Iman Amro - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Iman Amro
Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Oct 20, 2021
BMC Psychiatry, Oct 21, 2022
Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the... more Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the Arabic versions of the Calgary Depression Scale in Schizophrenia (CDSS) and The International Scale for Suicidal Thinking (ISST) to Arab schizophrenia patients in Doha, Qatar. Methods: We applied the qualitative thematic analysis of the focus group discussions with clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Five CRCs met with the principal investigator for two sessions; we transcribed the conversations and analyzed the content. Results: This study revealed one set of themes related to the scales themselves, like the role of the clinician-patient relationship during administration, the semantic variations in Arabic dialects, and the design of scales to assess suicide and differentiate between negative symptoms and depression. The other set of themes is relevant to the sociocultural domains of Muslim Arabs, covering religion, families' roles, and stigma. It also covered the approaches to culturally sensitive issues like suicide, taboos in Islam, and the gender roles in Arab countries and their impact on the patients' reports of their symptoms. Conclusions: Our results highlight several cultural and religious aspects to tackle when approaching schizophrenia patients through in-depth discussions and training to improve the validity of the assessment tools and treatment services.
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
Objectives: A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in ... more Objectives: A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in the last three decades accompanied by major socio-demographic shifts towards a younger and more highly educated population. To date, no national epidemiological study has examined the prevalence, associated factors, or sequelae of mental disorders in Qatar's general population. Methods: The World Mental Health Qatar (WMHQ) is a national mental health needs assessment survey and is the first carried out in collaboration with the WMH Survey initiative to assess the prevalence and burden of psychiatric illnesses among the full Arabic speaking population (nationals and nonnationals) within the same country. Results: Standard translation and harmonization procedures were used to develop the WMHQ instrument. A survey quality control system with standard performance indicators was developed to ensure interviewer adherence to standard practices. A pilot study was then carried out just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Endorsement from public health authorities and sequential revision of the interview schedule led to full survey completion (as opposed to partial completion) and good overall response rate. Conclusions: The WMHQ survey will provide timely and actionable information based on quality enhancement procedures put in place during the development and piloting of the study.
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
Journal of Affective Disorders
Background Prevalence trends from Arabic speaking countries on psychiatric symptoms before and af... more Background Prevalence trends from Arabic speaking countries on psychiatric symptoms before and after COVID-19 pandemic is lacking. We estimated the point prevalence and change in depression and anxiety symptoms scores in relation to sociodemographic variables following the resolution of the first wave in Qatar compared with before the pandemic. Methods We conducted a trend analysis using repeated nationally representative cross-sectional surveys spanning 2017, 2018, 2020/2021 and using the Physician Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Negative binomial regression modelled changes in these symptoms in relation sociodemographics and survey year. Results The two-week prevalence of depressive symptoms (≥10 on the PHQ-9) was 6.6% in 2017 and 6.5% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.986). The two-week prevalence of anxiety symptoms (≥10 or higher on the GAD-7) was 3.6% in 2018 and 5.1% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.062). The data for 2020/21 showed a 35.1% and 29.2% decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms scores compared to pre-pandemic years (2017/2018) after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Limitations Screening tools rather than structured interviews were to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions Prevalence for depression and anxiety post the first COVID wave did not differ significantly to pre-pandemic estimates. The end of the first wave of the pandemic had a ‘levelling’ effect on these symptoms and their associations with traditional sociodemographic risk factors. The 2020/21 depression and anxiety symptoms scores remained high for Qataris and Arabs, suggesting that these cultural groups may benefit most from public mental health interventions.
Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2021
There is limited data from Arabic-speaking countries on risk factors for depression and anxiety d... more There is limited data from Arabic-speaking countries on risk factors for depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Country-specific data is necessary given differences in culture, demographics, and COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. This study intended to identify the factors associated with symptoms of depression-anxiety in the adult population of Qatar during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in Qatar between July and December 2020 after Qatar’s first COVID-19 wave and before the beginning of the second wave. Depression-anxiety was defined as a cut-off of 20 or higher on the PHQ-ADS scale. Of 1138 participants, 71.05% were female, 69.0% Arabs, and 70.0% Non-Qataris. 77 % were < 40 years (the median age in Qatar is 32 years). In a fully-adjusted model, six variables were significantly associated with PHQ-ADS; Arab ethnicity (OR=1.67, p=0.026), never married (OR=1.69, p < 0.015), prior psychiatric history (OR=...
