Examining the Quality of Life and Discrimination Impact on Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia: A WHO-QOL Survey.

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease marked by social and repetitive or restricted behaviors, as well as communication difficulty. Objectives This survey aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of parents with ASDs in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia using the brief form of the World Health Organization (WHO-QOL) questionnaire. Furthermore, we sought to measure the severity of discrimination experienced by parents of children with ASDs and their impact on QoL. Methodology Using a Google form, a cross-sectional study was carried out online between March and April 2023. The patient records from four different regions of Saudi Arabia were used to recruit study participants. The survey was distributed through well-known social media channels (Instagram, Telegram, Facebook). Results A total of 99 parents were included in this study. The Southern region accounted for the bulk of participants (81.8%, n=81), nearly three-fourths of the children were boys (70.7%), mothers were more common among respondents (65.7%, n=65) than fathers, 66.7% of respondents reported being married, and 78.8% fall into the middle economic class category. The main source of information among the studied population was the Internet (39.4%, n=39), followed by relatives (23.0%, n=23), physicians (8.1%, n=9), and finally books (4%, n=4). The mean scores for the various domains are as follows: physical (58.48 ± 13.84), psychological (62.04 ± 18.08), social relations (61.20 ± 23.24), environment (24.12 ± 14.62), general QoL (72.93 ± 4.30), and general health (73.94 ± 4.63). Nearly half (46.5%) of parents have encountered stigma or discrimination toward their child or family. Individuals who reported experiencing discrimination exhibited significantly lower mean scores in multiple QoL domains than those who did not report discrimination for physical (54.11, ± 14.36vs, 62.26±12.28, p=0.003), psychological (55.80 ± 20.33 vs 67.45 ± 13.94, p=0.002), and social relations (55.43± 24.17 vs 66.20 ± 21.40, p=0.022). Multivariate analysis revealed that discrimination was the only significant predictor of QoL (p < 0.001). Conclusions The QoL of parents having a child with autism is low, moreover, the coincidence of discrimination and stigma significantly lowered QoL.

Examining Saudi Physicians' Approaches to Communicate Bad News and Bridging Generational Gaps.

Breaking bad news is an intrinsic aspect of physicians' clinical practices. This study aims to investigate how Saudi physicians manage the process of communicating bad news and explore potential differences in breaking bad news practices between young physicians (interns) and their older colleagues. From 1 March to 15 April 2023, ok an anonymous online cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the communication practices of Saudi physicians concerning breaking bad news using the Communicating Bad News Questionnaire. The physicians were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling methods, and the survey questionnaire was distributed on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. Data were analyzed using R version 4.2.1. A total of 782 physicians were included in this study. Male physicians represented 50.9% of the participants. Three-quarters (74.7%) were aged 25-30 years. The largest proportion of physicians (45.3%) were interns, followed by junior residents (22.9%), senior residents (11.0%), and specialists (6.5%). The median years of experience was 1.0, ranging from 0 to 45 years. Regarding the place of work, most physicians (86.6%) worked in hospitals, while 13.4% worked in primary healthcare centers. A total of 14.8% said they were not comfortable with discussing patients'/relatives' issues (20.60 among interns vs. 10.50% among non-interns, χ2 = 27.50, p = 0.0001), 66.6% reported being trained to break bad news (59.60% among interns vs. 72.40% among non-interns, χ2 = 14.34, p = 0.001), 59.1% reported breaking bad news to the patient, 37.9% reported to the family, and 3.1% reported to both, with no significant difference between interns and non-interns. A substantial proportion of physicians reported feeling uncomfortable discussing sensitive issues with patients and their relatives despite having received training to deliver bad news and being willing to communicate bad news directly to patients. Notably, our analysis identified a significant disparity between intern and non-intern physicians, particularly in terms of their comfort level in addressing patient-related concerns and access to breaking bad news training.

Burden and Risk Factors of Postpartum Depression in Southwest Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: The burden of postpartum depression (PPD) is significant because it remains unrecognized, and it not only affects the mother adversely but also has a negative consequence on the family life and the development of the infant. The aim of the study was to measure the prevalence of PPD and identify the risk factors of PPD among mothers attending the well-baby clinic of six Primary Health Care centers in Abha city, Southwest Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 228 Saudi women having a child aged between two weeks to one year were recruited in the study by using a consecutive sampling technique. The Arabic version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used as a screening tool to measure the prevalence of PPD. The mothers were also inquired about their socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of postpartum depression was 43.4%. Family conflict, and lack of support by spouse and family during pregnancy were found to be the strongest predictors of developing PPD. Women who had reported family conflict were at six times higher risk for developing PPD compared to those who did not have a family conflict (aOR = 6.5, 95% CI = 2.3-18.4). Women who reported a lack of spousal support during pregnancy encountered 2.3 fold increased risk for PPD (aOR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.0-4.8) and women who had not received family support during pregnancy period were more than three times (aOR = 3.5, 95 % CI 1.6-7.7) likely to experience PPD. CONCLUSION: The risk of PPD among Saudi postnatal women was high. PPD screening should be an integral part of postnatal care. Awareness of women, spouses and families about potential risk factors can be a preventive strategy. The early identification of high-risk women during the antenatal and post-natal period could help to prevent this condition.

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Hesitancy among Pregnant and Lactating Women in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnant and breastfeeding women comprise a high-risk group for the development of severe COVID-19. Therefore, vaccination is highly recommended for perinatal women; however, vaccination levels for this group remain inadequate. This study explores the percentage of COVID-19 vaccination among Saudi pregnant and lactating women, as well as their attitudes toward it. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey on a sample of Saudi pregnant and breastfeeding women. The study included pregnant and lactating women. RESULTS: The percentage of COVID-19 vaccine uptake was 78.2%. A total of 45 (21.8%) out of 206 women did not receive the vaccine. The overall vaccine hesitancy was 21.8%. Breastfeeding women were 2.86 more likely not to receive the vaccine as compared to pregnant women. Being a mother of over five children increased the vaccine uptake among our participating women (n = 20, 90%; p < 0.01). The majority of the subjects had taken the Pfizer vaccine (81.98%, 132/161). The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine was the most common factor for choosing a particular vaccine. Protection from infection (60.2%, 97/161) was reported as the main driver for vaccine uptake. The most common reason perceived for delaying COVID-19 vaccination was being worried about the side effects (176, 85.44%) on one's own body and the effects on the unborn child (130, 63.1%). CONCLUSION: We uncovered high levels of hesitancy, primarily induced by concerns about adverse effects and social media-related misinformation. These high levels of vaccine uptake are likely due to the large-scale obligatory vaccination program provided in Saudi Arabia, which was well-structured and far reaching. Our results provide further support for the so-called "protection motivation theory" in boosting vaccine acceptance. Counseling and educating pregnant and breastfeeding women about COVID-19 vaccination is the need of the hour.