The relationship between multiple exposures to violence and war trauma, and mental health and behavioural problems among Palestinian children and adolescents.

The current study aims to investigate the effect of cumulative exposure to violence on mental health amongst children and adolescents living in the Gaza Strip. The sample consists of 1029 children and adolescents aged 11-17 years. Of them, 533 (51.8%) were female and 496 (48.2%) were male. War-traumatic events were measured using the War-Traumatic Events Checklist (W-TECh). Violence was derived from the Multicultural Events Schedule for Adolescents (M.E.S.A.) containing three domains: violence at home, violence in the neighbourhood, and violence at school. Emotional and behavioural problems were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder was measured using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Symptoms Scale (PTSDSS). Finally, depression symptoms were measured by the Depression scale. Around two thirds of the children (64.5%, N = 665) reported that they were exposed to violence at home, 48.2% (N = 497) to violence in the neighbourhood, 78.2% (N = 806) to violence at school. In addition, boys significantly showed more exposure to violence compared to girls. Moreover, the prevalence of PTSD according to DSM-5 is 53.5% (N = 549). The results also showed that cumulative effect of exposure to violence in more contexts (political war trauma, violence at home, neighbourhood and/or school) predicted higher levels of PTSD, social and emotional problems, depression, and overall mental health problems amongst children. Cumulative exposure to violence may increase the propensity of developing mental health problems such as PTSD, emotional and behavioural problems, and depression symptoms and thus interventions should be targeted to these populations.

Natural history, with clinical, biochemical, and molecular characterization of classical homocystinuria in the Qatari population.

Classical homocystinuria (HCU) is the most common inborn error of metabolism in Qatar, with an incidence of 1:1800, and is caused by the Qatari founder p.R336C mutation in the CBS gene. This study describes the natural history and clinical manifestations of HCU in the Qatari population. A single center study was performed between 2016 and 2017 in 126 Qatari patients, from 82 families. Detailed clinical and biochemical data were collected, and Stanford-Binet intelligence, quality of life and adherence to treatment assessments were conducted prospectively. Patients were assigned to one of three groups, according to the mode of diagnosis: (a) late diagnosis group (LDG), (b) family screening group (FSG), and (c) newborn screening group (NSG). Of the 126 patients, 69 (55%) were in the LDG, 44 (35%) in the NSG, and 13 (10%) in the FSG. The leading factors for diagnosis in the LDG were ocular manifestations (49%), neurological manifestations (45%), thromboembolic events (4%), and hyperactivity and behavioral changes (1%). Both FSG and NSG groups were asymptomatic at time of diagnosis. NSG had significantly higher intelligence quotient, quality of life, and adherence values compared with the LDG. The LDG and FSG had significantly higher methionine levels than the NSG. The LDG also had significantly higher total homocysteine levels than the NSG and FSG. Regression analysis confirmed these results even when adjusting for age at diagnosis, current age, or adherence. These findings increase the understanding of the natural history of HCU and highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. SYNOPSIS: A study in 126 Qatari patients with HCU, including biochemical, clinical, and other key assessments, reveals that patients with a late clinical diagnosis have a poorer outcome, hereby highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Fussing and Crying Durations and Prevalence of Colic in Infants.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the mean duration of fussing and crying and prevalence of colic using modified Wessel criteria in infants in the first 3 months of life. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic literature search was performed using the databases Medline, PsycINFO, and Embase. The major outcome measure was mean total fuss/cry duration during 24 hours at ages 1-2 weeks (11 samples), 3-4 weeks (6 samples), 5-6 weeks (28 samples), 8-9 weeks (9 samples), and 10-12 weeks (12 samples). RESULTS: Of 5687 articles reviewed, 28 diary studies (33 samples) were suitable for inclusion in meta-analysis; these studies included 8690 infants. No statistical evidence for a universal crying peak at 6 weeks of age across studies was found. Rather, the mean fuss/cry duration across studies was stable at 117-133 minutes (SDs: 66-70) in the first 6 weeks and dropped to a mean of 68 minutes (SD: 46.2) by 10-12 weeks of age. Colic was much more frequent in the first 6 weeks (17%-25%) compared with 11% by 8-9 weeks of age and 0.6% by 10-12 weeks of age, according to modified Wessel criteria and lowest in Denmark and Japan. CONCLUSIONS: The duration of fussing/crying drops significantly after 8-9 weeks of age, with colic as defined by modified Wessel criteria being rare in infants older than 9 weeks. Colic or excessive fuss/cry may be more accurately identified by defining fuss/cry above the 90th percentile in the chart provided based on the review.

