It is not known whether somatic factors related to overall health and lifestyles or psychological factors, including confirmed psychiatric diagnoses, are associated with the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of men in a population-based sample. The aim of this study was to investigate socio-demographic, somatic and psychological factors associated with HRQL in men having mental symptoms during the 7 previous years. This cross-sectional sample of men (n=63) was investigated in 2004-05 and was based on a previous three-phase follow-up study that began in 1998. Blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, serum lipids and testosterone levels were measured. Psychiatric diagnoses were confirmed with using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Several mental symptoms were assessed with standardized scales. HRQL was measured with the RAND-36 using the physical (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. A poor HRQL in PCS was found in 73% of men and in MCS in 54%. Depressive symptoms, life dissatisfaction, male symptoms of aging and alexithymia were associated with both impaired PCS and MCS scores. Hopelessness, lifetime and current diagnoses of major depressive disorder and signs of suicidality only associated with a poorer MCS score. Somatic factors describing lifestyles and overall health only weakly associated with HRQL. In general, HRQL was poor in men having long-term mental symptoms. Mental health factors were strongly associated with PCS and MCS scores of HRQL. In improving HRQL in men, both physical and mental domains should be targeted in preventive and curative strategies.
Background
There has been a considerable increase in the need for psychiatric services for adolescents. Primary health care practitioners have a major role in detecting, screening and helping these adolescents. An intervention entitled SCREEN is described in this article. The SCREEN intervention was developed to help practitioners to detect and screen adolescent needs, to care for adolescents at the primary health care level and to facilitate the referral of adolescents to secondary care services in collaboration between primary and secondary health care. Secondly, the article presents the background and clinical characteristics of youths seeking help from the SCREEN services, and compares the background factors and clinical characteristics of those patients referred and not referred to secondary care services.
The purpose of this study was to describe what is known about HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases, infection transmission routes, care, and sources of information, from the viewpoint of men having sex with men.National data (n = 2,072) was collected from June to August 2010 in Finland as part of a joint internet-based survey conducted in 38 countries (EMIS, European MSM Internet Sex Survey).The respondents' age, place of residence, highest education and employment status were statistically significantly related to how often the respondent sought information on HIV, testing and treatments, and what they knew about infection transmission routes. The respondents' information seeking behavior was not seen as active regarding HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases.We should also consider the possibility of using internet-based interventions, especially in smaller and northern catchment areas, in order to improve the knowledge level of men having sex with men.
Abstract In a fast-paced digital and global environment, sexual education must keep up with young people’s sexual health needs. Social marketing is an approach that has been used in sexual health promotion for young people. The objective of the scoping review is to identify and map the use of social marketing in sexual health promotion for young people. Specifically, the content, delivery methods and effects of interventions on sexual health were researched. Six databases were systemically searched to capture the relevant peer-reviewed quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods articles without time restrictions that provided evidence of sexual health-related social marketing interventions targeting young people aged 11–25. An inductive and deductive content analysis was performed. Nineteen studies were included in the data. The content of interventions was dominated by sexual risks and risk prevention, focusing particularly on sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and sexual violence. Additionally, interventions included topics of morals of sexual relationships and changes in the body. The delivery of interventions occurred through various media channels, events and activities, while the effects of interventions were monitored as improvements in sexual perceptions and sexual behaviour, limited gender-related effects, limited evidence of intervention attributed to behaviour and effects in different age groups. The social marketing approach was mostly preventive and concentrated on the risks, whereas the delivery methods were diverse and creative, combining modern and already well-established channels. Sexuality should be seen comprehensively, and interventions should respond to the full range of young people’s needs.
In previous nursing studies hope and hopelessness have been described mostly in sick middle-aged people. The study designs have been mainly cross-sectional. The dynamics of hope in elderly people has received little attention in nursing research. The purpose of this study was to describe the meanings elderly people aged 70 and over attach to the dynamics of hope. The study was based on phenomenological philosophy and method. The data were collected in spring 1997 by interviewing four over 70 years old women who lived at home. The data were analysed using the Giorgi method. According to the results hope and hopelessness are normal elements of every human life. They coexist side by side, but are opposite phenomena. Hope is a will to try in the limits of one's own possibilities. It helps at the present but directs also to the future. It is based on something in past, present and future that helps an aged person to manage in his or her life. Hopelessness is uncertainty of and fear for one's future. It is also a hard and difficult feeling. Hopelessness does not mean solely a negative experience. It can produce the wisdom of life in the future. Elderly person's own and other people's diseases and their consequences may produce hopelessness.
This study focused on the views of Finnish nurses in regards to providing help for adolescents who self-mutilate. Nine nurses participated, and when the interviews and written descriptions were qualitatively analysed, four main categories of information emerged. The first category comprises the nurses' views on self-mutilation. The second category describes the people who are able to be helpers. The third category describes the content of help, which is made up of a variety of acts provided by non-health professionals that promote the healthy development of adolescents. The fourth category describes care provided by nurses to adolescents who self-mutilate. Guidelines for caring for self-mutilating adolescents are needed, including information on the phenomenon of self-mutilation.
Adolescent self-harm or suicide are emotionally difficult for parents, thus also parents need help. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to produce knowledge on the experiences of help received by Finnish parents (n = 23) whose adolescent is harming themselves or has died by suicide. The parents received diverse help for themselves, and for their self-harming adolescent or the deceased adolescent's sibling. Parents described negative experiences, but also factors that promoted their experience of help. There are many barriers to help related to the parents themselves, the adolescent, or to the social support system. Professional help should be easier to obtain and be based on the parents' individual expectations.
