Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Gaming Motivation Scale

Objective@#Gaming motivations are a central aspect of playing video games, and their importance to understanding both healthy and problematic gaming behavior has been increasingly elucidated. In this study, we aimed to translate the 18-item Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS-18) to Persian and validate it in a population of Persian speaking gamers, specifically for the assessment of online gaming. @*Methods@#After translation from English to Persian, content validity of the questionnaire was assessed by a panel of experts and test–retest reliability was calculated in a sample of 70 students. Data from an online survey of 791 Iranian online gamers were used for the assessment of construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis. @*Results@#The item content validity index and the scale content validity index for clarity and relevance ranged from 0.80 to 1.00. Internal consistency reliability of the GAMS-18 was 0.90 and the test–retest reliability was 0.89. The test–retest reliability of the GAMS-18 was 0.89, and the internal consistency was 0.90. The GAMS factors had acceptable correlation with other motivational scale such as Player Experience of Need Satisfaction. Incorporating the proposed additional error paths improved the model fit to an acceptable level. @*Conclusion@#The Persian version of the GAMS can assess digital gaming behavior based on the six self-determination theory motivation types, and measures different aspects of motivation that other instruments. It is also demonstrated to have good reliability and validity and could be used in research on the motivations of online gamers in Persian-speaking populations.

Psychometric Assessment of the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire Among Iranian Gamers

Objective@#Gaming motivations are crucial aspects of healthy and problematic video gaming behavior. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the widely used Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ). @*Methods@#Test-retest reliability was evaluated in a sample of 66 university students. Data from 791 participants in an online survey of Iranian online gamers were examined to assess convergent validity and construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency of MOGQ factors was assessed in both samples. @*Results@#The item content validity index (I-CVI) and the scale content validity index (S-CVI) were between 0.8 and 1.0 for clarity and relevancy. The test-retest reliability of the 27-item questionnaire was 0.85 and internal consistency was 0.94. After incorporating additional error paths, model fit improved to an acceptable level. The MOGQ factors had acceptable correlations with relevant motivational scales such as Gaming Motivation Scale and Player Experience of Need Satisfaction. Recreation motives had the highest average score in the sample and social ones had the lowest, and males scored higher than females across all motivation domains except escape. @*Conclusion@#The MOGQ is a suitable instrument for the assessment of online gaming motivations in the Iranian population.

Out-of-pocket cost of drug abuse consequences: results from Iranian National Mental Health Survey

Drug abuse has significant cost to the individual, the family and the society. This study aimed to assess out of-pocket costs of consequences of drug use disorder. Data were drawn from the Iranian Mental Health Survey [IranMHS] through face-to-face interviews with 7841 respondents aged 15-64 years. We used a bottom-up cost-of-illness method for economic analysis. Out-of-pocket costs for treatment of mental and drug problems, treatment of medical illnesses, as well as costs of crimes were assessed. The average of total annual expense was US dollar 2120.6 for those with drug use disorder, which was 23.5% of annual income of an average Iranian family in the year 2011. The average of total out-of-pocket cost was US$ 674.6 for those with other mental disorder and US dollar 421.9 for those with no mental disorder. Catastrophic payment was reported in 47.6% of the patients with drug use disorder and 14.4% of those with other mental disorder. Thus, considerable amount of family resources are spent on the consequences of drug use

Drop-out from a drug treatment clinic and associated reasons

The aim of this study was to assess drop-out rates and associated reasons among patients at the Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies [INCAS] clinic. In a one-year period [April 2014 to March 2015], all patients with drug dependence who had been referred for treatment and attended for a first assessment were included in this study [N=242]. Those who received treatment were followed until March 2016. Survival analysis showed that 70.2% had dropped out from treatment. Log rank test showed that treatment drop-out rates differed between the different approaches used [P < 0.001], with the lowest slope inbuprenorphine maintenance treatment and the highest in the detoxification programme. Drop-out rates within the first three months was 62% [SE= 0.05] and 82.4% [SE=0.03] for opioids and stimulants dependence, respectively. Analyses were performed using SPSS [Version 21.0] and STATA software, [version 13.0]. From the patients' perspective, motivational inconsistencies were considered as the main reason for not starting or leaving treatment. The findings of this study could give service providers a better grasp of drop-out rates and the associated reasons

Use of amphetamine-type stimulants in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2004-2015: a review

