent to breastfeed exclusively? Breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs in a diverse urban population.

Background: Maternal knowledge and comfort with breastfeeding affect prenatal feeding intentions, and these intentions are strong predictors of feeding outcomes. However, predictors of exclusive breastfeeding intention have not been well characterized. Methods: We measured the association between intentions to exclusively breastfeed and knowledge of infant health benefits, feeding guidelines, and comfort related to breastfeeding in social settings. Participants were lower-income, ethnically diverse women in two randomized, controlled trials of breastfeeding support. We compared results with data from the national Infant Feeding Practices Study II. Results: Among 883 women in our trials, exclusive breastfeeding, mixed feeding, and exclusive formula feeding intentions were 45.9%, 46.1%, and 8.0%, respectively. In multivariate-adjusted models, women who disagreed that "Infant formula is as …

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Family psychoeducation for major depression: randomised controlled trial.

Background: The value of family psychoeducation for schizophrenia has been well established, and indications for its use have recently expanded to include bipolar affective disorder. However, no study to date has adequately examined its use in depression. Aims: To examine family psychoeducation in the maintenance treatment of depression and to investigate the influence of the family's expressed emotion (EE) on its effectiveness. Method: Of 103 patients diagnosed with major depression and their primary family members, 57 pairs provided written informed consent. The pairs were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 25) or control (n = 32). One family in the intervention group and two in the control group withdrew their consent after randomisation. The intervention group underwent four psychoeducation sessions consisting of didactic lectures about depression and group problem-solving f…

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Factors associated with positive attitudes toward organ donation in Arab Americans.

Background: The demand for transplantable organ continues to exceed supply, particularly in minority patient populations. We explored the factors influencing organ donation attitude within the Arab American community. Methods: Secondary data analysis from a face-to-face survey administered in late 2003 to 1016 adults from a representative population-based sample on Greater Detroit Arab Americans. Results: Christian Arab Americans were more likely than Muslim Arab Americans, and women more than men, to believe organ donation after death was justifiable. Higher educational attainment and income, as well as greater acculturation into American society, were associated with greater odds of believing organ donation to be justified. Self-reported health status and level of psychological distress and health insurance status were not associated with beliefs about organ donation. Conclusions: A mu…

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Do patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease benefit from a psycho-educational programme for family caregivers? A randomised controlled study.

Objective: The Aide dans la Maladie d'Alzheimer (AIDMA) study was conducted to determine whether a psycho-educational programme (PEP) for primary caregivers in addition to standard anti-dementia drugs for patients improves caregivers' psychological condition and patients' activities of daily life. Method: Multicentre randomised controlled intervention trial. One hundred and sixty-seven dyads 'patient-caregiver' were recruited from 15 French memory clinics and randomised in two parallel groups. The intervention group was offered the PEP in 12 group sessions for 3 months. The control group had usual care. Patients in both groups with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) were diagnosed and treated with pharmacotherapy. Patients' primary efficacy variable was functional status assessed with the Disability Assessment Scale for Dementia (DAD) scale. Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADA…

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Supermarket Healthy Eating for Life (SHELf): protocol of a randomised controlled trial promoting healthy food and beverage consumption through price reduction and skill-building strategies.

Background: In the context of rising food prices, there is a need for evidence on the most effective approaches for promoting healthy eating. Individually-targeted behavioural interventions for increasing food-related skills show promise, but are unlikely to be effective in the absence of structural supports. Fiscal policies have been advocated as a means of promoting healthy eating and reducing obesity and nutrition-related disease, but there is little empirical evidence of their effectiveness. This paper describes the Supermarket Healthy Eating for LiFe (SHELf) study, a randomised controlled trial to investigate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a tailored skill-building intervention and a price reduction intervention, separately and in combination, against a control condition for promoting purchase and consumption of healthy foods and beverages in women from high and low socioec…

