quality of life of patients with schizophrenia 1 [Jordan-Saudi project]: the reliability and validity of the modified version of schizophrenia quality of life scale [SQLS]

The main objective of the study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Arabic language version of the modified Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale [SQLS]. 99 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia attending the main psychiatric clinic in Irbid, Jordan, were the purpose of this study. Patients were given a socio-demographic questionnaire, the modified version of the SQLS and the Self-reporting Questionnaire [SRQ-24]. The impairment in social and functioning domains was assessed on a 3-point scale [mild-moderate, moderate- severe and severe-very severe]. Internal reliability and factor structure of the modified scale were first determined. The original SQLS and its modified version were returned to 27 patients from the previous sample of patients a few months later. This allowed us to assess the test - retest reliability of the modified scale and its concurrent validity. Convergent and construct validity were also evaluated. alpha reliability coefficient was found to be 0.93; Spearman correlation coefficient between the SQLS and SRQ total score was significantly high 0.77; Spearman correlation coefficient between the original and modified versions was 0.82 and test retest reliability of the modified scale was 0.94. Factor analysis yielded three dimensions " psychosocial and symptoms", "side effects" and "motivation". The SQLS total scores discriminated significantly patients with different levels of impairment, education and work status, confirming its construct validity. The modified Arabic version of the SQLS was easy to complete, stable over time and possesses internal reliability, convergent and construct validity

Fertility in schizophrenia: a comparative study

To test the Hypothesis that fertility in schizophrenic patient is less than the psychiatric population. This study has been conducts on an inpatient population in psychiatric unit - Al Ain- U.A.E. Between 1st Oct. 1993 - 30th of September 1995. The study showed no difference in fertility rate amongst schizophrenic population

WHO/DAS or APA/GAF: a difficult choice

The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in the measures of disabilities [WHO/DAS], and measures of functioning [APA/GAF]. Simultaneous and independent ratings of the disabilities and the functioning of 20 acutely ill patients by two raters using the aforementioned scales, revealed that the ratings were highly correlated. Although the two scales differ in format, the results of this study indicate that they measure the same things

Catatonia and Wilson's disease

A 17-year-old girl presented with lower limb oedema, chronic diarrhea, psychomotor retardation and insomnia. Laboratory investigations revealed a slight elevation of total bilirubin, hypoalbuminaemia, target cells in the blood film, thrombocytopenia, prolonged prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times noncorrected by vitamin K injections, increased urinary copper, decreased serum copper, and decreased blood ceruloplasmin. Active micronodular cirrhosis was found on liver biopsy. Slit lamp examination of the eyes revealed Kayser-Fleischer rings, and neuropsychiatric examination revealed a catatonic state with no obvious cardinal neurological manifestations of Wilson's disease. To date there are no reported cases of catatonia associated with Wilson's disease and we believe that our patient was the first patient to be described with catatonia associated with Wilson's disease. Wilson's disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of catatonia

Psychiatric morbidity in the Arabian American Oil Company[ARAMCO]: calls for the setting up of GP psychiatric clinics

To evaluate the quality of psychiatric care provided to an Arab Industrial Community, the nature of psychiatric disorders in a consecutive series of adult patients referred to Aramco's psychiatric services was investigated. We found that minor psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders constituted the bulk of psychiatric morbidity seen at this, the only available hospital based psychiatric service in comparison to psychiatric morbidity seen at a primary health psychiatric clinic in Jordan. The findings of this study illustrate the pitfalls and shortcomings of hospital psychiatric clinics since they attract patients from a narrow clinical spectrum and subsequently cast doubt upon the comprehensiveness and quality of care provided, the authors suggest that the present system of care should be extended into community psychiatry by setting up GP psychiatric clinics in order to provide care for patients with a wide clinical spectrum of psychiatric disorders

hospital survey of psychotropic drug prescribing for schizophrenic patients residing in mental hospitals in Jordan

A hospital survey of drug prescribing for 166 schizophrenic patients residing in the mental hospitals in Jordan was carried out in November 1988. A significant reduction in the mean number of drugs per patient was found since 1979. Though depot preparations were the most frequently prescribed drugs, nearly one third of patients were on a combination of oral and depot drugs. One of the findings of this survey was the observation that anti-cholinergic drugs were more frequently prescribed for patients who were on receipt of more than one neuroleptic drugs. The author suggests that hospital survey could be used as a self-audit for hospital staff to improve their prescribing practice since the results of this survey confirm the polypharmacy habit reported by other similar surveys

seasonal variation of suicide in Jordan

The Seasonal variation in suicides in Jordan during the period 1980-1985 was examined using X2 analysis. Compared with the chance expectation, the total sample showed significant monthly variations. No significant sex differences in the seasonal distribution of suicide were found and the methods of suicide played no major role in determining the pattern of seasonal distribution of suicide. A cyclical variation was found for both men and women. Suggestions were made to explore the variables behind the concentration of suicides in certain seasons

Reported parasuicide in Jordan 1980 to 1985 - calls for urgent re-organisation of psychiatric services

A retrospective analysis of all parasuicide patients [n = 1978] admitted to general hospitals and reported to the police for the period from 1980 to 1985 confirms that the sociodemographic profiles of Jordanian parasuicide patients are analogous to the profiles of parasuicide patients in the West. Although the parasuicide rate in Jordan is substantially lower than the rates reported in the West the rate amongst students is substantially higher. Hardly any of the subjects studied received a psychiatric assessment and the fate of those at high suicide risk was unclear. The present situation calls for urgent re-organisation of psychiatric services in Jordan

possible reasons behind a high intentional homicide rate in Jordan

To investigate whether the high intentional homicide rate in Jordan is related to the low suicide rate or related to different motives for homicide and different methods of killing, the variations in homicide and suicide in Jordan were correlated from 1979 to 1985. The motives for homicide and methods of killing were also compared with the corresponding motives and methods among murderers in Iceland and India. This study did not confirm a significant inverse or positive association [r = 0.2] between homicide and suicide in Jordan but confirmed the presence of a special unique motive [Defence of Honour] not present among murderers in Iceland and India and confirmed also that Jordanian murderers use more lethal methods of killing, such as firearms, in comparison with the methods of killing in Iceland and India. However, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution because of the problems with the reliability of the mortality statistics and the short span of the study does not permit a valid temporal correlation between suicide and homicide

Sleep-walking as a symptom of thyrotoxicosis

We describe the first reported case in the literature of sleep-walking in a thyrotoxic male patient which has responded to antithyroid medications

Can anxiety be the product of hyperventilation in normal volunteers?

Seventy-five healthy subjects [51 males and 24 females] had a hyperventilation test for at least two minutes duration. They were then asked to fill in a 21-Item check-list containing the reported symptoms in the literature of the hyperventilation syndrome and to fill also a 7-Item [Neurotic] check-list. Few of them reported neurotic manifestations [10.66 per cent] and there was positive association between being more neurotic within the normal range and the tendency to report anxiety secondary to hypocapnic symptoms. The symptoms profile of our subjects was more or less similar to the profile of pathological hyper ventilators except for the secondary anxiety which was not so prominent in our study