Publications by authors named "Ahmad A Noorbala"

Article Synopsis
  • - The study found that 38.7% of hospitalized patients in Iran reported mental distress, with a higher prevalence in males (52.0%) compared to females (34.0%) and significant variations based on job status and hospital wards.
  • - Data was collected using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), with scores of 4 or higher designated as "mentally distressed," revealing that retired patients faced the highest rates of distress at 64.7%.
  • - The results emphasize the necessity for combining mental health evaluations with medical care to enhance treatment outcomes and quality of life for hospitalized patients experiencing mental distress.
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Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of routine repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the sleep duration, depressive symptoms, and quality of life of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 25 participants with TRD were assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and four sleep duration components of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Depression severity was measured with Hamilton's Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and patient-perceived quality of life with the 36-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36).

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Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been increasingly applied in fibromyalgia (FM) to reduce pain and fatigue. While results are promising, observed effects are variable, and there are questions about optimal stimulation parameters such as target region (e.g.

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Depression is one of the current dilemmas in both developed and developing societies. Studies show that the severity of psychiatric symptoms is directly related to the degree of inflammation caused by cytokines secreted by the immune system. Hence, evaluating serum cytokine levels in patients with depression can help to understand the pathogenesis of the disease and make the best therapeutic decisions.

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Objectives: This is an investigation of the efficacy and safety of famotidine, a selective histamine H2 receptor antagonist, on improvement of cognitive impairment, depression and anxiety symptoms developing post-COVID-19, in a 12-week, randomized controlled trial.

Methods: A total of 50 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and a score ≤ 23 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test or a score ≤ 22 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were randomly assigned to either the famotidine (40 mg twice daily) or the placebo group. Changes in MMSE scores at weeks 6 and 12 were the primary outcome, while changes in other scales were the secondary outcomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study conducted in 2020 focused on the prevalence of domestic and social violence among Iranians aged 15 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its negative health impacts.
  • The survey involved 24,584 participants, revealing that 11.4% experienced domestic violence and 5.5% experienced social violence, with verbal violence being the most common form.
  • Results indicated that factors such as mental disorders, female gender, youth, unemployment, low education, and COVID-19 history were significantly associated with increased violence, necessitating targeted interventions for vulnerable groups.
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Background: Covid-19 patients suffer from psychiatric disorders too. The present study was designed to investigate the rate of psychiatric consultation requests in a general hospital. Reasons for consultation requests, types of psychiatric diagnoses, and factors in consultation requests were also investigated.

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Socioeconomic status is one of the most important social determinants of the formation of stressful events. The purpose of this study was to estimate the amount of inequality in experiencing stressful events among higher and lower socio-economic groups and zones of Tehran citizens. The study was descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional.

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Background: The main objectives of this study were the translation, cultural adaptation, and assessment of the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).

Methods: All processes of linguistic methodology were conducted according to the published guidelines. A total of 180 patients with psychiatric problems were interviewed using MINI and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5(R) - Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV) by different interviewers.

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Background: Mental disorders are the most common health problems that affect different population groups. According to the national survey in 2015 based on General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), 23.44% of Iranians older than 15 years were suspected of having a mental disorder.

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Background: As stigma is one of the main barriers in promoting the mental health, the present study was designed with the purpose of reviewing clergy's viewpoint regarding the effect of mental health workshops on these barriers.

Methods: For this study, by order of Iran's Health Ministry, a questionnaire was designed to examine the clergy's viewpoint related to mental illnesses and the consequent stigma. Ten faculty members and psychiatrists confirmed the questionnaire's validity after some modifications.

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a frequent and disabling neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 3%. About 40% to 60% of patients show no or just partial symptom improvement to treatment with a first-line drug and cognitive behavior therapy. Ten percent of patients remain treatment refractory despite several treatments.

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Background: The health care professionals have a unique role in controlling the pandemic of COVID-19 and decreasing its mortality and morbidity. The burden of care and psychological impact of working in this circumstance can be unfavorable for many caregivers. In this qualitative study, the health care professionals' perception of stress during COVID-19 pandemic in Iran was assessed and several implications were proposed.

