ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic became a source of psychological distress worldwide. People infected with the disease faced the possibility of losing their lives, and due to the high number of people with the disease, hospitals were overburdened. Therefore, the situation had characteristics of a traumatic event; this is especially true in Iraq since the healthcare system is on the brink of failure, and the hospitals are a place of low-quality service. Consequently, the current study aims to explore peritraumatic stress symptoms among survivors of COVID-19 in Iraq. Moreover, group differences based on several variables and the associated factors with peritraumatic stress are also investigated. The post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 was used as a measurement tool. A total of 370 survivors of COVID-19 from the different governorates of Iraq participated in this study; 148 females and 22 males. 51, 70, 165, and 84 participants were aged 18-25, 26-30, 31-40, and above 40, respectively. The results revealed that 31.1% of the participants had probable PTSD since they scored above the cut-off of the score of 23. Significant differences between males and females were not found. Regarding associated factors, education level was a significant predictor (i.e., no education, primary school, secondary school, diploma, bachelor's degree, and postgraduate degree). Compared to primary school education and no education, postgraduate education was significantly associated with probable PTSD. Furthermore, the longer duration of being infected with COVID-19 was associated with higher odds of having probable PTSD. This was one of the first studies in Iraq to explore peritraumatic stress symptoms following COVID-19 infection using standardized instruments and investigate the associated factors. The results have various implications for developing the healthcare system of Iraq and the need to have social workers and psychologists trained in psychological first aid available in the hospital to manage the patients' distress.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: There are limited published data regarding the recent incidence trends of cancer in Iraqi Kurdistan. METHODS: The present study assessed the epidemiological estimates of cancer incidence, as well providing a projection of future cancer trends in the upcoming decade by analysing the population-based cancer registry between 2013 and 2019, in both the Erbil and Duhok governorates. A retrospective analysis was performed on data retrieved from the Medical Statistics Department at the Ministry of Health, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). RESULTS: The total number of female cancer patients was higher in both governorates, and the total incidence of patients with cancer increased by over 2x between 2013 and 2019 in Erbil and Duhok, from 73 to 174 patients/100,000 individuals for women, and 36 to 85 patients/100,000 individuals for men. Analysis indicated that the percentage of patients with cancer is projected to increase by >2x in the current decade, from 3,457 cases to 4,547 and 4,449 cases in the Erbil governorate; and from 1,365 to 2,633 and 2,737 cases in 2028 based on LSTM and bi-LTSM analysis in the Duhok governorate. Lung cancer (LC) and female breast cancer (BC) were the most prominent types of cancers diagnosed since 2013 in both the Erbil and Duhok governorates. CONCLUSION: The striking pattern of trends for both present and future cancer incidence rates require urgent solutions and comprehensive efforts to control risk factors that promote the increasing incidence of cancer in these two KRG governorates.
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