Data_Sheet_1_Psychotic-like experiences among university female students in Qatar: A qualitative-phenomenological study.PDF

Background and aimsPsychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are hallucinatory or delusional experiences that fall below the threshold of a diagnosable psychotic disorder. Although PLEs are common across the spectrum of psychiatric disorders, they also have been commonly reported in the general population. In this study, we aimed to describe the types of PLEs experienced by university students in Qatar. Furthermore, we aimed to examine how students frame, explain, and deal with these experiences as well as understand how culture and religion may shape the way students attribute and respond to these experiences.MethodThis study used a qualitative phenomenological approach. For collecting the data, we conducted semi-structured interviews using the Questionnaire for Psychotic Experiences (QPE). The QPE is a valid and reliable tool to assess the phenomenology of psychotic-like experiences. The questionnaire was translated into Arabic and tested and validated in Qatar (a fast-developing Muslim country in the Arabian Peninsula). We conducted interviews in Arabic with 12 undergraduate female students at Qatar University (the only national university in Qatar). The interviewees were of different Arab nationalities. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and two authors conducted the content-thematic analysis separately, as a strategy to validate the findings. The study was part of a larger nationally funded project that was approved by the Qatar University Institutional Review Board. The approvals were granted before any interview was conducted.ResultsThe PLEs were prevalent in our non-clinical sample. The content-thematic analysis revealed the following main themes about these experiences: type, impact on daily function, frequency, immediate reaction, attribution style, assumptions about the root cause of these experiences, other associations, and religious links to experiences. The results also highlighted that religion and culture play a role in shaping the types of hallucinations and some delusions.ConclusionOur findings support the importance of culture and religion in relation to the types and explanations that students provided when describing PLEs. Notably, it was common among those who reported having these experiences to normalize and link PLEs to real-life events. This may be a defense mechanism to protect the self against the stigma of mental illness and from being labeled as “abnormal”.</p

Self-Reported Sleep and Exercise Patterns in Patients with Schizophrenia: a Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Adequate sleep and physical activity have been linked to the overall well-being of both medical and psychiatric patients. Patients with schizophrenia have shown abnormal sleep patterns and decreased physical activity that were linked to their psychopathology and physical health. These phenomena are not studied yet in Arab patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study is to study the sleep and exercise patterns in Arab patients with schizophrenia compared with those of healthy controls. A total of 99 patients with schizophrenia and 101 controls were recruited. Arabic versions of sleep, exercise, socio-demographic, and clinical questionnaires were administered as well as the validated scales to measure psychopathology, depression, and suicidality in these participants. The majority of patients with schizophrenia slept more than 8 h per day and exercised less when compared with controls. Sleep quality was worse in those with higher depression score and higher suicidality scores were seen in patients with lower sleep duration. Multinomial regression showed that patients with schizophrenia have higher odds of sleeping more than 8 h even after controlling for the intake of antipsychotics, age, gender, smoking status, and other confounding factors. Our results showed that Arab patients with schizophrenia are at increased risk of having longer sleep duration with inadequate physical activity, which are correlating with worsening of depressive symptoms and suicidality. Thus, more attention should be paid to the changes in sleep patterns and level of exercise when treating Arab patients with schizophrenia.Other Information Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine License: http://www.springer.com/tdmSee article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12529-019-09830-2</p

Cross-Validation of the Arabic Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Module K, for Diagnosis of Schizophrenia and the Arabic Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale

The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, version 6, module K (MINI6-Mod-K) is a diagnostic tool to confirm schizophrenia; whereas the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale in Schizophrenia (PANSS) is a scale to assess psychotic symptoms severity. The objective of this study was to cross-validate the diagnostic questions (categorical) from the Arabic MINI6-Mod-K with the corresponding items’ scores (dimensional) from Arabic PANSS. Arab subjects (N = 101) were recruited from the Psychiatry Hospital in Qatar. MINI6-Mod-K was used to confirm schizophrenia diagnosis, and PANSS was administered to assess psychopathology by an independent rater. The most common symptoms according to MINI6-Mod-K were the delusions and hallucinations but the PANSS items scores ≥2.5 captured more positive responses on all the diagnostic features of schizophrenia. The cut-off PANSS scores that significantly distinguished between the presence or absence of schizophrenia features on MINI6-Mod-K were mostly between 2.5 and 3.5. Multivariate linear regression showed that negative symptoms and disorganized/catatonic behaviors independently contributed to the PANSS score on positive symptoms subscale. However, none of the symptom questions in the MINI6-Mod-K were significant predictors of the PANSS negative score. Our results showed that there is very good cross-validation between the diagnostic questions of Arabic MINI6-Mod-K and the corresponding positive cut-off scores in Arabic PANSS.Other Information Published in: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10862-019-09759-6</p

ROC Curve.

<p>The Arabic CDSS total score with the Arabic BDI-II cutoff score for moderate/ severe depression as gold standard.</p

Demographic Characteristics.

<p>Demographic Characteristics.</p

Calgary Depression Scale for Patients with Schizophrenia (<i>n</i> = 102).

<p>Calgary Depression Scale for Patients with Schizophrenia (<i>n</i> = 102).</p

Principal Component Analysis.

<p>Principal Component Analysis.</p

Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome Among Patients Receiving Antipsychotics: A Retrospective Study

This study aimed to assess the differential effects of first-generation (FGA) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) on the prevalence of risk factors for metabolic syndrome among mentally ill patients in Qatar. We also wanted to check if there is proper adherence with the guidelines for prescribing antipsychotics and the monitoring of metabolic effects in this population. We collected the available retrospective data (socio-demographic, psychiatric, anthropometric, and metabolic measures) from the records of 439 patients maintained on antipsychotics. The majority were males, married, employed, having a psychotic disorder, and receiving SGA. Patients on SGA showed more obesity, higher BP, and more elevated triglycerides compared to those on FGA. The prevalence of the abnormal metabolic measures was high in this sample, but those on SGA showed a significantly higher prevalence of abnormal body mass index and BP. Obesity and hypertension were common in patients maintained on antipsychotics, especially those on SGA. Polypharmacy was common, and many metabolic measures were not monitored properly in those maintained on antipsychotics. More prospective studies with guided monitoring of the patients' clinical status and metabolic changes are needed to serve better this population of patients.Other Information Published in: Community Mental Health Journal License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00537-y</p