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Patrick Sami Bou Haidar,1,* Desiree N Alam,1,* Sahar Obeid,2 Diana Malaeb,3 Mariam Dabbous,4 Fouad Sakr,4 Sami El Khatib,5,6 Rabih Hallit,1,7,8,* Feten Fekih-Romdhane,9,10,* Souheil Hallit1,11,12,* 1School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon; 2School of Arts and Sciences, Social and Education Sciences Department, Lebanese American University, Jbeil, Lebanon; 3College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 4School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon; 5Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese International University, Bekaa, Lebanon; 6Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics (CAMB), Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Hawally, Kuwait; 7Department of Infectious Disease, Bellevue Medical Center, Mansourieh, Lebanon; 8Department of Infectious Disease, Notre Dame des Secours, University Hospital Center, Byblos, Lebanon; 9The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry “Ibn Omrane”, Razi Hospital, Manouba, 2010, Tunisia; 10Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia; 11Department of Psychology, College of Humanities, Effat University, Jeddah, 21478, Saudi Arabia; 12Applied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Souheil Hallit, School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon, Email souheilhallit@usek.edu.lbBackground: Dysmenorrhea, characterized by painful menstrual cramps, significantly impacts the well-being of women globally. Despite its prevalence and adverse effects, dysmenorrhea is often underdiagnosed and inadequately treated. This study aims to validate the Arabic version of the Working ability, Location, Intensity, Days of pain, and Dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) scale among Lebanese female university students aged 18– 45.Methods: This cross-sectional study, involving 729 participants, utilized a translated WaLIDD scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-8).Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the one-factor structure of the WaLIDD scale, demonstrating excellent fit indices, with good internal reliability. Concurrent validity analysis revealed significant associations between higher WaLIDD scores and elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea in the study was estimated at 7.3%.Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of the WaLIDD scale as a reliable and valid tool for assessing dysmenorrhea among Arabic-speaking populations. The successful validation of the Arabic version facilitates its application in Lebanon and potentially other Arab regions, providing a universal tool to predict and assess dysmenorrhea and its impact. Further research is encouraged to explore the scale’s applicability in clinical settings and tailor interventions for improved women’s well-being.Keywords: dysmenorrhea, psychometric, scale, Arabic

Introduction: G6PD is essential for the production of NADPH, which is a cofactor for many enzymes involved in antioxidant defense and neurotransmitter synthesis. A deficiency in this enzyme could lead to increased oxidative stress, impaired neurotransmitter and immune function. The latter have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Objectives: The present case is presented to underscore the infrequent and uncharacteristic manifestation of this condition, in the context of clinical symptoms and the trajectory of evolution of schizophrenia when associated with G6PD Deficiency. Moreover, it sheds light on the challenges clinicians encounter in the management of such cases. Methods: A case report of a patient who was admitted to the Psychiatry Department ("Ibn Omrane") of Razi Hospital". Results: Mr. M.T is a 26 year-old unmarried man. He comes from a non-consanguineous marriage and has an educational level of a bachelor's degree plus three additional years of study. He has a significant family medical history. His maternal uncle is under treatment for a chronic psychotic disorder. He has a personal history of G6PD deficiency and no specific habits to note. At the age of 24, he insidiously developed anxiety with incoherent statements of persecution accompanied by behavioral manifestations leading to mistrust and social isolation. He discontinued his studies for a year and began verbalizing suicidal thoughts accompanied by self-harm behaviors. The family sought help from a psychiatrist who prescribed 5 mg of olanzapine, which was covertly administered to the patient. At the age of 28, after a suicide attempt, he was involuntarily admitted to Razi Hospital. The clinical presentation was dominated by disorganization, with a partial response to treatment. Conclusions: More research is needed to confirm the association between G6PD deficiency and schizophrenia and to determine the underlying mechanisms. Larger studies with well-defined populations and methodologies are needed. It is also important to study the interaction between G6PD deficiency and other genetic and environmental factors that contribute to schizophrenia. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psychotic experiences (PE) and disordered eating (DE) are frequently observed among the general population, especially in childhood and adolescence. However, the relationship between the two groups of disorders is still unclear. Objectives: To explore the hypothesis that the pathways from PEs to DE are mediated by body-image disturbances in a sample of adolescents Methods: We conducted a 12-month longitudinal study on high school students from four different high schools from the Ariana governorate, from April 2022 to April 2023. Participants were evaluated at baseline then every 6 months with a target length of follow-up of 1 year. The questionnaire contained Questions about socio demographic variables The Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) The Multidimensionnal Body Self-Relations Questionnaire Appearance Scale (MBSRQ-AS) The Community Assesment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE-42) Results: 1) Sample characteristics Sample was constituted of 510 individuals. Of those, 312 (61.2%) were females. Mean age was of 16.05 (SD=1.01) years. The majority of the students resided in urban areas, accounting for 97.8% of the total. When it comes to family income, 4.1% of the students' families had an income of less than 1000 Tunisian Dinars (TD), 25.9% had an income between 1000 and 2000 TD, 32.2% had an income ranging from 2000 to 3000 TD, and the remaining 37.8% had a family income of over 3000 TD. The EAT-26, MBSRQ-AS and CAPE-42 scores are shown in table 1. Table 1. The longitudinal evolution of study variables Baseline T 6 months T 12 months p Partial Eta Squared η2 Disordered eating (EAT-26) 11.9 ± 9.4 11.9 ± 9.7 12.6 ± 10.2.080.006 Self-classified weight (Body image) 6.0 ± 1.7 5.9 ± 1.6 6.0 ± 1.6.946.001 Body areas satisfaction 30.9 ± 6.4 31.8 ± 6.4 31.4 ± 6.8.025.010 Overweight preoccupation 9.3 ± 3.6 9.2 ± 3.7 9.2 ± 3.7.545.001 Appearance Orientation 41.0 ± 5.4 41.6 ± 5.4 41.6 ± 5.5.007.014 CAPE positive dimension (total) 39.6 ± 8.7 39.1 ± 9.1 39.7 ± 9.5.756.001 Body Mass index 21.6 ± 3.4 21.5 ± 3.2 21.7 ± 3.2.034.009 2) Findings of the mediating analysis Disordered Eating scores had no significant effect in subjects across time. However, the effect of the interaction between baseline Overweight Preoccupation with Disordered Eating across time was statistically significant (p=0.036). Overweight Preoccupation (Z=85.095, p<0.001), Body Area Satisfaction (Z=25.053, p<0.001), and CAPE positive dimension (Z=59.931, p<0.001) scores had significant main effects between subjects. (figure 1 and figure 2) Image: Image 2: Conclusions: Findings showed that body image disturbances mediated the prospective association between PEs and DE. Adolescents with increased PEs were more likely to experience body image disturbances and, in turn, DE symptoms. These findings offer promising new avenues for prevention and early intervention. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Psycho-Oncologie is the property of PiscoMed Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Résumé Problématique Les résidentes en médecine représentent dans l'ensemble une population jeune et généralement saine dans laquelle les dysfonctions sexuelle ne devraient être présentes que rarement dans un contexte de comorbidité médicale. Cependant, certaines études, ont objectivé des prévalences élevées de dysfonction sexuelle, dépassant les 60 % dans cette population. Les facteurs psychologiques, interpersonnels, socioculturels joueraient un rôle important dans la vulnérabilité sexuelle. Buts du travail Les objectifs de cette étude ont été de déterminer la prévalence de la dysfonction sexuelle dans une population de résidentes en médecine en différentes spécialités et de chercher les facteurs qui y sont associés en particulier les facteurs psychologiques. Sujets et méthode Il s'agit d'une étude transversale descriptive et analytique qui a été menée entre février et mai 2017. Ont été incluses dans notre étude 100 résidentes en médecine mariées. La fonction sexuelle a été évaluée à l'aide du Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Les facteurs psychologiques ont été évalués à l'aide des échelles de Dépression, d'anxiété et de stress (DASS-21). Résultats La prévalence de la dysfonction sexuelle dans notre population a été de 40 %. Le désir sexuel (score médian = 3,6) était le domaine le plus altéré, suivi par la satisfaction (score médian = 4,2). Presque le quart (24 %) avaient une dépression modérée à extrêmement sévère. Le taux d'anxiété modérée à extrêmement sévère a été de 39 %, et presque la moitié (47 %) avaient un stress modéré à sévère. La dysfonction sexuelle a été significativement associée : à la consommation de tabac (p = 0,005), à la mauvaise entente au sein du couple (p = 0,002). La dysfonction sexuelle a été associée négativement à la fréquence des rapports sexuels (p < 0,001). Concernant l'association entre les facteurs psychologiques et la dysfonction sexuelle, la présence de dysfonction sexuelle a été significativement et positivement associée au scores de dépression (p = 0,036) et au score du stress (p = 0,001). La dépression et le stress ont été négativement corrélés à tous les domaines du FSFI mis à part la lubrification et positivement corrélés à la douleur. Quant à l'anxiété, elle a été corrélée négativement à la lubrification, l'orgasme et la satisfaction et positivement corrélée à la douleur. Conclusions Plusieurs facteurs avaient une influence négative sur la fonction sexuelle, notamment le stress et la dépression. La fonction sexuelle féminine chez les médecins en formation mérite d'être étudiée davantage afin d'instaurer les mesures préventives nécessaires. Summary Background Medical residents generally represent a young and healthy population in which sexual dysfunction should be present rarely, in a context of medical comorbidity. However, some studies have shown high prevalence of sexual dysfunction in this population, exceeding 60%. Psychological, interpersonal and sociocultural factors play an important role in sexual vulnerability. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with sexual dysfunction among female resident medical doctors, and to investigate the relationship between stress, anxiety and depression with sexual function and its domains in this sample. Method This was a cross-sectional study. One hundred married female resident medical doctors were assessed for sexual dysfunction on female sexual function index (FSFI) scale, and for psychological factors on scale of stress, anxiety and depression (DASS-21). Results The median age of residents included in this study was 30 (IQR: 29.0–32.0) years. The majority of female residents had a high level of psychological distress: 24% had moderate to severe depression, 39% had moderate to severe anxiety, and 47% had moderate to severe stress. Median scores of each domain of sexual dysfunction in these women were: desire 3.6 (3.6 to 4.2), arousal 4.5 (3.9 to 4.8), lubrication 4.8 (4.2 to 5.4), pain 4.8 (4.0 to 5.6), satisfaction 4.2 (4.4 to 6.0), and orgasm 4.8 (4.2 to 5.2). A sexual dysfunction was significantly associated with the resident's cigarette consumption (P = 0.005), a partners' marital distress (P = 0.002), the frequency of sexual activity (P < 0.001), and scores of depression (P = 0.036) and stress (P = 0.001). A significant relationship was shown between depression and all aspects of sexual function except for lubrication, stress and all aspects of sexual function except for lubrication, anxiety and all areas except sexual desire and arousal. Conclusion Several factors had a negative influence on female sexual function, especially stress and depression. Female sexual function among doctors in training deserves further study in order to introduce all necessary preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Introduction Bien que la survie soit la principale préoccupation pendant et après traitement du cancer colorectal, la fonction sexuelle réapparaît souvent comme une préoccupation majeure chez les hommes qui en sont atteints lorsque la peur de la mort ait été dépassée. La majorité des survivants de ce cancer restaient souvent sexuellement actifs. Cependant, des études antérieures ont trouvé que la dysfonction sexuelle chez ces patients est plus fréquente que dans la population générale. L'objectif de notre étude était d'évaluer la fonction sexuelle dans un groupe d'hommes traités pour un cancer colorectal et d'analyser l'association entre la dysfonction érectile (DE) et la dépression, le soutien social, les données relatives à la maladie cancéreuse et les données sociodémographiques. Méthodes Nous avons mené une étude transversale sur une période de deux mois (mars–mai 2018) auprès de 50 hommes opérés pour cancer colorectal depuis au moins 6 mois et ayant terminé tous les traitements depuis au moins un mois. La fonction sexuelle a été mesurée à l'aide de l'Index international de la dysfonction érectile. Résultats Les participants avaient un âge allant de 35 à 65 ans. Une dépression a été objectivée dans 18 % des cas. Le score médian de fonction érectile était de 19,5. En fonction de ce score, notre population a été divisée en deux groupes : groupe avec DE (68 %, n = 34) et groupe sans DE (32 %, n = 16). La DE des 50 patients était significativement associée à l'âge des patients (p = 0,027), à l'entente générale au sein du couple (p = 0,004), à la dépression (p = 0,006) et au soutien social (p = 0,031). Conclusion Notre étude a mis l'accent sur la fréquence très importante des dysfonctions sexuelles chez les patients atteints de cancer colorectal traité. Une meilleure connaissance de ces facteurs prédictifs de DE dans cette population devrait permettre de repérer et prendre en charge de façon adaptée les troubles sexuels de ces patients. Summary Background Although the effect of colorectal cancer treatment on sexual function has been well established, the impact of psychosocial variables, such as depression and social support, has been neglected. We aimed in this study to evaluate sexual function in colorectal male patients and to analyze the association between erectile dysfunction and depression, social support, cancer data and sociodemographic data. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted (March–May 2018). We administered the International Index of Erectile Function on 50 male treated for colorectal cancer. Results The median age of patients included in this study was 56 years old. The majority of them was in the medium socio-economic status (72%) and lived in urban areas (66%). Seventy percent (70%) of patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage (III). Our findings indicated that 68% of patients had erectile dysfunction and 18.0% reported depressive symptoms. Erectile dysfunction was significantly associated with patient age (P = 0.027), overall agreement within the couple (P = 0.004), depression (P = 0.006) and social support (P = 0.031). Conclusions Our study highlighted the high frequency of sexual dysfunction in patients with treated colorectal cancer. A better knowledge of factors correlated to erectile dysfunction in this vulnerable population should allow its identification and its appropriate management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Assessing the attitudes of family medicine residents toward schizophrenia is of greatest concern since family physicians potentially have a key role in identifying the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia at earlier stages and in engaging young people in treatment, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Objectives: We aimed to investigate attitudes towards schizophrenia in a group of Tunisian family medicine residents, and to examine the link between these attitudes and help-seeking intentions in this group. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. A 18-item questionnaire concerning attitudes toward schizophrenia was used. Results: A total of 88% participants have reported favorable helpseeking intentions. In total, 48.4%of residentswould oppose if one of their relatives would like to marry someone who has schizophrenia, and 37.1% of them would not like to have a neighbor with schizophrenia. Only about a half of residents agreed that "schizophrenia has the chance of recovery", and 68.8% thought that "schizophrenia can be treated". Pearson correlations found a significant negative relationship between age and social distance in residents (p<.001). Year of residency was significantly associated with attitudes toward schizophrenia, with more unfavorable attitudes in third-year residents (p=.042). After controlling for potentially confounding sociodemographic variables, help-seeking intentions did not contribute to the prediction of attitudes toward schizophrenia in the residents. Conclusions: Implementing anti-stigma programs in medical schools may help improve future physicians' attitudes and prepare them to provide primary mental health care to young help-seekers with psychosis should be given priority attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Few people seek mental health care despite the high prevalence of mental illnesses and their serious consequences. Barriers explaining this lack or absence of help-seeking have been the subject of several studies with stigma being the most prominent barrier. Objectives: We aimed to assess the relationship between stigma and help-seeking intentions in a sample of Tunisian college students. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. The "Mental Health Knowledge Schedule", and the "Reported and Intended Behavior Scale" were administered to a total of 714 college students (62.2% female; mean age =20.9). Results: More than one-third of students (39.6%) felt that it would be "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to seek the help of a health professional for mental health problems. Pearson product moment correlations indicated that help-seeking intentions significantly and positively correlated with behavior (p<0.001, r=0,103) and knowledge (p<0.001, r=0,163). The multiple hierarchical linear regression analysis found that after controlling for demographic variables (gender, age) and other personal-related variables (marital status, family income, living environment, substance use, personal psychiatric history), help-seeking intentions were significant contributors to behaviors and knowledge. Conclusions: Given that stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness is a real and perceived barrier to seeking help and treatment, psycho-educational campaigns should be put in place to address the negative perceptions and attitudes of the general population about mental health issues, and should be tailored to the needs of specific groups (including students in different disciplines), taking into account their attitudes, fear and concerns about mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Corpus callosum agenesis (CCA) is a rare congenital disorder in which there is a partial or complete absence of the corpus callosum. Within the framework of an anatomoclinical approach to schizophrenia, a few studies have focused on its association with neurological disorders, including CCA. Objectives: In this perspective, we report a rare case of an adolescent with intellectual disability, with whose complete CCA was revealed by a recent-onset schizophrenia. Methods: A case report and literature review. Results: The teenager M.A. is from a first degree consanguineous marriage. He had no family history, no special habits and no history of seizures. Since early childhood, he had had a psychomotor acquisition delay and relationship difficulties that tended to worsen later. At school, he was teased by his peers and failed 4 times in different rows. At the age of 15, he dropped out of school. Verbal and physical aggressiveness, soliloquy, unmotivated laughter and vague ideas of persecution suddenly appeared, hence his psychiatric consultation one month later. Neuropsychological tests indicated current low Intelligence Quotient (60). Brain imaging revealed complete ACC (see Figure 1). He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and put on antipsychotic treatment at adequate doses and durations, with poor therapeutic response. Conclusions: Our observation provides additional support for neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia, and confirms literature data indicating that severe structural brain abnormalities would lead to early onset psychotic symptoms which are often refractory to pharmacological treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dermatomyositis (DM) is a multisystem autoimmune inflammatory disease with skin manifestations, muscle weakness and systemic symptoms. These manifestations lead patients to suffer a low quality of life. While various inflammatory disorders and their association with depression are well documented, only few litterature is reporting cases of DM associated with major depressive disorder. Objectives: We present a rare case of DM associated with depressive disorder and suicidal ideation in order to discuss the possible link relating these two entities. Methods: We conducted a literature review on pubmed website, using these keywords: dermatomyositis, depressive disorder and suicidal ideation. Results: A 31-year-old woman, with no prior personal neuropsychiatric history, was diagnosed with dermatomyositis and started on azathioprine and methylprednisolone. Two years later, she was referred to our psychiatric unit with complaints of depressed mood, reduced pleasure, fatigue, sleep disturbance, feelings of worthlessness and reduced self-esteem. She also reported suicidal thoughts with a specific plan. She met clinical criteria from diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) for major depressive disorder, and was starded on sertraline 50mg orally per day for two weeks then titrated to 100mg per day. Clinical course showed improvement in depressive symptoms with no more suicidal ideation within two weeks. The temporal relationship between the onset of depressive symptomes and DM suggest that depression may have been induced either by the inflammatory disorder or antiinflammatory treatments. Conclusions: Patients suffering from inflammatory systemic disease should be screened for depressive disorders. Providing them appropriate mental health care seems crucial to improve patients prognosis and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of the mechanisms involved in the occurrence of psychotic experiences (PEs) in highly autistic individuals is crucial for identifying appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of susceptibility to social pain and loneliness in the relationship between