Factors Affecting the Psychological Well-Being of Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Crisis.

Background: Health care workers (HCWs) are a group that especially suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to facing the stress of dealing with patients and social isolation, they had to worry about being infected themselves and transmitting the infection to their families. This study evaluated the fear, anxiety, and depression experienced by HCWs during the COVID-19 crisis. Subjects and Methods: The sample size was 541 HCWs. Data collection was done using an online validated questionnaire through Google Docs, sent to HCWs by email and WhatsApp groups. We assessed depression and anxiety with the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), while evaluating fear with the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the perception of fear between married and unmarried people, and between those with colleagues who had died from COVID-19 infection and those without. There was a significant relation between HCWs' anxiety and a history of death from COVID-19 infection, either of friends or of close relatives. The prevalence of depression was 18.48% in the tested sample of HCWs. Participants who had close relatives or friends infected with COVID-19 showed a significantly higher degree of depression. The age group <30 and those working 20 to 30 hours weekly showed higher degrees of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Sociodemographic variables such as age, marital status, and working area had a significant impact on the mental and psychological health of HCWs during the COVID-19 crisis. HCWs who lost patients due to COVID-19 had a significantly higher prevalence of fear, depression, and anxiety.

Arabic Translation, Validation and Cultural Adaptation of the 7-Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale in Two Community Samples.

OBJECTIVES: Depression is a common mental disorder, the severity of which is frequently assessed via interview-based clinical scales such as the 7-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-7). The current study aimed to translate and examine the validity of an Arabic version of the HAMD-7 scale. METHODS: This study took place between February and March 2016 in the Psychiatry Department of King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The HAMD-7 scale was translated into Arabic using forward and backward translation methods. A total of 153 Arabic speakers were recruited to test the translated scale, including 57 medical students and 96 members of the general public. The Arabic version of the HAMD-7 scale was completed by trained investigators during face-to-face interviews with the participants. In order to assess convergent validity, participants also completed an Arabic version of the self-assessed Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale. Subsequently, the test-retest reliability of the translated HAMD-7 scale was evaluated two weeks later during a second interview. RESULTS: Overall, HAMD-7 scores were positively correlated with PHQ-9 scores (r = 0.633-0.749). Moreover, the translated HAMD-7 scale proved to be reliable in terms of test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient: 0.807; P <0.001). With regards to internal consistency, the Cronbach's α values ranged between 0.607-0.756. CONCLUSION: The Arabic HAMD-7 scale was found to be reliable and valid among two samples of Arabic speakers in Saudi Arabia. However, further research among Arab-speaking patients diagnosed with depression is needed in order to establish its usefulness in assessing the severity of depressive symptoms.

An arabic translation, reliability, and validation of Patient Health Questionnaire in a Saudi sample.

BACKGROUND: Psychological disorders including depression and anxiety are not rare in primary care clinics. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a clinical diagnostic tool that is widely utilized by primary health care physicians worldwide because it provides a practical in-clinic tool to screen for psychological disorders. This study evaluated the validity of the Arabic version of the PHQ in all six modules including depression, anxiety, somatic, panic, eating, and alcohol abuse disorders. METHODS: This is a quantitative observational cross-sectional study that was conducted by administrating the translated Arabic version of PHQ to a sample of King Saud University students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: The sample was 731 university students who participated in this study including 376 (51.6%) females and 354 (48.4%) males with a mean age of 21.30 years. Eight mental health experts carried out the face validation process of the PHQ Arabic version. The internal consistency reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha for the PHQ9, GAD7, PHQ15, and panic disorder modules. The results were 0.857, 0.763, 0.826, and 0.696, respectively. In comparison, the eating disorders and alcohol abuse modules demonstrated poor internal consistency due to small number of participants in these modules. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the Arabic version of the PHQ is a valid and reliable tool to screen for depression, anxiety, somatic, and panic disorders in a Saudi sample.

Learning environment of the Saudi psychiatry board training program.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the learning environment of the Saudi psychiatry board program using the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) and to explore residents' perception of different domains of the learning environment. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The D-RECT instrument was distributed to all residents at all training sites of the Saudi psychiatry training program. It is a reliable and valid instrument to measure educational environment at the postgraduate level. Mean scores are presented, t-tests, analysis of variance, and post hoc analysis were used to compare subgroups and pearson's correlation was used to assess relationships. Results: Seventy-eight out of 96 residents responded (81.25%), one third of them were female. Overall D-RECT score was 2.76±0.55. The supervision subscale scored 2.83±0.83, coaching and assessment scored 2.60±0.73, feedback scored 2.00±0.85, team work scored 2.81±0.86, peer collaboration scored 3.54±0.84, professional relations between consultants scored 2.71±0.95, work is adapted to residents' competence scored 2.71±0.86, consultants' attitudes scored 2.71±0.86, formal education scored 2.68±0.72, and patient handover subscales scored 3.25±1.06. Female residents scored significantly higher than their male counterparts and there were no statistical significant difference between years of residency. Cronbach's alpha was 0.936. Conclusion: Most of the learning climate domains scored poorly, which necessitates a rigorous plan for reevaluation and improvement. Furthermore, D-RECT proved to be a reliable instrument and could help in evaluation and improvement of postgraduate training programs.

