Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health among a Sample of University Workers in the United Arab Emirates.

Research on the mental health of university staff during the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered a high prevalence of probable anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder among academic and non-academic staff in many parts of the world. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and resilience among a sample of faculty and staff members working in the Higher College of Technology campuses in the UAE. From September to November 2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out using an online survey. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, The Patient Health Questionnaire (9-items), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to assess anxiety, depression, and resilience. The impact of COVID-19 was assessed using a designated list of questions. The results demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the mental health of the studied sample of university workers, with almost 16% of the participants having moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety symptoms. This study highlighted significant differences in the participants' depressive and anxiety symptoms due to sociodemographic differences. Depression and anxiety symptoms were most prevalent among females, those of UAE nationality, and never-married workers, with females scoring 5.81 on the PHQ-9 compared to only 4.10 in males, p = 0.004 *. UAE-national participants had significantly higher mean PHQ-9 scores than their non-national counterparts (6.37 ± 5.49 SD versus 4.77 ± 5.1 SD, respectively, p = 0.040 *). Overall, the total mean scores of all participants were below the assumed cut-off threshold of having a high resilience level (29.51 ± 7.53 SD). The results showed a significant difference in severe depression symptoms as a result of the impact of COVID-19. These results could imply that the COVID-19 pandemic might have augmented negative mental health impacts on this sample of university workers. This study highlighted some areas where the responsible authorities can intervene to further protect and enhance the mental health of university workers, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental well-being of students worldwide. There is a scarcity of information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19, including depression, anxiety and resilience among a sample of university students in the UAE. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from September to November 2021. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess depression, anxiety, and resilience. The COVID-19 impact was assessed using a list of questions. RESULTS: Only, 798 students completed the survey and were analyzed for this study. Overall, 74.8% of the students were females, 91.2% were never married, and 66.3% were UAE-nationals. Based on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 cut-off scores (≥ 10), four out of ten of the students self-reported moderate to severe depression (40.9%) and anxiety (39.1%). Significantly higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found among students who were impacted by COVID-19 than those non-impacted (mean PHQ-9 = 9.51 ± 6.39 and 6.80 ± 6.34; p = 0.001, respectively) and (mean GAD-7 = 9.03 ± 6.00 and 8.54 ± 6.02; respectively, p < 0.001). Female students who were impacted by COVID-19 had statistically significant higher depression and anxiety scores (mean PHQ-9 of 9.14 ± 5.86 vs. 6.83 ± 6.25, respectively; p < 0.001) than the non-impacted females (mean GAD-7 of 9.57 ± 6.32 vs. 5.15 ± 3.88, respectively; p = 0.005). Never married students had significantly higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores than ever-married (9.31 ± 6.37 vs. 6.93 ± 5.47, P = 0.003) and (8.89 ± 6.11 vs. 7.13 ± 5.49, respectively; p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of this sample of university students in terms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for university students and focus on vulnerable groups.

Intimate partner violence among Arab women before and during the COVID-19 lockdown.

INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a serious human rights violation and an important health concern during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to estimate the proportion of IPV among adult Arab women before and during the COVID-19 lockdown and to identify its possible predictors during the lockdown. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2020 using an online questionnaire. The sample included 490 adult Arab women aged 18 years and above, who live with their husbands. Data was collected using a Google forms designed questionnaire that included the socio-demographic characteristics, nature of lockdown, and exposure to different types of IPV before and during COVID-19 lockdown and the frequency of their occurrence. McNemar's test was used to determine differences in the exposure to IPV before and during the lockdown, while logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of exposure to IPV during the lockdown. RESULTS: Half of women reported that they were ever exposed to IPV with psychological violence ranking 1st. Exposure to any type of IPV and exposure to psychological, physical, and sexual violence have significantly increased during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. The frequency of exposure to the different types of IPV ranged from 1-3 times per month to almost every day, but the most commonly reported was 1-3 times per month. Predictors of exposure to IPV during the COVID-19 lockdown included country of residence, family income, and whether the husband lost his job during lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: IPV has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the Arab countries, and it was associated with the socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic on families. Actions towards raising awareness about the problem among professionals and the community, early detection, and provision of appropriate services are mandatory.

Barriers to breast cancer screening among a sample of Egyptian females.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is usually diagnosed in late stages in countries with limited resources. Early detection of BC is likely to improve the outcome of the disease for women in these areas. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the possible personal, economic, and systems barriers to BC screening in a sample of Egyptian women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in family health centers representing the seven districts of Alexandria governorate, Egypt. A total of 612 women were randomly selected from the chosen centers. RESULTS: IN THIS SAMPLE OF EGYPTIAN WOMEN, THE MOST FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO BC SCREENING WERE THE FOLLOWING: 81.8% would not seek care until they were ill, 77% were unwilling to have a mammogram until it was recommended by the doctor, 71.4% blamed the, lack of privacy, 69.2% thought that medical checkups were not worthwhile, and 64.6% blamed the cost of services. The study further revealed that women of lower education, women in the lower income category, women who did not do paid work, those who had poor knowledge of the risks of BC, and women with no family history of BC were more likely to perceive different screening barriers compared with their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Many potential personal, economic, and health system barriers were identified. Addressing these barriers by increasing the awareness of BC and dealing with the misconceptions that the women have can help the policy makers to design more culturally relevant strategies to motivate women to utilize screening services.

Raising the Breast Health Awareness amongst Women in an Urban Slum Area in Alexandria, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Breast Cancer (BC) is the most frequently occurring cancer among Egyptian women. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a health education program on raising the knowledge related to BC, its risk factors, and some related preventive practices among women living in an urban slum area in Alexandria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A pre-/post-test interventional study was conducted during 2009-2010 on a random sample of women aged 30-65 years (n = 486) living in a slum area in Alexandria, Egypt. 20 health education sessions were carried out to educate the women on BC risk factors and some preventive practices. Previously trained nurses educated the sampled women on breast self-examination (BSE). The women's knowledge and opinion about BC and their practice of BSE were evaluated before and 3 months after the intervention. RESULTS: The findings indicated a significant increase in the mean knowledge score regarding BC and the mean opinion score regarding some BC risk factors. A significant increase in the practice of BSE was observed post intervention. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the effectiveness of intervention programs in improving the knowledge about BC risk factors and practice of BSE even in a group of women with a low literacy rate living in a slum area.