Harmony found: Serenity's crucial role in alleviating death anxiety through attachment styles among community-dwelling older adults.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the mediating effect of serenity in the relationships between attachment styles and death anxiety among older adults DESIGN: A descriptive correlational research design following Strengthening Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. METHODS: Data were collected from 250 older adults attending three clubs. TOOLS: Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety, Brief Serenity Scale, and Revised Adult Attachment Scale were used to collect data. RESULTS: Most participants exhibited high levels of serenity, with varying degrees of attachment styles and death anxiety. Correlation analysis indicates significant negative associations between death anxiety and serenity, as well as attachment styles. Secure attachment styles were positively correlated with serenity and negatively with death anxiety. Path analysis revealed that serenity partially mediated the relationship between attachment styles and death anxiety. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Fostering secure attachments and promoting serenity to mitigate death anxiety in older adults, enhancing later-life psychological well-being through informed interventions.

Diagnosis and Management of Hypothyroidism in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries.

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common chronic endocrine conditions. However, as symptoms of hypothyroidism are non-specific, up to 60% of those with thyroid dysfunction are unaware of their condition. Left untreated, hypothyroidism may contribute to other chronic health conditions. In the Arabian Gulf States, hypothyroidism is thought to be common, but is underdiagnosed, and management approaches vary. An advisory board of leading Saudi endocrinologists and policy advisers was convened to discuss and formulate recommendations for the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism in Saudi Arabia based on their clinical expertise. The final document was shared with leading endocrinologists from the other Gulf  Cooperation Council (GCC) and aconsensus report was generated and summerized in this article. While there is no consensus regarding population screening of hypothyroidism, current recommendations suggest screening patients with risk factors, including those with a history of head or neck irradiation, a family history of thyroid disease or pharmacological treatment that may affect thyroid function. Evidence from a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia suggests screening the elderly (> 60 years), at least in the primary care setting. In Saudi Arabia, the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism is approximately 1 in every 3450 newborns. Saudi nationwide population prevalence data are lacking, but a single-centre study estimated that the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism in the primary care setting was 10%. Prevalence rates were higher in other cross-sectional studies exclusively in women (13-35%). The recommendations included in this  article aim to streamline the diagnosis and clinical management of hypothyroidism in the GCC, especially in the primary care setting, with the intention of improving treatment outcomes. Further study on the incidence, prevalence and risk factors for, and clinical features of, hypothyroidism in the GCC countries is required.