Bullying in the Arab World: Definition, Perception, and Implications for Public Health and Interventions.

The present research aimed to examine bullying among diverse Arab nationalities residing in Qatar across two separate studies. Study 1 examined how Arabic-speaking adolescents and adults describe and perceive bullying, participants (N = 36) from different Arab nationalities (i.e., Egyptians, Qataris, Syrians, and other Arabs) were presented with three tasks in a focus group where they were asked questions about how they describe and perceive three scenarios without reference to the term "bullying". Findings indicated that (1) the majority of participants referred to the intention to cause harm and the imbalance of power in their descriptions, and (2) differences in describing the behaviours in the scenarios were notable when comparing Egyptians with the three other nationalities. Overall, participants frequently chose different Arabic terms (e.g., Ta'adi (تعدي)) in their descriptions of the scenarios. Interestingly, the term Tanammor (تنمُّر), which has been used in previous studies as the Arabic term for bullying, was chosen the least by the current sample. Study 2 examined how Arab-speaking students (N = 117) describe bullying behaviour in seven scenarios using Arabic and English terms. The procedure was administered in English in the international schools, and Arabic in the independent schools. English-speaking students often used the term "bullying", whereas Arabic-speaking students often used behavioural descriptions (e.g., the term "solok sayea" (سلوك سيء) which translates to "bad behaviour"). These findings are discussed in relation to the definition and perspective of bullying among Arabic speakers. There is a need for further investigations to introduce a novel term for bullying within the Arabic language while considering cultural values, norms, and beliefs. This has the potential to promote heightened awareness and comprehension, enabling the formulation of customised intervention approaches, policies, and educational initiatives intended to prevent and alleviate bullying behaviours.

Self and parent perspectives on health-related quality of life of adolescents born very preterm.

OBJECTIVES: To test whether health-related quality of life (HRQL) based on societal standards differs between very low birth weight/very preterm (VLBW/VP) and full-term (FT) adolescents using self and parent proxy reports. Also, to examine whether self and parent reported HRQL is explained by indicators of objective functioning in childhood. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective cohort study followed 260 VLBW/VP adolescents, 12 VLBW/VP adolescents with disability, and 282 FT adolescents. Objective functioning was assessed at 8.5 years; HRQL was assessed at 13 years with the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3). RESULTS: Adolescents reported more functional impairment than their parents especially in the psychological aspects of health. The mean difference in HUI3 multi-attribute utility scores between FT and VLBW/VP adolescents was small (parents: 0.91 [95% CI, 0.90, 0.92] vs 0.88 [95% CI, 0.86, 0.90]; adolescents: 0.87 [95% CI, 0.85, 0.89] vs 0.84 [95% CI, 0.82, 0.86]), but high for VLBW/VP adolescents with disabilities (0.18, 95% CI, -0.04, 0.40). Objective function did not predict HRQL in FT adolescents but contributed to prediction of HRQL in VLBW/VP adolescents without disabilities. Different indicators of objective functioning were important for adolescent vs parent reports. More variation in HUI3 scores was explained by objective function in VLBW/VP parent reports compared with adolescent reports (25% vs 18%). CONCLUSIONS: VLBW/VP adolescents reported poorer HRQL than their FT peers in early adolescence. Improvement in HRQL as VLBW/VP children grow up is, at least partly, explained by exclusion of the most disabled in self reports by VLBW/VP adolescents and the use of different reference points by adolescents compared with parents.

Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of major congenital anomalies: A population-based register study.

