Red Flower's Journal of Psychiatric Nursing

Child abuse is defined as any act of omission or commission that endangers or impairs a child’s physical or emotional health and development. Children are frequent victims of abuse because they are small and relatively powerless in family hierarchy. It may occur at any place like home to streets with any child of any age like few days to few years by anyone from parents to strangers. A child, who is abused, lives with a sense of insecurity & feels unwanted. He feels cheated and becomes short tempered. There are various myths and stigma attached to child abuse which makes it worse to save them. Child abuse is classified into four main categories namely; physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. Most of the children suffer with more than one type of abuse. All the health professionals need to be vigilant about common signs and symptoms of the abuse while visiting the families in community or while working in any health care facility.

Keywords: Child Abuse; Maltreatment; Sexual Abuse; Neglect; Battered Child Syndrome. 

Introduction: The objectives of the study were to assess the stress and coping strategies used by the family members of schizophrenic patients. Methods: The research approach in this study was quantitative with non-experimental descriptive survey design. Sample comprised of family members of 30 schizophrenic patients from a selected hospital of New Delhi selected through purposive sampling technique. Structured interview schedule was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Out of 30 subjects, 53% were found to be stressed and 47% were not stressed about their financial condition. In the area regarding work or employment, 65% of the subjects were stressed and 35% subjects were not stressed. 57% of the subjects were stressed whereas 43% subjects were not stressed about social and leisure life. In the area regarding role performance and responsibilities, 57% subjects were stressed and 43% subjects were not stressed. Physical effects due to client’s illness were stressful for 62% of the subjects and non-stressful for the 38% of the subjects.

Keywords: Stress; Coping Strategies; Family Members; Schizophrenia. 

Purpose: To present a detailed account of the subjective feelings and experiences of care-givers of patients with schizophrenia and the consequences of care-giving both on the quality of life of care-givers and the impact of it on the delivery of care. Design: Phenomenological methodology. Method: Open-ended, audio-recorded in-depth interviews were conducted in Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi, with 6 care-givers (parents) of patients with schizophrenia, 61-66 years old (mean 64). The recordings were transcribed and translated into English and analyzed to identify themes pertinent to the care-giving experiences. Results: The major themes emerged were varying perceptions and misconceptions, institutionalization: a new experience, stigmatization of the mentally–ill, traumatic experiences of bizarre behavior, challenges of care-giving, apprehensions about marital relationships, abandonment by significant others, disrupted family functioning and family dynamics, failure to derive personal satisfaction, disordered personal life, imbalanced social life, disrupted occupational life, expensive treatment, consternation of future expenses, only God can help, reaffirming hope and meditation is the best coping resource. Conclusion: The care-givers attributed the occurrence of the symptoms to mythical ideations and considered mental-illness a paranormal phenomenon. Scarcity of knowledge was a big concern for the care-givers, which made them unskilled and untrained for the trials associated with the task of providing care for the family member with schizophrenia.

Keywords: Schizophrenia; Care-Givers; Qualitative Methodology. 

Introduction: Non-assertive behaviour and low selfesteem have been found to be a major problem in theNursing profession and as nursing students studying in the Nursing College. Nurses with assertive behavior and high self-esteem are likely to deliver better therapeutic patient care .The objective of the present study was to assess and examine the relationship of assertive behavior and self-esteem and find correlation between the two among student nurses. Methods: Quantitative approach withnonexperimental descriptive study was used in the present study. 40 B.Sc. Nursing 1st year students were selected through convenient sampling. Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS) and Rosenberg Self Esteem (RSE) Scale were used. Results: 57.5% of the subjects were with low self-esteem and 42.5% subjects were withmoderate Self-Esteem. 50% subjects were non-assertive, 37.5% subjects were assertive and 12.5% were super assertive. There was moderately positive correlation between self-esteem and assertiveness. However, there was no signification association found between self-esteem and assertiveness and selected demographic variables. Conclusion: Assertiveness training or other intervention may be initiated for nursing students who are non-assertive and have low self-esteem.

Keywords: Self-Esteem; Assertiveness; Correlation; Nursing Students.