This paper describes the operation of a psychiatric intensive care unit in a provincial psychiatric hospital. Its introduction led to a decrease in staff and patient accidents, a decrease in constant observation and seclusion hours, and a decrease in the number of nursing hours lost to injuries at work. It had no effect on nursing absenteeism. The ICU was well liked by nursing staff who preferred to work in its more consistent and controlled environment. In addition, it was also felt that the ward environment in other parts of the hospital became more therapeutic. We therefore conclude that psychiatric ICU's are useful additions to psychiatric settings with important cost and patient care implications.

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The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study points to a changing landscape in which non-communicable diseases, such as mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders, account for an increasing proportion of premature mortality and disability globally. Despite evidence of the need for care, a remarkable deficit of providers for MNS disorder service delivery persists in sub-Saharan Africa. This critical workforce can be developed from a range of non-specialist and specialist health workers who have access to evidence-based interventions, whose roles, and the associated tasks, are articulated and clearly delineated, and who are equipped to master and maintain the competencies associated with providing MNS disorder care. In 2012, the Neuroscience Forum of the Institute of Medicine convened a meeting of key stakeholders in Kampala, Uganda, to discuss a set of candidate core competencies for the delivery of mental health and neurological care, focusing specifically on depression, psychosis, epilepsy, and alcohol use disorders. This article discusses the candidate core competencies for non-specialist health workers and the complexities of implementing core competencies in low- and middle-income country settings. Sub-Saharan Africa, however, has the potential to implement novel training initiatives through university networks and through structured processes that engage ministries of health. Finally, we outline challenges associated with implementing competencies in order to sustain a workforce capable of delivering quality services for people with MNS disorders.

Background: Mental illness is a global health burden that remains poorly understood even by health care providers. It is important to get insight of the prevalence, clinical features and management of psychiatric morbidity in general practice in Uganda as it affects treatment outcome. Objective: To determine the prevalence, types and associations of psychiatric morbidity as seen among adult in-patients on medical and surgical wards of Mbarara Regional Referral hospital as a prototype Ugandan regional referral hospital. Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study. Psychiatric diagnosis was arrived at by administering the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as the diagnostic instrument. Results: Of the 258 participants in this study, 109 (42%) met criteria for at least one DSM IV psychiatric diagnosis. Only 6% of all the psychiatrically diagnosed patients were recognized by their treating doctors as having mental illness. Conclusion: The psychiatric disorders on the general medical and surgical wards are highly prevalent and not recognized by staff on these wards despite their common occurrence. There is need for sensitisation of staff on recognition and management of psychiatric disorders in physical illness.

The prevalence of psychosocial problems and their associations among University students in Uganda has received very little research attention. Yet, this information is important to provide data to assist in mental health policy formulation for counseling intervention among the vulnerable university students populations in Uganda. The study objective was to investigate the prevalence, types, distribution and associations of psychosocial problems among university students in Uganda. It was part of a larger PhD study that validated an instrument for assessing university students' psychosocial problems in Uganda. This study employed a descriptive cross sectional survey technique. Five universities participated in a survey conducted during the 2012/13 academic year. Out of 1101 approached students, 976 (88.6%) completed the survey which included a socio-demographic questionnaire, study program characteristics, medical health questionnaire and the University Students Evaluation of Psychosocial Problems (USEPP) instrument which was used to evaluate the psychosocial problems. The prevalence, types and distribution of psychosocial problems among the students was established using descriptive statistics and regression analysis established the relationship between psychosocial problems and the correlates of interest. The estimated prevalence of psychosocial problems among the university students was 36.5%. Students living in off-campus hostels, having chronic medical conditions, and those with a previous history of mental health problems and who perceived their health as poor/fair were at a higher risk of psychosocial problems. These findings highlight to the need to initiate policies to address the students' psychosocial problems.