Mental Health Comorbidity In HIV-positive Zambian Adults Who Consume Alcohol

Background

Alcohol abuse is common in Zambia and a growing threat to achieving the 90 90 90 treatment target to ending the HIV epidemic. Brief counselling is offered but has limited effectiveness possibly because it does not address the mental health issues that underpin drinking behavior. We assessed the frequency and nature of comorbid mental health issues in HIV-positive drinkers in Zambia.

Methods

As part of an ongoing randomized control trial (NCT03966885), we recruited HIV positive adults on ART who reported at least 1 alcoholic drink in the previous 3 months from two clinics in Lusaka, Zambia. Using audio computer assisted self-interviewers, we captured demographic information and screened for unhealthy alcohol use (AUDIT), depression (CES-D), trauma (HTQ) and other substance abuse (ASSIST). These instruments have previously been validated in Zambia. Established cut-offs were used to define unhealthy alcohol use (AU), depression (DEP), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse (SU).

Results

Among 300 individuals reporting any alcohol use, 165 agreed to screening. 155 participants were recruited, including 93 men and 62 women. Nearly all screened 146 (94.2%) had unhealthy alcohol use and 9 (5.8%) had low to moderate alcohol scores. Comorbid mental health issues were present in 72 % of unhealthy drinkers, most commonly depression 46 (31.5 %) and trauma 35 (24 %). Non-alcohol substance use (7.6 %) comorbidities where less prevalent than mental health comorbidities among those with unhealthy alcohol use.

Conclusions

Among urban Zambian adults living with HIV who reported alcohol consumption at their ART clinic, unhealthy use was the norm; moderate alcohol use was rare. Comorbid mental health issues (particularly depression and trauma) are highly prevalent among unhealthy drinkers with HIV. These data suggest that all unhealthy drinkers should be screened for mental health issues.

Key messages

Alcohol Abuse In HIV Patients Is Common In Zambia. HIV Patients Abusing Alcohol Suffer From Depression and Trauma.

The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator: development and validation of a tool for identifying African surgical patients at risk of severe postoperative complications

BACKGROUND

The African Surgical Outcomes Study (ASOS) showed that surgical patients in Africa have a mortality twice the global average. Existing risk assessment tools are not valid for use in this population because the pattern of risk for poor outcomes differs from high-income countries. The objective of this study was to derive and validate a simple, preoperative risk stratification tool to identify African surgical patients at risk for in-hospital postoperative mortality and severe complications.

METHODS

ASOS was a 7-day prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing surgery in Africa. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator was constructed with a multivariable logistic regression model for the outcome of in-hospital mortality and severe postoperative complications. The following preoperative risk factors were entered into the model; age, sex, smoking status, ASA physical status, preoperative chronic comorbid conditions, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery.

RESULTS

The model was derived from 8799 patients from 168 African hospitals. The composite outcome of severe postoperative complications and death occurred in 423/8799 (4.8%) patients. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator includes the following risk factors: age, ASA physical status, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.805 and good calibration with c-statistic corrected for optimism of 0.784.

CONCLUSIONS

This simple preoperative risk calculator could be used to identify high-risk surgical patients in African hospitals and facilitate increased postoperative surveillance.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03044899.

[Support for the psychiatric nurse specialist and the psychiatric community nurse in their interactions with the psychiatric patient. Part II]

In this article the research is described that had as goal to generate a supportive approach for the psychiatric nurse specialist to the psychiatric community nurse in interaction with the psychiatric patient, to promote, maintain and restore their mental health as an integral part of health. Guidelines for operationalisation of this supportive approach by the psychiatric nurse specialist, are also described. The research design utilised a qualitative, descriptive and contextual design. The exploratory field work was done in phase one of this research (as described in part I of these articles) and consisted of phenomenological interviews and focus groups. Trustworthiness was ensured by utilising Guba's model for trustworthiness.

[The psychiatric community nurse's experience about her interaction with the psychiatric patient]

The experiences of psychiatric community nurses with regard to their interaction with psychiatric patients were explored and described. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used. Phenomenological semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposefully selected sample population. Trustworthiness was ensured by using Lincoln & Guba's (1985) model. A literature control was conducted as well. Results indicated that healthier support is needed for the psychiatric nurse to facilitate therapeutic interaction between the psychiatric patient and the community psychiatric nurse.

[Service experience of community psychiatric nurses: 1]

Since psychiatric community services were legalised by the promulgation of the Mental Health Act no 18 of 1973 shift to primary mental Health Care has occurred. This change resulted in an increase in psychiatric patients within the community, and because of this increase the workload of the psychiatric community nurse became heavier. This higher expectation might cause pressure for the psychiatric community nurse and therefore influence her therapeutic relationship with her patient negatively. It was therefore important that the work experience of the psychiatric community nurse should be explored and described in order to formulate guidelines to mobilise resources to promote, maintain and restore the mental health of the psychiatric community nurse. A exploratory, descriptive contextual study was done with the aim of achieving insight into the internal environment experiences of the psychiatric community nurse working in the psychiatric community. In depth exploration was achieved by way of the phenomological method of interviewing to obtain data.