University of the Future: Re-Imagining Research and Higher Education, 2020
Aims: Q-LAMP aims to identify risk factors and resilience factors for symptoms of psychiatric ill... more Aims: Q-LAMP aims to identify risk factors and resilience factors for symptoms of psychiatric illness during the pandemic. Study strengths include the 1-year longitudinal design and the use of standardized instruments already available in English and Arabic. The results will increase understanding of the impact of the pandemic on mental health for better support of the population during the pandemic and in future epidemics. Until an effective vaccine is available or herd immunity is achieved, countries are likely to encounter repeated ‘waves’ of infection. The identification of at-risk groups for mental illness will inform the planning and delivery of individualized treatment including primary prevention. Methodology: Longitudinal online survey; SMS-based recruitment and social media platforms advertisements e.g. Facebook, Instagram; Online consent; Completion time for questionnaires: approx. 20 to 30 minute; Baseline questionnaire with follow up at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months; Study comp...
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 2021
A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in the last 3 d... more A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in the last 3 decades accompanied by major socio‐demographic shifts towards a younger and more highly educated population. To date, no national epidemiological study has examined the prevalence, associated factors, or sequelae of mental disorders in Qatar's general population.
Vaccines, 2021
Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistan... more Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistance to vaccine uptake in different populations. The Middle East and North Africa currently lack vital representative vaccine hesitancy data. We conducted the first representative national phone survey among the adult population of Qatar, between December 2020 and January 2021, to estimate the prevalence and identify potential determinants of vaccine willingness: acceptance (strongly agree), resistance (strongly disagree), and hesitance (somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression models estimated associations between willingness groups and fifteen variables. In the total sample, 42.7% (95% CI: 39.5–46.1) were accepting, 45.2% (95% CI: 41.9–48.4) hesitant, and 12.1% (95% CI: 10.1–14.4) resistant. Vaccine resistant compared with hesistant and accepting groups reported no endorsement source will increase vaccine confidence (58.9% vs. 5.6% vs. 0....
Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the... more Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the Arabic versions of the Calgary Depression Scale in Schizophrenia (CDSS) and The International Scale for Suicidal Thinking (ISST) to Arab schizophrenia patients in Doha, Qatar. Methods: We applied the qualitative thematic analysis of the focus group discussions with clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Five CRCs met with the principal investigator for two sessions; we transcribed the conversations and analyzed the content. Results: This study revealed one set of themes related to the scales themselves, like the role of the clinician-patient relationship during administration, the semantic variations in Arabic dialects, and the design of scales to assess suicide and differentiate between negative symptoms and depression. The other set of themes is relevant to the sociocultural domains in Muslim Arabs, covering religion, families' role, and stigma. It also covered the approaches to c...
Community Mental Health Journal, 2019
This study aimed to assess the differential effects of first-generation (FGA) and second-generati... more This study aimed to assess the differential effects of first-generation (FGA) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) on the prevalence of risk factors for metabolic syndrome among mentally ill patients in Qatar. We also wanted to check if there is proper adherence with the guidelines for prescribing antipsychotics and the monitoring of metabolic effects in this population. We collected the available retrospective data (socio-demographic, psychiatric, anthropometric, and metabolic measures) from the records of 439 patients maintained on antipsychotics. The majority were males, married, employed, having a psychotic disorder, and receiving SGA. Patients on SGA showed more obesity, higher BP, and more elevated triglycerides compared to those on FGA. The prevalence of the abnormal metabolic measures was high in this sample, but those on SGA showed a significantly higher prevalence of abnormal body mass index and BP. Obesity and hypertension were common in patients maintained on antip...
