The purpose of the research described in the article “Sexual health knowledge and risk behavior in young people with first-episode psychosis” is to provide an analysis of sexual health knowledge, risk behavior, and STI screening history among young people who experienced the first episode of psychosis. The results of the study indicated that there is a need for sexual health screening education to address sexual health and harm minimization issues. The purpose of the study is clearly set in the abstract, however, the authors have failed to provide a valid basis for their research. In particular, the opening section titled “Background” contains the statement that it is subjectively known that STI and unwanted pregnancies add anxiety to the lives of young people and it is increasingly accepted that psychiatric illness among the young is associated with a range of adverse life consequences. Thus, the whole research is based on subjective assumptions rather than proved information.
The research was limited to the area of south-eastern Sydney and the results of the survey are valid only for this area. The “Method” section described in detail the participants, questionnaire, and data analysis. The authors specifically stated that the purpose of the questionnaire was to assess safe sex-related knowledge and risk perception among young people who had experienced the first episode of psychosis. The limitations of the study were also addressed: individuals without a mental health diagnosis and those who were currently experiencing psychosis were excluded from the survey. Nevertheless, the choice of a questionnaire as a method to collect primary information was not justified.
The “Results” section is well-planned and logically presented. The authors have provided statistical information on respondent characteristics, history of sexual activity, sexual health knowledge, attitudes concerning safer sex, and sexually transmitted infection screening history. These five results correspond to the five questions from the questionnaire. It is important to note that the validity of the research is questionable because of the small sample (results are based only on 62 questionnaires) and the insufficient response rate (56%). Referring to the results, the research hypothesis is not justified because 82% of all respondents reported self-perceived knowledge of safer sex as “good” and “60% of the respondents reported having STI screen.
The “discussion” section is detailed and informative. The authors referred to recent studies in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden to support the results of their research. This section is the longest part of the report and is the most useful in terms of research application. Nevertheless, the authors failed to provide the recommendation for further research, study limitations, and conclusion. It is noted in the concluding part that there is a need to improve the knowledge among young mentally ill people, to provide access to support groups, and to require healthcare workers to further educate about STI screen. These conclusions could not be drawn from the survey and are the results of the author’s assumptions rather than analysis of collected information.
In summary, the authors have raised an important question, however, they failed to conduct and to present a valid study. The small sample of respondents and limited geographic area reduce the validity of the research to the specific region and cannot be applied in a broader context. The “discussion” section and application suggestions are vaguely related to the “results” section and are based on secondary literature rather than information collected through questionnaires. The report cannot be used as a reliable source of information.
References
Shield, H., Fairbrother, G. & Obmann, H. (2005). Sexual health knowledge and risk behaviour in young people with first episode psychosis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 14, 149–154.