No abstract

Knowledge of psychotic symptoms among persons with schizophrenia influenced by methamphetamine use guides the design of nursing innovations to maximize positive patient outcomes. This cross-sectional, descriptive correlation study aimed to explore the relationships among coping, medication use self-efficacy, expressed emotions, stressful life events, social support, and social dysfunction, and to test a model that explained the influences of these factors on psychotic symptoms among persons with schizophrenia using methamphetamines.The stress-vulnerability model for schizophrenia guided this study. A sample of 313 persons with schizophrenia using methamphetamines in psychiatric hospitals and institutes for drug abuse treatment in Thailand was recruited by multi-stage sampling and responded to a Demographic Questionnaire, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Brief COPE, Self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale, Expressed Emotional Scale, Stressful Life Events Questionnaire, and Social Dysfunction Scale. A linear structural relationship was used to test the hypothesized path model.The hypothesized model was found to fit the empirical data and explained 54 % of variance in psychotic symptoms (χ2 = 8.28, df = 8, χ2 /df = 1.0, GFI = 0.99, AGFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.01). The highest total effect and factors directly affecting psychotic symptoms were emotionally focused coping strategies, medication use self-efficacy, social dysfunction, positively expressed emotions, and stressful life events.The findings recommend that emotionally focused coping strategies, self-efficacy in medication use, social dysfunction, positively expressed emotions, and stressful life events were important factors that influenced psychotic symptoms in patients. Nursing interventions designed to manage these factors are crucial for reducing psychotic symptoms.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to develop the Thai version of the Impact and Burden of Care Scale for Caregivers of Persons with Schizophrenia and Co-occurring Methamphetamine Use (TIBSCSM) and test its psychometric properties. Methods: This instrument development research subjects were 142 caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and co-occurring methamphetamine use. Sample size adequacy was tested by Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO), and Bartlett's test of sphericity tested the adequacy of the item correlation matrix. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the theoretical model. Results The 32-item TIBSCSM showed convergent validity correlations with two quality-of-life measures. Additionally, KMO=0.9, Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity χ2=5248.5, df=496, p<0.001, CVI =1, and internal consistency reliability was high (α=0.9). The CFA has shown that the findings are supported by the theoretical models (χ2=325.2, df=287, p<0.001, RMSEA=0.0, CFI =0.9). Conclusion: The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric nurses and psychiatric care teams to measure the impact and care burden of caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and methamphetamine use in the areas of nursing, research, education, and clinical determination. The test results suggested that The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric and mental health care team to assess the impact and burden care of schizophrenic caregiver for both research and clinical purposes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic for providing care to relieve the impact and burden of care. Implication for nursing and research: The TIBSCSM is a new tool developed in the Thai context, and it may replicate the studies to evaluate variations in TIBSCSM across settings.

Background: This study aims to understand and analyze the complex experiences of people living with COVID-19 to support future cases. Methods: Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were employed to collect data through in-depth interviews; the data were combined with non-aggregated behavioral observations. Lived experiences of 15 individuals were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. We used the thematic analysis technique to analyze the data. Results: Through analysis, themes of stress, economic impact, social stigma, social support, and unexpected benefits were identified. Participants further expressed economic and social concerns during the interviews. Conclusion: The identified themes can help develop multidisciplinary treatment strategies that would be useful during a healthcare crisis, establish comprehensive support systems that could address economic and social problems, and provide training for employees for post-COVID-19 assistance.

Persons with drug addiction (PDDs) may exhibit symptoms affecting the central nervous system. Multidisciplinary treatment teams may offer the most updated treatment and care. Pharmacotherapy is one standard treatment, effective in managing psychotic symptoms with supportive psychosocial interventions. As part of the health-care team, nurses deal with PDD on a 24-hour basis. Quality nursing care is essential for improving quality of life, health status, and continued abuse-free status of PDD.