Congenital anomalies (CAs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in early life. We aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of major CAs in the State of Qatar. A population-based retrospective data analysis of registry data retrieved from the Perinatal Neonatal Outcomes Research Study in the Arabian Gulf (PEARL-Peristat Study) between April 2017 and March 2018. The sample included 25,204 newborn records, which were audited between April 2017 and March 2018, of which 25,073 live births were identified and included in the study. Maternal risk factors and neonatal outcomes were assessed for association with specific CAs, including chromosomal/genetic, central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular system (CVS), facial, renal, multiple congenital anomalies (MCAs) using univariate and multivariate analyses. The incidence of any CA among live births was 1.3% (n = 332). The most common CAs were CVS (n = 117; 35%), MCAs (n = 69, 21%), chromosomal/genetic (51; 15%), renal (n = 39; 12%), CNS (n = 20; 6%), facial (14, 4%), and other (GIT, Resp, Urogenital, Skeletal) (n = 22, 7%) anomalies. Multivariable regression analysis showed that multiple pregnancies, parity ≥ 1, maternal BMI, and demographic factors (mother's age and ethnicity, and infant's gender) were associated with various specific CAs. In-hospital mortality rate due to CAs was estimated to be 15.4%. CAs were significantly associated with high rates of caesarean deliveries (aOR 1.51; 95% CI 1.04-2.19), Apgar < 7 at 1 min (aOR 5.44; 95% CI 3.10-9.55), Apgar < 7 at 5 min (aOR 17.26; 95% CI 6.31-47.18), in-hospital mortality (aOR 76.16; 37.96-152.8), admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or perinatal death of neonate in labor room (LR)/operation theatre (OT) (aOR 34.03; 95% CI 20.51-56.46), prematurity (aOR 4.17; 95% CI 2.75-6.32), and low birth weight (aOR 5.88; 95% CI 3.92-8.82) before and after adjustment for the significant risk factors. This is the first study to assess the incidence, maternal risk factors, and neonatal outcomes associated with CAs in the state of Qatar. Therefore, a specialized congenital anomaly data registry is needed to identify risk factors and outcomes. In addition, counselling of mothers and their families may help to identify specific needs for pregnant women and their babies.

Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with dyslipidemia and risk of metabolic disorders in the State of Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is recognized as one of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the association between selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with dyslipidemia and increased susceptibility risks of CVD, NAFLD, and/or T2DM in dyslipidemia patients in comparison with healthy control individuals from the Qatar genome project. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 2933 adults (859 dyslipidemia patients and 2074 healthy control individuals) from April to December 2021 to investigate the association between 331 selected SNPs with dyslipidemia and increased susceptibility risks of CVD, NAFLD and/or T2DM, and covariates. RESULTS: The genotypic frequencies of six SNPs were found to be significantly different in dyslipidemia patients subjects compared to the control group among males and females. In males, three SNPs were found to be significant, the rs11172113 in over-dominant model, the rs646776 in recessive and over-dominant models, and the rs1111875 in dominant model. On the other hand, two SNPs were found to be significant in females, including rs2954029 in recessive model, and rs1801251 in dominant and recessive models. The rs17514846 SNP was found for dominant and over-dominant models among males and only the dominant model for females. We found that the six SNPs linked to gender type had an influence in relation to disease susceptibility. When controlling for the four covariates (gender, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes), the difference between dyslipidemia and the control group remained significant for the six variants. Finally, males were three times more likely to have dyslipidemia in comparison with females, hypertension was two times more likely to be present in the dyslipidemia group, and diabetes was six times more likely to be in the dyslipidemia group. CONCLUSION: The current investigation provides evidence of association for a common SNP to coronary heart disease and suggests a sex-dependent effect and encourage potential therapeutic applications.

The Mediating Role of Bullying and Victimisation on the Relationship Between Problematic Internet Use and Substance Abuse Among Adolescents in the UK: The Parent-Child Relationship as a Moderator.

Over the last decade, research into the negative effects of problematic internet use has greatly increased. The current study adopted a mediation-moderation model in exploring the relationship between problematic internet use and substance abuse (drinking, drug use, and smoking tobacco cigarettes) among 1,613 adolescents (aged 10-16) in the UK. The findings of the study revealed a significant positive correlation between problematic internet use and substance abuse, which is mediated by traditional and cyber bullying and victimisation. Furthermore, the parent-child relationship was found to be a protective factor that moderated the correlation between problematic internet use and substance abuse and the correlation between problematic internet use and traditional bullying. The study emphasises the critical need to reduce problematic internet use among adolescents as a risk factor for involvement in bullying as perpetrators and victims, in addition to substance abuse. Furthermore, the findings of the study highlight the importance of a good parent-child relationship as a protective factor among adolescents. In light of the findings of the study, interventions for reducing problematic internet use taking into account bullying and the parent-child relationship are needed among adolescents.

