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Biomedical subjects

T W Harding

Publications and source records attributed to T W Harding.

47 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Mental disorders in primary health care: a study of their frequency and diagnosis in four developing countries.

1624 patients who were attending primary health facilities in 4 developing countries were examined to determine how many were suffering from mental disorder. Using stringent criteria to establish the presence of psychiatric morbidity, 225 cases were found, indicating an overall frequency of 13.9%. The great majority of cases were suffering from neurotic illnesses and for most the presenting complaint was of a physical symptom, such as headache, abdominal pain, cough or weakness. The health workers following their normal procedure correctly detected one third of the psychiatric cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Psychiatric priorities in developing countries.

Many psychiatrists assert that an expansion of mental health services in the developing countries is overdue. This will only take place if: (i) the tasks of mental health care are undertaken by a wide range of non-specialist health workers, including those responsible for primary health care; and (ii) services are directed initially at a very limited range of priority conditions. The method of priority selection is discussed, and the process required for translation of priority decisions into health action is exemplified by two illustrations.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1976

Validating a method of psychiatric case identification in Jamaica.

There is an urgent need for simple, reliable instruments for psychiatric research in developing countries. Limited resources, however, make the development of instruments de novo difficult. A simple method for establishing the validity of a method of case identification in a new population is described. A shortened version of a standard general health questionnaire was shown to be an effective method of identifying non-psychotic disorders in Jamaica, subject to a recalibration.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

The use of psychotropic drugs in developing countries.

Psychotropic drug therapy combined with other forms of treatment provides an effective means for the control and treatment of a number of mental disorders. In developing countries a wide range of health workers must be prepared to use psychotropic drugs if there is to be a significant improvement in mental health care. A number of problems are involved: not all mental disorders respond to drug treatment; the range of available drugs is very wide; side effects are relatively common; patients may not take prescribed drugs regularly; and there are dangers of overuse, abuse, and overdose. Some of the problems could be overcome by: (a) focusing on a limited number of conditions of public health importance; (b) establishing a clear policy as to which drugs should be available at various points in the health service and limiting the range of such drugs; (c) adopting a more flexible system of task sharing in psychotropic drug therapy; (d) coordinating training programmes; and (e) setting up a central policy body concerned with mental health in health ministries.

Developing Countries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The symptoms questionnaire for problem detection in adults].

This questionnaire has been designed considering transcultural differences. Its validation includes an approximately 400-patient sample, with their relatives as control sample population. Such populations come from General Health Centers located in Colombia, India, the Philippines, and Sudan. In each area, different cut-off points were used on the calculation of sensitivity and specificity. This instrument is currently used in different parts of the world: It is demonstrating to be valuable and sensitive a tool for identifying mental disorders among individuals seeking treatment at General Health Services. At the same time, it is being used in a training manual for Psychiatry primary care workers. Even though the instrument does not diagnosticate, it nonetheless identifies individuals suffering from psychological disrupting symptoms. Both its simplicity and high sensitivity help in a practical approach to Psychiatry primary care strategies.

Adult↗