Unaiza Niaz

Integrated care is defined as health services that are managed and delivered such that people receive a continuum of health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, disease management, rehabilitation, and palliative care services, coordinated across the different levels and sites of care within and beyond the health sector and, accordin...

It is vital to identify forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by women and men in intimate relations, their underlying causes, and the impact on their own lives and the society. Research on victimization of women is ample; however, men's victimization in intimate relations is a neglected area of research in many world regions, thus r...

Abstract Issues related to the mental health of women are a priority these days. Many international organisations working in the field of psychiatry are having sections on it now. This approach can go a long way in the improvement of the available mental health services for this population. Keywords: Psychiatry. Gender. Socioeconomic Status.

The concept of psycho-trauma in development of psychiatric disorders, has been in vogue in psychiatry, in the last few decades.1 The recent interest in PTSD, started with the Vietnam Veterans in USA. The veterans, displayed a characteristic array of symptoms, which needed a diagnostic category, this led to the impetus for the development of PTSD. S...

Editorial Depression following death of a spouse Unaiza Niaz * Major depressive illnesses are well known to be prevalent during the stress of bereavement. The nature of these depressive syndromes is that they are persistent and disabling and add to the burden of mood changes associated with bereavement. This issue contains a study by Haroon Ras...

IntroductionDefinitionsEpidemiological perspectivesCultural aspects of stressDiagnostic considerationsCultural and social practices and their impact on mental healthTherapeutic issuesPerspectives

Concept and process of globalisationGendered effects of globalisationThe impact of globalisation and liberalisation on women's healthEducation and empowerment in womenThe United Nations' and World Bank's approach to women's educationThe global and local intersection of feminism in muslim societiesOther impacts of globalisationInternet addictionMent...

Wars and women's mental healthNatural disasters and women

Contemporary Topics in Women's Mental Health: Global Perspectives in a Changing Society considers both the mental health and psychiatric disorders of women in relation to global social change. The book addresses the current themes in psychiatric disorders among women: reproduction and mental health, service delivery and ethics, impact of violence,...

Stress in pregnancy can lead to low-birth-weight and preterm babies and to psychological consequences such as anxiety and depression during pregnancy and the puerperium. Previous scales to measure stress contain items that overlap with the symptoms of pregnancy. A stress scale was developed based on in-depth interviews with pregnant women in Pakist...

Aspects of the social environment, including social conditions (socio-economic status, household situations, chronic illnesses) and social relations (attitude and behaviors of relations) are major determinants of depression among women. This study evaluates the relative power of social relations and social conditions in predicting depression among...

This article reviews the impact of cultural factors on mental health of South Asian women. Marked gender discrimination in South Asia has led to second class status of women in society. Their mobility, work, self-esteem and self-image, in fact their worth and identity, seem to depend upon the male members of a patriarchal society. Women's lack of e...

Role of faith & resilience in recovery from traumatic events is a common observation. Recent experience with the earthquake victims in NWFP & AJK clearly demonstrated the positive effects of faith & resilience. Faith in God Almighty was a major factor in strengthening resilience and promoting recovery from traumatic stress disorders. Author suggest...

Abstract Aspects of the social environment, including social conditions (socio-economic status, household situations, chronic illnesses) and social relations (attitude and behaviors of relations) are major determinants of depression among women. This study evaluates the relative power of social relations and social conditions in predicting depres...

Major depressive illnesses are well known to be prevalent during the stress of bereavement. The nature of these depressive syndromes is that they are persistent and disabling and add to the burden of mood changes associated with bereavement. This issue contains a study by Haroon Rashid Chaudhry and colleagues on frequency of depression after the de...

Objectives: To study the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of drug abuse among young adults aged 16-21 from upper socio-economic strata. The survey was conducted to identify certain psychosocial risk factors such as coping skills, independence/self-confidence, family communication, peer relationships and motivational factors for drug abuse amo...

Objective: To estimate the frequency and incidence of psychiatric morbidity in ìelite, affluentî urban population of Karachi Pakistan. Sample: The new outpatients at The Psychiatric Clinic and Stress Research Center situated at Zamzama Boulevard over a period of three years (2001-2003). Methods: Information about the demographic characteristics, so...

In Pakistan, societal attitudes and norms, as well as cultural practices (Karo Kari, exchange marriages, dowry, etc.), play a vital role in women's mental health. The religious and ethnic conflicts, along with the dehumanizing attitudes towards women, the extended family system, role of in-laws in daily lives of women, represent major issues and st...

Objective: A survey of three medical colleges' pre-clinical and post-clinical clerkship students' attitudes towards Psychiatry and their actual decision in choosing Psychiatry as a career. Design: An instrument comprising of 15 items checks the perceptions of students about psychiatry and choosing Psychiatry as a career was developed and administer...

In South Asian countries the amalgamation of Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu, Islamic and Christian traditions have shaped the personalities of women and determined their social status. Rigid cultures and patriarchal attitudes which devalue the role of women, result in the wide spread occurrence of violence against women. The family structure, in which...

Objective: To understand and evaluate practicing women physicians' perception of physical and mental health, job stress, satisfaction, and level of professional knowledge. Methods: Specifically designed questionnaires for socio-demographic characteristics, physical and mental health, Self perception of medical knowledge and ability were distributed...

Objective: A survey of three medical colleges’ pre-clinical and post-clinical clerkship students’ attitudes towards Psychiatry and their actual decision in choosing Psychiatry as a career. Design: An instrument comprising of 15 items checks the perceptions of students about psychiatry and choosing Psychiatry as a career was developed and administer...

Background: Domestic violence is a serious public health problem. In order to identify and treat psychological consequences associated with domestic abuse. The health care providers should be screening patients for physical, psychological and sexual forms of intimate partner violence. Objective: To design a validated instrument for screening out vi...

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence, forms of domestic abuses faced by both genders and associated psychological consequences of domestic abuse particularly incidence of depression and anxiety in the victims. Methods: Specifically designed and validated instrument by the name of Karachi Domestic Violence Screening Sc...

Postpartum Mood Syndromes are Postpartum Blues (maternity blues), Postpartum Depression and Postpartum psychosis. Whether these are distinct syndromes or rather a continuum is unclear. These disorders can disrupt family lives and have a negative effect on the development of infant and increased risk of subsequent psychopathology in the mother. SSRI...

With a psychiatrist's standardized clinical diagnosis as the criterion, the "Hand-Held Tachistoscope" was 100% sensitive, but only 45% specific in detecting delirium among hospital patients on a general medical ward. For each true positive in this sample of 97 patients, there were almost 5 false positives. The 10 patients with clinically diagnosed...

With a psychiatrist's standardized clinical diagnosis as the criterion, the “Hand-Held Tachistoscope” was 100% sensitive, but only 45% specific in detecting delirium among hospital patients on a general medical ward. For each true positive in this sample of 97 patients, there were almost 5 false positives. The 10 patients with clinically diagnosed...

Synopsis With a psychiatrist's standardized clinical diagnosis as the criterion, the ‘Mini-Mental State’ Examination (MMSE) was 87% sensitive and 82% specific in detecting dementia and delirium among hospital patients on a general medical ward. The false positive ratio was 39% and the false negative ratio was 5 %. All false positives had less than...

1. The antidepressant action of mianserin was tested in a double-blind clinical trial lasting 6 weeks. Forty-six patients with moderate to severe degrees of depression were treated at random with mianserin or diazepam. Patients who failed to improve by week 3 were taken out of the trial. 2. Mianserin was more effective than diazepam in reducing sco...