Bangkok Business College

Background and objectives: Confronting a serious illness like cancer has the ability to trigger feelings of depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges in a considerable portion of patients. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in cancer patients. Methods: The research was carried out as a cross-sectional study to assess Psychiatric morbidity at Rizgary Teaching Hospital-Oncology department and Nanakali Hospital for Hematology and Oncology, in Erbil city, Iraq. The study was initiated in April 2023 until April 2024. General health questionnaire-28 was used as a screening tool to detect psychiatric morbidity among cancer patients. Results: The majority of the patients showed presence of psychiatric morbidity (59.6%) according to the General Health Questionnaire-28 scale. The mean General Health Questionnaire-28 score of the patients were 26.7±10, the mean score for somatic symptoms was 8.5±3.7, the mean score for anxiety and insomnia was 7.5±4.4, the mean score for social dysfunction was 7.6±1.2, and the mean score for severe depression was 3.3±3.9. Younger age is significantly associated with presence of psychiatric morbidity (46±9.52 vs. 51±6.33) (p=0.001). Gender was also significantly associated with having psychiatric morbidity, as females showed the highest prevalence (66.2%) compared to males (40%) (p<0.05). There is a statistically significant association, between type of treatment and presence of psychiatric morbidity(p=0.039). Conclusion: The mental health issues are prevalent among individuals with cancer. Factors such as age, gender, and treatment type play a significant role in determining the likelihood of these issues occurring.

Background and objectives: Stroke is one of the major causes that leads to death and disability globally. Electrocardiographic abnormalities are seen in acute stroke and may deliver valuable insights into stroke pathophysiology, outcomes, and administration. The aim of the study is to identify some common abnormalities in patients presenting with acute stroke. Methods: In this hospital based cross-sectional prospective study, we analyzed and interpreted the ECG results of 100 patients presented to the emergency department of Shar hospital in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, between February and August 2023. These patients were analyzed with either acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke according to the resuls of computed tomography scan of the brain. Electrocardiograms were acquired during a 24-hour timeframe after admission. Result: The results show that the average age of the participants was 66.5 years. The direct risk factors specified in the study were diabetes (54%), hypertension (59%), smoking (51%), and ischemic heart disease (46%). The incidence of ischemic stroke was 68%, whereas hemorrhagic stroke accounted for 32% of cases. The most common electrocardiogram abnormalities in the study population were atrial fibrillation (31%) and sinus tachycardia (26%). In this study there was a statistically significant association between the electrocardiographic abnormalities and presence of ischemic stroke and heart disease (p<0.05), but no significant association was seen with diabetes or hypertension. Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation and sinus tachycardia were the most common electrocardiogram findings in Iraqi patients presenting with acute stroke. Electrocardiogram abnormalities were related to ischemic stroke and cardiac disease, highlighting their diagnostic and prognostic potential.

This article presents the results of a study on the self-perceived reasons Thai Buddhist background believers in Nongkhai, Northeast Thailand converted to Christianity. The central question of this qualitative grounded-theory study was what do Thai-Buddhist background believers in this area perceive as factors or influences that led them to become Christian? Other studies have focused on Thai Buddhist background believers in general, but this study focused on the unique situation of Isaan or Northeastern Thai living in Nongkhai. This study identified three factors that Thai Nongkhai Buddhist background believers expressed as influences and factors in their Christian conversion. First, participants experienced a mild to severe crisis. Second, participants were attracted to the character of Christians or the Christian lifestyle, and third, the participants perceived a supernatural encounter with God. The significant component in most accounts was the testimony that participants had a supernatural encounter that influenced the convert’s decision to become Christian.

This article is an attempt to compare and contrast biblical divine council cosmology (Heiser, 2008) with Thai Buddhist cosmology. The Ramakien and the Three Worlds According to King Ruang are the primary cultural narratives of the Thai people. These narratives give us insight into the worldview of the Thai. By comparing the Thai worldview with the biblical worldview, we can see where they intersect and where they are in conflict. The goal of this article is to spark a dialogue for producing a Thai theological and apologetic perspective that takes seriously Thai cultural worldview understandings in light of divine council cosmology and develops new tools for reaching Thai culture with the Gospel.