Meeting the service needs of youth with and without a self-reported mental health diagnosis during COVID-19

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed major changes in how youth mental health (MH) services are delivered. Understanding youth's MH, awareness and use of services since the pandemic, and differences between youth with and without a MH diagnosis, can help us optimize MH services during the pandemic and beyond. Objective(s): We investigated youth's MH and service use one year into the pandemic and explored differences between those with and without a self-reported MH diagnosis. Method(s): In February 2021, we administered a web-based survey to youth, 12-25 years, in Ontario. Data from 1373 out of 1497 (91.72%) participants were analyzed. We assessed differences in MH and service use between those with (N=623, 45.38%) and without (N=750, 54.62%) a self-reported MH diagnosis. Logistic regressions were used to explore MH diagnosis as a predictor of service use while controlling for confounders. Result(s): 86.73% of participants reported worse MH since COVID-19, with no between-group differences. Participants with a MH diagnosis had higher rates of MH problems, service awareness and use, compared to those without a diagnosis. MH diagnosis was the strongest predictor of service use. Gender and affordability of basic needs also independently predicted use of distinct services. Conclusion(s): Various services are required to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on youth MH and meet their service needs. Whether youth have a MH diagnosis may be important to understanding what services they are aware of and use. Sustaining pandemic-related service changes require increasing youth's awareness of digital interventions and overcoming other barriers to care.Copyright © 2023, Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.

MEASURING THE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF COVID-19 AND ITS TREATMENT IN PHARMACISTS.

Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the knowledge level of pharmacists working in Turkey about COVID-19 Material(s) and Method(s): The online questionnaire consisting of 16 questions in the form of true-false, developed by the authors after a comprehensive review of the literature, was delivered to pharmacists via social media and professional platforms (such as WhatsApp, Gmail, Instagram, LinkedIn) using the Google form. 364 pharmacists from all over Turkey who filled out the questionnaire were included in the study. Result and Discussion: In this study carried out in Turkey, it was determined that 99.5% of the pharmacists had good knowledge. When the factors affecting the level of knowledge of COVID-19 were examined, in our study, no relationship was found with the independent variables since the level of knowledge was homogeneously high. In the literature, it is reported that age, years of professional experience, having a master's and doctorate education are associated with better knowledge, while the length of experience is associated with the level of knowledge, while in some studies it is stated that no feature is related. However, the fact that it is a cross-sectional study creates a limitation in explaining the cause-effect relationship. Although the number of participants met the sample, it would have been desirable to have more.Copyright © 2022 University of Ankara. All rights reserved.

Relationship of college students' risk perception of COVID-19 and their anxiety and depression: A moderated mediation model.

Objective To explore the effects of perceived risk of COVID-19 of college students on their anxiety and depression, as well as the roles of attention to negative information and perceived social support, so as to provide theoretical basis for colleges and universities to formulate corresponding intervention measures. Methods By the convenience sampling method, totally 1 404 college students from Shaanxi and Henan provinces were investigated online by using General Information Questionnaire, Perceived Risk of COVID-19 Pandemic Scale, Attention to Negative Information Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Perceived Social Support Scale. SPSS 20. 0 was used for data analysis, Pearson correlation method was used to explore the correlation between variables. The mediating effect of attention to negative information and the moderating effect of perceived social support were analyzed by PROCESS. Results The scores of anxiety and depression of the 1 404 college students included in the study were 4.03 +/- 4.48 and 6.21 +/- 5.41, respectively. The detection rate of anxiety symptom was 29.9%, and that of depression symptom was 44.4%. The risk perception of COVID-19 epidemic of the college students was positively correlated with attention to negative information (r = 0.373, P<0.001), anxiety (r = 0.227, P<0.001), and depression (r = 0.226, P<0.001). Anxiety (r = 0.553, P<0.001) and depression 0 = 0.497, P<0.001) were positively correlated with attention to negative information, while perceived social support was negatively correlated with the risk perception of the COVID-19 (r = - 0.154, P<0.001), attention to negative information (r= - 0.259, P<0.001), anxiety (r = - 0.321, P<0.001) and depression (r=- 0.278, P<0.001). The risk perception of COVID-19 affected the anxiety and depression of the students mainly through the mediating effect of attention to negative information. The total effect of risk perception of COVID-19 and anxiety was 0. 227, and the mediating effect accounted for 80. 18% of the total effect. The total effect of risk perception of COVID-19 and depression was 0. 228, and the mediating effect accounted for 90. 35% of the total effect. Perceived social support played a moderating role in the last half of this mediating model. Conclusion Risk perception of COVID-19 indirectly affects the occurrence of anxiety and depression in college students through attention to negative information, and perceived social support plays a moderating role in this mediating model. The findings suggest that when a risk event occurs, colleges and universities should pay attention to guiding students to adjust their attentional bias to external information, and give students enough care and support to improve their mental health.Copyright © 2023 Xi'an Medical University. All rights reserved.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical interns toward COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional survey, April-May 2020