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2019
Background Adequate sleep and physical activity have been linked to the overall well-being of bot... more Background Adequate sleep and physical activity have been linked to the overall well-being of both medical and psychiatric patients. Patients with schizophrenia have shown abnormal sleep patterns and decreased physical activity that were linked to their psychopathology and physical health. These phenomena are not studied yet in Arab patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study is to study the sleep and exercise patterns in Arab patients with schizophrenia compared with those of healthy controls. Method A total of 99 patients with schizophrenia and 101 controls were recruited. Arabic versions of sleep, exercise, sociodemographic, and clinical questionnaires were administered as well as the validated scales to measure psychopathology, depression, and suicidality in these participants. Results The majority of patients with schizophrenia slept more than 8 h per day and exercised less when compared with controls. Sleep quality was worse in those with higher depression score and higher suicidality scores were seen in patients with lower sleep duration. Multinomial regression showed that patients with schizophrenia have higher odds of sleeping more than 8 h even after controlling for the intake of antipsychotics, age, gender, smoking status, and other confounding factors. Conclusion Our results showed that Arab patients with schizophrenia are at increased risk of having longer sleep duration with inadequate physical activity, which are correlating with worsening of depressive symptoms and suicidality. Thus, more attention should be paid to the changes in sleep patterns and level of exercise when treating Arab patients with schizophrenia.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 2019
Background: Disturbances in sleep duration and quality have been associated with obesity and othe... more Background: Disturbances in sleep duration and quality have been associated with obesity and other metabolic changes. Patients with mental disorders (MD) are known to have more sleep problems, and antipsychotics (AP), used in the treatment of these patients, can also cause weight gain. This study aimed to compare the self-reported sleep patterns between psychiatric patients (on or off AP) and controls. We also evaluated the associations between the clinical and metabolic profiles with short or long sleep duration. Methods: A total of 339 subjects was recruited: Mentally ill patients maintained on AP for at least six months (MD+AP, n=112), patients not taking AP for at least the last six months before enrollment (MD/noAP, n=101), and non-psychiatry controls (HC, n=126). Multinomial regression analysis was applied to find the predictors of irregular sleep duration in this sample. Results: More mentally ill patients (MD+AP and MD/noAP) reported a sleep duration of >8 hrs than HC. Patients from MD/noAP showed more insomnia than HC. Sleep disturbances were significantly more frequent in MD+AP than HC. Participants who reported sleeping >8 hrs had higher body mass index and waist circumference than those who slept <7 hrs. Conclusion: Female gender, central obesity and being mentally ill were independently associated with long sleep duration (>8h) in the population of Qatar.
Transcultural Psychiatry, 2019
As part of a project to translate and validate scales used in the diagnosis and treatment of Arab... more As part of a project to translate and validate scales used in the diagnosis and treatment of Arab patients with schizophrenia, this study aimed to explore the experience of clinical research coordinators (CRCs) while administering the Arabic version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) on Arab schizophrenia patients. We previously reported that the Arabic version of PANSS is a valid and reliable tool to assess Arab patients with schizophrenia. Five CRCs and the principal investigator attended focus group discussions on cultural issues in administering the PANSS. A thematic analysis approach was utilized for data coding and analysis. The results identified issues related to the translation of the instrument, the structure of the interview, the cultural sensitivity of some questions, and the procedures for rating items of the PANSS. Qualitative analysis also identified four main themes relevant to clinical assessment of patients from Middle Eastern cultures: religion, b...
