Facilitators and barriers of mental health help-seeking behaviours among adolescents in Oman: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore and identify facilitators and barriers to help-seeking behaviours among adolescents in Oman, by exploring the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and behaviour towards mental health help-seeking. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was used and 424 adolescents were recruited to participate in the study. Participants were asked to complete five self-reported questionnaires, including two open-ended questions about the main motivations and barriers to seeking professional help for mental problems. RESULTS: It was found that those with positive help-seeking attitudes towards mental health were more knowledgeable about mental health, had more positive attitudes towards mental illness, and had higher intention to help seeking. On the contrary, those with higher help-seeker stereotypes had more negative attitudes towards mental illness. Having an adequate support system, being positive and knowledgeable about mental illness, and the reputation of mental health are the main factors facilitating seeking professional help. However, fear, lack of family support, and the time-consuming procedures were the main barriers emerging from the open-ended questions. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes by identifying facilitating factors as well as barriers in an Arabic context (Oman) to fill the exiting knowledge gap; both need to be considered when planning interventions targeting the younger individuals in this society.

Stress and loneliness: exploring adolescents' use of social media as a coping strategy during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, adolescents used various coping strategies to manage stress and loneliness. One such strategy was to engage in active coping, social relations coping and humour coping via social media. Such coping strategies can be helpful but can also reinforce stress and loneliness. AIM: To explore adolescents' use of social media to manage stress and loneliness at a time of restricted social contacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential differences between adolescents according to gender, age, area of residence and extent of social media use. METHOD: A cross-sectional design and an online questionnaire were used to survey a convenience sample of adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years in Jordan. Three data collection tools were used - the modified Brief Coping Scale, the six-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS: A total of 770 adolescents participated, half of whom were using social media more than before the pandemic. Increased use of active coping, social relations coping and humour coping was associated with decreases in stress and loneliness. Active coping contributed the most to reducing levels of stress while social relations coping contributed the most to reducing levels of loneliness. Younger participants made more use of active coping and humour coping than older participants. CONCLUSION: Social media use can be a positive coping strategy for adolescents to manage stress and loneliness during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prevalence, Predictors, and the Role of Social Support in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Cancer Patients in Oman.

BACKGROUND: Cancer, regardless of type, presents a formidable life challenge affecting patients' psychological well-being. Many perceive cancer diagnosis and treatment as traumatic. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence in Omani adult cancer patients, identify predictors, and probe its correlation with social support. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 343 adult cancer patients undergoing treatment from 3 hospitals in the Middle East country of Oman. Posttraumatic stress disorder was assessed via the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and perceived social support was measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. RESULTS: The prevalence of PTSD among Omani adult cancer patients was 27.4%. Enhanced social support correlated with lower PTSD risk (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-0.97; P < .001). Predictors included shorter time since diagnosis (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99; P = .017), no psychiatric referral (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.23-0.96; P = .04), and insufficient social support (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.98; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Social support significantly mitigates PTSD risk. Routine assessment and psychiatric referrals, especially for recent diagnoses, can enhance patients' lives. Reevaluating the PTSD diagnostic cutoff score (33) merits consideration for improved clinical use. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Early PTSD assessment, particularly for low-social support new-diagnosed patients, is crucial for timely intervention. Psychiatric referrals can guide specialized treatments. Stressing social support's role can guide healthcare providers, including oncology nurses, in supporting patients effectively.

Correlates of resilience among university students in Oman: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Resilience has a paramount role in dealing with different life stressors and has a great impact on mental health. AIM: To assess the level of resilience among university students and explore the relation between resilience and a number of variables including psychological well-being, self-esteem and physical health. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was utilized. Data was collected from 676 university students. Students were required to complete a demographic sheet, Brief Resilience Scale, World Health Organization Well-Being Index, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a physical health survey. RESULTS: Overall, less than half of the participants have reported low levels of resilience (45.3%; n = 306). Regular sleep, perceived stress, WHO well-being index, self-esteem, and having a cumulative GPA of more than two, were factors that significantly predicted positive resilience in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Resilience is a necessary skill among university students that requires more academic attention. Factors predicting positive resilience should be considered when implementing mental health promotion programs.

Pregnant Women's experiences with intimate partner violence one year after the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan.

