Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental well-being of students worldwide. There is a scarcity of information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19, including depression, anxiety and resilience among a sample of university students in the UAE. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from September to November 2021. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess depression, anxiety, and resilience. The COVID-19 impact was assessed using a list of questions. RESULTS: Only, 798 students completed the survey and were analyzed for this study. Overall, 74.8% of the students were females, 91.2% were never married, and 66.3% were UAE-nationals. Based on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 cut-off scores (≥ 10), four out of ten of the students self-reported moderate to severe depression (40.9%) and anxiety (39.1%). Significantly higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found among students who were impacted by COVID-19 than those non-impacted (mean PHQ-9 = 9.51 ± 6.39 and 6.80 ± 6.34; p = 0.001, respectively) and (mean GAD-7 = 9.03 ± 6.00 and 8.54 ± 6.02; respectively, p < 0.001). Female students who were impacted by COVID-19 had statistically significant higher depression and anxiety scores (mean PHQ-9 of 9.14 ± 5.86 vs. 6.83 ± 6.25, respectively; p < 0.001) than the non-impacted females (mean GAD-7 of 9.57 ± 6.32 vs. 5.15 ± 3.88, respectively; p = 0.005). Never married students had significantly higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores than ever-married (9.31 ± 6.37 vs. 6.93 ± 5.47, P = 0.003) and (8.89 ± 6.11 vs. 7.13 ± 5.49, respectively; p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of this sample of university students in terms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for university students and focus on vulnerable groups.

Reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescents attending an obstetric unit in Georgetown, Guyana.

BACKGROUND: Teenage pregnancy continues to be a serious maternal health issue globally. Problems faced by teenage mothers are biological, social, and psychological, and may include sexual coercion and violence. This study sought to explore formally the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant teenagers in Georgetown, Guyana, which has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Latin America and the Caribbean. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, prospective study. After ethical approval had been granted, 50 pregnant girls attending Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) were interviewed during a 6-week period. Using a convenience sample approach, the principal investigator used a questionnaire to collect data. This was then analysed using Stata/SE V.9.2 and Microsoft Excel programs. FINDINGS: As well as overall poor sexual and reproductive health knowledge and high-risk sexual health practices, our study revealed a high rate of rape and sexual coercion among the 50 girls interviewed. Almost a quarter (22%) admitted to having been raped in the past, and 80% stated a lack of power in their sexual relationships. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for more targeted sexual and reproductive health services for teenagers attending GPHC, and for more research into sexual violence among this group of women. The establishment of a screening and referral system for those at risk should begin to address specific issues and optimise health outcomes for the women and their babies.

Personal experiences and attitudes towards intimate partner violence in healthcare providers in Guyana.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent throughout the world and is a devastating public health problem. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are tasked with treating victims of IPV but may be victims themselves. Guyana is a lower-middle income country in South America. This study sought to determine the knowledge and attitudes of Guyanese HCWs and their perceived barriers to providing care in addition to determining the prevalence of IPV victimization and perpetration among HCWs. METHODS: HCWs at the only tertiary care hospital in the Guyana completed an anonymous survey that comprised 30 questions relating to IPV. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 87.5% of eligible HCWs. Of the respondents, 81.8% were female, 49.9% had ever experienced abuse and 21% admitted to perpetrating violence. Multivariate analysis found that the age groups 31-40 years (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.6) and 41-50 years (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.7) had higher odds of accepting justification for physical violence, and so did nursing staff (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.4-13.1). Overall, 29.9% of HCWs accepted justification for physical violence in at least one of the named scenarios. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of IPV among HCWs and identifies prevailing attitudes regarding IPV. This knowledge is essential in developing effective, appropriate training programs and identifies a need to address IPV among the healthcare workforce.

Trauma admissions to the Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica [abstract]

OBJECTIVE: Trauma is the single most common reason for admission to the surgical wards at the 500-bed University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of trauma on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in terms of time, resources, staffing and cost. It also assesses the pattern profile, frequency and outcome of trauma cases admitted to the multidisciplinary 8-bed ICU. METHODS: Records of all trauma patients admitted to the ICU over a period of a 5-year period between October 1995 and September 2000 were reviewed. Approval for this study was obtained from the institutional ethics committee. Data collected included age, gender, diagnosis, cause of trauma, referring specialities, duration of admission and outcome. RESULTS: During the study period 161 patients with severe trauma were admitted to the ICU, representing 12 percent and 16 percent of total and emergency ICU admission, respectively. There was a preponderance of men (M:F = 4:1), and they were generally younger than the average ICU patient (mean age 35 vs. 42 years). Trauma admission were almost exclusively emergencies (98 percent) and came mainly from the operating theatre/recovery room (67.3 percent) and Accident and Emergency (16.4 percent). The length of ICU stay of all trauma patients was a mean (SD) of 6.3 (8.4) days. More than one-half of the non-survivors (55 percent) died within 24 hours of ICU admission and 84 percent died by 7th ICU day. Road traffic accidents remain the leading cause of severe trauma (45 percent), but there was also a high prevalence of intentional and interpersonal violence (42 percent). CONCLUSION: Severe trauma in Jamaica is a major cause of hospitalization and intensive care utilization, and hence consumes a significant amount of already under-funded healthcare budget. In most instances it is preventable. Trauma prevention is therefore the most effective management. The need for a high dependency unit and expansion of the existing ICU is also underscored. (AU)

Management of cancer pain

Cancer remains a major worldwide health problem with an estimated nine million new cases occurring annually. The incidence is progressively increasing, especially in the Caribbean and Latin America. About one-half of all cancer patients and over 70-80% of those with advanced cancer experience moderate to severe pain. Several surveys have clearly shown that about 80-90% of patients can have their pain easily controlled with simple available resources. Yet sadly, pain is often under-estimated and under-treated, resulting in unnecessary suffering and a compromised quality of life. There are many obstacles to adequate cancer-pain relief (AU)

Postoperative analgesia: management of postoperative pain

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Postoperative pain is acute and usually self-limiting. Several recent clinical surveys have clearly shown that an unacceptably high proportion of patients continue to experience significant postoperative pain. This article aims to discuss the current management of postoperative pain, highlighting the deficiencies and suggesting feasible solutions. Practical considerations, with particular reference to the developing world are emphasized(AU)