-ส่วนบทนำ-

Abstract

Editorial Note To continue the thrive to excellence as a member of  the ASEAN Citation Index (ACI) database, the Thai Pharmaceutical and Health Science Journal has been publishing all articles in English for the second issue of this year. We still have caught attention from research focusing on international health problems. In this second  issue of volume 11, the study entitled “Relationships between Protective Factors and Mental Health of Adolescents in Mongar, Bhutan” demonstrated a rigorous study conduct and an alarming mental health not only the adolescents but the family members, the community, and the society as well. The study poses a vital question, as every society’s future is in the hand of the new generation. The study findings could also trigger in-depth consideration in each of every society with shared culture, norm, and value, if not entirely comparable. The study in Thailand on the Myanmar immigrants in the Thailand-Myanmar border province of Kanachanaburi reflects beyond pharmacy-related issues. In addition to the roles and responsibilities of community pharmacy to be identified and the problems that had been identified and solved, the problems of taking care of these Myanmar immigrants are still considerably non-manageable. In this era of global workforce migration, problems associating with these immigrants are undeniable. Fortunately, the study implied some hope that community pharmacy or drugstores could be a promising partnership in healthcare system. The governmental healthcare sector should not turn away from this fact. Various cooperative services could be put in place at the community pharmacy. These include screening service, referral service, and community visit for follow-up. If available, a seamless healthcare service could be achieved in a near future. A better health status of these immigrants could result in a better work force, less economic burden in the long-run and a less societal problem. The other two studies involving caregivers of the patients, a growing concern in the coming years of elderly-dominated society. The more the number of the elderly, the more the illnesses that come with age. As a result, more family members to become the caregiver. The burden is now growing to the family caregivers. The illness of a family member causes stress, both physical and mental to the caregivers with various extent. Any intervention or program to help the caregivers cope and manage the challenge effectively could result in a preserved or even improved quality of life of theirs. The first study aimed to explore the health promoting behaviors of the caregivers of heart failure patient while the second one tested the effects of the program to enhance the caregivers’ skill in coping with stress and burden in taking care of patients with schizophrenia. In addition to previous research, these two studies not only add to the literature the findings on how critical interventions on the caregivers of patients with chronic illnesses are, but also suggest ways to develop practical interventions, if not merely a perfect one. In this challenging endeavor of the Thai Pharmaceutical and Health Science Journal, we are hopeful to better the quality of the articles published. We urge more submissions from international research community, regional and global. We would like to thank in advance for any prospective submissions.