Nomophobia, defined as the fear of being without one's mobile phone, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) are on the rise and are thought to be linked to increased mental health problems. In the information era, being separated from smartphones may cause anxiety, while the expectation of continuous updates on social media may increase feelings of inadequacy and distress when comparing one's life with selected highlights of others. The extent of nomophobia and FOMO in the Middle East and whether these experiences are associated with psychiatric disorders are yet to be ascertained. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of nomophobia and FOMO among university students in the UAE and the relationship between these phenomena and depression, anxiety and stress levels.

232 female and 103 male undergraduate students in four Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman) took part in the study. An online questionnaire was developed and piloted. Nomophobia and FOMO were measured using validated questionnaires, namely NMP-Q and FoMOs. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were assessed using the DASS-21 scale. Data were analysed using SPSS 22. Significance level was set at p < 0.05.

The data revealed that 28.6% of respondents exhibited severe, 47.7% moderate, and 23.7% mild nomophobia symptoms. 52.5% of participants reported moderate to extreme fear that others have more rewarding experiences than them, with the median FoMO score being (25.62). Higher nomophobia, stress, anxiety, and depression levels correlated with elevated FOMO scores (p < 0.001). Variations in FOMO scores were noted across university, gender, and college. Strong associations existed between severe nomophobia and heightened stress, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.001). The findings underscored contextual influences on nomophobia intensity among diverse individuals.

The study identified a high prevalence of nomophobia and FOMO among UAE university students. Significant correlations were observed between these digital-related fears and mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress. Our results delineate the necessity for exploring and implementing interventions that address smartphone-related phobias to safeguard the mental well-being of UAE university students, considering their unique cultural context.

This review aims to evaluate the lasting advantages of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in alleviating anxiety and depression and improving overall health outcomes post-CABG.

A comprehensive search across databases including Science Direct, PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, VHL, Cochrane, and Scopus was conducted up to October 2023. The study adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and Cochrane guidelines. Inclusion criteria involved randomized controlled trials reporting on CBT or CBT-based interventions tailored for CABG patients and control groups had usual care, with anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as quality of life, as primary outcomes. Outcome variations were analyzed through standard deviation, while efficacy was measured via confidence intervals. Evaluation of the intervention process included examining feasibility, adherence, acceptability, inclusion rates, safety, and tolerability.

Three randomized controlled trials including a pilot study in America and Denmark, encompassing a total of 286 patients, were reported in this review. The participants' pooled mean age was 63.19 years (intervention) and 63.9 years (control), the male-to-female ratio was approximately 2:1 [males n = 174 (intervention n = 101; control = 73) while females n = 91 (intervention n = 60; control n = 31)], and cardiac as well as non-cardiac comorbidities including psychiatric diagnosis have been reported. The array of therapies ranged from education on anxiety and depression management skills to a combination of CBT and supportive stress management (SSM), and psychoeducational interventions paired with physical therapy. Results indicated that both CBT and SSM led to improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms, accompanied by reduced hospital stays, decreased hopelessness, lower scores in dysmorphic mood and irritability, lowered perceived cognitive impairment and stress, and increased satisfaction with therapy. The cognitive behavioral therapy demonstrated commendable feasibility, acceptability, safety, and efficacy, with some concerns raised about potential issues of low adherence.

This systematic review emphasizes the positive impact of CBT on depression, anxiety, and quality of life in individuals post-CABG surgery. Future studies should adopt standardized CBT protocols, comprehensively evaluating CBT's influence on overall patient prognosis, considering cardiovascular outcomes across diverse ethnic groups, exploring cost-effectiveness, and specific patient cohorts that could benefit the most from CBT interventions.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of goitre among children aged 6–12 years at South Kordofan state.

This was a cross-sectional facility-based study.

The study was conducted in twenty villages of South Kordofan state during a medical mission.

All 575 school-age children (6–12 years) who attended the medical day were examined for clinical assessment of goitre.

The prevalence of goitre among children of South Kordofan was 42·8 % (grade 1: 15·7 %, grade 2: 27·1 %). Only 24·2 % of caregivers reported using iodised salt. Mothers working as farmers (OR: 3·209, CI 95 % 1·437, 7·167; P = 0·004) and children of Darforian tribes (OR: 21·799, CI 95 % 2·566, 185·226; P = 0·005) were found to be significantly associated with higher prevalence of goitre among children. This contrasts with children of African tribes, where they were found to have less goitre prevalence (OR: 0·432, CI 95 % 0·213, 0·875; P = 0·02). Iodised salt utilisation (OR = 0·523, CI 95 % 0·320, 0·854; P = 0·01) was found associated with a lower prevalence of goitre.

Even though National Iodine Deficiency Disorders control programs were initiated in Sudan more than 25 years ago, the prevalence of goitre among children in South Kordofan state was alarming (42·8 %). Efforts to improve access to iodised salt, increase utilisation and raise awareness are urgently needed.

To compare the Emergency Department (ED) referrals to psychiatry in a suburban versus an urban setting over a one-month to evaluate mental health presentations characteristics across two locations.

This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study examining ED referrals to psychiatry in an inner-city and suburban centre over one month; - one based in an inner-city setting, the other based in a suburban area outside the city. The anonymised data were collected from both hospital's electronic patient records and analysed. The authors collected data on gender, age, employment, housing, the clinical problem at presentation, time of assessment and admissions. Descriptive data and hypothesis testing were performed where appropriate using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS® version 26.