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2020
The article Self-Reported Sleep and Exercise Patterns in Patients with Schizophrenia: a Cross-Sec... more The article Self-Reported Sleep and Exercise Patterns in Patients with Schizophrenia: a Cross-Sectional Comparative Study written by Nancy Kiwan, Ziyad Mahfoud, Suhaila Ghuloum, Rifka Chamali, Arij Yehya, Samer Hammoudeh, Yahya Hani, Iman Amro, and Hassen Al-Amin
Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Oct 20, 2021
BMC Psychiatry, Oct 21, 2022
Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the... more Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the Arabic versions of the Calgary Depression Scale in Schizophrenia (CDSS) and The International Scale for Suicidal Thinking (ISST) to Arab schizophrenia patients in Doha, Qatar. Methods: We applied the qualitative thematic analysis of the focus group discussions with clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Five CRCs met with the principal investigator for two sessions; we transcribed the conversations and analyzed the content. Results: This study revealed one set of themes related to the scales themselves, like the role of the clinician-patient relationship during administration, the semantic variations in Arabic dialects, and the design of scales to assess suicide and differentiate between negative symptoms and depression. The other set of themes is relevant to the sociocultural domains of Muslim Arabs, covering religion, families' roles, and stigma. It also covered the approaches to culturally sensitive issues like suicide, taboos in Islam, and the gender roles in Arab countries and their impact on the patients' reports of their symptoms. Conclusions: Our results highlight several cultural and religious aspects to tackle when approaching schizophrenia patients through in-depth discussions and training to improve the validity of the assessment tools and treatment services.
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
Objectives: A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in ... more Objectives: A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in the last three decades accompanied by major socio-demographic shifts towards a younger and more highly educated population. To date, no national epidemiological study has examined the prevalence, associated factors, or sequelae of mental disorders in Qatar's general population. Methods: The World Mental Health Qatar (WMHQ) is a national mental health needs assessment survey and is the first carried out in collaboration with the WMH Survey initiative to assess the prevalence and burden of psychiatric illnesses among the full Arabic speaking population (nationals and nonnationals) within the same country. Results: Standard translation and harmonization procedures were used to develop the WMHQ instrument. A survey quality control system with standard performance indicators was developed to ensure interviewer adherence to standard practices. A pilot study was then carried out just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Endorsement from public health authorities and sequential revision of the interview schedule led to full survey completion (as opposed to partial completion) and good overall response rate. Conclusions: The WMHQ survey will provide timely and actionable information based on quality enhancement procedures put in place during the development and piloting of the study.
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
Journal of Affective Disorders
Background Prevalence trends from Arabic speaking countries on psychiatric symptoms before and af... more Background Prevalence trends from Arabic speaking countries on psychiatric symptoms before and after COVID-19 pandemic is lacking. We estimated the point prevalence and change in depression and anxiety symptoms scores in relation to sociodemographic variables following the resolution of the first wave in Qatar compared with before the pandemic. Methods We conducted a trend analysis using repeated nationally representative cross-sectional surveys spanning 2017, 2018, 2020/2021 and using the Physician Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Negative binomial regression modelled changes in these symptoms in relation sociodemographics and survey year. Results The two-week prevalence of depressive symptoms (≥10 on the PHQ-9) was 6.6% in 2017 and 6.5% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.986). The two-week prevalence of anxiety symptoms (≥10 or higher on the GAD-7) was 3.6% in 2018 and 5.1% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.062). The data for 2020/21 showed a 35.1% and 29.2% decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms scores compared to pre-pandemic years (2017/2018) after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Limitations Screening tools rather than structured interviews were to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions Prevalence for depression and anxiety post the first COVID wave did not differ significantly to pre-pandemic estimates. The end of the first wave of the pandemic had a ‘levelling’ effect on these symptoms and their associations with traditional sociodemographic risk factors. The 2020/21 depression and anxiety symptoms scores remained high for Qataris and Arabs, suggesting that these cultural groups may benefit most from public mental health interventions.
Building Resilience at Universities: Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2021
There is limited data from Arabic-speaking countries on risk factors for depression and anxiety d... more There is limited data from Arabic-speaking countries on risk factors for depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Country-specific data is necessary given differences in culture, demographics, and COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. This study intended to identify the factors associated with symptoms of depression-anxiety in the adult population of Qatar during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in Qatar between July and December 2020 after Qatar’s first COVID-19 wave and before the beginning of the second wave. Depression-anxiety was defined as a cut-off of 20 or higher on the PHQ-ADS scale. Of 1138 participants, 71.05% were female, 69.0% Arabs, and 70.0% Non-Qataris. 77 % were < 40 years (the median age in Qatar is 32 years). In a fully-adjusted model, six variables were significantly associated with PHQ-ADS; Arab ethnicity (OR=1.67, p=0.026), never married (OR=1.69, p < 0.015), prior psychiatric history (OR=...