Objectives: This article reports medical interns' knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 prevention measures in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Design(s): We conducted a cross-sectional online survey. The questionnaire included 10 questions each to assess knowledge and attitudes, and seven questions to assess practice. We did descriptive analyses to report KAP and performed t-test or ANOVA, and multi-variable logistic regression analyses to investigate socio-demographic determinants of KAP. Setting(s): All regions in the KSA Subjects: Medical interns from all medical colleges in the KSA were invited to participate Intervention: Not applicable Main Outcome Measure(s): Attitude about COVID-19 was assessed as positive (>=90% correct responses), moderate (80-90% correct) or poor (< 80% correct);whereas knowledge and practice were assessed as excellent, good or poor respectively for >=90%, 75%-90%, and <75% correct responses. Result(s): Our results suggest that 24% of medical interns rely on social media, television, or friends as primary source of COVID-19 information. The prevalence of positive attitude, excellent knowledge and excellent/good practices are 55.2%, 38% and 24%, respectively. Graduating from government universities are associated with higher odds of excellent knowledge [Odds Ratio (OR): 3.87;95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.05-14.22] and positive attitude [OR: 4.84 (1.28-18.23)]. Interns from the west [OR: 2.35 (1.05-5.23)] and north [OR: 3.2 (1.32-7.75)] regions have higher odds of excellent/good practice compared to the central region. Conclusion(s): Our findings reveal gaps in KAP among medical interns. Medical interns in the KSA are not deployed as front-line health workers to combat COVID-19. However, community transmission of COVID-19 makes it critical to improve KAP of medical interns toward COVID-19 prevention measures.Copyright © 2023, Kuwait Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Personal, Professional, and Educational Challenges Faced by the Postgraduate Residents of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Peshawar during Covid-19 Pandemic

Objectives: To find out the personal, professional, and educational challenges in training by the post-graduate residents of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the three tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Method(s): This was a web-based cross-sectional study conducted among the postgraduate residents of Gynecology and Obstetrics in the three main teaching hospitals of Peshawar, from 1st April 2020 to 31st July 2020. A structured survey using Google forms was distributed among 98 postgraduate residents through emails and social media platforms. The challenges faced and their severity was assessed using the Likert Scale. Results were analyzed in Microsoft Excel. Result(s): Total number of participants was 98, with 99% being female. The mean age was 28.3+/-1.8 years. Their worst fear was of the family getting infected (86.7%). Their greatest challenge was the inability to practice social distancing due to the nature of their work (85%) amidst a lack of PPEs (51%). Their training suffered due to inadequate opportunities for elective surgeries (78%). Conclusion(s): Post-graduate residents in Gynaecology/Obstetrics faced substantial personal, professional, and educational challenges while training during the covid-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2023, Khyber Medical College. All rights reserved.