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Mindfulness training for smoking cessation: results from a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the world, and long-term abstinence rates remain modest. Mindfulness training (MT) has begun to show benefits in a number of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety and more recently, in addictions. However, MT has not been evaluated for smoking cessation through randomized clinical trials. Methods: 88 treatment-seeking, nicotine-dependent adults who were smoking an average of 20cigarettes/day were randomly assigned to receive MT or the American Lung Association's freedom from smoking (FFS) treatment. Both treatments were delivered twice weekly over 4 weeks (eight sessions total) in a group format. The primary outcomes were expired-air carbon monoxide-confirmed 7-day point prevalence abstinence and number of cigarettes/day at the end of the 4-week treatment and at a follow-up interview at week 17. Res…

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Randomised cluster trial to support informed parental decision-making for the MMR vaccine.

Background: In the UK public concern about the safety of the combined measles, mumps and rubella [MMR] vaccine continues to impact on MMR coverage. Whilst the sharp decline in uptake has begun to level out, first and second dose uptake rates remain short of that required for population immunity. Furthermore, international research consistently shows that some parents lack confidence in making a decision about MMR vaccination for their children. Together, this work suggests that effective interventions are required to support parents to make informed decisions about MMR. This trial assessed the impact of a parent-centred, multi-component intervention (balanced information, group discussion, coaching exercise) on informed parental decision-making for MMR. Methods: This was a two arm, cluster randomised trial. One hundred and forty two UK parents of children eligible for MMR vaccination wer…

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Fostering evidence-based practice to improve nurse and cost outcomes in a community health setting: a pilot test of the advancing research and clinical practice through close collaboration model.

Although evidence-based practice (EBP) improves health care quality, decreases costs, and empowers nurses, there is a paucity of intervention studies designed to test models of how to enhance nurses' use of EBP. Therefore, the specific aim of this study was to determine the preliminary effects of implementing the Advancing Research and Clinical practice through close Collaboration (ARCC) model on nurses' EBP beliefs, EBP implementation behaviors, group cohesion, productivity, job satisfaction, and attrition/turnover rates. A 2-group randomized controlled pilot trial was used with 46 nurses from the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. The ARCC group versus an attention control group had stronger EBP beliefs, higher EBP implementation behaviors, more group cohesion, and less attrition/turnover. Implementation of the ARCC model in health care systems may be a promising strategy for enhancin…

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A randomized clinical trial of a brief, problem-focused couple therapy for depression.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a brief couple therapy for depression targeted for mildly discordant or nondiscordant couples struggling with the negative impact of depression. Subjects included women with major depression or dysthymia who had husbands without clinical depression. Thirty-five couples were randomly assigned to the 5-week intervention (n=18) or a waitlist control group (n=17), and followed up 1 and 3 months later. Results showed a significant effect of treatment in reducing women's depressive symptoms, with 67% of women improved and 40% to 47% recovered at follow-up, compared to only 17% improved and 8% recovered among women in the control group. Treatment was also effective in secondarily improving women's marital satisfaction, reducing husbands' levels of psychological distress and depression-specific burden, and improving both partners' understanding and acceptanc…

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New moves-preventing weight-related problems in adolescent girls a group-randomized study.

Background: Weight-related problems are prevalent in adolescent girls. Purpose: To evaluate New Moves, a school-based program aimed at preventing weight-related problems in adolescent girls. Design: School-based group-randomized controlled design. Setting/participants: 356 girls (mean age=15.8±1.2 years) from six intervention and six control high schools. More than 75% of the girls were racial/ethnic minorities and 46% were overweight or obese. Data were collected in 2007-2009 and analyzed in 2009-2010. Intervention: An all-girls physical education class, supplemented with nutrition and self-empowerment components, individual sessions using motivational interviewing, lunch meetings, and parent outreach. Main outcome measures: Percentage body fat, BMI, physical activity, sedentary activity, dietary intake, eating patterns, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and body/self-image. Results: …

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Quality versus quantity: acquisition of coping skills following computerized cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance use disorders.