AIM: To assess the prevalence and compare the levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) before and during the pandemic and to identify the factors that associated with physical IPV among Jordanian pregnant women. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, correlational design. Women were asked to report their experience with IPV twice: during and before the pandemic. METHODS: A convenience sampling technique was used to select pregnant women from National Woman's Health Care Center from 15 April to 1 September 2021. The Domestic Violence Questionnaire Screening Tool (DVQST) was used to assess the levels of IPV. RESULTS: The women (n = 232) who participated in the study experienced considerable levels of IPV before (69% control IPV, 59.90% psychological, 46.10% physical, 43.10% sexual) and during (75.90% control IPV, 64.20% psychological, 46.10% physical, 40.90% sexual) the pandemic. There were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) higher mean DVQST scores for control IPV and psychological IPV during the pandemic (control IPV mean = 9.78, psychological mean = 7.03) versus before the pandemic (control IPV mean = 8.95, psychological mean = 6.62). Woman's educational level, marriage duration, woman's employment status, and level of mutual understanding were inversely associated with physical IPV during the pandemic. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: IPV is a global public health problem and a major violation of human rights. The levels of control IPV and psychological IPV increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the levels of physical and sexual IPV stayed the same. Antenatal screening for IPV is crucial to save women and their offspring from suffering this type of violence.

Self and public stigma towards mental illnesses and its predictors among university students in 11 Arabic-speaking countries: A multi-site study.

This study aimed to explore self and public stigma towards mental illness and associated factors among university students from 11 Arabic-speaking countries. This cross-sectional study included 4241 university students recruited from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Syria, Sudan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt. The participants completed three self-administrative online questionnaires-Demographic Proforma (age, gender, family income, etc.), Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale and Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire. There was a significant difference in the average mean between the 11 countries (p < 0.01) based on stigma agreement (self) and stigma awareness (public). The mean stigma agreement towards mental illnesses among university students was 19.7 (SD = 6.0), with the lowest in Lebanon, 15.9 (SD = 5.1) and the highest in UAE, 24.1 (SD = 5.6). The factors associated with stigma agreement included poor knowledge, being male, high family income, age, weak cumulative grade point average (cGPA), mothers with primary education, an unemployed parent, students in scientific colleges and fathers who completed secondary or university degrees. Furthermore, the factors associated with stigma awareness included good knowledge, acceptable cGPA and having a father who has a low income and is illiterate. Stigma towards mental illness varies among university students across Arabic-speaking countries. There is a need to sensitize youngsters to the need for a humanitarian approach in society to individuals affected by mental health concerns. Major governmental reforms must be initiated for the provision of mental health services for individuals with mental illnesses.

Reasons for Not Seeking Professional Help by Abused Refugee Women: A Qualitative Study.

This study aimed to gain insight into factors that have an impact on Syrian abused refugee women's decision for seeking professional help regarding intimate partner violence (IPV) against them. This study attempted to answer the following question; what are the reasons for not seeking professional help by victims of IPV among refugee women? The qualitative method was used with semi-structured interviews in an accessible sample of 30 abused refugee women, who were identified by cooperated local community organizations working with the refugee. Five reasons emerged from the interviews affecting seeking help behaviors for refugee women: misconceptions about IPV problem; difficulties to access and approach different care centers; lack of awareness about the negative consequences of IPV; unaware, negative expectations, negative experiences, and incorrect thoughts about IPV's services; and psychological and physical health difficulties. The authors suggested some recommendations in light of this study results. Raising awareness activities toward the negative impact of violence on women's and children well-being, improving service availability, building professional capacities to work with abused women, and providing professional services for depressed and amputee's refugee women.

The relationship between peer bullying and PTSS in refugee schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the relationship between Peer bullying (PB) and Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology (PTSS) in a sample of refugee Syrian schoolchildren in Jordanian schools. METHOD: The study sample was composed of 116 Syrian refugees (female = 62, 53.4% male = 54, 46.6%) ages 9-18 years with a mean age of 14.5 years (SD 1.18) who had been in Jordan for at least 3 years and were studying in five public schools (three for females and two for males) located in Irbid and Mafraq governorates in the northern area of Jordan between the June 14, 2018 and the March 20, 2019. RESULTS: The results indicated that 116 children out of 180 (64.4%) suffer from high levels of PB (physical M = 1.47, verbal M = 1.41, and relational M = 1.35). The most prevailing type of bullying was the physical type, followed by the verbal and the relational types. Moreover, the three types of PB were positively and significantly correlated with PTSS (physical, r = .20, p < .05, verbal, r = .26, p < .01, relational, r = .22, p < .05), and (total PB, r = .43, p < .05). PB accounted for 14% of the variability in PTSS. Finally, the results did not indicate any significant differences in PB by gender, age, length of exposure to PB, living conditions, or disability. CONCLUSIONS: This study may provide a deeper understanding of the need to develop more thorough, institutionalized as well individualized, interventions to reduce PB against schoolchildren from a refugee background in schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Intimate partner violence among Jordanian pregnant women and its predictors.