Self-medication Practices for COVID-19 Prevention: A Study among Medical Students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the interest in self-care strategies, including self-medication. Medical students, as future health practitioners, learn more about medications than other students. This study aimed to describe self-medication practices for preventing COVID-19 among medical students at Universitas Islam Indonesia. This observational study used a cross-sectional design and was undertaken in November- December 2020. The study sample included 336 undergraduate medical students determined using a consecutive sampling technique based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using an online questionnaire about self-medication practices in the preceding 3 months. Among a total of 336 students, 137 (41%) reported using self-medication intending to prevent COVID-19, and 126 (92%) of these 137 took preventive supplements, mainly vitamins C, D, and E, and omega-3. Seven students reported the use of zinc, mainly in combination with other vitamins. Students who practiced self-medication lived closer to people confirmed with COVID-19, washed their hands more often, and desinfected their belongings more frequently than their counterparts (p<0.05). The mean duration for consuming vitamins was 11-16 days. Forty students (29%) used herbal medicine to prevent COVID-19;ginger, turmeric, honey, black seed, cutcherry, and Curcuma were the most often consumed herbal remedies. Fourteen students (10%) reported taking over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms related to COVID-19, including antipyretic, analgesic, antiseptic, antihistamine, decongestant, antitussive, and expectorant medications. Most respondents (82%) purchased their medications at pharmacies, and 11 (9%) obtained them from online shops. These findings show the high rate of self-medication using vitamins and herbal remedies for COVID-19 prevention among university medical students. Further studies are needed to explore students' knowledge about the risks of self-medication including the use of herbal medicines.Copyright © 2022 Marmara University Press.

Will Physical Distancing Be the New Perceived Way of Life in the Post-Covid-19 Pandemic Era?

Objective: The current study was conducted to determine whether people will keep practicing physical distancing behavior as part of their daily lives after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A structured questionnaire was prepared online using "Question Pro" software for surveys, and the study was conducted electronically. The questionnaire for the study had two components, the first was related to the partic-ipant's demographics, and the other was about physical distancing questions. There were 16 questions in total. Result(s): Women were more fearful/careful and would want to limit socializing than men. The religious aspect is one primary reason people will be willing to avoid physical distancing. Physical distancing was more acceptable to people with higher education levels. This physical distancing trend might affect the public transportation and tourism industry. Conclusion(s): This study showed that the female gender and population with higher education are willing to follow better ad-herence to SOPs of the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2023, Khyber Medical College. All rights reserved.

MEASURING THE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF COVID-19 AND ITS TREATMENT IN PHARMACISTS.

Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the knowledge level of pharmacists working in Turkey about COVID-19 Material(s) and Method(s): The online questionnaire consisting of 16 questions in the form of true-false, developed by the authors after a comprehensive review of the literature, was delivered to pharmacists via social media and professional platforms (such as WhatsApp, Gmail, Instagram, LinkedIn) using the Google form. 364 pharmacists from all over Turkey who filled out the questionnaire were included in the study. Result and Discussion: In this study carried out in Turkey, it was determined that 99.5% of the pharmacists had good knowledge. When the factors affecting the level of knowledge of COVID-19 were examined, in our study, no relationship was found with the independent variables since the level of knowledge was homogeneously high. In the literature, it is reported that age, years of professional experience, having a master's and doctorate education are associated with better knowledge, while the length of experience is associated with the level of knowledge, while in some studies it is stated that no feature is related. However, the fact that it is a cross-sectional study creates a limitation in explaining the cause-effect relationship. Although the number of participants met the sample, it would have been desirable to have more.Copyright © 2022 University of Ankara. All rights reserved.

MEASURING THE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF COVID-19 AND ITS TREATMENT IN PHARMACISTS.

Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the knowledge level of pharmacists working in Turkey about COVID-19 Material(s) and Method(s): The online questionnaire consisting of 16 questions in the form of true-false, developed by the authors after a comprehensive review of the literature, was delivered to pharmacists via social media and professional platforms (such as WhatsApp, Gmail, Instagram, LinkedIn) using the Google form. 364 pharmacists from all over Turkey who filled out the questionnaire were included in the study. Result and Discussion: In this study carried out in Turkey, it was determined that 99.5% of the pharmacists had good knowledge. When the factors affecting the level of knowledge of COVID-19 were examined, in our study, no relationship was found with the independent variables since the level of knowledge was homogeneously high. In the literature, it is reported that age, years of professional experience, having a master's and doctorate education are associated with better knowledge, while the length of experience is associated with the level of knowledge, while in some studies it is stated that no feature is related. However, the fact that it is a cross-sectional study creates a limitation in explaining the cause-effect relationship. Although the number of participants met the sample, it would have been desirable to have more.Copyright © 2022 University of Ankara. All rights reserved.