University of the Future: Re-Imagining Research and Higher Education, 2020
Aims: Q-LAMP aims to identify risk factors and resilience factors for symptoms of psychiatric ill... more Aims: Q-LAMP aims to identify risk factors and resilience factors for symptoms of psychiatric illness during the pandemic. Study strengths include the 1-year longitudinal design and the use of standardized instruments already available in English and Arabic. The results will increase understanding of the impact of the pandemic on mental health for better support of the population during the pandemic and in future epidemics. Until an effective vaccine is available or herd immunity is achieved, countries are likely to encounter repeated ‘waves’ of infection. The identification of at-risk groups for mental illness will inform the planning and delivery of individualized treatment including primary prevention. Methodology: Longitudinal online survey; SMS-based recruitment and social media platforms advertisements e.g. Facebook, Instagram; Online consent; Completion time for questionnaires: approx. 20 to 30 minute; Baseline questionnaire with follow up at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months; Study comp...
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 2021
A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in the last 3 d... more A small country in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar experienced rapid economic growth in the last 3 decades accompanied by major socio‐demographic shifts towards a younger and more highly educated population. To date, no national epidemiological study has examined the prevalence, associated factors, or sequelae of mental disorders in Qatar's general population.
Vaccines, 2021
Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistan... more Global COVID-19 pandemic containment necessitates understanding the risk of hesitance or resistance to vaccine uptake in different populations. The Middle East and North Africa currently lack vital representative vaccine hesitancy data. We conducted the first representative national phone survey among the adult population of Qatar, between December 2020 and January 2021, to estimate the prevalence and identify potential determinants of vaccine willingness: acceptance (strongly agree), resistance (strongly disagree), and hesitance (somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression models estimated associations between willingness groups and fifteen variables. In the total sample, 42.7% (95% CI: 39.5–46.1) were accepting, 45.2% (95% CI: 41.9–48.4) hesitant, and 12.1% (95% CI: 10.1–14.4) resistant. Vaccine resistant compared with hesistant and accepting groups reported no endorsement source will increase vaccine confidence (58.9% vs. 5.6% vs. 0....
Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the... more Background: This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the Arabic versions of the Calgary Depression Scale in Schizophrenia (CDSS) and The International Scale for Suicidal Thinking (ISST) to Arab schizophrenia patients in Doha, Qatar. Methods: We applied the qualitative thematic analysis of the focus group discussions with clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Five CRCs met with the principal investigator for two sessions; we transcribed the conversations and analyzed the content. Results: This study revealed one set of themes related to the scales themselves, like the role of the clinician-patient relationship during administration, the semantic variations in Arabic dialects, and the design of scales to assess suicide and differentiate between negative symptoms and depression. The other set of themes is relevant to the sociocultural domains in Muslim Arabs, covering religion, families' role, and stigma. It also covered the approaches to c...
Community Mental Health Journal, 2019
This study aimed to assess the differential effects of first-generation (FGA) and second-generati... more This study aimed to assess the differential effects of first-generation (FGA) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) on the prevalence of risk factors for metabolic syndrome among mentally ill patients in Qatar. We also wanted to check if there is proper adherence with the guidelines for prescribing antipsychotics and the monitoring of metabolic effects in this population. We collected the available retrospective data (socio-demographic, psychiatric, anthropometric, and metabolic measures) from the records of 439 patients maintained on antipsychotics. The majority were males, married, employed, having a psychotic disorder, and receiving SGA. Patients on SGA showed more obesity, higher BP, and more elevated triglycerides compared to those on FGA. The prevalence of the abnormal metabolic measures was high in this sample, but those on SGA showed a significantly higher prevalence of abnormal body mass index and BP. Obesity and hypertension were common in patients maintained on antip...
