Introduction: People with severe mental illness (SMI) are highly vulnerable and more affected by epidemics than the general population. They encounter limited access to care, miss out on infection prevention measures and are more prone to relapses.
Objectives: This study explored the experiences of individuals with SMI and their caregivers in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background: We conducted a clinic-based cross-sectional survey among 710 people living with HIV/AIDS in stable 'sexual' relationships in central and southwestern Uganda. Although sexual function is rarely discussed due to the private nature of sexual life. Yet, sexual problems may predispose to negative health and social outcomes including marital conflict.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Prim Care
November 2023
Introduction: The management of long-term physical conditions is a challenge worldwide, absorbing a majority resources despite the importance of acute care. The management of these conditions is done largely in primary care and so interventions to improve primary care could have an enormous impact. However, very little data exist on how to do this.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Bipolar Disord
June 2023
A patient centred, solution-focused approach, DIALOG+ was assessed for effectiveness among patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and epilepsy in Uganda. Fourteen clinicians and 168 patients attending Butabika National Mental Referral Hospital and outreach clinics in Kampala, Uganda were randomised equally to receive DIALOG + once a month for six months or an active control (DIALOG scale only). The primary outcome was subjective quality of life measured by the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of life (MANSA) at six months and secondary outcomes assessed at six and twelve months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Psychosom Res
September 2022
Objective: Circadian rhythm disruption is commonly observed in bipolar disorder (BD). Daylight is the most powerful signal to entrain the human circadian clock system. This exploratory study investigated if solar insolation at the onset location was associated with the polarity of the first episode of BD I.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPilot Feasibility Stud
September 2021
Background: DIALOG+ is a resource-oriented and evidence-based intervention to improve quality of life and reduce mental distress. While it has been extensively studied in mental health care, there is little evidence for how to use it in primary care settings for patients with chronic physical conditions. Considering that DIALOG+ is used in existing routine patient-clinician meetings and is very low cost, it may have the potential to help large numbers of patients with chronic physical conditions, mental distress and poor quality of life who are treated in primary care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe International Health Partnership ('the Link') between the East London NHS Foundation Trust and Butabika Hospital in Uganda was set up in 2005. It has facilitated staff exchanges and set up many workstreams (e.g.
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