Hazardous and Harmful Alcohol Consumption Among Non-Psychotic Psychiatric Clinic Attendees in Oman

Psychometric properties of the polish version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

BACKGROUND

Alcohol consumption is one of the risk factors associated with over 200 types of diseases, being strongly correlated with unemployment, low socioeconomic status, traffic accidents, and violence. Alcohol is also one of the main causes of premature deaths, especially among males. Early diagnosis based on screening may help to prevent the evolution from alcohol misuse to dependence by counseling or treatment.

METHODS

1024 participants took part in the study: 300 of alcohol dependents and 724 of controls (405 students and 319 patients from General Practice) (M ± SD age = 33.7 ± 15.4 years). Finally, group of 877 participants were included to the statistical analysis due to the missing data - 453 were male and 424 were female. The median AUDIT score was 17 (IQR = 11).

RESULTS

Correlation analysis showed that AUDIT scores were strongly correlated with MAST (rho = 0.764, p < 0.001) and CAGE scores (rho = 759, p < 0.001). The ROC analysis resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.95 (p < 0.001; 95 % C.I.: 0.936-0.963). The cutoff point of 22 for alcohol dependence corresponded to a sensitivity of 0.893 and a specificity of 0.863.

CONCLUSION

According to our results, the AUDIT scale proved to be a useful tool with high sensitivity and specificity and therefore can be used as a valid screening measure in Poland.

The characteristics and patterns of utilization of healthcare services among Omanis with substance use disorders attending therapy for cessation

BACKGROUND

It is indicated that Oman is witnessing an increase in issues pertinent to alcohol and psychoactive substance use.

AIM

The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of Omanis with substance use disorder attending a specialized hospital in Oman and the pattern of their utilization of healthcare services. A related aim was to ascertain the age group most vulnerable to alcohol and substance use in Oman.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care center specialized for treatment of those engaging in substance use in Oman. The participants in the study were selected from a convenience sample among patients seeking consultation at the center for alcohol and substance use. A six-part questionnaire was designed to obtain information regarding socio-demographic background, clinical history, healthcare utilization and perceived hurdles to access. Chi-square analyses were used to evaluate the significance of differences among categorical data. Logistic regression modelling was used to obtain measures of association after adjusting for confounding factors.

RESULTS

Among the patients (n = 293) seeking cessation therapy, 99% were male and less than 30 years of age. Peer influences on the initiation of substance use were significant. Most patients had a history of polysubstance use, including intravenous substance use. Cannabis and alcohol were the first substances consumed by most patients and Hepatitis C and psychiatric disorders were found to be the most common co-morbidities. The participants that reported use of cannabis and benzodiazepines were more likely to perceive "improvement" upon receiving treatment.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that males below 30 years of age with a history of polysubstance use were likely to attend a hospital specialized in treating substance use disorder in Oman. This study identified information regarding socio-demographic background, risk factors and perceived hurdles to healthcare that could serve as groundwork for further studies conducted on newly emerging issues of substance use in Oman.

Extent of alcohol prohibition in civil policy in Muslim majority countries: the impact of globalization

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Many policies have been introduced to reduce alcohol harm in different countries. However, Muslim majority countries (MMCs), where the major religion (Islam) prohibits alcohol consumption, have less well-developed civil alcohol policies. Overall, MMCs have low prevalence of alcohol consumption, although recently most MMCs have been undergoing transition, which has sometimes increased pressure for alcohol availability and impacted on social practices, alcohol policies and broader public health. Globalization, the influence of the global alcohol industry, recent governmental transition or political instability and the presence of immigrants from non-Muslim countries can all affect civil alcohol policy. In this context, consumption overall has increased compared with two decades ago. This paper presents an overview of current civil alcohol policy, with regard to the presence or absence of alcohol prohibition, and provides an insight into the legal availability of alcohol in MMCs and the challenges facing policymakers.

