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Israel's diverse culture presents challenges to the nation's health care system; lack of culturally appropriate care adversely affects overall quality of care. Therefore, cultural competence needs strengthening, especially among mental health nurses, for whom communication is the essence of treatment. The current study aimed to examine and evaluate the degree of cultural competence of mental health nurses in Israel. We sought to determine whether demographic variables, such as age, sex, and other characteristics, have effects on cultural competence. This study used a structured self-report questionnaire to survey 107 Israeli mental health nurses about their perceptions of their own cultural competence. Most participants attributed great importance to sociocultural aspects of patient care (mean score = 4, SD = 0.628) and were knowledgeable, but a majority (mean score = 3, SD = 0.83) reported difficulties implementing their knowledge during treatment. Cultural knowledge and awareness correlated with personal characteristics, such as sex and country of origin. There were gaps between cultural knowledge and the ability to apply existing knowledge in practice. A need exists not only for ongoing training in and maintenance of cultural knowledge, but also for tools to implement culturally appropriate care. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60 (11), 33-39.].

Mental health nurses, tasked with the constant care of clients undergoing mental health treatment, have faced unique challenges arising from the uncertain outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shared exposure of both nurses and their patients to a traumatic event such this pandemic leads to additional challenges and ways of coping. The psychological effects of this shared trauma on mental health nurses arising from the pandemic are the subject of this study. An online survey was used to examine personal levels of anxiety and concern, personal and national resilience (NR), and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among 183 mental health nurses working in mental health services in Israel. Overall, the study revealed moderate levels of concern and relatively low levels of anxiety, with significant negative correlations between personal and NR and levels of concern and anxiety. Higher levels of personal and NR were related to lower levels of concern and anxiety, and there was a significant positive correlation between assessments of personal resilience and NR. A significant positive correlation was found between personal and NR and PTG. Higher religiosity was associated with higher resilience, and higher professional seniority was related to higher PTG. Finally, results for particular demographic subgroups indicate that in Israel, special attention should be given to those mental health nurses who have immigrated to Israel, are non-Jews or have less professional experience., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: The prevalence of gastrointestinal lesions in young men with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is unknown, and there are no evidence-based recommendations for the evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract in this population., Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of significant GI lesions among young males with IDA, and to shed light on potential predictors of their presence., Methods: Clinical, endoscopic, and histological data was retrospectively collected from medical records of 347 young males with IDA., Results: Clinically significant GI lesions were diagnosed in 62 %. Upper GI lesions were found in 35 %. Peptic disease was the most common finding, diagnosed in 30 %. Celiac disease was diagnosed in 4 %. Lower GI tract lesions were diagnosed in 34 %. The most common findings were hemorrhoids (17 %) and inflammatory bowel disease (16 %). Malignant lesions were not detected. GI lesions were encountered more frequently when respective symptoms were obtained. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of GI symptoms and the use of proton pump inhibitors were associated with an increased likelihood of significant GI lesions., Conclusions: GI lesions are common among young men with IDA. GI evaluation is mandatory in symptomatic men and in asymptomatic men when the anemia is resistant to iron therapy. Symptoms may dictate the order of evaluation.

Obesity, a major problem worldwide, is more prevalent among people with schizophrenia. This study examined the effect of behavior intervention, nutritional information and physical exercise on the body mass index (BMI) and weight of people who were hospitalized with persistent DSM-IV schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. Fifty nine inpatients with a BMI greater than 25 participated, (28 intervention group; 31 control group). Significant reductions in BMI and weight were observed in the intervention group after 3 months and were maintained 1-year post study [F(1,52) = 6.1, p = .017) and F(1,52) = 3.7, P = .006, respectively]. If provided with adequate information and an appropriate framework, people with persistent schizophrenia can significantly reduce BMI and weight and maintain the loss.

In a research methodology course, second-year medical students conducted a survey on 'Enforcing a Smoking Ban in the Soroka Medical Center: a Survey of Hospital Employees on Facilitating Factors and Obstacles'. They defined the study objectives and design, developed the study instrument, carried out the survey, coded and entered the data into mainframe computers, analysed the computer output, and prepared oral and written reports. The aims of the project were twofold: to survey employees' attitudes to a hospital smoking ban and to train medical students in the planning and conduct of a research project on public health or preventive medicine. Twelve students conducted a cross-sectional survey of 208 hospital employees (10% of the hospital staff). Employees were surveyed regarding smoking status, interest in quitting smoking, knowledge of the law banning smoking in public places, knowledge of the health effects of passive smoking, attitudes towards a hospital smoking ban and potential obstacles to its implementation. The students rated the course as excellent. They gained important research skills, as well as practical medical and public health experience through active participation in the design and execution of a study project with public health implications. At the first meeting of the hospital committee appointed to enforce a smoke-free hospital, the students' findings were reported in full, and their recommendations have guided policy decisions.

While the long-term effects of war-related psychic trauma on veterans have been studied extensively, the impact of the results of the trauma on wives has received only minimal attention. The implications of combat-induced stress reaction and post-traumatic stress disorder were examined in a sample of 212 wives of Israeli veterans of the 1982 Lebanon War. Both types of reaction in husbands were found to be associated with increased psychiatric and somatic symptoms in their wives.