ABSTRACT A survey of 240 adolescents comprising 112 males and 128 females was conducted to find out how perceived control, self-esteem, HNIAIDS knowledge and general anxiety predicted their perception of HIV/AIDS risk, ability to buy condoms and condom use at first sexual intercourse. An HNIAIDS prevention program was piloted with 30 participants to assess its impact on participants' health locus of control, selfefficacy and HIV/AIDS knowledge at pre- and post- test periods. A regression anal...
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychosocial effects that partners of SCD patients experience as a result of their relationship with the patient. A convergent mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the experiences of 75 partners within the city of Accra, Ghana, in 8 psychosocial areas: caregiver burden, marital satisfaction, physical health, psychological wellbeing, social relationships, environmental wellbeing, quality of life, and stigma. Mechanisms of coping ...
ABSTRACT Lay counsellors play critical roles in mental health service delivery in Ghana. There is a shortage of professionally trained mental health practitioners. Lay counsellors deliver basic counselling and psychoeducation services in schools, churches, health settings and communities. Given the critical role of lay counsellors in mental health delivery in Ghana, it is imperative to understand how these lay counsellors deal with ethical dilemmas in their everyday practice. Unfortunately...
ABSTRACT Caregivers of children with sickle cell disease experience psychological and physical challenges that affect their role as a caregiver. The aim of the study was to find out whether health belief, psychological wellbeing, social support, and some selected demographic variables influence the compliance of caregivers on the treatment of their children. Using a cross sectional survey method, 200 participants (100 caregivers of sickle cell children and 100 caregivers of acutely ill childr...
ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to determine the cognitive and neuropsychological deficits associated with seizure disorders. The study also examined the effects of age at onset, socio-economic status, compliance with medication and sex of the patient. Seventy two patients visiting the neurological clinic at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and a healthy control group from West African Basic School were sampled for the study. Analysis was done using Pearson correlation and the ANOVA. Findin...
ABSTRACT The study examined the perceived social support and its effects on quality of life among people living with HIV/AIDS in Kumasi Metropolis. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Out of a population of 1,027 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), 320 were selected through the purposive sampling technique. The SF-36 health survey questionnaire and multidimensional perceived social support questionnaire were used to collect the required data. Data gathere...
ABSTRACT The research investigated the influence of religiosity on the psychological well-being (PWB) of persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving dialysis treatment at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital-Ghana. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed and the purposive sampling technique was used in selecting sixty-two (62) CKD patients for the study. Data was collected on the respondents’ demographic characteristics, their religiosity, and their PWB using demograp...
Abstract Building on current knowledge, the primary aim of this study was to examine the association between self reported bullying and victimisation behaviour and risk factors such as sensation seeking, and emotional intelligence after controlling for self esteem, parental attachment, age and gender. The study also examined how bullying and victimisation influence depression and suicidal ideations. Self-report questionnaires were administered to three hundred and fifty five (355) adolescent...
ABSTRACT It has been shown that disclosure of status to children living with HIV has a beneficial effect on health outcomes in children living with HIV. In most sub-Saharan African nations, however, the prevalence of disclosure remains low, leading to poor compliance or adherence and adverse psychological results in these children. This study explored the disclosure experiences among caregivers of children living with HIV and the influence of disclosure on health outcomes in both children and...
ABSTRACT This study examined psychological health and coping strategies among caregivers of burns patients. A sample of 100 caregivers (50 formal and 50 informal) were recruited from the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The study employed a cross-sectional survey method and the participants were administered the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), Beck Anxiety Inventory...
ABSTRACT The aims of the studies presented in this paper were to investigate the causes of mental retardation in Ghana and the attitude of parents towards their mentally retarded children. There was the need for this type of investigation because what people think is the cause of mental retardation affects their attitude towards it. The sample comprised 120 rural and urban literate and illiterate parents and their mentally retarded children. A questionnaire was used for investigating the caus...
ABSTRACT This study examined the influence of religious coping and psychosocial factors on quality of life of type-2 diabetic patients in Ghana. Social support, depression, stress, anxiety, and self-care constituted the psychosocial factors examined. A mixed method design comprising a crosssectional survey (study I) and a focus group discussion (study II) was employed. A total of 164 participants were purposively sampled for both study 1 (n=156) and study II (n=8). In study I, there were 76 T...
ABSTRACT The study investigated how compliance mediates physician communication and health related quality of life of patients with hypertension or diabetes in the Tamale Teaching Hospital. A cross sectional design was employed and collected data using structured questionnaire and structured interview guide. Using purposive, quota and convenient sampling methods, 211 patients were sampled out of which 148 and 63 were hypertensive patients and diabetic patients respectively for the study. Desc...
ABSTRACT Background: Rotavirus gastroenteritis in children remains a global public health problem. It is responsible for over 2 million hospitalizations in children less than 5 years. Low birth weight is a known risk factor for several childhood infections and diseases. Over 96% of all low birth weight deliveries occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the relationship between rotavirus gastroenteritis and its burden in terms of morbidity or mortality is unknown. Objective: to investigat...
ABSTRACT This study examined the determinants of seeking professional psychological help among contemporary Ghanaians. Specifically, the study investigated whether experience with mental health service, perceived social support (family, friends, and significant other), health locus of control (internal, chance, and powerful others), self-stigma, and cultural belief would uniquely and significantly account for attitudes toward seeking professional help after controlling for demographic charact...