Obsessive compulsive disorder.

Clinical features of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) were found to be similar in various cultures. However, there was no report about phenomenology of this disorder from Moslem or Arab cultures. This study is a review of 45 cases who presented as a psychiatric clinic at a general university hospital in Saudi Arabia. The findings were found to be similar to those reported in Western studies with regard to age of onset, level of functioning, type of onset, course, and co-morbidity. Religious obsessions and compulsions were found to be the most common clinical features. Findings are explained in cultural terms.

The seasonality of mania: Preliminary findings.

The relationship between climatic variables and monthly manic admissions to a teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was examined over a six-year period. The results indicate a weak but significant correlation between monthly admission rates of mania and day length, humidity, air pressure, and temperature. The correlation did not seem, however, to be strong enough to indicate a seasonal trend. Also, current month climatic variablesare better correlated than previous months. The prevalence of sunshine throughout the year may explain the low correlation with mania admissions unlike reports from other countries.