Amphetamine-type stimulants [ATS] are the second most commonly used illicit drugs in the world, after cannabis. The production of ATS has increased worldwide, including in the Middle East. This review aims to assess ATS use in the Islamic Republic of Iran. PubMed, Scientific Information Database [a national database] and Iranian Center for Addiction Studies were searched. The review included studies on the general population, university and high school students, other specific populations, and drug users. The result show that self-reported methamphetamine and ecstasy use in 2016 was < 1% in the general population and university and high-school students, but the prevalence was higher in certain groups. There has also been an increase in the proportion of ATS users among clients of drug treatment centres. The findings highlight the need for high quality epidemiological studies and closer monitoring of stimulant use in different populations

Assessing measurement error in surveys using latent class analysis: application to self-reported illicit drug use in data from the Iranian Mental Health Survey / 한국역학회지

Latent class analysis (LCA) is a method of assessing and correcting measurement error in surveys. The local independence assumption in LCA assumes that indicators are independent from each other condition on the latent variable. Violation of this assumption leads to unreliable results. We explored this issue by using LCA to estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use in the Iranian Mental Health Survey. The following three indicators were included in the LCA models: five or more instances of using any illicit drug in the past 12 months (indicator A), any use of any illicit drug in the past 12 months (indicator B), and the self-perceived need of treatment services or having received treatment for a substance use disorder in the past 12 months (indicator C). Gender was also used in all LCA models as a grouping variable. One LCA model using indicators A and B, as well as 10 different LCA models using indicators A, B, and C, were fitted to the data. The three models that had the best fit to the data included the following correlations between indicators: (AC and AB), (AC), and (AC, BC, and AB). The estimated prevalence of illicit drug use based on these three models was 28.9%, 6.2% and 42.2%, respectively. None of these models completely controlled for violation of the local independence assumption. In order to perform unbiased estimations using the LCA approach, the factors violating the local independence assumption (behaviorally correlated error, bivocality, and latent heterogeneity) should be completely taken into account in all models using well-known methods.

tentative component analysis of Norjizak: a new abused drug in Iran

Norjizak is a new drug abused in the past few years in Iran with symptoms and complications distinct from other common forms of drug and characterized by higher rate of mortality. The present study aims to analyze the chemical components of this substance. Five samples were obtained from abusers referring from different areas of Tehran to a treatment clinic. All samples were 2ml vials with yellowish fluid. Thin Layer Chromatography [TLC] was performed first to analyze the samples semi-quantitatively and the quantitative levels of components were then explored using high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC]. TLC revealed steroid [in form of betamethasone], heroin, codeine, morphine and thebaine in all five samples. Four samples contained acetaminophen and two samples contained caffeine. None of them contained amphetamine, benzodiazepine, tricyclic antidepressant, aspirin, barbiturates, tramadol and buprenorphine. HPLC revealed that heroin, codeine, morphine and thebaine constituted the narcotic foundation in all samples. In addition, the heroin to acetylcodeine ratio was significantly lower in three samples, which indicates their higher toxicity. The results of the present study on the chemical components of Norjizak showed that this substance is an opiate one similar to heroin and the heroin-based crack prevalent in Iran which contains betamethasone

Component analysis of iranian crack ; a newly abused narcotic substance in Iran

Iranian crack is a new form of narcotic substance that has found widespread prevalence in Iran in the past years. crack only nominally resembles crack cocaine as it is widely different in its clinical signs. Thus the present study aims to quantify the chemical combination of this drug. The samples included 18 specimen of crack collected from different zones of Tehran, Iran. All specimens were in the form of inodorous cream solid powdery substance. TLC and HPLC methods were used to perform semi-quantitative and quantitative analysis of the components, respectively. The TLC analysis showed no cocaine compound in the specimens while they all revealed to contain heroin, codeine, morphine and caffeine. All but two specimens contained thebaine. None of the specimens contained amphetamine, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, aspirin, barbiturates, tramadol and buprenorphine. Acetaminophen was found in four specimens. HPLC revealed heroin to be the foundation substance in all specimens and most of them contained a significant amount of acetylcodeine. The present analysis of the chemical combination of crack showed that this substance is a heroin-based narcotic which is basically different from the cocaine-based crack used in Western countries. Studies like the present one at different time points, especially when abnormal clinical signs are detected, can reveal the chemical combination of the target substance and contribute to the clinical management of its acute or chronic poisoning

Reliability of a patient survey assessing "Short Form Injury Questionnaire 7" in Iran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. The assessment of patterns and severity of injury in high-risk groups is crucial for planning and service development. On a large scale national household survey, we estimated the annual incidence and the patterns of injury, the demographics of the injured people, as well as the service use for all injuries in Iran. The current study aims at assessing the reliability of the questionnaire before carrying out a national survey.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In a pilot study using cluster random sampling approach, 73 people were interviewed. The interviewers asked the participants to report all injuries occurred in them and the care provided during the previous 12 months, based on "Short Form Injury Questionnaire 7" About two weeks later, the interview was repeated by another interviewer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In our test-retest reliability, Kappa score was good for three and moderate for four questions. The question on the injured organ had the highest test-retest reliability with a Kappa score of 0.84.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The reliability of the questionnaire and the procedure of questioning are confirmed. The ques-tionnire is proper for utilization in large national surveies.</p>

[Quality of studies on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Iran]

The aim of this research was to investigate the quality of studies on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Iran. All studies on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Iraniangeneral population as well as school children over 15 were identified through searching several databases including PubMed, ISI WOS, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Irandoc, EMBASE, IranPsych, IranMedex, and Scientific Information Database as well as reference lists of the accessed documents, unpublished reports, conference proceedings and dissertations. The original studies, which contained an estimation of the prevalence of "any psychiatric disorder" [overall prevalence] among a sample of general population or high school students in the country were selected. A quality assessment checklist was developed based on the following criteria: accurate description of research questions, random sampling, representativeness of the study sample for a defined target population, using the same method of data collection for the entire sample, using valid and reliable tools, and proper analysis of the results. The assessment was performed on those studies on the prevalence of any psychiatric disorder in the country that had used random sampling [43 studies]. It showed that in only about 40% of the studies the sample was representative of the target population. In more than 25% of the studies, validity and reliability of the Persian translation of the instruments were not assessed or were not reported. In total, nearly a third of studies had acceptable quality [random sampling, application of valid and reliable tools, and sample representing the target population]. Although this research - as part of a systematic review-was based only on a group of prevalence studies in psychiatric disorders, its findings indicated that a significant proportion of these studies are non-compliant with key quality measures. Instead of mere emphasis on increasing the number and quantity of studies, policy makers should employ strategies to improve research quality

[Lifetime prevalence of tobacco use among high school students in Iran: a systematic review]

Objective: The prevalence of smoking in the adolescence is a valuable indicator for prediction of national burden of smoking in the future. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence of lifetime smoking among high school students in Iran

Methods: Various search methods have been used including searching Pubmed, ISI, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, IranMedex, IranPsych and database on drug abuse, as well as hand-searching. All original researches, which had described lifetime use of cigarette, hookah, and pipe among high school students were included in the study with no restriction on date of publication, and were qualitatively assessed. Subsequent to data extraction, heterogeneity test was carried out on indicators for which more than two studies were found and meta-analyses were performed

Results: In total, 18 studies were included in this review. The combined prevalence of lifetime cigarette smoking for boys, girls and total high school students were calculated as 30.9% [95% confidence interval [CI]: 25-36.8], 14% [95% CI: 7-20.9] and 21% [95% CI: 15.1-26.9], respectively. The combined prevalence of lifetime cigarette smoking for boys was significantly different [P<0.001] in the year 2001 and before [38.6%], with the years after 2002 [21.5%]

Conclusion: In Iran, the prevalence of smoking in this age range is lower than many other countries and in recent years, a decreasing trend was found in boys. These findings can be attributed to the national control and prevention strategies. However, some studies have several qualitative limitations, which points to the necessity of high quality repeated surveys in the future

[Compulsory methadone maintenance treatment of severe cases of drug addiction in a residential setting in Tehran, Iran [1]: process evaluation]

An urgent project for arresting and mandatory treatment of high risk drug addicts started in May 2007 in Tehran. After triage, those with more severe patterns were sent to a residential center for compulsory methadone maintenance treatment. This paper presents the evaluation of the process of interventions. The two and six-months follow-up outcomes are presented in the second paper. Seventy nine drug addicts that were arrested within 11 days and sent to Shafagh residential center were followed. Repeated individual interviews with the residents, focus group discussions, morphine test in urine, observations, reviews of the records and reports, interviews with staff and authorities of involved organizations were conducted. The majority of the drug addicts welcome methadone maintenance treatment. During residence, morphine test was positive in 20% and 4% in the first and second time of assessment, respectively. From the 79 individuals entering the residential center, three fourth were kept less than 50 days. There were shortcomings in providing services. During the first months, the strict control of the police, was impairing the supported environment needed for treatment. However, the majority of residents were satisfied with the provided compulsory treatment. Cooperaion of law enforcement and Ministry of Health, preparation of treatment protocol, and evaluation were strengths of the whole project, which differentiated it from previous similar efforts. It is suggested that the project be continued as an experimental field without expansion in order to integrate judiciary supervision, improving the process and utilization of a variety of approaches

[Compulsory methadone maintenance treatment of severe cases of drug addiction in a residential setting in Tehran, Iran [2]: outcome evaluation in two and six-month follow-up]

An urgent project for arresting and mandatory treatment of high risk drug addicts started in May 2007 in Tehran. After triage, those with more severe patterns were sent to a residential center for compulsory methadone maintenance treatment. This paper presents the outcomes in two and six-month follow-up. The results of process evaluation of interventions were presented in the first paper. A total of 500 addicts that have been arrested within 11 days were followed. Seventy nine were sent to the residential center. Follow-up of these arrestees within the center, and two and six months after discharge were carried out through individual interviews, focus group discussions, morphine test in urine, and review of the records. From the 79 individuals entering the residential center, 51 were discharged after two months. Fifteen [29.4%] was in treatment in two month follow-up and 7 [13.7% from 51] had negative morphine test. In six month follow-up, retention rate was 23.5% [11 of 51] and morphine test was negative in 6 [11.8% from 51]. Because of the criminal approach to addiction in the country and provision of various punishments in anti-drug law, this was the first scientific approach to mandatory treatment. Although the positive outcomes are less than the results of other compulsory treatments like Drug Court Treatment, but with improvements in the provided services, utilization of a variety of approaches, and promoting aftercare services, the outcomes can improve, considerably

[Attitude, knowledge, and satisfaction of health personnel and general population about the program of integration of mental health in PHC in Iran: a systematic review]

To systematically review studies on attitude, knowledge, and satisfaction of health personnel and general population about the program of integration of mental health in PHC in the recent 20 years. International and local databases were electronically searched. Hand searching, reviewing reference lists and personal communications were also done. 11 studies on attitude and knowledge and one study on satisfaction were selected after reviewing full texts of the documents. Most studies were on Behvarzes and general population and few studies assessed other groups. Knowledge of the studied groups were higher than average in most studies. The only satisfaction study suggested a medium, high, and low satisfaction of general population from interpersonal and care delivery, time and cost benefit, and treatment outcomes, respectively. Knowledge and attitude of the personnel and general population seems to be average or higher in most studies. This could be partly due to implementation of the integration program. However, more empirical data is needed to evaluate the issues more specifically

[ qualitative study of specific needs of women for treatment of addiction]

The aim of the present study is to assess the specific needs of female substance abusers in the treatment of addiction, in order to contribute to the development of plans and policies aimed at improving services to the mentioned group. 62 women with substance dependence and three service providers, from "Chitgar" and Khaneh Khorshid" treatment centers, participated in this qualitative study. The participants were interviewed during seven sessions of focused group discussion as well as 23 sessions of in-depth individual interviews. Data were gathered using a directory list, and the topics of the list were established based on discussions with the authorities of the mentioned centers, as well as text assessment. The problems of addicted females were divided into general problems, problems related to the treatment period, and post-treatment problems. Also, two separate lists were designed for single and married women. Sessions and interviews were continued to the point of data saturation. Most women considered social stigma, humiliation, family rejection and severe poverty as their major problems. More than one fourth of the subjects were homeless and more than half had experienced physical or sexual abuse in the past. Insufficient numbers of female physicians and the lack of health consultation and education, unsafe environment and inadequate health and welfare facilities, were among the most important limitations. There was also a shortage of psychosocial services, including shelters, vocational activities and care for children in both centers. The expansion of services specifically geared to women's needs in general, and psycho-social services in particular, is an absolute necessity for the successful treatment of addiction in women

[Determination of the associated factors on the educational progress of the students of Iran University of medical sciences in 2009-10]

The purpose of this research is to find the relationship between mental health and Job burnout among the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education headquarters personnel. The population under study was all the working personnel in the Headquarter of above-mentioned organization in 2007. The sample size, based on the scientific determination of sample size, was calculated to be 387 people with the layered sampling method. In collecting data two methods have been used: A] Gold burg mental health questionnaire, which includes 28 multiple-choice questions about four factors [anxiety-sleep disorder, major depression, social disorder and physical disorder]. B] Maslach job burnout questionnaire, which includes 22 multiple-choice questions about three factors [emotional fatigue, personality metamorphosis and lock of personal success]. In order to analyze the discretional data; the mode, mean, medium and percentage were used. We also used the statistical methods [independent groups T-test, step by step multiple variance regression] to determine the outcomes. The results indicate that: 1] It will be possible to predict the occupational fatigue in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education headquarters personnel from mental health scores: It is easier to predict mental health by looking at social disorders than sleep disorder or anxiety. According to this research among the four mentioned mental health factors the prediction value of Job burnout indicators can be prioritize as follow: 1-Social disorder 2-Anxiety-Sleep disorder 3-Physical disorder 4-Major depression 2] There was no significant difference in the mental health status between male and female population. 3] There was no significant difference in Job burnout between male and female population