How Can Bullying Victimisation Lead to Lower Academic Achievement? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Mediating Role of Cognitive-Motivational Factors.

Bullying involvement may have an adverse effect on children's educational outcomes, particularly academic achievement. However, the underlying mechanisms and factors behind this association are not well-understood. Previous meta-analyses have not investigated mediation factors between bullying and academic achievement. This meta-analysis examines the mediation effect of cognitive-motivational factors on the relationship between peer victimization and academic achievement. A systematic search was performed using specific search terms and search engines to identify relevant studies that were selected according to specific criteria resulting in 11 studies encompassing a sample total of 257,247 children (10 years and younger) and adolescents (11 years and older) (48-59% female). Some studies were longitudinal and some cross sectional and the assessment for each factor was performed by various methods (self, peer, teacher, school and mixed reports). Children involved in bullying behaviour were less likely to be academically engaged (k = 4) (OR = 0.571, 95% CI [0.43, 0.77], p = 0.000), to be less motivated (k = 7) (OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.69, 0.97], p = 0.021), to have lower self-esteem (k = 1) (OR = 0.12, 95% CI [0.07, 0.20], p = 0.000) and lower academic achievement (k = 14) (OR = 0.62, 95% CI [0.49, 0.79], p = 0.000). Bullying involvement was also significantly related to overall cognitive-motivational factors (k = 17, OR = 0.67, 95% CI [0.59, 0.76], p = 0.000). Cognitive-motivational factors, taken together, mediated the association between bullying victimisation and academic achievement (k = 8, OR = 0.74, 95% CI (0.72, 0.77), p = 0.000). Bullying victimisation was negatively related to cognitive-motivational factors, which, in turn, was associated with poorer academic achievement. These findings were moderated by the design of the studies, assessment methods for the bullying reports, mediators and outcomes, country, age of children in the sample and/or types of bullying. The findings are of relevance for practitioners, parents, and schools, and can be used to guide bullying interventions. Interventions should focus on improving internal and external motivational factors including components of positive reinforcement, encouragement, and programs for enhancing academic engagement and achievement amongst children and adolescents.

Predictive value of tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma for the response to treatment tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia patients.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma (PTPRG) is a member of the receptor-like family protein tyrosine phosphatases and acts as a tumor suppressor gene in different neoplasms. Recent studies reported the down-regulation of PTPRG expression levels in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia disease (CML). In addition, the BCR-ABL1 transcript level is currently a key predictive biomarker of CML response to treatment with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs). The aim of this study was to employ flow cytometry to monitor the changes in the expression level of PTPRG in the white blood cells (WBCs) of CML patients at the time of diagnosis and following treatment with TKIs. WBCs from peripheral blood of 21 CML patients were extracted at diagnosis and during follow up along with seven healthy individuals. The PTPRG expression level was determined at protein and mRNA levels by both flow cytometry with monoclonal antibody (TPγ B9-2) and RT-qPCR, and BCR-ABL1 transcript by RT-qPCR, respectively. PTPRG expression was found to be lower in the neutrophils and monocytes of CML patients at time of diagnosis compared to healthy individuals. Treatment with TKIs nilotinib and Imatinib Mesylate restored the expression of PTPRG in the WBCs of CML patients to levels observed in healthy controls. Moreover, restoration levels were greatest in optimal responders and occurred earlier with nilotinib compared to imatinib. Our results support the measurement of PTPRG expression level in the WBCs of CML patients by flow cytometry as a monitoring tool for the response to treatment with TKIs in CML patients.

