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Misra AV, Mamdouh HM, Dani A, Mitchell V, Hussain HY, Ibrahim GM, Kotb R, Alnakhi WK. Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health among a Sample of University Workers in the United Arab Emirates. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:1153. [PMID: 38891228 PMCID: PMC11172320 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12111153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Research on the mental health of university staff during the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered a high prevalence of probable anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder among academic and non-academic staff in many parts of the world. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and resilience among a sample of faculty and staff members working in the Higher College of Technology campuses in the UAE. From September to November 2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out using an online survey. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, The Patient Health Questionnaire (9-items), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to assess anxiety, depression, and resilience. The impact of COVID-19 was assessed using a designated list of questions. The results demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the mental health of the studied sample of university workers, with almost 16% of the participants having moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety symptoms. This study highlighted significant differences in the participants' depressive and anxiety symptoms due to sociodemographic differences. Depression and anxiety symptoms were most prevalent among females, those of UAE nationality, and never-married workers, with females scoring 5.81 on the PHQ-9 compared to only 4.10 in males, p = 0.004 *. UAE-national participants had significantly higher mean PHQ-9 scores than their non-national counterparts (6.37 ± 5.49 SD versus 4.77 ± 5.1 SD, respectively, p = 0.040 *). Overall, the total mean scores of all participants were below the assumed cut-off threshold of having a high resilience level (29.51 ± 7.53 SD). The results showed a significant difference in severe depression symptoms as a result of the impact of COVID-19. These results could imply that the COVID-19 pandemic might have augmented negative mental health impacts on this sample of university workers. This study highlighted some areas where the responsible authorities can intervene to further protect and enhance the mental health of university workers, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamika V. Misra
- Department of Health Sciences—Social Work Program, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah P.O. Box 7946, United Arab Emirates; (A.V.M.); (A.D.)
| | - Heba M. Mamdouh
- Department of Data Analysis, Research and Studies, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai P.O. Box 4545, United Arab Emirates (G.M.I.)
- Department of Family Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria 5424041, Egypt
| | - Anita Dani
- Department of Health Sciences—Social Work Program, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah P.O. Box 7946, United Arab Emirates; (A.V.M.); (A.D.)
| | - Vivienne Mitchell
- Department of Health Sciences—Social Work Program, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah P.O. Box 7946, United Arab Emirates; (A.V.M.); (A.D.)
| | - Hamid Y. Hussain
- Department of Data Analysis, Research and Studies, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai P.O. Box 4545, United Arab Emirates (G.M.I.)
| | - Gamal M. Ibrahim
- Department of Data Analysis, Research and Studies, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai P.O. Box 4545, United Arab Emirates (G.M.I.)
| | - Reham Kotb
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 59911, United Arab Emirates;
- Primary Health Care Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria 5424041, Egypt
| | - Wafa K. Alnakhi
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates;
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El-Wafa TA, Khalil A, Hashish A. Parliamentary question: Insights from the Federal National Council in the UAE. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27671. [PMID: 38510029 PMCID: PMC10950650 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper highlights the paramount role of parliamentary questioning as a control mechanism exercised by the Federal National Council (FNC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The surge in its utilization, attributed to heightened awareness among FNC members and ministers, has significantly enhanced the Council's control capabilities, especially in the absence of alternative parliamentary control instruments such as interpellations. The paper underscores the simplicity and adaptability of parliamentary questioning, which spans diverse topics and addresses everyday state matters, rectifies errors, monitors law implementation, and fills legislative gaps. The structure of the paper comprises two sections: the first scrutinizes procedural requirements within the UAE's Constitution and the FNC's Bylaw, while the second section explores practical examples, offering insights into the distinctive nature of the FNC's parliamentary questioning compared to regional practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarek Abo El-Wafa
- College of Law, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Al Azhar University, Egypt
- Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France
| | - Ahmed Khalil
- College of Law, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Université Grenoble Alpes, France
| | - Adham Hashish
- College of Law, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- The George Washington University, USA
- The University of Kansas, USA
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Ghader N, AlMheiri N, Fikri A, AbdulRazzak H, Saleheen H, Saddik B, Aljawarneh Y, Dalky H, Al Banna A, Al Memari S, Al Shehhi B, Al Mazrouei S, Al Hajeri O. Prevalence and factors associated with mental illness symptoms among school students post lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional national study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296479. [PMID: 38300941 PMCID: PMC10833540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Limited data exists on the mental health of children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among school students in post-lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 3,745 school students participated, responding to standardized tests (Mood and Feeling Questionnaire-Child Self-Report, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders-Child Version, and Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale-8). Findings showed that the risk for PTSD was the most prevalent (40.6%), followed by symptoms of anxiety (23.3%), and depression (17.1%). For gender differences, symptoms of the three conditions (depression, anxiety, and PTSD) were higher in female students (9.2%) compared to male peers (7.7%) (p = 0.09). Moreover, symptoms of depression and anxiety were found to be higher among late adolescents (p<0.05). Further analysis revealed that having medical problems was a positive predictor for anxiety (OR = 2.0, p<0.01) and risk for PTSD (OR = 1.3, p = 0.002); similarly, witnessing the death of a close family member due to COVID-19 (OR for depression, anxiety, and PTSD = 1.7, p<0.01) were positive predictors associated with PTDS, depression, and anxiety. The study concluded that post COVID-19 lockdown, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and risk for PTSD were found to be prevalent among school students in the UAE. Researchers put forward recommendations on the initiation of a national school mental health screening program, the provision of follow-up services for vulnerable students, and the integration of a mental health support system in the disaster preparedness plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nariman Ghader
- Mental Health Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noor AlMheiri
- Mental Health Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Asma Fikri
- National Center for Health Research, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hira AbdulRazzak
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hassan Saleheen
- Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yousef Aljawarneh
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Heyam Dalky
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ammar Al Banna
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center of Excellence, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shammah Al Memari
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Budoor Al Shehhi
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shereena Al Mazrouei
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Omniyat Al Hajeri
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Kampe L, Hörz-Sagstetter S, Bohn J, Remmers C. How personality functioning relates to psychological distress and behavioral attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-023-01722-7. [PMID: 38183464 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01722-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Functional aspects of personality are crucial for experiencing and handling emotional distress. With the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus and the subsequent installation of mitigation rules of social distancing, severe psycho-social challenges were posed upon people. Research has shown that individuals react differently to these challenges. This study aimed to investigate the role of dimensional aspects of personality during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, we examined how personality functioning, defense mechanisms, and narcissism were related to psychological distress and cognitive and behavioral attitudes towards the rules of social distancing. In a non-clinical sample (N = 254), Level of Personality Functioning Scale, Inventory of Personality Organization, Defense Style Questionnaire, Pathological Narcissism Inventory, and three single questions regarding emotional distress and behavioral attitudes towards the pandemic were used. Structural equation models with reference and residual factors were calculated. Impairments in personality functioning and vulnerable narcissism showed significant positive relationships, adaptive defense mechanisms significant negative relationships with psychological distress during the pandemic. Residual factors for aggression and low moral values showed distinct negative relationships with psychological distress related to social distancing. Among individuals who chose to ignore the rules of social distancing, greater impairment in personality organization was found. Personality functioning may elucidate individual differences in psychological distress and compliance with the mitigation rules during the pandemic. Limitations of measures are carefully considered in all interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Kampe
- Department of Psychological Diagnostics, International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, Stromstrasse 1, 10555, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Susanne Hörz-Sagstetter
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Bohn
- Department of Education and Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carina Remmers
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine, HMU Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
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