Aims: To evaluate the changes over time in quality and quantity of coping skills acquired following cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and examine potential mediating effects on substance use outcomes. Design: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of a computerized version of CBT (CBT4CBT) as an adjunct to standard out-patient treatment over an 8-week period. Setting: Data were collected from individuals seeking treatment for substance dependence in an out-patient community setting. Participants: Fifty-two substance abusing individuals (50% African American), with an average age of 42 years, and a majority reporting cocaine as their primary drug of choice. Measurements: Participants' responses to behavioral role-plays of situations associated with high risk for drug and alcohol use were audio-taped and rated independently to assess their coping responses. Find…

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A volitional help sheet to increase physical activity in people with low socioeconomic status: A randomised exploratory trial.

Volitional help sheets use Gollwitzer's (1993) concept of implementation intentions as a vehicle to change behaviour using Prochaska and DiClemente's (1983) processes of change. The present study designed and tested a volitional help sheet to increase physical activity in a group with low socioeconomic status (low-SES). Sixty-eight people (33 women, 35 men; mean age 27) with low-SES were randomly allocated to either an experimental group or a control group. Both groups received a questionnaire and a volitional help sheet; the only difference between the experimental and control groups was that the former were given explicit instructions to link occasions on which they were tempted not to be physically active with appropriate behavioural responses (processes of change). Physical activity (Metabolic Equivalent minutes per week) was the main outcome measure; behavioural intention and self-e…

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Pain physiology education improves pain beliefs in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome compared with pacing and self-management education: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To examine whether pain physiology education was capable of changing pain cognitions and pain thresholds in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and chronic widespread pain. Design: Double-blind randomized controlled trial. Setting: Specialized chronic fatigue clinic in university hospital. Participants: A random sample of patients (N=48) with CFS patients (8 men, 40 women) experiencing chronic pain, randomly allocated to the control group (n=24) or experimental group (n=24). Two women in the experimental group did not complete the study because of practical issues (lack of time and restricted mobility). Interventions: One individual pain physiology education session (experimental) or 1 pacing and self-management education session (control). Main outcome measures: Algometry, the Neurophysiology of Pain Test, and questionnaires evaluating pain cognitions-the Pain Coping…

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Evaluation of a nutrition intervention in adolescents of an urban area in Greece: short- and long-term effects of the VYRONAS study.

Objective: To assess the short-term (15-d) and long-term (12-month) effects of a school-based health and nutrition education intervention on diet, nutrition intake and BMI. Design: The 12-week teacher-implemented intervention in combination with seminars organized for parents was aimed at improving children's diet and nutrition knowledge. The intervention took place between September 2007 and January 2008. The participants were randomized to two study groups, the intervention group (IG) and control group (CG), and were examined prior to the intervention on a variety of health knowledge, dietary, behavioural and anthropometric indices. The same measurements were collected 15 d and 1 year after the intervention. Setting: All high schools in Vyronas, a densely populated district of Athens, Greece. Subjects: The sample consisted of 191 students aged 12-13 years. Results: Twelve months after …

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Effects of controlled school-based multi-component model of nutrition and lifestyle interventions on behavior modification, anthropometry and metabolic risk profile of urban Asian Indian adolescents in North India.

Background/objectives: To study the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention model of nutrition and lifestyle education on behavior modification, anthropometry and metabolic risk profile of urban Asian-Indian adolescents in North India. Subjects/methods: Two schools matched for student strength and middle socioeconomic strata were randomly allocated to intervention and control group. Changes in nutrition-related knowledge, attitude, lifestyle practices, food frequency and body image of eleventh-grade students (15-17 years) in both schools were tested using a validated questionnaire. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were made using standard methods. Segmental body composition analysis was carried out using an 8-electrode multifrequency bioelectrical impedance method of body fat estimation. Results: At 6 months follow-up, significant improvement in several domains of know…

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An evaluation of a body image intervention based on risk factors for body dissatisfaction: a controlled study with adolescent girls.