AIM: To determine and compare the level of prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) at 12 months before pregnancy and during pregnancy and to identify the predictors of physical IPV. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, correlational design was used for data collection and analysis. METHODS: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 247 women for the study. The women's IPV experience was measured by the Arabic version of the World Health Organization's Domestic Violence Questionnaire Screening Tool. RESULTS: The women reported that they experienced substantial levels of different types of IPV during pregnancy: 93.1% control, 66% psychological, 31.2% physical and 8.9% sexual. The levels of psychological, physical and sexual IPV during pregnancy were statistically significantly lower than those before pregnancy. In the case of physical IPV, women's age and verbal fighting were independent positive predictors, while women's educational level, husbands' educational level and level of mutual understanding were independent negative predictors. It is therefore recommended that policymakers focus on providing marital advice and marriage counselling and on empowering women by education in order to tackle IPV during pregnancy.

Physical Intimate Partner Violence and Maternal Outcomes in a Hospital-Based Sample of Pregnant Women in Jordan.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical intimate partner violence on maternal pregnancy/ birth outcomes. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative design was used. Consecutively, 223 birthing women were chosen. Data was collected in 2014 using the Arabic World Health Organization's Domestic Violence Questionnaire. RESULTS: Results showed that women who had experienced physical violence during pregnancy had a significantly higher risk of pregnancyinduced hypertension, cesarean section, more pain killer use during birth, and excessive use of postnatal medication. CONCLUSION: Jordanian health policy makers should find a strategy to eliminate intimate partner violence and reduce its negative impact on women. The inclusion of intimate partner violence screening and identification for every pregnant woman is vital. Sufferers should receive a betterfocused care in order for early detection and treatment of complications that are related to intimate partner violence.

Intimate Partner Violence Against Pregnant Jordanian Women at the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic's Quarantine.

In Jordan, women experience considerable levels of different types of violence. The emerging data from different countries indicate that intimate partner violence (IPV) has intensified since the COVID-19 outbreak. The main purpose of the current study is to find out whether there is any difference in the incidence of IPV during and before the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine and whether any sociodemographical factors are related to the incidence of IPV against pregnant women during quarantine. A cross-sectional, correlational design was in this study. The snowball sampling technique was adopted to select the participants, which produced a nonrepresentative sample of 215 pregnant women. The participants completed the Arabic version of the World Health Organization's Domestic Violence Questionnaire Screening Tool (DVQST). We found that women were exposed to different types of IPV before and during the quarantine. The most prevalent form of IPV was control and humiliation (n 172, 80%) and the least prevalent was sexual violence ((n 33, 15.3%), (n 24, 11.2%), respectively). However, there were statistically significant lower DVQST scores during the COVID-19 quarantine than before the quarantine. All types of IPV are significantly correlated with each other and with relationship problems (marital conflict, verbal fighting, understanding each other). While the findings are not generalizable to the general population of pregnant women in Jordan because the sample consisted only of women of high socioeconomic status due to the use of a nonprobability sampling technique, national campaigns should be developed and implemented in order to reduce IPV and change community behaviors and attitudes toward violence against women. It is also recommended that policymakers develop plans to help pregnant women during quarantine by, for example, training care providers on how to access vulnerable women.

Violence Against Women and Its Consequences on Women's Reproductive Health and Depression: A Jordanian Sample.

The aims of this study were to investigate the women's current reproductive health (RH) status, depression levels, and to clarify the relationships between the violence against women and depression and the RH components. Three hundred women participated in the study. Data were collected from the Women Health Center (WHC) in Prince Faisal hospital in Rusaifa, Jordan. The findings revealed that around 25.9%, 13.1%, 83.2%, and 65.1% of the participant women had been exposed to physical, sexual, control, and psychological violence, respectively. Around 77.7% of women were using contraceptives; oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices (IUDs) were the most common family planning methods used. In addition, the results revealed that 50% of women were suffering from significant levels of depression. A positive relationship between exposure to all violence types and women's depression levels was found but not for all RH components.