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Chemali, Zeina

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Chemali

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Zeina

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Chemali, Zeina
Author's Publications: search.filters.isAuthorOfPublication.4f317fd8-da6e-4b27-a228-0db8863cf00e

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    Reflections from the Lebanese field: “First, heal thyself”
    (BioMed Central, 2018) Chemali, Zeina; Smati, Hannah; Johnson, Kelsey; Borba, Christina P. C.; Fricchione, Gregory
    Humanitarian aid workers caring for Syrian refugees face major stressors as they attend to refugees’ needs on the field. Without adequate psychosocial support, evidence has shown that fieldworkers experience high burnout and turnover as well as long-term poor mental health. Unfortunately, scarce training in this regard leaves them ill-equipped to care for themselves and practice resilience while handling trauma in the field. This paper highlights our reflection on working with mindfulness programs during humanitarian crises, specifically how our program, Stress Management and Relaxation Response Training (SMART), has helped over time fieldworkers and the community they cared for. We propose that programs targeting the wellbeing of fieldworkers should be prioritized as part of efforts to improve the international aid response although they may require impeccable coordination and generous resources. We encourage donors to fund those projects viewed as special social protection programs building resilience and strengthening within system support. We argue that this will increase the efficacy of the crisis intervention and work towards sustainable peace building.
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    Making strides in women’s mental health care delivery in rural Ethiopia: demographics of a female outpatient psychiatric cohort at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (2006–2008)
    (Dove Medical Press, 2013) Chemali, Zeina; Borba, Christina PC; Henderson, Tanya E; Tesfaye, Markos
    This paper presents the delivery of mental health care to a sample of women living in Jimma, rural Ethiopia, and their access to mental health services. A total of 226 psychiatric charts were reviewed for women seen at Jimma University Specialized Hospital. The mental health charts included documentation ranging from one paragraph to a full note. No psychiatric chart recorded medication status, detailed substance abuse history, or a history of violence. Rendering appropriate mental health care for women requires concerted efforts by multiple stake holders. Using our results, we advance concrete and practical suggestions for improving women’s mental health in rural Ethiopia. We point out that the health care system needs to be responsive, allowing for change starting with gender rights, so that rural women have access to basic mental health services.
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    Diagnosing Early Onset Dementia and Then What? A Frustrating System of Aftercare Resources
    (Dove Medical Press, 2012) Chemali, Zeina; Schamber, S; Tarbi, EC; Acar, Diler; Avila-Urizar, M
    Recent studies indicate that the prevalence of early onset dementia (EOD) is more common than it was once presumed. As such, and considering the substantial challenges EOD presents to the patient, caregivers, and health care providers, this study sought to investigate the mechanism of care delivered to these patients. A medical record chart review was conducted for 85 patients attending a memory disorder unit who initially presented to rule out EOD as a working diagnosis. The results suggest that while the majority of these patients received an extensive work-up and were heavily medicated, they remained at home, where they lacked adequate age-related services and could not be placed, despite the crippling caregiver burden. This manuscript is a platform to discuss our current system limitations in the care of these patients with an eye on new opportunities for this challenging group.