The role of religiosity types in the phenomenology of hallucinations:A large cross-sectional community-based study in a predominantly Muslim society

Religiosity is a multidimensional construct known to influence the occurrence of hallucinations. However, it remains unknown how different religiosity types affect clinically relevant phenomenological features of hallucinations. Therefore, we wished to explore associations between intrinsic and extrinsic (non-organizational and organizational) religiosity and hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in a non-clinical Muslim population. We recruited a representative sample of full-time students at Qatar's only national university via systematic random sampling and administered the Questionnaire of Psychotic Experiences online. The study design was cross-sectional. Using structural equation modeling, we estimated effects of the religiosity types on hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in the past week while accounting for sociodemographic variables, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and, delusions. Extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (ENORG) was associated with experiencing reduced distress or impact on daily function from hallucinations both directly and indirectly through intrinsic religiosity. In contrast, extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (EORG) was associated with increased hallucinations distress or impact albeit only through higher intrinsic religiosity. We found no association between any religiosity types and hallucinations severity. Younger and married participants from lower socio-economic class had comparatively more severe hallucinations and more distress from them. Qatari nationality was positively associated EORG and negatively associated with hallucinations distress or impact. Evidence of differential associations between the religiosity types, socioeconomic and cultural groups, and distress or impact from past week's hallucinations supports the importance of alignment between religious, mental health, and well-being education

Policy and legislation for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders in Qatar

There is a marked paucity of publications on the policy and legislation of mental health, and substance use disorders in the public domain in Qatar. Qatar National Vision provides a framework for national strategies and the State of Qatar has developed policies and legislation dedicated to mental health and substance use. In doing so, Qatar has adopted international guidance to shape its mental health services and relevant policy and legislation. This article is a narrative description of the evolution of the mental health and substance use policy and legislation in Qatar.Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library. OW wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.Scopu

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON ECT PRACTICE IN QATAR

There is paucity of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) utilization surveys from the Arabian Gulf region and none available from Qatar. There is no literature available on impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on ECT provision. ECT is a lifesaving treatment in psychiatric practice requiring anesthetic support and there were concerns that redeployment of anesthetists due to COVID-19 pandemic might have comparatively bigger impact on the provision of ECT. These concerns stem from the fact that psychiatric patients often get discriminated against in health care systems; largely due to stigma and the belief among healthcare providers that psychiatric illness is somehow not as serious as other types of medical or surgical illness. In this brief report we present pre-COVID ECT utilization from Qatar. We also report findings on ECT utilization during COVID-19 and compare changes with other elective and non-elective surgeries. ECT provision was down by 40% during March to August 2020 in our setting. The decline in ECT provision was comparable to other elective and non-elective surgeries

The role of religiosity types in the phenomenology of hallucinations: A large cross-sectional community-based study in a predominantly Muslim society

Religiosity is a multidimensional construct known to influence the occurrence of hallucinations. However, it remains unknown how different religiosity types affect clinically relevant phenomenological features of hallucinations. Therefore, we wished to explore associations between intrinsic and extrinsic (non-organizational and organizational) religiosity and hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in a non-clinical Muslim population. We recruited a representative sample of full-time students at Qatar's only national university via systematic random sampling and administered the Questionnaire of Psychotic Experiences online. The study design was cross-sectional. Using structural equation modeling, we estimated effects of the religiosity types on hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in the past week while accounting for sociodemographic variables, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and, delusions. Extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (ENORG) was associated with experiencing reduced distress or impact on daily function from hallucinations both directly and indirectly through intrinsic religiosity. In contrast, extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (EORG) was associated with increased hallucinations distress or impact albeit only through higher intrinsic religiosity. We found no association between any religiosity types and hallucinations severity. Younger and married participants from lower socio-economic class had comparatively more severe hallucinations and more distress from them. Qatari nationality was positively associated EORG and negatively associated with hallucinations distress or impact. Evidence of differential associations between the religiosity types, socioeconomic and cultural groups, and distress or impact from past week's hallucinations supports the importance of alignment between religious, mental health, and well-being education

Mental wellbeing of healthcare workers working in quarantine centers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar

