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Mental Health a Ticking Time Bomb in Thailand, Suicide Jumps 22%

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Mental Health a Ticking Time Bomb in Thailand, Suicide Jumps 22%

The number of Thai people suffering from mental health issues increased from 1.3 million in 2015 to 2.3 million last year, while suicides also increased tenfold.

These troubling statistics show that the country’s mental health is a ticking time bomb that must be addressed immediately to avoid terrible consequences.

One mother expressed her agony as she watched her son’s life spiral out of control after he chose a road of drug misuse to deal with his mental challenges, according to Thai PBS News.

“I observed a difference in his behaviour, but I couldn’t afford treatment,” the mother said, speaking on anonymity.

Before his mental health began to deteriorate, her son, now 25, worked as a mechanic in auto garages.

“These days, he just sits motionless, staring into space all day,” she explained. “I don’t have the money or the social standing to send him to drug rehab.”

mental health

Limited Psychiatrists in Thailand

There are only 845 practicing psychiatrists in Thailand, or around one for every 100,000 inhabitants. However, it is estimated that one out of every 2,721 persons requires therapy.

Thailand’s ratio is insignificant compared to Switzerland, which has 47.17 psychiatrists per 100,000 people.

Because of their heavy workload, psychiatric therapists in Thailand’s public hospitals have limited time to give to each patient.

According to Asst Prof Dr. Thammanard Charernboon’s report, each counselling session for a returning patient should last at least 15 minutes, while each counselling session for a new patient should be at least half an hour.

“According to this criteria, psychiatrists should commit no more than four hours to 20 patients,” the paper said.

Currently, government psychiatrists serve between 30 and 50 patients every four hours to avoid interminable wait times.

Mental health deteriorated

Orn, 45, has suffered mental health problems for almost a decade. She worked hard to manage her job and coworkers, but she eventually gave up because her mental health deteriorated.

“It took my family and me a long time to face the fact – that I’m mentally sick,” she added. “It’s hard to face the music. We only began to face this unpleasant reality once my mental illness negatively impacted those around me.”

Her family stated they contacted various state institutions hoping to make an appointment with a psychiatrist were told they would have to wait three to four months.

mental health

“Because my family felt I couldn’t wait any longer, I was admitted to a private hospital.” The doctor’s fees and medications were prohibitively expensive, and I had health insurance. “But there was no other option if I wanted to save my mental health,” she explained.

Her first appointment lasted nearly an hour, and she had to see her psychiatrist every month. Each appointment cost approximately 20,000 baht, most of the money going toward the medications she was prescribed.

“They were pricey. But I couldn’t have lived with others if it hadn’t been for the treatment,” Orn admitted bluntly.

She said that as soon as her illness improved, she stopped going to the doctor to save money. She is currently taking over-the-counter medications and is on a waiting list to see a public health psychiatrist.

Time to Train Psychiatrists

According to Dr. Varoth Chotpitayasunondh, a spokesperson for the Mental Health Department, it takes a long time to aquire a psychiatrist because training can only begin after students have graduated from medical school and spent three years as general practitioners.

General psychiatrists must complete three years of training, while those interested in child and adolescent mental health must complete an additional year.

“Training is also not free. Aspirants must fund the costs themselves or receive a scholarship, according to Dr. Varoth, who is also a psychiatrist.

mental health

He also stated that only a few scholarships are available in this field because relevant firms only provide financial assistance when they need to find replacements.

“Production capacity is also limited since we need to prepare three very experienced lecturers specialized in the discipline to produce a psychiatrist,” he explained. “We don’t have many psychiatrists, let alone specialists, in the country.”

Can clinical psychologists help?

Thailand might take solace in the knowledge that clinical psychologists can perform some of the functions of psychiatrists. However, they cannot prescribe medications. These healthcare experts, however, are in short supply.

“We also have a clinical psychologist shortage,” Varoth stated.

There is no psychologist at any state hospitals in Trat, Phrae, Samut Songkhram, Sing Buri, Nong Bua Lamphu, or Ang Thong, while Loei has only one psychologist for 52,717 patients.

The Thai Counseling Psychology Association and the Mental Health Department are collaborating closely to establish standards so that counselling psychologists can help fill the gap.

This procedure, however, is projected to take another four or five years because it involves numerous stakeholders and necessitates the development of robust regulations.

Suicide Crisis in northern Thailand

Suicide appears to be the most common in Thailand’s northern areas. For three of the five years between 2016 and 2020, Mae Hong Son had the greatest number of self-inflicted deaths. Suicides were also common in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phrae, Tak, Nan, and Lampang. Except for Tak, all of these provinces are in the north.

Suicides per 100,000 individuals in Mae Hong Son were 17.44 in 2020, whereas the percentages in Tak and Chiang Mai were 15.46 and 14.61, respectively.

“We’ve found that more and more people in Thailand are suffering from depression,” Varoth added.

As of June this year, an estimated 1.35 million Thais were depressed. Meanwhile, the number of patients receiving depression treatment increased from 4,295 in 2013 to 259,467 in 2017.

“This increase can be attributed to increased stress and knowledge of mental health issues,” Dr. Varoth explained.

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Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

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Pfizer

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

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New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

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New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

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Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke
If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

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Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

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Breast Cancer

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP

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