Use of a webinar series to improve exposure to oral & maxillofacial surgery during a global pandemic

Exposure to OMFS at undergraduate level is rare. Students seeking such exposure often struggle to access important information that would help them decide about a future career in OMFS. The COVID-19 pandemic has made access to such information, for example career workshops and specialty conferences, more difficult. This paper discusses our experiences of setting up an online webinar series aimed at providing practical advice for undergraduates and early trainees interested in the field of OMFS. Clinicians were approached via email and/or social media to deliver a structured programme of key advice and guidance about OMFS. Individual undergraduate and surgical societies were emailed in order to advertise the series which included talks such as 'Week in the Life', 'Subspecialties' and 'Portfolio Building'. An interactive poster containing a Quick Response code was circulated to allow a streamlined registration process. The seminars were held via Zoom videoconferencing software and feedback collated via Typeform using a Likert-scale questionnaire. On average, the webinars were 60 minutes long and each attracted 53 attendees. The series attracted 183 unique participants. The majority of attendees were dental students and 85% were based in the UK. Overall, 94% felt their knowledge of the specialty had improved and 86% were more likely to consider pursuing OMFS as a career as result of the series. This paper shows that videoconferencing is a useful modality to engage with junior trainees and has a wide reach. These benefits must be harnessed going forward to improve access and exposure to OMFS in early trainees.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

A wavelet multifractal model for quality of life index measuring during pandemics and crises

In the present article, we investigate the impact of the timescale factor on the quality of life index behaviour on specific time intervals characterized by the presence of socio-economic, political, and/or health severe movements such as pandemics and crises. We essentially aim to show that effectively the quality of life evaluation based on a single index as in the existing studies may be described more adequately by a variable index due to the social, political, economic, and also healthy environment. The variability discovered is expressed by the existence and the estimation of a multi-index instead of a single one with relatively too many factors. Our focus is mainly on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and crises or crashes on the quality of life. It turns out that the first essays of empirical treatments of such a series bring out a fractal/multifractal aspect. This motivates our main idea reposing on the fractal/multifractal structure of the data to construct a quantitative model based on wavelets combined with change-point analysis. Our model is applied empirically on a sample corresponding to Saudi Arabia as a case of study during the period from January 1990 to December 2021. The end of this period is strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample is based on social media conversations and texts discussing and describing the satisfaction with the quality of life. The study confirms effectively that the role of the timescale factor is more described when considering a multi-index rather than measurement on the whole time interval. Besides, this multi-index is clearly illustrated by means of the multifractal spectra of the data used. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effect of caffeine consumption habits of contact tracing teams on anxiety, insomnia, and cardiac symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic period

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the caffeine consumption habits and insomnia and anxiety levels of the personnel working in the contact tracing teams in the COVID-19 pandemic and to reveal their relationship with each other and with cardiac symptoms. Design and Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of the personnel working in contact tracing teams affiliated with a provincial health directorate. Data were collected with online questionnaire forms. There are questions intended for the descriptive characteristics, caffeine consumption habits, and cardiac symptoms of the participants, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Insomnia Severity Index in the questionnaire form consisting of three parts. Result(s): Mild anxiety was detected in 12.0% of the participants, and medium and severe anxiety in 23.6%. The insomnia rate in the participants was found to be 35.6%. A positive correlation was detected between the anxiety scores of the participants and insomnia scores and the number of cardiac symptoms;as their daily caffeine consumption increased, the anxiety, insomnia, and the number of cardiac symptoms increased as well. Practice Implications: Psychological support for healthcare professionals like the contact tracing team working with infected patients in the pandemic period must be ready to be given when necessary.Copyright © 2022 Mattioli 1885. All rights reserved.

Mental health trainees: Experience of online classes during COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: To determine experiences of mental health trainees with their online classes. Methodology: It was an online cross-sectional study carried out during month of June, 2020. The sample comprised of 231 mental health trainees of BS (n = 114) and MS (n = 117) programs of a private university of Lahore. A google doc. consisting of 15 statements was prepared to for online delivery of their classes. Result(s): 45% students responded on "to some extent to no difficulty" experience of smooth running of online lectures. On the item of overall satisfaction with delivery of online lectures, 50% students (out of 114) from BS program and 51% students (out of 117) from MS program rated on "not at all" Although satisfaction was high on the online availability of teacher for the counselling of students however, on understand lectures Only 14% students showed highest level of satisfaction. Conclusion(s): Online classes remained a big challenge for trainees and it was associated with lack of satisfaction in terms of their own learning, evaluation comprehension and health issues.Copyright © 2023, Pakistan Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Sustainable, collaborative EEG learning with a nationwide webinar

