Authors (including presenting author) :
Sze HH(1), Leung TY(2), Chao J(2), Kwong SK(1), Tsui WS(1), Ko WK(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Family Medicine and Primary Healthcare, Queen Marry Hospital, (2) Department of Occupational Therapy, Queen Marry Hospital
Introduction :
Stress is a normal part of life. At times, it serves a useful purpose. Stress can motivate person to get a promotion at work, or to finish the last mile of a marathon. But if a person can't handle the stress and it becomes long-term, it can seriously interfere with one's job, family life, and health. More than half of people say they fight with friends and loved ones because of stress, and more than 70% say they experience real physical and emotional symptoms from it.
Objectives :
To define significant stressors that are commonly found at Primary Healthcare, in order to have better planning on the Integrated Mental Health Program (IMHP)locally.
Methodology :
We retrospectively analyzed all the IMHP patients in two HKWC designated GOPCs from January to June 2018. The patients were classified into mild, moderate and severe categories according to their entry PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores. The corresponding stressors were then compared among the different categories.
Result & Outcome :
From January to Jun 2018, the top stressors among both groups of severe and non-severe categories of IMHP patients were “Relationship problem”, 33.3% and 26.7% correspondingly. The top 3 stressors in the severe category of PHQ-9: Relationship problem, 33.3%; Physical illnesses, 25.4%; Financial problem, 22.2%. The top 3 stressors in the severe category of GAD-7: Relationship problem, 31.3%; Work/ Employment problem, 25%; Physical illnesses, 20.3%. Early attention to these parameters can arrest this downwards spiral, and improvement in these parameters can improve mood and functioning. Our plan of future services/ intervention could be more focused on the relationship problem. Majority of the problems were raised by poor communication skills between the patients with their family members and/ or working colleagues. We should arrange classes or groups to enhance their communication skills. Advising a person to pay attention to these aspects can also improve their resilience, so that they can self-manage at times of stress and decrease the risk of becoming mentally unwell.
Co-location with:
