ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: Despite evidence that that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in general poses unprecedented risks, it is unclear to what extent these consequences have affected the mental health of the general population. This study aims to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population in Oman and to associate the physical health status and psychological impact. Methods: A cross-sectional online anonymous survey in which 831 adults from Oman’s general population were randomly sampled as per the inclusion criteria. The medical research and ethics commission approved the project. Data were collected after obtaining informed consent from the study participants. The criteria of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was used to measure the psychological impact. Results: Among 831 respondents in this study, only 4.2 % and 14.9 % of total participants reported depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. There is a statistically significant difference in psychological scores between males and females at the p < .05 level: F (1, 829) = 16.03, p < .001. As a result of this discovery, it appears that women are mentally affected by the pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 epidemic has had a severe impact on the general population’s psychological health in Oman. This survey found that the global health crisis has a psychological impact on most of the adult population, regardless of their age. As a result, early detection, urgent medical intervention, and counseling are required.
ABSTRACT
Background@#Lack of health education could potentially become a crucial risk factor in preventing Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Globally it does not have any cure, and no effective vaccines are available. The study aimed to assess the effect of the maieutic sensitization Program on the Level of Knowledge Regarding HIV/AIDS and People Living with HIV (PLHIV) among Health Care Students (HCS) in India. @*Materials and Methods@#A quantitative study with an evaluative approach of randomized controlled trial design with study group and control group of 600 students from first-year Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) and Basic B.Sc. Nursing. HIV knowledge questionnaire 30 explored the level of knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and PLHIV with the probability multistage cluster random sampling technique. The collected data were analysed using SPSS. @*Results@#Comparing the level of knowledge of 600 health care students between the study and control groups during the pre-test had no statistically significant difference at p=0.62 level. In post-test I and II, the number of students who had adequate knowledge in the study group was more than that in the control group (51% vs. 34%) and (83.6% vs. 57%), respectively. @*Conclusion@#Based on the present study's statistical evidence, the Maieutic Sensitization Program (MSP) was influential on HIV/AIDS and PLHIV among health care students in the study group than the control group who did not receive the study MSP.