Relationship between dyslexia awareness and stigma among nursing students in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Dyslexia-a learning disorder characterized by difficulty in word-level reading skills-can negatively impact nursing students' practice, which can, in turn, affect patient safety. Individuals with dyslexia are often stigmatized. There is a need to explore dyslexia awareness among nursing students and its relationship with stigma in Saudi Arabia. Objective: This study aimed to assess the dyslexia awareness levels among nursing students and its relation to stigma. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 154 nursing students at King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected by asking the students to virtually complete the Knowledge and Beliefs about Developmental Dyslexia Scale (KBDDS) and the Consciousness Questionnaire-Learning Disabilities (SCQ-LD) from February to March 2021. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests to test significance and Cramer's V to determine the strength of the relationships among the categorical variables. Results: The overall dyslexia awareness level was moderate. Most participants believed that people had negative assumptions about individuals with dyslexia and that they judged and treated them differently. A moderately strong positive association was revealed between knowledge of the stigma surrounding dyslexia and knowledge of dyslexia itself (p <0.001). Conclusions: Increased dyslexia awareness is correlated with greater anticipation that dyslexic individuals will be stigmatized. Therefore, dyslexia awareness should be raised among nursing students. Students or nurses with dyslexia should also be encouraged to learn appropriate coping strategies to ensure patient safety.

Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Help-Seeking among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study.

While young Saudi adults are reportedly prone to experiencing a variety of mental health problems, they tend to delay seeking mental health support. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators of seeking mental health support among young adults in Saudi Arabia. A qualitative research design was implemented using semi-structured interviews with 12 young adult participants in Saudi Arabia, recruited through social media platforms, and the interviews were then analyzed using thematic analysis. Two major themes emerged: barriers that impede the process of mental health help-seeking and facilitators that assist individuals in seeking mental health support. The barriers included public stigma and lack of awareness, unprofessional mental health practitioners, lack of accessibility to services and information, unsupportive families, intrapersonal dilemmas, and misconceptions based on religious beliefs. Facilitators of help-seeking included increasing societal and family awareness, promoting the accessibility of services, enhancing sources of external support, personal motivation to change, and online therapy. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of promoting mental health literacy among the Saudi public, particularly with regard to young adults and their unique mental health needs. Exploring facilitators and barriers may also assist mental health providers in developing tailored mental health campaigns and interventions directed at young adults.

The Journey of Saudi Male Nurses Studying within the Nursing Profession: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing is considered to be a primarily female profession, particularly in Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that male nurses have contributed to the advancement of the nursing profession in various specialties, such as military nursing, mental health, and critical care. PURPOSE: We explore the factors influencing Saudi male nursing interns to study within the nursing profession in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. A convenience sample of 12 Saudi male nursing interns from different nursing colleges were recruited, alongside four hospital internship coordinators. The data were collected by conducting two semi-structured focus group interviews and four individual interviews. All the interviews were analyzed using a comparative analytical approach. RESULTS: Role models and the role of the internship year were identified as factors influencing Saudi male nurses' decision to study nursing. However, hospital placements, cultural preferences, and the preferences of patients and their families for female nurses were the key challenges encountered. Importantly, this study demonstrated that social media plays a critical role in raising awareness regarding the importance of Saudi male nurses. Conclusion: Awareness needs to be raised of the nursing profession as a gender-diverse field through volunteering programs for the community. It is recommended that Saudi male nurses act as role models for students in the Academic Orientation Forum and on social media.

The Association between Using Personal Protective Equipment and Headache among Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia Hospitals during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

It is mandatory that healthcare workers wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while caring for COVID-19 patients. Studies have shown that wearing PPE for a prolonged time may lead to symptoms of physical discomfort including headache. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and association between prolonged use of PPE and headaches. This was a cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of healthcare workers who worked with COVID-19 patients in clinical settings was recruited. The data were collected through an electronic survey shared as a link through social media. This study included 1060 participants, 753 (71%) female and 307 (29%) male. Participants were divided into two groups. Group A had 628 (60%) participants who did not have chronic headache before the COVID-19 pandemic, while Group B contained 432 (40%) participants who had a previous chronic headache. Headaches differed significantly between Groups A and B in frequency, type, location, and quality during the COVID-19 period. The analysis found a significant relationship between duration of PPE use and headache occurrence. The significant relationship between the duration of PPE usage and headache occurrence among healthcare workers should be considered when refining policies and procedures regarding prolonged PPE use.