METHODS

English, Arabic and Persian language sources were examined, using PubMed, government websites for each country and the World Health Organization (WHO). Some of the challenges MMCs may face in developing alcohol policies are explored, including the need to interact with the global economy and the potential influence of the alcohol industry.

CONCLUSION

Muslim majority countries have adopted a range of civil alcohol policies in recent decades. There is a pressing need for better data and to support Muslim majority countries in alcohol policy development. Lessons from Muslim majority countries can help to inform other parts of the world.

Mental illness research in the Gulf Cooperation Council: a scoping review

Rapid growth and development in recent decades has seen mental health and mental illness emerge as priority health concerns for the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). As a result, mental health services in the region are being redefined and expanded. However, there is a paucity of local research to guide ongoing service development. Local research is important because service users’ experience of mental illness and mental health services are linked to their sociocultural context. In order for service development to be most effective, there is a need for increased understanding of the people who use these services.

This article aims to review and synthesize mental health research from the Gulf Cooperation Council. It also seeks to identify gaps in the literature and suggest directions for future research. A scoping framework was used to conduct this review. To identify studies, database searches were undertaken, regional journals were hand-searched, and reference lists of included articles were examined. Empirical studies undertaken in the Gulf Cooperation Council that reported mental health service users’ experience of mental illness were included. Framework analysis was used to synthesize results. Fifty-five studies met inclusion criteria and the following themes were identified: service preferences, illness (symptomology, perceived cause, impact), and recovery (traditional healing, family support, religion). Gaps included contradictory findings related to the supportive role of the Arabic extended family and religion, under-representation of women in study samples, and limited attention on illness management outside of the hospital setting.

From this review, it is clear that the sociocultural context in the region is linked to service users’ experience of mental illness. Future research that aims to fill the identified gaps and develop and test culturally appropriate interventions will aid practice and policy development in the region.

Characterization of depression among patients at urban primary healthcare centers in Oman

AIM

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and predictors of depression among Oman adult population attending primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) in Muscat Governorate in 2011.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 2005 participants attending 27 different PHCs in Muscat Governorate during 2011. A Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), together with a socio-demographic and relevant clinical data questionnaire was administered.

RESULTS

Of the 2005 participants, 61.8% were women and 42.1% were of 25-50 age group. Of the total, 44.4% were employed, of whom 51% were government employees. The prevalence of depression among them was 8.1%. The adjusted odds ratios generated by logistic regression models indicated that depression was significantly associated with age greater than 50 years old (OR = 2.23; 95% CI 1.07, 4.22; P = 0.04), female (OR = 1.34; 95% CI 1.12, 3.82; P = 0.03), married (OR = 1.91; 95% CI 1.11, 3.30; P = 0.02), graduated or attended higher education (OR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.03, 2.66; P = 0.04), working in the private sector if employed (OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.08, 2.75; P = 0.02), and having chronic illness such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, asthma, heart, thyroid, and renal diseases (OR = 1.82; 95% CI 1.03, 3.51; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The rate of depression appears to be in the lower range compared to rate reported from elsewhere. Some socio-cultural factors that may contribute to the present findings are discussed.

Validation of the alcohol use identification test in a prison sample living in the Arabian Gulf region

The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of the Arabic translation of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among a sample of male Muslim prisoners (N = 107) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a two-factor model to be the best fit of the data. Good internal reliability (alpha =.91) and predictive validity were also observed. While the limitations of the study are observed, these promising results suggest that the Arabic version of the AUDIT is a reliable and sound measure of alcohol use disorders among prisoners in the UAE.

Ramadan fasting triggering koro-like symptoms during acute alcohol withdrawal: a case report from Oman

This article describes a case of koro-like symptoms from Oman associated with alcohol withdrawal and illustrates how the socio-cultural practices of Ramadan-fasting affected the patterning and timing of presentation of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The patient was severely distressed by the delusion that his penis had been amputated. The acute anxiety involving this delusion appears to be conceptually and phenomenologically similar to koro.