Severe intermittent anxiety attacks. A diagnosis challenge in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Psychiatric symptoms are frequently reported with epilepsy. Anxiety symptoms are the most common psychiatric expressions of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Longer duration of the epileptic manifestation can be mistaken for psychiatric diseases, particularly when psychiatric symptoms are the only manifestations of the disorder. Here we introduce a case of a 27-year-old Saudi man presented to our clinic with a history of sudden and severe anxiety attacks over the prior 2 years, each lasting for 2-3 days. The attacks recurred monthly without clear triggers, and he recovered his normal clinical state between them. His condition worsened with antidepressants and improved with antiepileptic. Later follow ups and work ups supported the diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy. Diagnosis after such presentation may be challenging and we tried, in this case, to enhance awareness of such an unusual presentation.

Drug use patterns and demographic correlations of residents of Saudi therapeutic communities for addiction.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the characteristics of residents in Saudi therapeutic communities (TCs), their patterns of drug use, and the correlations between these variables. METHODS: This retrospective study examined all Saudi TC residents admitted since the establishment of the first TC in 2000 until mid-2014. The TCs include three governmental and two non-governmental enterprises: two TCs in Dammam and one each in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Taif, with a total population of 2023 residents. RESULTS: All TC residents were adult males; 85.6% were Saudis, and almost all remaining residents were from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The mean age of residents was 33.9 years (±8.8 years), and their educational levels were mostly high school or lower; 25% were married, and 70.8% were jobless. The pattern of drug use indicated that 35.8% used opioids, 15% used hash, 11.9% used both hash and amphetamine, 11.1% used amphetamine, 7.9% used alcohol, and 10.9% used 3 or more drugs simultaneously. Amphetamine and hash dependencies were more prevalent among younger residents in comparison to opioids and alcohol, which were more common among older residents. Opioids were more used by the western region residents, while northern and southern regions residents preferred amphetamine. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the residents' drug use patterns are similar to those in other inpatient treatment services. However, opioid dependency is overrepresented. Furthermore, the type of drug used differs according to the residence region, which may warrant consideration when planning services for these regions.

Saudi addiction therapeutic communities:Are they implementing the essential elements of addiction therapeutic communities.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Saudi therapeutic communities (TCs) implement essential elements of TCs. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study where the author visited all of the Saudi addiction TCs between September and December 2014. At least one week was spent in each TC, attending many therapeutic activities, reviewing patient files and program documents, and interviewing directors, treating teams and residents. At the end of each visit, a short version of the Survey of Essential Elements Questionnaire (SEEQ) was conducted, which is a reliable tool to evaluate the essential elements of TCs. RESULTS: In 2014, there were only 5 TCs in Saudi Arabia. All of them were traditional TCs for adult male residents. The average total score was 3.72 out of 5 on the SEEQ. Regarding the 6 dimensions of the SEEQ, the TCs scored 4.15 on the TC perspective, 3.72 on the agency treatment approach and structure, 4.40 on community as therapeutic agent, 2.60 on educational and work activities, 3.50 on formal therapeutic elements, and 4.3 on process. There were no significant differences in dimensions scores among the 5 Saudi TCs. CONCLUSION: In general, all of the Saudi TCs scored fairly high on the SEEQ, which may reflect a sufficient implementation of the TC as a therapeutic model. Educational and work activities lagged behind the other dimensions and should be improved and reevaluated.

Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus infection among heroin injectors in the central region of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To calculate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among inpatient heroin users, and to study the relationships between these infections and patient demographics. METHODS: In this retrospective study, heroin users' inpatient records from the Alamal Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were reviewed for HIV, HBV, and HCV screening results, age, number of admissions, education, and marital and occupational status. The study took place between January 2006 and November 2012. The prevalences of HIV, HBV, and HCV and their associations to demographics were evaluated. RESULTS: A sample of 357 inpatients Saudi male heroin users (all injectors) aged 40 (±8.6) years with lifetime admissions averaged 5.8 (±5) times were studied. Screening results revealed that 20.1% of subjects were infection-free, 56.6% had a single infection, 13.2% were infected by 2 viruses, and 1.1% were infected by 3 viruses. Prevalence of HBV surface antigen was 7.7%, antibodies for HCV 77.8%, and HIV 9.8%. A significant association was found between positive HCV and positive HIV tests. Furthermore, HCV was more common among patients aged 20-29 years, those who were unemployed, and who had primary, secondary, or postsecondary education. Finally, HBV was associated  in patients aged 30-39 years and those with secondary educations. CONCLUSION: Contracting serious contagious viral infections is very common among Saudi heroin injectors at rates similar to those seen among injectors in Western countries. Infection control, education, and harm reduction programs are of paramount importance.