Background: Healthcare workers managing Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) patients are at increased risk of poor mental wellbeing. The available literature on the psychological impact in the Arabian Gulf region is limited, and a more in-depth analysis of factors affecting frontline healthcare workers' mental wellbeing is warranted. The aim of this study was to evaluate and explore healthcare workers' wellbeing working in quarantine centers in Qatar. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, web-based survey conducted on healthcare workers managing patients in designated quarantine centers. Healthcare workers associated with 51 COVID-19 quarantine centers were eligible to participate in this survey from April 19 to May 3, 2020. The primary outcome of interest was mental wellbeing as measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Results: A total of 127 of 169 contacted staff members completed the survey, with a participation rate of 75%. Approximately 17.4% of participants had well-being scores of less than 45, indicating suboptimal wellbeing and a high risk of psychological distress and depression. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that nurses are associated with increased risk (more than the fivefold higher risk of having WEMWBS score < 45) of adverse mental wellbeing (adjusted OR 5.65; 95% CI 0.57, 56.4; p = 0.140). Conclusion: The psychological impact of working in quarantine centers on healthcare workers was less than what has been reported globally. Nurses are the most vulnerable group. It is essential that health services monitor the psychological impact on its workforce and puts appropriate mitigation strategies in place.qscienc

Prevalence and Potential Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance in Qatar

Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistance to vaccine uptake in different populations. The Middle East and North Africa currently lack vital representative vaccine hesitancy data. We conducted the first representative national phone survey among the adult population of Qatar, between December 2020 and January 2021, to estimate the prevalence and identify potential determinants of vaccine willingness: acceptance (strongly agree), resistance (strongly disagree), and hesitance (somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression models estimated associations between willingness groups and fifteen variables. In the total sample, 42.7% (95% CI: 39.5-46.1) were accepting, 45.2% (95% CI: 41.9-48.4) hesitant, and 12.1% (95% CI: 10.1-14.4) resistant. Vaccine resistant compared with hesistant and accepting groups reported no endorsement source will increase vaccine confidence (58.9% vs. 5.6% vs. 0.2%, respectively). Female gender, Arab ethnicity, migrant status/type, and vaccine side-effects concerns were associated with hesitancy and resistance. COVID-19 related bereavement, infection, and quarantine status were not significantly associated with any willingness group. Absence of or lack of concern about contracting the virus was solely associated with resistance. COVID-19 vaccine resistance, hesitance, and side-effects concerns are high in Qatar's population compared with those globally. Urgent public health engagement should focus on women, Qataris (non-migrants), and Arab ethnicity

Quality of life, sleep quality, depression, anxiety, stress, eating habits, and social bounds in nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in qatar (The PROTECTOR study): A cross-sectional, comparative study

There have been numerous concerns regarding the physical and mental health of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stress, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and depression potentiated nurses’ vulnerability to poor eating habits. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the differences between nurses’ characteristics with COVID-19 facility designation, and sleep quality, depression, anxiety, stress, eating habits, social bonds, and quality of life. Design: A cross-sectional, comparative study. Methods: An online survey was sent using the corporation’s email to nurses working in three hospitals in Qatar from September to December 2020. One of them is a designated COVID-19 facility. The sleep quality, depression, eating habits, social bonds, and quality of life were measured using The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ), Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Results: A total of 200 nurses participated in the study (RR: 13.3%). No statistically significant association was found between designated facility (COVID-19 vs. not COVID-19) or nurses’ characteristics and ISI categories (OR 1.15; 95% CI 0.54, 2.44). Nurses working in COVID-19 facilities had increased odds of having higher EEQ categories by 2.62 times (95% CI 1.18, 5.83). Similarly, no statistically significant associations were found between any of the nurses’ characteristics and OSSS-3 categories. On the other hand, no statistically significant associations were found between any of the nurses’ characteristics and QOL domains except for the gender and social relationships’ domain. Conclusion: Overall, the quality of life of nurses in Qatar is on a positive level whether they are assigned to a COVID-19 facility or not. Although no significant difference was found with regard to the sleep quality, stress, anxiety, depression, and eating habits between nurses in a COVID-19 facility and in a non-COVID-19 facility, special interventions to diminish stressors need to be implemented and maintained.This study was funded by the Medical Research Center at Hamad Medical Corporation (MRC-01-20-392)