Psychometric Properties of the General Anxiety Disorders-7 Scale Using Categorical Data Methods: A Study in a Sample of University Attending Ethiopian Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the psychometric validation of the General Anxiety Disorders-7 Scale (GAD-7) using appropriate data assumptions. This study examined the reliability, factorial validity, divergent validity, and item analysis of the GAD-7 using categorical data methods in a sample of Ethiopian young adults. METHODS: A sample of 270 students in the age group (18-20 years) was recruited during February-May of 2017 in this cross-sectional study using simple random sampling. The participants completed a tool for socio-demographic details, the GAD-7, and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). RESULTS: The cumulative variance rule (> 40%), the scree test, Kaiser's criteria (Eigenvalues > 1), and the parallel analysis found a 1-factor model for the GAD-7 (factor loadings, 0.38 to 0.63). Fit indices suggested a 1-factor model: the tests applied included the weighted root mean square residual (0.030), comparative fit index (1.000), the goodness of fit index (1.00), root mean square error of approximation (0.037) and the non-normed fit index (1.00). McDonald's Omega (0.772) implied that the scores had adequate internal consistency. Divergent validity was supported by significant but weak correlations that were found between the GAD-7 and PSS-10 scores (r = 0.11 to 0.25, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The psychometric validity of the GAD-7 in Ethiopian university attending young adults was supported by the categorical data method.

Primary caregivers experience of anti-psychotic medication: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Management of schizophrenia is now shifted to the community setting and family caregivers are the primary caregivers. Managing medications is a complex responsibility of family caregivers caring for patients with mental illness. Medication compliance contributes to improve health outcomes and reduced hospitalization for the care service users; however, little is known about attitudes and perception of family caregivers. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore family caregivers experience towards antipsychotic medications. METHODS: A purposeful sampling of 21 family caregivers was included in the study. Semi-structured interview was employed to collect data from the participants between May and October 2015. Thematic analysis approach was used to identify the common pattern in the data. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the study: insight into illness (poor understanding of illness), treatment factor (thinking about medication, poor guidance for medication compliance), resources and support (availability of medication and cost of medication), health care provider factors (communication gap and poor assessment with follow-up, social dysfunction (social isolation, disruption in life routine) of the primary caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Responsibility for providing care for patients with mental illness are taken place in the community setting and cared by family caregivers. More information resources are required for this role, which requires specific medication management skills and knowledge.

An Exploration of Family Caregiver Experiences of Burden and Coping While Caring for People with Mental Disorders in Saudi Arabia-A Qualitative Study.

Family caregivers of people with mental disorders face a number of burdens and stressors, such as associative stigma and burnout. These burdens are often a result of their caring role coupled with insufficient support or ineffective coping strategies, which can affect their quality of life and biopsychosocial integrity that, in turn, may affect the care they provide. This study aimed to explore the experiences of family caregivers of people with mental disorders, through examining the burdens that they face and the coping strategies that they use. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the Saudi public, recruited through popular social media platforms and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five main themes were constructed from the data: Type of care, Challenges, Coping and support, Perceptions of public awareness, and Messages to others. The findings emphasize the different types of burdens that caregivers experience, and their needs that require a range of responses such as educational training on effective coping strategies, and psychological support in the form of counseling or group therapy. This study highlights the voice of caregivers and their message to the public, in order to correct the misconceptions surrounding mental disorders and those associated with them.

Parental Support, Beliefs about Mental Illness, and Mental Help-Seeking among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia.

Mental illness is not uncommon among young adults, but negative attitudes towards mental disorders and lack of parental support might be associated with hesitancy in seeking professional help. This study aimed to examine the relationships of parental support, beliefs about mental illness, and mental help-seeking among young adults in Saudi Arabia. This quantitative cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 236 young adults (ages 18-25) with the majority of the total (86.4%) being female. Data were collected via three self-administered questionnaires: The Perceived Parental Support Scale, Beliefs toward Mental Illness scale, and Mental Help Seeking Attitude Scale. Results indicated that the participants had a moderately negative attitude toward mental illness, a moderately positive attitude toward parental support, and a highly positive attitude toward mental help-seeking. No significant relationships were found among the study variables. The study highlights that despite young adults' positive attitude toward mental help-seeking and parental support, they have negative views toward people with mental illnesses. Educational programs in schools and media are needed to improve attitudes and enhance readiness to interact with people with mental illness.