autistic traits (ATs) and PEs in adults from the general population of 12 Arab countries. This cross-sectional study is part of a large-scale multi-country research project. A total of 7646 young adults (age range 18-35 years, mean age of 22.55 ± 4.00 years and 75.5% females) from twelve Arab countries (i.e., Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, and Tunisia) were included. Mediation analyses showed that, after adjusting over confounding variables, both loneliness (indirect effect: Beta = 0.18; Boot SE = 0.02; Boot CI 0.14; 0.21) and social pain (indirect effect: Beta = 0.03; Boot SE = 0.01; Boot CI 0.001; 0.05) partially mediated the association between ATs and PEs. Higher ATs were significantly associated with more loneliness and susceptibility to social pain, and directly associated with more severe PEs. Finally, higher loneliness and susceptibility to social pain were significantly associated with greater PEs scores. Findings indicated that individuals with higher ATs tend to experience greater loneliness and feel more pain from rejection, which can in turn be associated with higher levels of PEs. Interventions targeting susceptibility to social pain and loneliness as a means of mitigating PEs among highly autistic adults should be considered., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The protocol was approved by the home institutions of the study’s principal investigators (FFR and SH), namely the ethics committee of Razi Psychiatric Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia (ECRPH-2024-032) and the Lebanese International University’s School of Pharmacy ethics committee (2024ERC-025-LIUSOP). When filling out the online form, each participant provided written informed consent. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations (in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki). Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Public health experts currently agree that heated tobacco products (HTPs) pose a significant health risk for their consumers. The same concentrations and speed of delivery of nicotine found for HTPs and conventional combustion cigarettes make it necessary to consider the addictiveness of HTPs, and provide precise diagnostic instruments to serve as the basis for effective treatment plans. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to design a questionnaire for HTPs addiction called "Heated Tobacco Products Addiction Questionnaire (HeaTPAQ)" and to examine its psychometric properties., Methods: Adults from the general population of Lebanon (n = 754) were administered the HeatPAQ, along with the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND), the Caffeine Use Disorder Questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. We split the main sample into two subsamples; subsample 1 consisting of 33% of the participants used for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 246; mean age 27.82 ± 9.38 years) and subsample 2 consisting of 67% of the participants used for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 508; mean age 27.81 ± 8.80 years)., Results: EFA then CFA analyses revealed a one-factor model consisting of 13 items with acceptable fit to the data. The HeaTPAQ reached excellent internal consistency coefficients, with both Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω values of 0.96. The one-dimensional structure of the HeaTPAQ was found to be invariant across sex groups. Convergent validity was demonstrated through significant positive correlation with FTND scores. Furthermore, HeaTPAQ scores correlated positively with measures of caffeine addiction, anxiety and depression, which suggests the adequate concurrent validity of the scale., Conclusion: Findings suggest that the HeatPAQ is a specific, short and simple-to-use self-report questionnaire to assess HTPs addiction reliably and validly. Pending future studies confirming our results, we hope that the HeatPAQ will facilitate routine screening for HTPs addiction, which is an essential step towards appropriate prevention and intervention efforts and to inform policy makers., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the ethics committee of the School of Pharmacy at the Lebanese International University (Reference number: 2024ERC-040-LIUSOP; Date of approval: ). Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects; the online submission of the soft copy was considered equivalent to receiving a written informed consent. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: The Israel-Palestine war of 2023 has exposed many individuals to prolonged fear and uncertainty, contributing to significant psychological and behavioral consequences. Fear of war has been shown to exacerbate negative mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, aggression and suicidal ideation and reduce overall wellbeing. Intolerance of uncertainty is a trait characterized by difficulty coping with ambiguous situations. It was regarded as a potential mediator in the association between fear of war and these outcomes. Therefore, this study's aim is to investigate the mediating effect of intolerance of uncertainty between fear of war and mental health including anxiety, depression, aggression, suicidal ideation and wellbeing in adults during the Israel-Palestine war of 2023., Methods: This study employs a cross-sectional design; it included a total of 484 Lebanese participants. A snowball sampling method via Google forms was employed by the research team to collect data. They were assessed with self-reported measures using The War-related Media Exposure Scale (WarMES), the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form (BPAQ-SF), Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) and The World Health Organization 5-item Well-Being Index (WHO-5)., Results: Higher fear of war was significantly associated with more inhibitory and prospective anxiety. More prospective anxiety and inhibitory anxiety were significantly associated with more aggression, higher suicidal ideation, higher depression, lower wellbeing and higher anxiety. Fear of war was directly associated with depression, anxiety and lower wellbeing. Whereas the results did not show a direct association with aggression and suicidal ideation. The mediation analysis revealed that inhibitory anxiety and prospective anxiety fully mediated the relation between fear of war and aggression and partially mediated the relation between fear of war and depression, anxiety and wellbeing. Whereas the association between fear of war and suicidal ideation was fully mediated by prospective anxiety but not by inhibitory anxiety., Conclusion: Understanding the role of intolerance of uncertainty is crucial to developing interventions aimed to reduce mental health challenges in populations affected by conflict., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the ethics committee of the School of Pharmacy at the Lebanese International University (2024ERC-024-LIUSOP). Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects; the online submission of the soft copy was considered equivalent to receiving a written informed consent. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Prosocial behaviors refer to a variety of voluntary actions intended to benefit others and the society. They have consistently proven their capacity to promote individuals' well-being and personal development. Nevertheless, these constructs remain largely underexplored in the Arab world. Providing validated measures of prosocial behaviors in the Arabic language for the Lebanese population could direct research attention towards assessing these behaviors and their promoting factors, thereby enhancing positive psychology. In this regard, we aimed to psychometrically validate the Standard Arabic-translated versions of the Perceived Social Competence scale (PSCS) and Prosociality Scale (PS) among a sample of Lebanese adults., Methods: A total of 403 Lebanese adults (27% men and 73% women) completed an online questionnaire containing the PSCS and PS, as well as the Buss-Perry aggression questionnaire-short form, the Jong-Gierveld loneliness scale, and the depression anxiety stress scale., Results: Both of the PSCS and PS yielded a unidimensional factor structure and demonstrated high levels of composite reliability, with McDonald ω values of 0.83 and 0.95, respectively. The analysis also supported configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender for the two scales. Convergent validity was evidenced by a high correlation between the PSCS and PS, both measuring prosocial behaviors. In addition, weak and/or non-significant relations between prosocial behaviors and non-theoretically relevant variables (i.e., aggression, loneliness, and psychological distress) provided evidence for the divergent validity of both scales., Conclusion: Our study cautiously suggested that the Standard Arabic versions of the PSCS and PS are psychometrically valid for measuring prosocial behaviors. This study should prompt further research in the field of social competence/prosocial behaviors for the sake of promoting positive psychological interventions in Lebanon. Future research should prioritize the inclusion of more diverse samples, encompassing a wider range of sociodemographic characteristics, in order to enhance the generalizability of these findings to the broader Lebanese population., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study proposal was approved by the ethics committee of the School of Pharmacy at the Lebanese International University (2021RC-049-LIUSOP). A written informed consent was considered obtained from each participant when submitting the online form. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Although gratitude is a culturally-sensitive construct, it has yet received limited research attention in Arab countries, hence hindering the understanding of its features, correlates, and cross-cultural specificities. To fill this gap, we sought to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the 6-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ) in an Arabic-speaking sample of adults from the general population of Lebanon., Method: We conducted a web-based survey including 601 participants (mean age 29.91 ± 12.61, 62.7% females). The forward-backward translation method was used for the translation and adaptation of the GQ-6 into the Arabic language., Results: Findings indicated that a four-item version of the GQ achieved adequate fit statistics with the removal of the two reverse-scored third and sixth items. We found a McDonald Omega coefficient for the total 4-item GQ (GQ-4) scores of 0.88, thus attesting for the good reliability of the scale. Multiple-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the scale structure was invariant across male and female respondents at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. Females exhibited significantly higher gratitude scores compared to males. Finally, discriminant validity of the Arabic GQ-4 was evidenced through positive significant correlations with social support levels., Conclusion: The Arabic adaptation of the GQ showed good psychometric qualities, suggesting that it is suitable for measuring people's disposition toward gratitude in Arab backgrounds. Offering the Arabic GQ-4 as a brief, simple, cost-effective, valid, and reliable measure of gratitude to the Arabic-speaking community could help raise awareness about gratitude as a key component for achieving good mental health and wellbeing in Arab contexts., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The Ethics and Research Committee at the Lebanese International University approved this study protocol (Approval number: 2023RC-010-LIUSOP; Approval date: February 12, 2023). A written informed consent was considered obtained from each participant and from parents or the legal guardian(s) of the participants below 16 years of age involved in the study when submitting the online form. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Eating disorders are an emerging global health crisis, with significant implications for both physical and psychological well-being. Disordered eating behaviors in childhood can serve as precursors to more severe eating disorders if left untreated. Previous literature evidences a strong association between perfectionism, as well as parental control and eating disorders, highlighting perfectionism as a significant factor in the development and maintenance of ED symptoms. Early intervention during this critical developmental period is essential to address these risks, prevent the progression to clinical eating disorders, and support healthier long-term outcomes for children. This study aimed to assess the mediating role of parental psychological distress in the association between perfectionism in parents and disordered eating in children. As a secondary objective, the study intended to validate the Arabic version of the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire-Short Parent Version (EDE-QS-P)., Methods: A diverse sample of Lebanese parents of children aged 6-11 years (N = 502; mean age of 36.24 ± 8.29 years, 74.5% of mothers) were recruited from schools, community centers, and healthcare facilities into this cross-sectional study. One parent per child completed all the questionnaires, which assessed disordered eating in children, parental perfectionism, and psychological distress. The instruments used included the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short Parent Version (EDE-QS-P) for disordered eating, the Big Three Perfectionism Scale - Short Form (BTPS-SF) for parental perfectionism, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-8 Items (DASS-8) for parental psychological distress. The SPSS software v.25 was used for statistical analysis. To examine the factor structure of the EDE-QS-P, we conducted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using SPSS AMOS v.28 software. The mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS MACRO v.3.4 model 4., Results: The Arabic EDE-QS-P showed a unidimensional factor structure, strong internal consistency reliability and high convergent validity. Higher child's disordered eating scores were reported by fathers compared to mothers (8.32 ± 9.12 vs. 5.62 ± 7.69, t (500) = 3.01, p = 0.003). Parental distress mediated the association between parental perfectionism and child's disordered eating (indirect effect: Beta = 0.14; Boot SE = 0.02; Boot CI 0.11; 0.18). More parental perfectionism was significantly associated with more parental distress, and higher parental distress was significantly associated with more child's disordered eating. Higher parental perfectionism was significantly and directly associated with more child's disordered eating., Conclusion: This study successfully validated the Arabic version of the EDE-QS-P in Lebanon, confirming its validity and reliability for assessing parental-reported disordered eating in children in Arab contexts. Elevated parental perfectionism correlates with increased child disordered eating, mediated by parental distress. This suggests that healthcare providers should be alert to signs of perfectionism and psychological distress in parents and provide appropriate interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or stress management techniques, to alleviate these issues and lower the risk of eating disorders in children., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the School of Pharmacy at the Lebanese International University. Participants were asked to get their parents’ approval before filling the survey; an electronic informed consent was considered obtained from each participant when submitting the online form. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background Intrusive "thoughts" represent undesirable cognitive activity that can cause distress, and occurs in individuals with and without psychological disorders. In order to deal with unwanted intrusive thoughts, individuals might consciously attempt to halt the flow of these cognitions through suppression or unconsciously avoid them automatically through repression. This study aimed to psychometrically evaluate and validate a translation of the Emotional and Behavioral Reaction to Intrusions Questionnaire (EBRIQ) in Arabic, for adults who speak the language. Methods The snowball sampling technique was used to recruit adults (n = 755) from five Arab countries (Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and Kuwait), who completed the Arabic EBRIQ. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine the factor structure of the EBRIQ. Results A total of 755 participants completed the survey, with a mean age of 21.89 ± 4.18 years and 77.5% females. CFA indicated a modest fit for the one-factor model. Internal reliability was excellent (ω = 0.96; α = 0.96). No significant difference was found in terms of EBRIQ scores between males (M = 10.37, SD = 7.80) and females (M = 10.52, SD = 7.99) in the total sample, t(753) = - 0.22, p = .830. The highest EBRIQ scores were found in Jordanian participants (12.55 ± 6.94), followed by Emirati (12.23 ± 8.20), Lebanese (11.12 ± 7.69), Egyptian (8.96 ± 8.05) and Kuwaiti (8.20 ± 7.75) participants, F(4, 750) = 10.36, p < .001. Conclusion This study suggests that our Arabic translation of the EBRIQ is psychometrically proven to be reliable for use in Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and Kuwait. This validated tool will allow researchers and practitioners to assess emotions and behaviors related to intrusive thoughts., Competing Interests: Declarations. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Human Ethics and Consent to participate: Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board in the Faculty of Pharmacy at Applied Science Private University (Jordan) with an approval number of 2023-PHA-43. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects; the online submission of the soft copy was considered equivalent to receiving a written informed consent. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations (in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki)., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have a two to five-fold higher risk of developing obesity and up to threefold higher risk of developing disordered eating behaviors relative to the general population. Over the past decades, the Eating Attitude Test (EAT) has been well-recognized and widely used in clinical practice. However, only little psychometric information is available on the EAT for researchers and clinicians who deal with patients with schizophrenia, and it is still unclear whether the scale could fulfill measurement needs and help clinical and research decision-making in the context of psychotic disorders. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the shortest version of the EAT (EAT-7) among newly-diagnosed patients with schizophrenia who had minimal exposure to antipsychotics at the start of the study., Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional survey that was carried out in the department of psychiatry at Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia. The study took place between January and June 2024, and involved clinically-stabilized outpatients with schizophrenia who have had < 3 months of treatment with antipsychotics (N = 112; mean age of 24.44 ± 5.41 years)., Results: In terms of factor analysis, the EAT-7 presented a one-dimensional structure. All seven items strongly loaded on a single factor, with all indices of the CFA suggesting a good fit to the data. In addition, the EAT-7 yielded excellent reliability coefficients, with both a McDonald's ω and a Cronbach's α of 0.88. Measurement invariance of the EAT-7 across sex groups was tested using multi-group CFA, and established at the configural, scalar, and metric levels. No significant differences in EAT-7 scores between males and females were found. Finally, EAT-7 scores positively correlated with scores of depression and anxiety, supporting concurrent validity of the scale., Conclusion: The shortness, items' clarity and conciseness of the EAT-7 make it an efficient tool appropriate as a first-step screening tool to detect disordered eating in patients with schizophrenia at low cost and burden. We hope that this study will facilitate the widespread application of the EAT-7 in routine assessment and monitoring of disordered eating in patients with schizophrenia, in both clinical and research practices., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Each participant provided a voluntary oral informed assent before beginning the survey. The research protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Razi psychiatric hospital, Manouba, Tunisia. The study was performed following the standards for medical research involving human subjects recommended by the Declaration of Helsinki for human research. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Clinical trial number: Not applicable., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Despite the potential clinical and treatment relevance of food addiction (FA) among individuals with schizophrenia, the scientific literature on its characteristics and correlates within this population is sparse. Limited knowledge on FA in patients with schizophrenia may impede progress in developing effective treatments for pathological eating patterns and the common obesity and metabolic syndrome problems in this population. Considering these research gaps, the present study aimed to compare the nature and prevalence of FA symptoms among patients with first-episode schizophrenia, their siblings, and healthy controls. As a secondary objective, this study sought to examine the psychopathological correlates of FA in the patients' group., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Razi Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia, from January to June 2024. A total of 112 newly diagnosed, clinically stabilized patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 77 of their unaffected siblings and 78 healthy controls were included. FA was assessed using the modified version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (mYFAS 2.0). The Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire were administered to the patients' group., Results: Findings showed a higher prevalence of FA in the patient group (32.1%) compared to both siblings (13.0%) and controls (9.0%). Siblings had higher FA scores compared to controls (16.12 ± 4.95 versus 15.00 ± 6.09; p < 0.001). After Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, higher FA scores were significantly associated with less cognitive self-consciousness (Beta = - 0.54), older age (Beta = 0.45), and higher psychological distress (Beta = 0.63)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that people with first-episode schizophrenia are likely to present with co-occurring FA, and experience associated distress. Findings also provide initial support for a possible connection between dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and FA in patients with schizophrenia, suggesting that cognitive self-consciousness may be a fundamental cognitive process in FA in this population. This may lend some theoretical and clinical implications for alleviating FA symptoms in schizophrenia., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Each participant provided a voluntary oral informed assent before beginning the survey. The research protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Razi psychiatric hospital, Manouba, Tunisia (Reference number: ECRPH-2022-0076). The study was performed following the standards for medical research involving human subjects recommended by the Declaration of Helsinki for human research. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)