Substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: a scoping review.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUD) are mental health conditions that arise from chronic drug use. There is an increased recognition of this problem in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: Conduct a comprehensive review of published literature on SUD to identify knowledge gaps and to guide future research.

Gaming addiction and perceived stress among Saudi adolescents.

Introduction: Adolescents (age: 10-19 years) make up 15% of the Saudi population and have easy access to electronic gadgets and the Internet, yet data on gaming addiction among adolescents are negligible. We aimed to determine the prevalence of gaming addiction and its association with stress among Saudi school students.

Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, 2675 school students (grades 7-12) from 40 randomly selected schools in four main cities of Al-Qassim province in Saudi Arabia participated.

Sleep duration is associated with depressive symptoms among expatriate nurses.

Background: There is limited data on sleep and its impact on mental health among expatriate nurses in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the association between sleep duration and symptoms of depression among expatriate nurses.

Methods: Nurses in government healthcare facilities in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia responded to an electronic survey (n = 977) on demography, lifestyle, job features, and symptoms of depression (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21).

Job insecurity, fear of litigation, and mental health among expatriate nurses.

The objective was to assess whether job insecurity and fear of litigation were correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress among expatriate nurses in Saudi Arabia. The participants included 977 expatriate nurses working in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia who completed an online survey that assessed depression, anxiety, and stress (using DASS-21) as well as demography, lifestyle, and job characteristics. Mean age was 32 years and 60% of nurses were from India/Pakistan.

Association of cumulative job dissatisfaction with depression, anxiety and stress among expatriate nurses in Saudi Arabia.

Aims: We aimed to (a) determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among expatriate nurses in Saudi Arabia, and (b) assess how dissatisfaction with salary, workload and teamwork, individually and in combination, was associated with those conditions.

Background: Prevalence estimates for depression, anxiety and stress among nurses are higher than those in the general population. Available data on the mental health of expatriate nurses are limited.

Mental Health Status of Expatriate Nurses in Northcentral Saudi Arabia.

Mental health status may vary by nationality among expatriate workers; no conclusive data is available in Saudi Arabia. We invited expatriate nurses employed in governmental hospitals in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia to fill out an electronic survey that contained questions on demography (including nationality), lifestyle, job, depression, anxiety, and stress (assessed with DASS-21 scale). We categorized each outcome into normal, mild to moderate, and severe, and used adjusted multinomial logistic regressions for analyses.

Video game addiction and psychological distress among expatriate adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Few studies have estimated screen time among Arab adolescents, and no studies, to date, have published data on addiction to video games or Internet games among Arab adolescents. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of addiction to video games and its correlation with mental health in a sample of expatriate high school students from the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: The survey was conducted in 2016 among 276 students enrolled in ninth through twelfth grades in the International Schools in Buraidah, Al-Qassim.

Health benefits of Quran memorization for older men.

Objective: To examine the association between Quran memorization and health among older men.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included older Saudi men (age ≥ 55 years) from Buraidah, Al-Qassim. The neighborhoods were selected randomly (20 out of 96); eligible men from the mosques were recruited.

Chronic disease prevalence among elderly Saudi men.

Objective: Saudi demographic composition has changed because of increased life expectancy and decreased fertility rates. Little data are available about health conditions among older adults in Saudi Arabia, who are expected to represent 20% of the population by 2050. The study aim was to assess the prevalence and risk factors for chronic conditions among older Saudi men.

A Qualitative assessment of the impact of handedness among left-handed surgeons in Saudi Arabia.

Among Muslims, the use of the left hand in daily activities is discouraged; many people believe that left-handed physicians lack the competency for surgery. The study aim was to document the experience of left-handed surgeons in Saudi Arabia and the impact of handedness on their training, job performance, collegial relationships, and career progression. This qualitative study included 9 left-handed physicians in various surgical specialties from 4 major hospitals in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

Treatment of disseminated mycobacterial infection with high-dose IFN-γ in a patient with IL-12Rβ1 deficiency.

IFN-γ has been used in the treatment of IL-12Rβ1 deficiency patients with disseminated BCG infection (BCGosis), but the optimal dose to reach efficacy is not clear. We used IFN-γ in the treatment of a 2.7-year-old patient with IL-12Rβ1 deficiency and refractory BCG-osis.

Does academic performance in the premedical year predict the performance of the medical student in subsequent years?

Background: Student admission into the College of Medicine at King Saud University (KSU) is dependent on the achievement of a grade point average (GPA) of ≥3.5 /5 by the end of the premedical year. This study was undertaken to ascertain whether pre-selected medical students who achieve a relatively low GPA (≤3.

The epidemiology of pneumococcal, meningococcal, and Haemophilus disease in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region--current status and needs.

Information about the burden and epidemiological characteristics of meningitis and other invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis is of great value to healthcare decision makers to prioritize public health interventions. A group of regional experts in the Eastern Mediterranean and North African regions formed the MENA Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Regional Advisory Group to collate and discuss such information on an annual basis. This paper provides an up-to-date summary of the available epidemiological data regarding these pathogens in these regions.

Propionibacterium acnes. A cause of pneumatocele associated pneumonia.

Propionibacterium acnes is a normal inhabitant of the skin and mucosal surfaces and is rarely identified as a cause of significant infection. Reports of chest infections by this organism are limited. We report a case of pneumatocele-associated pneumonia caused by this organism and review the literature.

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes/serogroups causing invasive disease in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: extent of coverage by pneumococcal vaccines.

Background: Serogroup distribution of sterile site pneumococcal isolates varies between developing and developed countries as well as between different geographical regions. The potential efficacy of any pneumococcal vaccine depends on the degree of representation of the prevalent serogroups in the vaccine. We conducted this study to determine the prevalent pneumococcal serogroups causing invasive infections in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and to estimate the coverage by the various pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

Booster effect of two-step tuberculin skin testing among hospital employees from areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis.

During a baseline survey of TST, 236 nurses underwent a two-step TST. Overall, 29 (12%) showed boosting. All age groups showed boosting; the rate was 9.

Penicillin resistance in serogroups/serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae causing invasive infections in Central Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of penicillin, ceftriaxone and vancomycin of serogroups/serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) from invasive diseases in all age groups from major hospitals in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Methods: All isolates of S.

Pediatric gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis.

Basidiobolomycosisis an unusual fungal infection that manifests in the skin and rarely involves other systems including the gastrointestinal tract. We retrospectively reviewed records of six pediatric patients (< or =14 years of age) diagnosed with gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis from March 2000 to March 2002. Four patients came from the same region, suggesting environmental exposure.

Did the national campaign for poliomyelitis vaccination achieve its objectives.

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