The Internet is a growing source of information for health in general, with university student being online almost daily. Evaluating their use of the Internet for mental health information and support can help understanding if online tools and websites should be used for mental health promotion and, to some extent, care. A survey was conducted with more than 600 students of Law, Nursing and Computer Science of the University of Cadiz in Spain to determine their general use of the Internet and their perceptions and trust in using this medium for mental health information. Data were collected using a 25-item-questionnaire and findings indicated that students had a strong distrust in online mental health information, notwithstanding their daily use of the Internet. The frequency and methods of their research on the Internet correlated with their health status, their medical consultations and with certain socio-demographic characteristics.
Accessible SummaryWhat is known on the subject?
People with mental health difficulties have poorer physical health than the general population. The stigmatizing attitude of health professionals impacts the quality of care for these people.
There is a broad background on the effectiveness of activities based on theoretical training, clinical practices or social contact to improve nursing students’ attitudes towards people with mental health difficulties.
There is an important need to assess whether the benefits identified in the short term are maintained in the longer term.
What does the paper add to existing knowledge?
The positive evolution of attitudes towards mental illness does not last over time.
Some students’ attitude towards people with a mental health difficulty worsened in the final stage of their training after completing clinical practices.
What are the implications for practice?
It is necessary for tutors incorporate an understanding of stigma throughout the degree training and to discuss with the students the emotional aspects experienced during the performance of clinical practices.
The design of any anti‐stigma intervention must include the factor of “time”.
AbstractIntroductionThe stigma of health professionals is a contributing factor to morbi‐mortality among people with mental health difficulties. There is a lack of research on long‐term outcomes in nursing students.ObjectiveTo identify factors associated with the evolution of stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness in a cohort of students trained in mental health.MethodA prospective observational study of the impact of training in mental health care. Age, gender, stigma, level of previous familiarity with mental illness, self‐education by Internet, academic performance and the place where practicums are conducted were evaluated on three occasions over 15 months.ResultsAcademic performance, online consultation and the size or origin of the theoretical group were indicators of better attitudes. The positive evolution of attitudes does not last over time.DiscussionInstability over time could be explained by students’ experience in the practicum, although the time itself has been identified as a determining factor.Practical implicationsFurther studies should be promoted in academia to assess the content of mental health training and its influence on the evolution of the stigmatizing attitude. It is also necessary to address stigma in small groups, where students with better academic results lead anti‐stigma activities.
Because most bronchodilator inhalers contain propellant gases or a small amount of ethanol as a co-solvent, the potential for these products to generate false readings on a evidential breath alcohol instrument was evaluated in 69 volunteers with clinically stable asthma. All subjects underwent a breath test on an infrared breath alcohol analyzer (Alcotest 7110, Dräger, Lübeck, Germany) before the use of the asthma inhaler and 1 and 5 min after inhalation. The effects of antiasthmatic medications delivered by metered dose inhalers (MDIs) with alcohol as a vehicle, alcohol-free MDIs, and dry powder inhalers were assessed in homogeneous groups of four to five patients. All subjects were alcohol-free on the preliminary breath test. One minute after inhalation, negative readings were only observed in 25 (36.2%) of subjects. In 62.3% of patients, apparent alcohol results were considered interferences or unstable readings by the breath-test instrument. One subject showed a final positive breath alcohol level (0.07 mg/L). After the use of dry powder inhalers, valid results without interferences were obtained. However, 89.6% of patients in which bronchodilators were delivered by MDIs (with propellant gases in the aerosol) showed altered partial readings and labeled the final output as "invalid," but tests performed 5 min after the use of inhalers were valid and correct in all cases. MDIs with propellants as a vehicle may cause false positive breath alcohol readings in some patients. These effects are transient and may be prevented by a 5-10-min interval between the use of MDIs and breath alcohol testing.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.