Mental health crisis in Yemen

Social Stigma Toward Individuals with Schizophrenia in a Lebanese Population

Background

Schizophrenia has been recognized as the most stigmatized mental disorder, imposing a substantial burden on affected individuals. However, no prior studies have investigated social stigma toward individuals with schizophrenia in Lebanon.

Purpose

We aimed to examine three components of social stigma including knowledge, attitude, and behavior toward individuals with schizophrenia in a Lebanese population and to explore associated factors with the level of social stigma.

Patients and Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was administered, and data from 469 participants were gathered from January 31, 2023, to February 18, 2023. We used previously validated questionnaires to assess the knowledge, attitude (Social Distance Scale), and behavior (Reported and Intended Behavior Scale) of participants toward individuals with schizophrenia. The score for each section was calculated and used to explore the associations between sociodemographic factors and the levels of stigma in each domain.

Results

The study participants had a moderate understanding of schizophrenia. However, a substantial proportion showed negative attitudes and unfavorable behaviors toward individuals with schizophrenia. We identified several sociodemographic factors associated with the knowledge, attitude, and behavior scores. Notably, a higher knowledge score and more positive attitudes were positively correlated with improved intended behaviors.

Conclusion

This study highlights the pervasive stigma encompassing issues in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior surrounding schizophrenia in a Lebanese population. Our study suggests a pressing need for targeted interventions to increase public awareness and decrease the social stigma of schizophrenia in Lebanon.

COVID-19 vaccination, incidence, and mortality rates among individuals with mental disorders in South Korea: A nationwide retrospective study

We examined COVID-19 vaccination, incidence, and mortality rates among patients with mental health disorders in South Korea from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021. The study found that individuals with mental disorders had higher COVID-19 incidence and mortality than those without. Patients with mood disorders had higher vaccination rates and COVID-19 incidence and mortality than those without mental disorders. In contrast, patients with schizophrenia had lower vaccination rates, slightly lower COVID-19 incidence, and higher COVID-19 mortality. Patients with mental health disorders have been vulnerable to COVID-19, and more attention should be paid to their vaccination and health needs.

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Multiple humanitarian and economic crises in Sudan, including a 22-year civil war and the Darfur genocide in 2003, have resulted in over two million fatalities, food shortages, famine and widespread internal displacement. and the COVID-19 pandemic have culminated in the compromise of mental health services. The Sudanese government had declared a state of emergency on October 25th, 2021 which augmented the current humanitarian crises through further restriction of access to essential services. In an effort to curb the mental health crisis, new service delivery models led by educational institutions in collaboration with non-governmental, regional and international organisations.