Parental Attitude towards the Prescription of Psychotropic Medications for Mental Disorders in Children in a Tertiary Care University Hospital in Oman

Objectives: This study investigated parental attitudes towards psychotropic drugs for children's mental disorders. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to parents of children attending a child psychiatry clinic at a tertiary hospital in Muscat, Oman. Similarly, in a small proportion, other caregivers filled out the questionnaire in case the child attended with them. The questionnaire comprised questions regarding parents' opinions, and attitudes about psychotropic medications use. The logistic regression model was used to identify the risk factors associated with parents who prefer to consult a folk healer (FH) for children with mental disorders. Results: A total of 299 parents agreed to participate in the study. The majority of them (81.6%, n=244) agreed that they would give their child psychotropic medications if necessary, but 25.4% of them (n=76) would consult a FH before consulting a psychiatrist if their child experienced psychiatric symptoms. Married parents were 14 times (OR=14.5, p=0.011) more likely to consult a FH than were separated or divorced parents. Caregivers with a monthly income below 500 OMR and between 500-1,000 OMR were two times (OR=2.5, p=0.016) and three times (OR=3.2, p<.001), respectively, more likely to consult a FH than those with a monthly income of more than 1,000 OMR. Parents who disagreed with giving psychotropic medications to their children were three times (OR=3.7, p<.001) more likely to consult a FH than were parents who agreed to give psychotropic medications to their children if necessary. Conclusion: Most parents agreed to give their children psychotropic medications if it were deemed necessary. However, a sizeable proportion of parents and caregivers preferred to consult a FH before accessing mental health services. Keywords: Parents; Children; Attitudes; Psychotropic Drugs; Oma

The differential mediating roles of resilience in the relationship between meaningful living and stress among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

The current literature, mostly Euro-American based, indicates that the presence of meaning in life (MIL) improves resilience and lowers stress. However, the differential mediating roles of resilience in the relationship between the search for and presence of MIL, and stress have not been explored. This study aimed to investigate the differential mediating roles of resilience in the relationship between the presence of and search for MIL, and stress among Omani college students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study consisted of the Brief Resilience Scale, Perceived Stress Scale 4, and Meaning in Life Questionnaire, as well as socio-demographic questions. A path analysis model was used to examine the hypothesis. A total of 970 Omani college students responded to the questionnaire. Findings indicate that searching for MIL was significantly associated with a high level of stress directly (β = 0.023; p < 0.001) and indirectly, through a negative effect on resilience (β =  0.006; p < 0.001). Conversely, the presence of MIL was significantly associated with a decreased level of stress directly (β = − 0.045; p < 0.001) and indirectly via a positive effect on resilience (β = − 0.151; p < 0.001). In keeping with the proposed hypothesis, this study contributes to the current knowledge, by extrapolating the effect of searching for MIL on resilience and stress, and culturally re-contextualizing MIL research. University counseling centers could adopt meaning-based strategies to mitigate stress by promoting meaningful living and resilience

Electroconvulsive therapy in Oman: a national audit of demographics and standards

Abstract Background We aim to address the dearth of knowledge regarding general electroconvulsive therapy practice in Oman, by examining and investigating the electroconvulsive therapy practices at all hospitals providing electroconvulsive therapy across the country, and to compare our local practice against the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on the appropriate use of electroconvulsive therapy to inform the development of guidelines locally. Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Al Masarra Hospital were included in a nationwide audit of all hospitals in Oman that administer electroconvulsive therapy. The demographics, diagnostic and electroconvulsive therapy indications, treatment characteristics, and side-effect profiles of all patients who had electroconvulsive therapy between January 2019 and December 2020 were collected from the hospital’s electronic data. A descriptive analysis of the results was performed. Results The total number of patients was 197 (92 males and 105 females). The most common diagnosis was schizophrenia 32.5%, followed by major depressive disorder 31.5%. The most common immediate side effect was headache 10.2%, followed by dizziness 7.1%, and amnesia 4.1%. Only 57.4% of patients who received electroconvulsive therapy met the NICE guidelines for appropriate electroconvulsive therapy use. Clinical status was assessed after each electroconvulsive therapy session for 66% of patients, and cognitive function monitoring was achieved for only 7.6% of patients. Conclusions The current audit has indicated that the assessment of the clinical status and cognitive functions of electroconvulsive therapy patients is inadequate. Because there is a significant rate of cognitive dysfunction following electroconvulsive therapy delivery, cognitive assessment before, during, and after therapy should be more rigorously implemented and documented

Parental consanguinity and ovarian reserve: A retrospective cohort study

Background: Infertility affects around 10-15% of couples worldwide and is both a social and medical problem. Parental consanguinity is considered to reduce fertility reserve. Consanguineous marriages, especially first cousin marriages, are very common in Oman according to the Oman National Health Survey data. Objective: This study aimed to determine whether women born to consanguineous parents have reduced ovarian reserve. Materials and Methods: This cohort study was conducted on 414 women aged ≤ 39, treated for infertility at Sultan Qaboos University hospital and Royal hospital, Muscat, Oman from January 2019-December 2020. Each participant was interviewed and a complete history, including parental consanguinity and physical examination, were recorded. On day 2 of the menstrual cycle, serum concentration of the following was performed: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone, estradiol, prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone, and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). AMH was done, if necessary, on other days of the cycle. Antral follicle count (AFC) was done on day 2 and 3 of the menstrual cycle. Results: Of the 414 women, parental consanguinity was present in 40.2% of couples. In women with low AFC, parental consanguinity was present in 15.3% compared to 13.0% in the non-consanguineous group. About 15% of women with low AMH had consanguineous parents, compared to 20.2% from the non-consanguineous group. High levels of FSH were present in 6.5% and 4.2% of the consanguineous and nonconsanguineous groups, respectively. No significant difference was observed in AFC with reference to body mass index. Conclusion: The results from this study showed no statistically significant difference in low ovarian reserves (AFC, AMH, and FSH) in women whose parents had a consanguineous marriage. Key words: Consanguinity, Ovarian reserves, Infertility, Female