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By exposing individuals to trauma, wars can cause a host of psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to collect and compare the studies conducted to estimate the prevalence of depression among veterans, former prisoners of war (POWs) and military personnel in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). In this systematic review, a search was conducted using relevant keywords in major national and international databases, personal archives and national academic libraries.

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War as an unpleasant and stressful phenomenon could be the cause of psychiatric disorders. This study aims to collect and compare conducted research to estimate the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in combatants, veterans, and freed soldiers of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. This study is a case review study in which articles were found using keywords, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), veterans, combatants, captive, soldiers and war in domestic and foreign databases, personal archives, libraries of Iran and Tehran Universities of Medical Sciences and the National Library.

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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) as a prion disease is an untreatable type of progressive neurodegenerative encephalopathy. Although no definitive case has been reported yet, here we report a case that given the history, course of symptoms, and recent dental practice, it is highly probable that it was caused by dental procedures. The patient was a 52-year-old woman who has had memory problems gradually with forgetting the names of family members since 6 weeks prior to the visit and shortly after the dental procedure.

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There is a paucity of data regarding the safety and efficacy of antidepressant therapy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and depression. The effect of antidepressant medications on circulating prolactin levels is of concern in this patient population. We aimed to evaluate the effect of sertraline on depression severity and serum prolactin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and mild-to-moderate depression.

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Cardiovascular disease, mental health, and injury are among the top health issues globally. In Tehran Cohort Study, we aimed to determine the prevalence, incidence, and trend of cardiovascular diseases, psychiatric symptoms, injury, and risk factors in Tehran households. We enrolled 4215 households in the recruitment phase from March 2016 to March 2019.

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Background: Drug addiction is known as one of the health, medical and social problems of the present century. Beyond the harmful physical and mental consequences for addicts, drug abuse can cause serious social problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate drug and alcohol abuse in individuals aged 15 yr and over in Iran in 2015.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to create and validate a "Stressful Events Inventory" (SEI) using statistical methods on a sample of 6,000 people from Tehran to assess various stress-related factors.
  • - Eleven categories of stressful events were identified, including political issues, neighborhood problems, and family issues, with reliability scores indicating the inventory's effectiveness in measuring stress.
  • - The SEI demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including high validity and reliability, making it a valuable tool for future research in the field of psychosocial stress.
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Heart transplantation is a major procedure which imposes high emotional stress on patients. Illness perception (IP) is a psychological issue which affects psychological adjustment after transplantation. This study aimed to investigate the association between IP and emotional status in Iranian post-heart transplantation patients.

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Background: Depression has rapidly progressed worldwide, and the need for an efficient treatment with low side effect has risen. Melissa officinalis L and Lavandula angustifolia Mill have been traditionally used in Asia for the treatment of depression. Many textbooks of traditional Persian medicine refer to these herbs for the treatment of depression while there are no adequate clinical trials to support this claim.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of psychiatric interventions on the mental health of pregnant women in Kashan, Iran, due to the significant risks associated with maternal mental illness during pregnancy.
  • Conducted between 2015 and 2018, the clinical trial involved 202 pregnant women who were assessed using various mental health questionnaires and interviews, with 101 in the intervention group receiving psychiatric support.
  • Results showed that 37.14% of women were at-risk for mental health issues, but with intervention, significant improvements in physical complaints and anxiety were noted, with 95% achieving mental health enhancement through initial care measures.
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A growing body of evidence suggests the existence of abnormalities in the immune system of schizophrenic patients. The current study examined serum levels of interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-6, IL-2,interferon(IFN) -γ, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α in schizophrenic patients before and after treatment with risperidone and correlated levels of these cytokines with symptomatology. The study group consisted of 24 schizophrenic patients as defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria and 24 healthy controls.

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What Is Known And Objective: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disease causing a substantial productivity loss with no definite treatment. Our study investigates the effects of vortioxetine vs placebo in enhancing the IBS patients' quality of life.

Methods: In a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, adults with IBS, according to the ROME IV criteria, were randomized to placebo and vortioxetine for 6 weeks.

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