Incidence, risk factors, and feto-maternal outcomes of inappropriate birth weight for gestational age among singleton live births in Qatar: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal fetal growth can be associated with factors during pregnancy and at postpartum. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and feto-maternal outcomes associated with small-for-gestational age (SGA) and large-for-gestational age (LGA) infants. METHODS: We performed a population-based retrospective study on 14,641 singleton live births registered in the PEARL-Peristat Study between April 2017 and March 2018 in Qatar. We estimated the incidence and examined the risk factors and outcomes using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: SGA and LGA incidence rates were 6.0% and 15.6%, respectively. In-hospital mortality among SGA and LGA infants was 2.5% and 0.3%, respectively, while for NICU admission or death in labor room and operation theatre was 28.9% and 14.9% respectively. Preterm babies were more likely to be born SGA (aRR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.45-3.57) but male infants (aRR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.4-0.81), those born to parous (aRR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.93), or overweight (aRR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.97) mothers were less likely to be born SGA. On the other hand, males (aRR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.49-2.19), infants born to parous mothers (aRR 2.16; 95% CI, 1.63-2.82), or to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (aRR 1.36; 95% CI, 1.11-1.66), or pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (aRR 2.58; 95% CI, 1.8-3.47) were significantly more likely to be LGA. SGA infants were at high risk of in-hospital mortality (aRR, 226.56; 95% CI, 3.47-318.22), neonatal intensive care unit admission or death in labor room or operation theatre (aRR, 2.14 (1.36-3.22). CONCLUSION: Monitoring should be coordinated to alleviate the risks of inappropriate fetal growth and the associated adverse consequences.

Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Preterm and Early Term Births: A Population-Based Register Study.

Preterm birth (PTB) and early term birth (ETB) are associated with high risks of perinatal mortality and morbidity. While extreme to very PTBs have been extensively studied, studies on infants born at later stages of pregnancy, particularly late PTBs and ETBs, are lacking. In this study, we aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and feto-maternal outcomes of PTB and ETB births in Qatar. We examined 15,865 singleton live births using 12-month retrospective registry data from the PEARL-Peristat Study. PTB and ETB incidence rates were 8.8% and 33.7%, respectively. PTB and ETB in-hospital mortality rates were 16.9% and 0.2%, respectively. Advanced maternal age, pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM), assisted pregnancies, and preterm history independently predicted both PTB and ETB, whereas chromosomal and congenital abnormalities were found to be independent predictors of PTB but not ETB. All groups of PTB and ETB were significantly associated with low birth weight (LBW), large for gestational age (LGA) births, caesarean delivery, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)/or death of neonate in labor room (LR)/operation theatre (OT). On the other hand, all or some groups of PTB were significantly associated with small for gestational age (SGA) births, Apgar < 7 at 1 and 5 min and in-hospital mortality. The findings of this study may serve as a basis for taking better clinical decisions with accurate assessment of risk factors, complications, and predictions of PTB and ETB.

Eating problems at age 6 years in a whole population sample of extremely preterm children.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of eating problems and their association with neurological and behavioural disabilities and growth among children born extremely preterm (EPC) at age 6 years. METHOD: A standard questionnaire about eating was completed by parents of 223 children (125 males [56.1%], 98 females [43.9%]) aged 6 years who were born at 25 weeks' gestation or earlier (mean 24.5 wks, SD 0.7 wks; mean birthweight 749.1 g, SD 116.8 g), and parents of 148 classmates born at term (66 males [44.6%], 82 females [55.4%]). All children underwent neurological, cognitive, and anthropometric assessment, and parents and teachers completed a behaviour scale. RESULTS: Eating problems were more common among the EPC than the comparison group (odds ratio [OR] 3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-6.3), including oral motor (OR 5.2, 95% CI 2.8-9.9), hypersensitivity (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.6-5.6), and behavioural (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.9-7.6) problems. Group differences were reduced after adjustment for cognitive impairment, neuromotor disability, and other behaviour problems. EPC with eating problems were shorter, lighter, and had lower mid-arm circumference and lower body mass index (BMI) even after adjusting for disabilities, gestational age, birthweight, and feeding problems at 30 months. INTERPRETATION: Eating problems are still frequent in EPC at school age. They are only partly related to other disabilities but make an additional contribution to continued growth failure and may require early recognition and intervention.

Traumatic Events and PTSD Among Palestinian Children and Adolescents: The Effect of Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors.

