Reliability, validity and factorial structure of the Arabic version of the international suicide prevention trial (InterSePT) scale for suicidal thinking in schizophrenia patients in Doha, Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia are known to have higher rates of mortality and morbidity when compared to the general population. Suicidality is a major contributor to increased mortality. The International Suicide Prevention Trial (InterSePT) Scale for Suicidal Thinking (ISST) is a validated tool to assess current suicidal ideation in patients with schizophrenia. The aims of the study were to culturally adapt the Arabic translation of ISST and to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Arabic version of the ISST among patients with schizophrenia in Qatar. METHODS: ISST was translated and adapted into formal Arabic using the back translation method. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were randomly recruited from the department of Psychiatry, Rumailah Hospital, Doha, Qatar. Healthy controls were randomly recruited from two primary health care centers in Doha, Qatar. The Arabic version of Module B for suicidality in Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used as the gold standard to which the Arabic ISST was compared. RESULTS: The study sample (n = 199) was composed of 100 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (age 35.30 ± 10.04 years; M/F is 2/1) and 99 controls (age 33.98 ± 8.33 years; M/F is 2/3). The mean score on the ISST was 3.03 ± 4.75 vs. 0.47 ± 1.44 for the schizophrenia and control groups, respectively. Inter-rater reliability coefficient was 0.95, p > 0.001. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.92. Principal Component Analysis produced 3 factors explaining a total of 73.8% of variance. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in the Arab countries to validate the Arabic version of the ISST. The psychometric properties indicate that the Arabic ISST is a valid tool to assess the severity of suicidal ideation in Arabic patients with schizophrenia.

Validity and Reliability of the Arabic Version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.

BACKGROUND: The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is widely used for patients with schizophrenia. This scale is reliable and valid. The PANSS was translated and validated in several languages. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate and validate the PANSS in the Arab population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The PANSS was translated into formal Arabic language using the back-translation method. 101 Arab patients with schizophrenia and 98 Arabs with no diagnosis of any mental disorder were recruited. The Arabic version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-6) was used as a diagnostic tool to confirm the diagnosis of schizophrenia or rule out any diagnosis for the healthy control group. Reliability of the scale was assessed by calculating internal consistency, interrater reliability and test-retest reliability. Construct validity was assessed using the Arabic version of the MINI-6. PANSS total scores were correlated with the Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale. RESULTS: Our findings showed that the internal consistency was good (0.92). Scores on the PANSS of the patients were much higher than those of the healthy controls. The PANSS showed good interrater reliability and test-retest reliability (0.92 and 0.75, respectively). In comparison with the MINI-6, the PANSS showed good sensitivity and specificity, which implies good construct validity of this version. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the Arabic version of the PANSS is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of patients with schizophrenia in the Arab population.

Risk factors, lab parameters, angiographic characteristics and outcomes of coronary artery disease in young South Asian patients: a systematic review.

This systematic review provides a qualitative summary of the risk factors, angiographic characteristics, treatment, and complications of young South Asians with coronary artery disease (CAD). PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched to identify research articles published between 1 January 2010 and 13 November 2022. Studies in patients aged 18 to 45 years that were conducted in South Asian countries, were published in the English language, and included information on patients' clinical profiles and at least two risk factors for young CAD were included in the review. Smoking, dyslipidemia, high body mass index, increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and hyperhomocysteinemia were observed in high proportions in young patients with CAD. Single-vessel disease was more common than multi-vessel disease in young CAD. The complications of CAD such as arrhythmias, cardiogenic shock, and heart failure were also commonly observed in young patients. Large-scale health promotion activities that curb modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle should be conducted in South Asian countries.

Validation of the Arabic Version of Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia commonly show both depressive and negative symptoms that can differentially affect the prognosis and course of treatment. The Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) was designed to distinguish between depression and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study is to validate an Arabic version of the CDSS among patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The diagnosis of schizophrenia was confirmed using the Arabic Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview 6 (MINI 6). A standardized translation back-translation process was adopted. One rater administered the Arabic CDSS to subjects with schizophrenia as well as to a control group who should not have any psychiatric disorder except for depression. Another rater, blinded to the results administered the already validated Arabic version of Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). RESULTS: We recruited 102 patients and 102 controls subjects. The CDSS showed good internal consistency in the active group (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82). The Intraclass Coefficient correlations (ICC) for the inter-rater reliability (n = 21) was 0.90, p<0.05 and test-retest reliability (n = 19) was 0.85, p<0.001. When compared to the BDI-II, the cutoff score of 5 on the Arabic CDSS showed reasonable sensitivity and specificity of 72.75% and 67.95% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric properties of the Arabic version of CDSS demonstrate that it is a valid tool to assess the depressive symptoms in the Arab patients with schizophrenia.