Prevalence and potential determinants of covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in qatar: Results from a nationally representative survey of qatari nationals and migrants between december 2020 and january 2021

Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistance to vaccine uptake in different populations. The Middle East and North Africa currently lack vital representative vaccine hesitancy data. We conducted the first representative national phone survey among the adult population of Qatar, between December 2020 and January 2021, to estimate the prevalence and identify potential determinants of vaccine willingness: acceptance (strongly agree), resistance (strongly disagree), and hesitance (somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression models estimated associations between willingness groups and fifteen variables. In the total sample, 42.7% (95% CI: 39.5-46.1) were accepting, 45.2% (95% CI: 41.9-48.4) hesitant, and 12.1% (95% CI: 10.1-14.4) resistant. Vaccine resistant compared with hesistant and accepting groups reported no endorsement source will increase vaccine confidence (58.9% vs. 5.6% vs. 0.2%, respectively). Female gender, Arab ethnicity, migrant status/type, and vaccine side-effects concerns were associated with hesitancy and resistance. COVID-19 related bereavement, infection, and quarantine status were not significantly associated with any willingness group. Absence of or lack of concern about contracting the virus was solely associated with resistance. COVID-19 vaccine resistance, hesitance, and side-effects concerns are high in Qatar's population compared with those globally. Urgent public health engagement should focus on women, Qataris (non-migrants), and those of Arab ethnicity.Funding: The study received an Emergency Response Grant Fund from Qatar University (QUERG-CAS-2020-1).Scopu

Mental Health during the First-Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Perceived Stress among Qatar University Students

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact on many different levels including but not limited to economic, morbidity, social… and mental health. Hence, a lot of focus was given to research mental health aspect of the pandemic especially among young adults and university students. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess whether or not students at the Qatar University perceived stress significantly experienced an increase in mental health signs and symptoms such as depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was conducted among the Qatar University students, using three questionnaires: 1) Sociodemographic questionnaire; 2) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, to assess perceived stress); and the 3) DASS-21 (to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress). Results: Our results show that perceived stress was a predictor of anxiety, depression and stress following the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic among University students in Qatar. There were no significant differences in the mean scores of depression, anxiety, stress or PSS score between genders, different nationalities, having children, and the university year. Similarly having mental health issues, having a family member with mental health issue, testing positive for COVID-19 and eating habits did not correlate with any of the mental health outcomes (depression, stress, perceived stress and anxiety); only lack of exercise was significantly correlated with depression and anxiety. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study sheds light on the effect of perceived stress on depression, anxiety and stress among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also supports the evidence that University students had high levels of mental health issues during the pandemic and therefore there is a need to develop awareness along with interventions to promote mental wellbeing

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Personality Traits; Results from a Large National Cross-Sectional Survey in Qatar

Attitudes to vaccination arise from a complex interplay of personal and environmental factors. This has been true for the COVID-19 vaccination attitudes too and understanding personal factors would help design immunisation strategies that help in infectious disease control. The five-factor model of personality has been established as a valid construct in exploring individual attitudes and traits. This institutional review board approved study explores the relationship between these five domains of personality and attitudes to COVID-19 vaccination in Qatar which has a migrant majority population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Qatar using an online survey link containing validated tools to measure vaccine hesitancy and personality traits. People from diverse ethnic and sociodemographic backgrounds, amounting to 5340 individuals, completed the self-report survey. After controlling for social and demographic variables, individuals scoring significantly higher on Conscientiousness were more likely to refuse the COVID-19 vaccination, while those scoring significantly lower on Openness to experience and Neuroticism were also more likely to refuse COVID-19 vaccination. Both groups of individuals scoring significantly higher and lower on Conscientiousness and Neuroticism, respectively, were more likely to trust their own research than trust endorsement of the COVID-19 vaccine from their doctor or healthcare organisation. The study highlights the highly complex and sometimes contradictory relationship between vaccine hesitancy and personality traits and makes a case for understanding this relationship better in order to inform successful immunisation strategies