Objective: In this research we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a theoretically derived school-based body image intervention for young adolescent girls. Method: Participants were 194, female Grade 7 students from two Catholic Secondary Schools in Melbourne, Australia. One school was allocated to the intervention group and the other school was allocated to the control group. The intervention group participated in three 50-min body image intervention sessions, while the control group received their usual classes. All participants completed baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up questionnaires. Results: The intervention group reported significantly more positive outcomes than the control group on measures of intervention topic knowledge, risk factors for body dissatisfaction, body image, dietary restraint and self-esteem, at post-intervention and follow-up. Discussion: This stud…

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Study protocol: a randomized controlled trial of patient navigation-activation to reduce cancer health disparities.

Background: Cancer health disparities affecting low-income and minority patients are well documented. Root-causes are multifactorial, including diagnostic and treatment delays, social and financial barriers, and poor communication. Patient navigation and communication coaching (activation) are potential interventions to address disparities in cancer treatment. The purpose of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of an intervention combining patient navigation and activation to improve cancer treatment. Methods/design: The Rochester Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) is a National Cancer Institute-sponsored, patient-level randomized trial (RCT) of patient navigation and activation, targeting newly-diagnosed breast and colorectal cancer patients in Rochester, NY. The goal of the program is to decrease cancer health disparities by addressing barriers to receipt of cancer …

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Improving the mental health, healthy lifestyle choices, and physical health of Hispanic adolescents: a randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: Obesity and mental health disorders are 2 major public health problems in American adolescents, with prevalence even higher in Hispanic teens. Despite the rapidly increasing incidence and adverse health outcomes associated with overweight and mental health problems, very few intervention studies have been conducted with adolescents to improve both their healthy lifestyles and mental health outcomes. Even fewer studies have been conducted with Hispanic youth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of the COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) Healthy Lifestyles TEEN (Thinking, Emotions, Exercise, and Nutrition) program, a manualized educational and cognitive behavioral skills-building program, on Hispanic adolescents' healthy lifestyle choices as well as mental and physical health outcomes. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled pi…

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Awareness of cancer symptoms and anticipated help seeking among ethnic minority groups in England.

Objective: Little is known about ethnic differences in awareness of cancer-warning signs or help-seeking behaviour in Britain. As part of the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI), this study aimed to explore these factors as possible contributors to delay in cancer diagnosis. Methods: We used quota sampling to recruit 1500 men and women from the six largest minority ethnic groups in England (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Caribbean, African and Chinese). In face-to-face interviews, participants completed the newly developed cancer awareness measure (CAM), which includes questions about warning signs for cancer, speed of consultation for possible cancer symptoms and barriers to help seeking. Results: Awareness of warning signs was low across all ethnic groups, especially using the open-ended (recall) question format, with lowest awareness in the African group. Women …

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Nurse leader mindfulness meditation program for stress management: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to rigorously evaluate a brief stress management intervention for nurse leaders. Background: Despite the nursing shortage, evidence-based workplace approaches addressing nurse stress have not been well studied. Methods: Nurse leaders (n = 33) were randomly assigned to brief mindfulness meditation course (MMC) or leadership course (control). Self-report measures of stress were administered at baseline and within 1 week of course completion. Results: Among MMC participants, change scores (from baseline to postintervention) on several subscales of the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised showed significantly more improvement in self-reported stress symptoms relative to controls. Mindfulness meditation course participants had significantly more improvement in Positive Symptom Distress Index (P = 0.010; confidence interval [CI] = -0.483 to -0.073) and Global Sever…

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The effect of a culturally tailored smoking cessation for Chinese American smokers.

Introduction: Tobacco use is a serious public health problem among low-income Chinese Americans with limited English proficiency. Chinese men are at high risk for smoking-related morbidity and mortality. We tested the feasibility of a culturally and linguistically sensitive smoking intervention program with combined counseling and pharmacological components for Chinese smokers in New York City; identified factors and techniques that enhance the administration and appropriateness of the intervention program; and examined the overall impact of this program on quit attempts, quit rates, and overall smoking reduction. Methods: We were guided by the transtheoretical model and used an adapted motivational interviewing (MI) approach. The study involved a randomized sample with pretreatment assessment and multiple follow-up measures. Eligible participants (N = 122) were randomly assigned to inte…

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