[Psychiatric disorders and associated factors in patients with epilepsy in Fez, Morocco]. / Troubles psychiatriques et facteurs associés chez une population de patients épileptiques à Fès, Maroc.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in epileptic patients remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in order to determine the prevalence and nature of the psychiatric disorders and the associated factors in patients with idiopathic epilepsy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of eighteen months in the psychiatric unit of the University Hospital Hassan II of Fez (Morocco). A questionnaire was completed by the included patients, which specified: the socio-demographic data, personal and family history, and the clinical features of epilepsy and its management. Psychiatric disorders were identified by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview test (MINI). The severity of the depression and anxiety symptoms was investigated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Rating Scale. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. The average age of patients was 29.7±10.8years. Mood disorders were the leading psychiatric comorbidity: 32.6% among which 25.8% of major depressive episodes, 15.7% of dysthymia and 2.2% of hypomanic episodes. Anxiety disorders came second: 28.1% (among which 19.1% panic disorder, 13.5% agoraphobia, 12.4% generalized anxiety disorder, 10.1% social phobia and 4.5% post-traumatic stress disorder). Female gender, unemployment and poor compliance to antiepileptic drugs are all risk factors for the occurrence of psychiatric disorders in this population.

The use of antenatal services in health centres of Fès, Morocco.

Morocco has reported important achievements in coverage for mother and child healthcare services. Nevertheless, client-use and quality of antenatal care (ANC) services need to be improved. The aim was to identify factors related to the use of ANC services through a cross-sectional survey among women attending an urban maternity hospital in Fès. We describe quality of ANC services assessed in six health centres through pre-established national checklists. Of 240 women interviewed in postnatal wards, 23% had not undertaken any ANC consultation during their last pregnancy. The main characteristics of women not using ANC services were being multiparous (OR: 2.7; CI: 1.5 - 4, 8) and having no formal schooling (OR: 3.7; CI: 2.2 - 6.4). These women stated three main reasons: (1) did not find it necessary (46.9%); (2) health centre too far away (14%); (3) dissatisfied about the quality of care (12%). Evaluation of the quality of care showed a shortage of personnel and basic supplies and malfunctions were identified at various levels. In the region of Fès, there is a need to strengthen ANC and overall maternal health activities through community mobilisation and information and education. We recommend that the WHO ANC protocol (less ANC visits with emphasis on quality) be pilot tested in Morocco.

[Measuring levels of professionally-related stress in taxi drivers in Fes, Morocco]. / Mesure du stress professionnel des chauffeurs de taxi a Fès, Maroc.

Professional stress is a harmful physical and emotional reaction that can occur when tension exists between the requirements imposed on a person and the level of control that person may, or may not, have on the fulfillment of these requirements (essentially tension between what one is expected to achieve and what one can realistically achieve). At present, traffic accidents are considered to be a major social problem in Morocco. The authors aim to describe stress levels in taxi drivers and to study potential associated factors, in particular the risk of having an accident while driving. A questionnaire was administered in a cross sectional survey to a sample of 338 taxi drivers working in the city of Fes, Morocco. Stress was evaluated by using a standardized scale developed by the French National Institute of Research and Safety (INRS). It allows for the intensity of stress to be quantified according to a set of seven scores. According to the INRS scale, 46.3% of the taxi drivers could be considered as stressed. Moodiness and blood pressure problems were specifically identified as indicators of stress in this population. These results should incite interest in developing prevention measures in order to reduce or eliminate sources of stress at work in order to decrease the number of traffic accidents related to stress, and hence to improve the taxi drivers' working conditions.