Browsing by Author "Freeman, Melvyn"

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    Mental health and physical health (Including HIV/AIDS)
    (Elsevier, 2008) Kagee, Ashraf; Freeman, Melvyn
    INTRODUCTION: According to the World Health Report 2001, over the past 20 years a fundamental and inseparable connection between mental and physical health has been convincingly established (WHO, 2001). Both mental and physical health are influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviour have a major impact on physical health. Conversely, physical health has an important influence on mental health and wellbeing. The report notes two critical pathways through which this occurs: Physiological systems such as neuro-endocrine and immune functioning and health behaviour. These pathways are not independent: Behaviour may affect physiology, while physiological functioning may in turn affect health behaviour. In this article, we examine the historical shift that has occurred from a dualistic conception of health and illness to the bio-psychosocial model that emphasizes an integration of mind and body. We explore this interrelationship using the examples of somatoform disorder, chronic pain, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Finally, we focus on some of the somatic manifestations of mental illness.
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    An overview of cancer research in South African academic and research institutions, 2013 - 2014
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 2016-06) Moodley, Jennifer; Stefan, D. Cristina; Sewram, Vikash; Ruff, Paul; Freeman, Melvyn; Asante-Shongwe, Kwanele
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background and objectives. Cancer is emerging as a critical public health problem in South Africa (SA). Recognising the importance of research in addressing the cancer burden, the Ministerial Advisory Committee on the Prevention and Control of Cancer (MACC) research working group undertook a review of the current cancer research landscape in SA and related this to the cancer burden. Methods. Academic and research institutions in SA were contacted to provide information on the titles of all current and recently completed (2013/2014) cancer research projects. Three MACC research working group members used the project titles to independently classify the projects by type of research (basic, clinical and public health – projects could be classified in more than one category) and disease site. A more detailed classification of projects addressing the five most common cancers diagnosed in males and females in SA was conducted using an adapted Common Scientific Outline (CSO) categorisation. Results. Information was available on 556 cancer research projects. Overall, 301 projects were classified as clinical, 254 as basic science and 71 as public health research. The most common cancers being researched were cancers of the breast (n=95 projects) and cervix (n=43), leukaemia (n=36), non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (n=35) and lung cancer (n=23). Classification of the five most common cancers in males and females in SA, using the adapted CSO categories, showed that the majority of projects related to treatment, with relatively few projects on prevention, survivorship and patient perspectives. Conclusion. Our findings established that there is a dearth of public health cancer research in SA.