Background The bereaved families of COVID-19 victims are among the most vulnerable social groups in the COVID-19 pandemic. This highly infectious and contagious disease has afflicted these families with numerous psychological crises which have not been studied much yet. The present study is an attempt at investigating the psychological challenges and issues which the families of COVID-19 victims are faced with. The present study aims to identify the Mental Health crises which the families of COVID-19 deceased victims are going through. Methods A qualitative research, the present study uses a conventional content analysis design. The participants were 16 members of the families of COVID-19 victims selected from medical centers in Iran from February to May 2020 via purposeful sampling. Sampling continued to the point of data saturation Data were collected via semi-structured individual interviews conducted online. The collected data were analyzed according to the conventional qualitative content analysis approach. Results Analyses of the data yielded two main themes and seven categories. Emotional shock included (feelings of guilt and rumination, bitter farewell, strange burial and concern about unreligious burial), and fear of the future included (instability in the family, lack of job security and difficult financial conditions, Stigmatization and complications in social interactions). Conclusion The families of COVID-19 deceased victims are affected by various psychological crises which have exposed them to a deep sense of loss and emotional shock. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a cultural context which recognizes and supports all the various aspects of the mental health of these families.

Background:Family caregiving for patients with chronic mental illness is influenced by various factors such as political, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts as well as related policies and health services.Objectives:The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges with which the family caregivers of patients with chronic mental illness have to contend.Materials and Methods:The research design was qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The research population consisted of 16 long-term carers expressing interest in participating in the project. The carers were the family members of mentally ill relatives who collected their monthly medications at Farshchian Psychiatry Hospital in Hamadan in 2012. Purposive sampling was used to draw the sample. Data were collected by individual in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were tape-recorded and analyzed via Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. Rigor was assessed regarding credibility, dependability, conformability, and transferability.Results:Our findings highlighted 4 main themes, namely stress and emotional distress, need for education and information, socioeconomic effects and support, and physical strain.Conclusions:Families experience frustrations when providing support and care to their mentally ill relatives. They, therefore, need appropriate support and intervention by mental health services.

BackgroundStigma is one of the most destructive features of mental illnesses that may affect the family caregivers. This study aimed to analyze the effect of training interventions of stigma on family caregivers of the mental illness patients.Materials and methodsThis quasi-experimental pre- and post-test study was performed on a single group of 43 family caregivers of mental illness patients in Hamadan Psychiatric Hospital, Iran, in 2015. The samples were taken through convenience sampling method and the data collection tool was a stigma questionnaire made by the researchers. The questionnaires were filled by the participants within pre-intervention and 1-month post-intervention. All the data were analyzed by SPSS version 16, and the mean and standard deviation by paired t test and Wilcoxon test.ResultsFindings of this study demonstrated that women included 60% of the family caregivers. The average age of caregivers and the duration of caregiving were 41.67 ± 11.62 years and 66.28 ± 7.99 months, respectively. The mean and standard deviation for pre-intervention stigma score were 82.47 ± 12.23 indicating that the family caregivers suffered from some problems arisen from living with mental patients. They include not getting married, unable to find a job, embarrassment, humiliation by others, disgrace, and shame. Our results revealed that the mean and standard deviation of stigma score decreased to 29.28 ± 7.52 after training, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).ConclusionsAccording to the results of present study, training interventions reduce the issues caused by stigma and help the family members of mental patients to face and cope with the problem.

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Introduction: Attention to caregiving consequences has been mainly restricted to bipolar disorder, although studies suggest that relatives of bipolar patients also experience considerable distress. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of family member caregivers of bipolar disorder patients. Methods: In a qualitative research of phenomenological methodology, family member caregivers of bipolar disorder patients in Farshchian Psychiatric Hospital in Hamedan (Iran) were selected by purposive sampling in the year 2010. By reaching data saturation, the number of participants was 12. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and analyzed by van Manen method. Results: Analysis of the interviews revealed six major themes: fears and anxiety for the future, psychosomatic impact, feeling isolated and loneliness, financial impact, change in lifestyle and family functioning, and lack of support and knowledge. Discussion: This study highlights the need for family-oriented mental health services to be developed and for further research to identify the specific nursing interventions that are effective in helping to sustain family caregiving.

BackgroundSleep disturbances are a common co-occurring disturbance in patients with major depressive disorders (MDDs) and accordingly deserve particular attention. Using a randomized design, we investigated the effects of three different adjuvant interventions on sleep and depression among patients with MDD: a sleep hygiene program (SHP), lorazepam (LOR), and their combination (SHP–LOR).MethodsA total of 120 outpatients with diagnosed MDD (mean age: 48.25 years; 56.7% females) and treated with a standard SSRI (citalopram at 20–40 mg at therapeutic level) were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: SHP (n=40), LOR (1 mg/d; n=40), SHP–LOR (1 mg/d; n=40). At the beginning and at the end of the study 8 weeks later, patients completed two questionnaires, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep and the Beck Depression Inventory to assess symptoms of depression.ResultsSleep disturbances decreased over time and in all groups. No group differences or interactions were observed. Symptoms of depression decreased over time and in all three groups. Reduction in symptoms of depression was greatest in the SHP–LOR group and lowest in the LOR group.ConclusionThe pattern of results suggests that all three adjuvant treatments improved symptoms of sleep disturbances and depression, with greater benefits for the SHP–LOR for symptoms of depression, but not for sleep. Nevertheless, risks and benefits of benzodiazepine prescriptions should be taken into account.

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Background:Sleep is absolutely essential for normal, healthy function. Sleep disturbances are one of the most common under diagnosed and under treated health problems among the adult population. The disturbances in sleep and wake process caused physical and mental disorders.Purpose of study:The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of sleeping problems to in the nursing and midwifery students.Methods:This research is a descriptive study. The participants consist of 321 individual were selected by census sampling. Data were collected by questionnaire that concluded 2 parts; A- demographic factors B- questions related to sleep disorders.Results:Outcome showed that nearly one-three of nursing and midwifery students suffered from insomnia. The percentage was significantly higher among women (37.1%) than among men (23.1%). The prevalence of insomnia was higher in nursing students (39.3%) than midwifery students (31.2%).Conclusion:Sleep disorders distracted the physical and mental health of students. It impacted on academic performance and decreased educational achievement of students. Emotional stress and anxiety are some factors of sleep disorders, with recognizing these factors, we can operate effective interventions.