BACKGROUND: The situation in the Gaza Strip is uncommon in the frequency with which children are exposed to war-related traumatic events on a daily basis and because of the long-term nature of the conflict. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among children and adolescents in the Gaza Strip increased after the recent wars. The aims of the study are: To investigate the prevalence and nature of war traumatic events and PTSD; and to investigate how these traumatic events predict PTSD when taking into account demographic and socioeconomic status factors amongst Palestinian children and adolescents in the Gaza Strip. METHODS: The sample consists of 1,029 school pupils (11-17 years old): 533 (51.8%) were female and 496 (48.2%) were male. War-Traumatic Events Checklist (W-TECh) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Symptoms Scale (PTSDSS) were used. RESULTS: The majority of children and adolescents experienced personal trauma (N: 909; 88.4%), witnessed trauma to others (N: 861; 83.7%) and observed demolition of property (N: 908; 88.3%) during the war. Compared to girls, boys showed significantly more exposure to all three event types as well as overall traumatic events. Results also demonstrated that the prevalence of DSM-V PTSD diagnosis was 53.5% (N = 549). Further, children who had experienced personal trauma, trauma to others, and the demolition of property were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD compared to those who had not, even when adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors. The strongest war trauma for PTSD is personal trauma followed by witnessing trauma and then observing demolition of properties. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides valuable evidence that demographic and socioeconomic factors mediate the relationship between different war traumatic events and PTSD. Interventions should take into account the children's background including their gender, age, where they live, and their socioeconomic status (e.g., family income, parents' educational level, family size) to alleviate the psychological symptoms and to enhance their resilience.

Bullying by siblings and peers: Poly-setting victimization and the association with problem behaviours and depression.

BACKGROUND: In recent times, sibling bullying has emerged of interest to researchers concerned with the emotional and behavioural implications for victimization regardless of type and setting. AIMS: This research attempts to extend current knowledge on both peer and sibling bullying and to determine the effects of poly-setting victimization. This paper is concerned with the following objectives: (1) determining the current rate of bullying and victimization among siblings and peers in a large sample of adolescents; (2) investigating the relationship between sibling and peer bullying and depression and behaviour; (3) highlighting the carry-over effects of bullying from one setting to another; and (4) determining the overall association of poly-setting victimization with depression and behaviour. SAMPLE AND METHODS: Over 2,000 adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years participated in an online survey. RESULTS: Results found lower rates of sibling bullying compared to international studies. Sibling victims of bullying were at increased risk of becoming peer victims. Poor friendship quality, disliking school, along with peer and sibling bullying involvement predicted scores in the clinical range for outcome measures of internalizing and externalizing problem. CONCLUSIONS: The current study has clinical and educational implications for working with all important stakeholders (i.e., schools, parents, siblings) to reduce bullying and improve mental health.

Examining the psychological well-being of refugee children and the role of friendship and bullying.

BACKGROUND: Refugee children might have experienced violent and traumatic events before settling into a new country. In the United Kingdom, the number of refugee children is increasing; however, little is known about their psycho-social and physical well-being. AIM: This study aims to investigate the psychological well-being and behaviour of refugee children compared to British-born children on a number of psychological, social, behavioural, and health-related issues and to investigate the role of friendship as a protective factor. SAMPLES: This study utilized a sample of 149 refugee children recruited from two charities, 79 of which are children aged 6-10 years and 70 older refugee children aged 11-16 years. The study also included 120 non-refugee children recruited from primary schools aged 6-10 years. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that investigates the psycho-social well-being of refugee children compared to non-refugee British-born children. The study explored symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, emotional and behavioural problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), self-esteem, friendships and popularity, bullying and victimization, physical health, and psychosomatic problems. RESULTS: Young refugee children reported more peer problems, functional impairment, physical health, and psychosomatic problems compared to the control children and older refugee children groups. On the other hand, older refugee children had lower self-esteem (academic and social self-peers) compared to the younger refugee children group. The differences between the groups were explained by friendship quality, number of friends, peer bullying/victimization, or sibling bullying/victimization except for physical health and psychosomatic problems. CONCLUSIONS: While refugee children were found to be at risk on various levels, the findings also point to the fact that social relationships including friendship quality and number of friends played an essential protective role. Conversely, bullying was a risk factor that explained many of the refugees' problems. These findings pave the way for future research to further probe into the well-being of refugee children in the United Kingdom while also targeting relevant intervention schemes specifically tailored to address their needs.

