ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances among accident and emergency nurses not only harm their well-being but also affect patient care and organizational outcomes. This study examines anxiety, depression, and sleep prevalence and associations among accident and emergency nurses. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional correlational survey with 331 accident and emergency nurses in 12 Omani governmental hospitals. RESULTS: Results showed that 28.7% of accident and emergency nurses reported symptoms indicative of anxiety, with 13.6% experiencing symptoms of depression, 16.6% reporting mild sleep disturbances, and 1.5% experiencing moderate disturbance. Those with symptoms of anxiety (r = 0.183, P = .001) or depression (r = 0.152, P = .005) were more likely to experience sleep disturbances. Being single (t [170.7] = 2.5, P = .015), childless (t [169.7] = -2.807, P = .008), Omani (t [215] = 7.201, P < .001), younger (r = -0.375, P < .001) and having less clinical experience (t [329] = 4.6, P < .001) were associated with a higher anxiety score. For depression, being of Omani nationality (t [215] = 7.201, P < .001), having less than 10 years of experience (t [329] = 3.2, P =.002), and being of younger age (r = -0.285, P < .001) were associated with a higher score. DISCUSSION: Accident and emergency nurses commonly experience anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Implementing interventions to promote their mental well-being or manage these issues is crucial. Organizational support is vital for ensuring their mental health, and individual-level interventions may also prove beneficial.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of treating children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who present with irritability, aggression, and disruptive behavior at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Muscat, Oman, with risperidone, and to note any sex-based differences among this cohort. METHOD: This was a retrospective study conducted at the Department of Behavioral Medicine at SQUH over two years from January 2017 to December 2018. This study included all children aged 3 to 18 years attending the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of ASD, based on the DSM-5 criteria, and comorbid disruptive behavior, who had been prescribed risperidone. RESULT: This study identified 95 ASD patients (72 males). Male patients' BMI score after 12 months of risperidone treatment showed an increase by 0.62 (1.57 SD; P=0.001); however, there was no significant change among female patients. Somnolence was noted in 69.6% of female patients as compared to 34.7% of males (P=0.003). Among those with a family history of ASD, 5 out of 17 patients had treatment success (29.4%), whereas 70 out of 78 patients (90.0%) who did not have a similar history had successful treatment. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, low-dose risperidone monotherapy is effective and well tolerated among some children with ASD who present with disruptive behavior in a naturalistic clinical setting. However, we found that some of the side effects, such as weight gain and somnolence, were concerning.
