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Introduction: significant numbers of patients with epilepsy have poor knowledge of their disease. Patients' knowledge of disease is related to their success in coping with the disease and adherence to medication; which is one of the key factors that determined the success of pharmacotherapy in patient with epilepsy. In this study, we evaluate the level of knowledge of epilepsy among patient with Epilepsy in a tertiary mental health care facility. Methods: using a cross-sectional design, 410 patients with epilepsy attending general outpatient clinic of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri in Northeastern Nigeria were sampled randomly into the study after fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sociodemographic, clinical and epilepsy knowledge questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18 Results: 263 (64.1%) had poor knowledge of epilepsy and 290 (70%) had less frequent seizures (having fewer than four seizure episodes in the last three months). Independent predictors of knowledge of Epilepsy were intermediate skilled employment (O.R = 2.32, P = 0.022, 95% C I = 1.13 - 4.76); semiskilled employment (O. R = 1/85, p = 0.001, 95% C I = 1.10 - 3.12); seizure frequency (O R = 1.72, p = 0.031, 95% C I = 1.31 - 3.24). Conclusion: the level of knowledge of epilepsy among people with epilepsy was low with more than 64.1% percent of the participants had poor knowledge of epilepsy. Occupational status and seizure frequencies were independent predictors of knowledge of epilepsy. We therefore recommend psycho-educational programs be incorporated in the routine clinical care of the patients and for clinicians to pay more attention to providing information and education needs of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evolving concept in recovery from mental illness dwells on the patients' perspectives towards attainment of life goals despite incomplete remission. The study aims to explore the level of recovery attitude and the possible association with socio-demographic and clinical variables. Two hundred and eighty two male and female patients' with schizophrenia were interviewed using structured instruments: Recovery Attitude Questionnaire (RAQ), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Oslo 3 Social Support Scale, Morisky Medication adherence Scale (MMAS) and Simpson and Angus Scale (SAS). Chi square analysis was used to assess for the correlates of recovery attitude and variables with significant associations were subjected to binary logistic regression analysis. Two hundred and forty two (85.8%) of the participants had positive recovery attitude and the correlates of positive recovery attitude were: being employed (χ² = 5.702; p = 0.017), duration of illness less than one year (χ² = 7.947; p = 0.047), nil hospital admission (χ² = 10.75; p = 0.013), nil history of relapse (χ² = 6.307; p = 0.012), normal to minimally ill on BPRS (χ² =18.20; p = 0.000), high social support (χ² = 44.72; p = 0.000) and low stigma on discrimination (χ2 = 8.173; p = 0.004), social withdrawal (χ² (χ² = 33.36; p = 0.000). The study revealed a high level of positive recovery attitude among patients with schizophrenia with high social support being the greatest independent predictor of recovery attitude. The outcome of this study therefore draws attention to the potential benefit of programmes that strengthen the social network as well as hope inspiring activities to enhance recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Substance use disorders present with multiple drug-related problems that need to be evaluated with a view to planning and administering holistic interventions that could potentially improve addiction treatment outcomes. Many valid instruments are available for assessing the problems that occur in addiction but most of them require some training and they take a lot of time to administer. This study validates a shorter self-administered version of the Addiction severity Index (ASI) against the Clinician-administered ASI with a view to cutting the time needed to administer the instrument., Methods: The study recruited 142 patients in a residential treatment center. Correlation coefficient and t -test were used to assess for the convergence of the two version., Results: The correlation coefficients ranged from 0.52 to 0.97 for the different domain of the ASI with higher endorsement of problems in the self-administered than clinician administered version in most domains., Conclusion: The self-administered ASI is a valid alternative to the clinician-administered ASI and it saves valuable time especially in resource-constrained settings., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Nigerian Medical Journal.)