Psychological Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairment in behavior, communication, and social interaction. Thus, accurate identification, regular behavioral and other nonmedical interventions would improve the diagnosis, management, and treatment of this condition.In this chapter, we investigate the importance of diagnosing and identifying comorbid psychiatric disorders that occur with ASD as these conditions can often complicate treatment, and failure to recognize them can result in deficits that can persist into adolescence and adulthood. In addition, we explore the impact of comprehensive psychological intervention in ASD patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders with the ultimate goal of improving overall quality of life.

Effects of consanguinity in a cohort of subjects with certain genetic disorders in Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Consanguineous marriages are common in the Middle East including the Gulf countries. The rate of consanguinity in Qatar is approximately 54%, which are mainly first cousins' marriages. Previous studies showed that consanguinity increases the prevalence of birth defects and other genetic disorders. Thus, we studied the effects of consanguinity in a cohort of subjects with certain genetic disorders in Qatar. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two centers in Qatar (Hamad Medical Corporation "HMC" and Shafallah "SC") including 599 Qatari families with certain types of genetic and nongenetic anomalies. RESULTS: Consanguineous marriages were seen in 397 of 599 (66.2%) Qatari families and first cousin group counts for 65% in Qatari population. In the total cohort and at HMC, all consanguineous marriages had a significantly higher risk of Autosomal Recessive disorders than nonconsanguineous marriages (total cohort: odds ratio (OR) = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.71; p = .02; HMC: OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.37, 6.09; p = .005). On the other hand, at HMC, nonconsanguinity was significantly related to chromosomal abnormality (OR = 6.36; 95% CI: 1.13, 35.85; p = .036). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest a significant role of parental consanguinity in increasing the prevalence of genetic disorders; mainly Autosomal Recessive disorders. Chromosomal abnormality disorders were significantly higher among nonconsanguineous marriages. These results help better inform policy makers on social, educational, and public health initiatives that might mitigate the impact of genetic disease in the Qatari society.

Aberrant DNA methylation of PTPRG as one possible mechanism of its under-expression in CML patients in the State of Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Several studies showed that aberrant DNA methylation is involved in leukemia and cancer pathogenesis. Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma (PTPRG) expression is a natural inhibitory mechanism that is downregulated in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) disease. The mechanism behind its downregulation has not been fully elucidated yet. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the CpG methylation status at the PTPRG locus in CML patients. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from CML patients at time of diagnosis [no tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)] (n = 13), failure to (TKIs) treatment (n = 13) and healthy controls (n = 6) were collected. DNA was extracted and treated with bisulfite treatment, followed by PCR, sequencing of 25 CpG sites in the promoter region and 26 CpG sites in intron-1 region of PTPRG. The bisulfite sequencing technique was employed as a high-resolution method. RESULTS: CML groups (new diagnosed and failed treatment) showed significantly higher methylation levels in the promoter and intron-1 regions of PTPRG compared to the healthy group. There were also significant differences in methylation levels of CpG sites in the promoter and intron-1 regions amongst the groups. CONCLUSION: Aberrant methylation of PTPRG is potentially one of the possible mechanisms of PTPRG downregulation detected in CML.

Selective drop-out in longitudinal studies and non-biased prediction of behaviour disorders.

BACKGROUND: Participant drop-out occurs in all longitudinal studies, and if systematic, may lead to selection biases and erroneous conclusions being drawn from a study. AIMS: We investigated whether drop out in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents And Children (ALSPAC) was systematic or random, and if systematic, whether it had an impact on the prediction of disruptive behaviour disorders. METHOD: Teacher reports of disruptive behaviour among currently participating, previously participating and never participating children aged 8 years in the ALSPAC longitudinal study were collected. Data on family factors were obtained in pregnancy. Simulations were conducted to explain the impact of selective drop-out on the strength of prediction. RESULTS: Drop out from the ALSPAC cohort was systematic and children who dropped out were more likely to suffer from disruptive behaviour disorder. Systematic participant drop-out according to the family variables, however, did not alter the association between family factors obtained in pregnancy and disruptive behaviour disorder at 8 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Cohort studies are prone to selective drop-out and are likely to underestimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorder. This empirical study and the simulations confirm that the validity of regression models is only marginally affected despite range restrictions after selective drop-out.