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2019
Background Adequate sleep and physical activity have been linked to the overall well-being of bot... more Background Adequate sleep and physical activity have been linked to the overall well-being of both medical and psychiatric patients. Patients with schizophrenia have shown abnormal sleep patterns and decreased physical activity that were linked to their psychopathology and physical health. These phenomena are not studied yet in Arab patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study is to study the sleep and exercise patterns in Arab patients with schizophrenia compared with those of healthy controls. Method A total of 99 patients with schizophrenia and 101 controls were recruited. Arabic versions of sleep, exercise, sociodemographic, and clinical questionnaires were administered as well as the validated scales to measure psychopathology, depression, and suicidality in these participants. Results The majority of patients with schizophrenia slept more than 8 h per day and exercised less when compared with controls. Sleep quality was worse in those with higher depression score and higher suicidality scores were seen in patients with lower sleep duration. Multinomial regression showed that patients with schizophrenia have higher odds of sleeping more than 8 h even after controlling for the intake of antipsychotics, age, gender, smoking status, and other confounding factors. Conclusion Our results showed that Arab patients with schizophrenia are at increased risk of having longer sleep duration with inadequate physical activity, which are correlating with worsening of depressive symptoms and suicidality. Thus, more attention should be paid to the changes in sleep patterns and level of exercise when treating Arab patients with schizophrenia.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 2019
Background: Disturbances in sleep duration and quality have been associated with obesity and othe... more Background: Disturbances in sleep duration and quality have been associated with obesity and other metabolic changes. Patients with mental disorders (MD) are known to have more sleep problems, and antipsychotics (AP), used in the treatment of these patients, can also cause weight gain. This study aimed to compare the self-reported sleep patterns between psychiatric patients (on or off AP) and controls. We also evaluated the associations between the clinical and metabolic profiles with short or long sleep duration. Methods: A total of 339 subjects was recruited: Mentally ill patients maintained on AP for at least six months (MD+AP, n=112), patients not taking AP for at least the last six months before enrollment (MD/noAP, n=101), and non-psychiatry controls (HC, n=126). Multinomial regression analysis was applied to find the predictors of irregular sleep duration in this sample. Results: More mentally ill patients (MD+AP and MD/noAP) reported a sleep duration of >8 hrs than HC. Patients from MD/noAP showed more insomnia than HC. Sleep disturbances were significantly more frequent in MD+AP than HC. Participants who reported sleeping >8 hrs had higher body mass index and waist circumference than those who slept <7 hrs. Conclusion: Female gender, central obesity and being mentally ill were independently associated with long sleep duration (>8h) in the population of Qatar.
Transcultural Psychiatry, 2019
As part of a project to translate and validate scales used in the diagnosis and treatment of Arab... more As part of a project to translate and validate scales used in the diagnosis and treatment of Arab patients with schizophrenia, this study aimed to explore the experience of clinical research coordinators (CRCs) while administering the Arabic version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) on Arab schizophrenia patients. We previously reported that the Arabic version of PANSS is a valid and reliable tool to assess Arab patients with schizophrenia. Five CRCs and the principal investigator attended focus group discussions on cultural issues in administering the PANSS. A thematic analysis approach was utilized for data coding and analysis. The results identified issues related to the translation of the instrument, the structure of the interview, the cultural sensitivity of some questions, and the procedures for rating items of the PANSS. Qualitative analysis also identified four main themes relevant to clinical assessment of patients from Middle Eastern cultures: religion, b...
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2020
The article Self-Reported Sleep and Exercise Patterns in Patients with Schizophrenia: a Cross-Sec... more The article Self-Reported Sleep and Exercise Patterns in Patients with Schizophrenia: a Cross-Sectional Comparative Study written by Nancy Kiwan, Ziyad Mahfoud, Suhaila Ghuloum, Rifka Chamali, Arij Yehya, Samer Hammoudeh, Yahya Hani, Iman Amro, and Hassen Al-Amin