Purpose: To under stand the needs and issues of electr oencephalogr aphy (EEG) education following the onset of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and report our current EEG webinar management. Methods: We conducted a weekly online EEG lectur e at Hir oshima Univer sity Hospital in a hybrid format from July 2020 to December 2021. We recruited trainees using multiple types of social network services (SNS). We assessed the background of trainees in terms of postgraduate year, hospital size and location, area of expertise, entry route for registration, and clinical interests. We also investigated the current EEG educational needs and other relevant issues. Results: A total of 468 tr ainees (419 clinicians, 49 technicians) r egister ed fr om var ious insti-tutes nationwide (229 hospitals and 9 clinics). As more than 60 webinars were presented over a year, a cumulative total of more than 3,000 trainees joined the webinars. Trainees’ background was variable. SNS were helpful for recruitment. Major reasons for participation were to learn the minimum essentials of reading an EEG (70.1%) and to be able to read a digital EEG (56.5%). Privacy policies and web communication failures were major challenges. Discussion: The study identified r obust and nationwide needs for lear ning EEG r egar dless of area of expertise. Reduced face-to-face chance due to the pandemic greatly affected EEG educa-tion, as the education conventionally took a form of multidisciplinary collaboration in person. Our experience suggests that in addition to face-to-face education, information and communication technology can provide a sustainable learning platform.

Macroalgae Bioactive Compounds for the Potential Antiviral of SARS-CoV-2: An In Silico Study

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was due to novel coronavirus was detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China for the first time and spread rapidly became a global pandemic. This study aimed to predict the potential of macroalgae compounds as SARS-CoV-2 antiviral by inhibiting of ACE2 receptor through in silico approach. Twenty-seven macroalgae compounds were obtained from PubChem (NCBI, USA), while target protein ACE2 receptor was collected from Protein Data Bank (PDB). Then the initial screening study drug-likeness conducted by Lipinski rule of five web server and prediction of bioactive probability carried out by PASS (Prediction of activity spectra for biologically active substances) Online web server. After those compounds were approved by Lipinski's rule of five and PASS online prediction web server, the blind docking simulation was performed using PyRx 0.8 software to show binding energy value. Molecular interaction analysis was done using BIOVIA Discovery Studio 2016 v16.1.0 and PyMOL v2.4.1 software. There are six macroalgae compounds approved by Lipinski's rule of five and PASS Online Analysis. The result is that macroalgae compound siphonaxanthin among 27 macroalgae compound showed strong binding energy to bind ACE2 receptor with -8.8 kcal/mol. This study also used the SARS-CoV-2 drugs as positive control: remdesivir, molnupiravir, baricitinib, lopinavir, oseltamivir, and favipiravir. The result shows that siphonaxanthin has lowest binding energy than the common SARS-CoV-2 drug. Macroalgae compounds are predicted to have potential as SARS-CoV-2 antiviral. Thus, extension studies need to investigate by in vitro and in vivo analysis for confirmation the siphonaxanthin's inhibitory activity in combat SARS-CoV-2.

Enabling online determination of the size-dependent RNA content of lipid nanoparticle-based RNA formulations.

The potential of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as nucleic acid delivery vehicles has been demonstrated in recent years, culminating in the emergency use approval of LNP-based mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in late 2020. The determination of RNA content relative to LNP size can be important to the understanding of efficacy and adverse effects. This work presents the first description of a facile and rapid analytical method for online, size-dependent RNA payload distribution measurement using data from multi-angle light scattering, ultraviolet and refractive index detectors following separation of the LNPs by size-exclusion chromatography. The analysis was validated by size-based fractionation of the LNPs with subsequent offline analysis of the fractions. Four LNPs formulated with different PEG-lipids and different lipid compositions were tested. Good agreement was observed between the online and offline size-based RNA distributions among all four LNPs, demonstrating the utility of the online method for LNP-encapsulated RNA in general, and suggesting a means for simplified biophysical quantitation of a dosing-related critical quality attribute.