The total number referred was 213: inner-city n = 109 and suburban n = 104. The inner-city saw a younger population; 47/109 (43%) were aged between 20 and 29 years, compared with 28/104 (27%) of suburban presenters (P-value 0.0134). A higher number of presenters were aged over 60 years in the suburban centre n = 13/104 (12.5%) versus the inner-city centre 3/109 (2.8%) (P-value 0.0084). In the inner-city, the proportion of homeless presenters was significantly higher at 30/109 (28%) versus 5/104 (4.8%) in the suburban setting (P < 0.0001). Presentations related to substances were highest, a total of 73 (34.3%) across both centres, with no significant difference in clinical presentations across the two centres. The majority were seen in the on-call period, 74/109 (67.9%) in the inner-city centre and 66/104 (63.5%) in the suburban centre. The psychiatric admission rate was significantly different between the two centres, with 33/109 (30.3%) patients admitted to the inner-city centre and 13/104 (12.5%) patients admitted to the suburban centre (P-value 0.002).

A large proportion of ED referrals to psychiatry constitute patients with unmet social and addiction needs. The variance in capabilities of liaison psychiatry (LP) and ED services means the local population's needs may not always be adequately catered for within a typical LP setting, which in the Irish context is predominantly driven by medical and nursing staff. This study highlights many patients attend the ED who may be better assessed directly by the community as per our National Emergency Program policies. This prompts consideration of expanding both ED and community services to comprise a more integrated, multidisciplinary-resourced, 24/7 care model.

The study aims to examine the severity of anxiety in primary and secondary doctors in the UK during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

An online General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7) survey was distributed during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020) to doctors in primary and secondary care in the UK. Seven closed-ended questions were included in the questionnaire. Respondents were to indicate how frequently they experienced specific issues in the previous fortnight: Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge; being unable to stop or control worrying; worrying too much generally; trouble relaxing; being so restless that it's hard to sit still; becoming easily annoyed or irritable, feeling afraid of something awful happening. Participants were required to tick one of four choices for each of the seven parameters - not at all (0), several days (1), more than half the days (2) and nearly every day (3). A person with minimal or no anxiety will score less than 5. The survey was anonymous and circulated in professional online doctors' forums. Participation was voluntary and no incentives were given.

273 completed surveys were received; 120 doctors were in primary care and 153 were in secondary care. Average GAD7 score was 6.4 in primary care and 7.9 in secondary care. 57% of primary care doctors and 66% of secondary care doctors reported score of 5 or more, representing at least mild anxiety symptoms. 22% doctors in primary care and 31% doctors in secondary care reported GAD7 score of 10 or more, indicating moderate to severe anxiety. One in ten doctors in both primary and secondary care reported severe anxiety due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The finding of more anxiety in secondary care doctors might be because general practitioners could resort early in the pandemic to remote consultations along with inadequacy of resources, greater exposure to suffering/deaths of patients and colleagues in hospital and perceived risk of catching COVID-19 infection.

Results are limited due to relatively low numbers and it would be useful to replicate this study on a larger scale. Doctors are less likely to acknowledge their mental health difficulties due to stigma associated with mental health.

Many employers have psychological support systems in place for their staff, but it is questionable if affected individuals are willing to receive this support. This paper; therefore, calls for creating open anonymous platforms for professionals to get access to appropriate support to address their anxiety.

There is paucity of information about perspectives of psychiatrists about telemedicine practice during COVID-19 pandemic. It was intended to explore the experience of doctors using tele-psychiatry for provision of clinical care during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Mental Health Trust covering four cities in West Midlands, UK.

The study was conducted as an anonymized questionnaire survey. A 10-item questionnaire was designed with items related to the clinical outcomes, challenges and provider satisfaction when using tele-psychiatry. It had mostly yes/no dichotomous responses along with the scope for making additional comments for each question. An online link of the questionnaire was sent via email to doctors of all grades working across the Black Country Healthcare NHS foundation Trust, in the West Midlands. The survey was open between July and October 2020; and monthly reminders were sent.

The questionnaire was sent out to 159 doctors and 34 responded (response rate of 21.3%). Just over 50% had used both telephone and video consultations, whereas 47.1% responders had used telephone only. More than half (55.8%) reported that the tele-psychiatry affected clinical outcomes; and it was considered positive in around half (52.9%). Most (73.5%) of the responders found that limitations or challenges of using technology impacted on delivery of care remotely. However 64.7% psychiatrists were satisfied with the process overall; and 79.4% reported that they would like to use tele-psychiatry in the future as well.

Survey captured many observations from the psychiatrists. Positive comments from the psychiatrists included expedited delivery of care, reduced non-attendance rates, as well as successful multidisciplinary meetings. Challenges in specific sub-specialties such as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry or Older Adult psychiatry were reported where complete assessments were not achieved successfully. The process was felt to be appropriate in general for stable or follow-up patients in comparison to new or acutely unwell patients. There was some worry expressed about missing out non-verbal cues which assist with mental state examination.

Inspite of a low response rate, the survey provided some understanding about the experience of doctors practicing tele-psychiatry during pandemic. While technological challenges were acknowledged, tele-psychiatry seemed to have been accepted by a majority of doctors who are also willing to continue it in their future clinical practice. There is a need to explore in a larger sample involving both patients and clinicians about the beneficial effects of tele-psychiatry that can be incorporated in the usual psychiatric practice.