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Background: Anxiety affects the patient's perception of postoperative pain and causes a significant increase in the consumption of analgesia postoperatively., Objective: This study assesses the relationship between preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain and postoperative pethidine consumption., Methods: A prospective cohort design was used. Data were collected from 100 patients who were undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy at St Joseph Hospital, Jerusalem. Pain-controlled analgesia with pethidine was utilised to manage pain throughout the postoperative period. The visual analogue scale scores and pethidine consumption of all patients were recorded., Findings: Participants' mean level of pain was higher in the preoperative period (mean visual analogue scale = 1.3) compared with their mean level of pain in the postoperative period (mean visual analogue scale = 0.5). There is a statistically significant difference between the participants' level of anxiety and postoperative pain level (p < 0.001). Gender, weight, level of education and smoking were predictors of developing preoperative anxiety. Also, gender, smoking and medication were statistically significant predictors of developing postoperative pain. Furthermore, gender, medical history and medication were statistically significant predictors of pethidine consumption postoperatively., Conclusions: The preoperative anxiety reduction intervention should be promoted and implemented as routine care for all surgical patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

There is currently limited knowledge about the firsthand experiences of adolescents and young adults with mental health problems and the meanings they ascribe to these experiences, particularly within Arab countries. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the lived experience of Omani adolescents and young adults with a mental health problem. A sample of 15 participants aged 13-22 diagnosed with a range of mental health problems took part in the study. A qualitative interview guide consisting of open-ended questions was used to allow participants to speak in-depth about their experiences. Using the thematic analysis approach to uncover patterns in the data, three major themes emerged: "living in darkness", "perilous journey" and "uncertain future". Results show that the progress of adolescents and young adults with mental health problems is characterized by several challenges; the most significant of which is having insufficient knowledge about their illness, leading to unnecessary delays in their treatment. These findings shed light on the breadth and depth of the experience of adolescents and young adults with mental health problems and lay the groundwork for further examinations. Implications lie in the development of approaches for preventing or mitigating difficulties faced by adolescents and young adults with mental health problems., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Al Omari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: Technology has permeated every aspect of our existence and the mental health sector is not exempt from this., Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the impact of using a mobile phone app (MyTherapy pill reminder and medication tracker) on medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia and/or schizoaffective disorder., Methods: Time series design was used. Fifty-one participants were recruited from tertiary hospitals in Oman. The Medication Adherence Rating Scale was used for assessing medication adherence. The data related to medication adherence were collected at baseline, 3 months later and 3 months after installing the program on participants' smartphones. SPSS data set used to analyze the data., Results: A repeated-measures ANOVA found no significant change in the level of adherence among patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders at the start and 12 weeks later when the mobile app was installed ( p   =  .371). However, adherence scores improved significantly 12 weeks after installation of mobile app compared with the same group at the baseline and 12 weeks before the installation of mobile app ( p  < .001)., Conclusion: The mobile phone app was effective in improving the adherence level among patients. Installation of the program and teaching patients how to use it to improve their level of adherence is recommended., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Introduction: Workplace violence (WPV) is a growing concern that constitutes a major threat to occupational health and safety, thereby comprising a priority issue for policymakers. Given the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and comorbidities among the Lebanese population, nurses working in critical care settings encounter intense workloads and high-risk interactions, potentially increasing the risk of WPV., Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the traumatic and psychological reactions of Lebanese critical nurses who have been exposed to WPV, and the risk factors for depression and anxiety., Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design; 112 critical care nurses from diverse departments took part in this study during the period of June to July 2021., Results: A positive, significant correlation between WPV exposure and self-reported anxiety was observed, p  = .03 with high levels of WPV, especially among patients and their families. Although verbal abuse was found to be more prevalent among critical care nurses in Lebanon compared to physical and sexual violence, the severity of the situation and its impact on the nurses' mental health and well-being cannot be ignored., Conclusions: WPV for critical care nurses is a serious issue that needs to be considered. Policy-makers should develop the politics of regulating the nursing profession, especially for critical care nurses in Lebanon., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the associated factors of stigma towards people with mental illness among Omani school and university students., Design and Method: A cross-sectional study among 371 school and university students with a multivariable linear regression model to identify the associated factors of personal and perceptions of stigma., Results: Male students, those with highly educated mothers, have high monthly income, higher mental health knowledge, employed fathers, and received focused education on mental illness showed fewer stigmatizing attitudes., Implications for Practice: Enhancing the knowledge about mental illness among school and university students and their families can play a significant role in reversing stigma., (© 2021 The Authors. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: The aim was to evaluate nurses' self-efficacy, confidence, and nurse-patient interaction during caring of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)., Methods: A cross-sectional design with online survey was used with a Self-efficacy scale, Self-confidence scale, and Caring nurse-patient interaction scale: 23-item Version-Nurse (CNPI-23 N)., Results: A sample of 120 nurses participated in the current study. The results showed that the participants had a moderate level of self-efficacy, self-confidence and interaction (M = 28.84 (SD = 7.7), M = 47.41 (SD = 9.0), and M = 93.59 (SD = 16.3), respectively). Positive relationships were found between nurse' self-efficacy, self-confidence, and nurse-patient interaction (r = 0.81; P < 0.0001 and 0.79; P < 0.0001, respectively). Significant differences were found in self-efficacy according to years of experience, academic qualifications and position (F = 2.10; P = 0.003; F = 3.60; P = 0.002, and F = 2.60; P =0.007, respectively). Furthermore, the results indicated that there was a significant difference in self-confidence and nurse-patient interaction also., Conclusion: Nurse educators and administrators should develop and implement further strategies, such as continuing education and training, compensatory payment, organizational support, and availability of protective measures to increase their self-efficacy, self-confidence, and interaction with COVID-19 patients.

Objective: The aim was to explore the relationship between Night Eating Syndrome (NES) and experiencing Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) among college students in Oman. Method : A descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional design was performed on 266 university students studying at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Night Eating Syndrome and Fear of Missing Out questionnaires. Data analysis was performed through Pearson correlation, One-way ANOVA and independent t-test using SPSS 24 software Results: The participants' ages ranged between 18 and 30 years (M = 21.15; SD = 1.97). The majority of the participants were female (204, 76.7%), single (266, 97.7%), and 152 (57.1%) lived on campus Overall, a weak positive and nonsignificant correlation between FoMO and NES and a significant difference between males and females in the mean score of FoMO (P = 0.005) was noticed. The mean score of NES among students who live on campus was higher than for those living off campus (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study explored a limited aspect of the relationship between fear of missing out and night eating behaviors among university students in Oman. There was no significant direct relationship between both variables. The study needs to be repeated using a larger sample size and more rigorous methods to calculate the number of snacks/day, and the number of meals/day., (Copyright © 2022 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Substance misuse is a growing problem among Jordanian university students., Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of university students who misuse Captagon (amphetamines)., Methods: The interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology was used. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 Jordanian university students, aged 17-22 years, who were using Captagon (amphetamines) for the last 6 months., Results: Three major themes detailed participants' experiences with Captagon: (a) causes for use, (b) effects of taking amphetamines, and (c) seeking help behaviors and support. Participants who experienced academic and personal stress sought help from friends, who provided them with Captagon pills as a way to overcome their life challenges. Initially, taking Captagon provided participants with a sense of control, but it did not solve their problems. Later or as the days passed by, they experienced increased level of stress, felt disorganized in a way that they missed classes, and were being socially isolated. Participants finally sought community help for their problem, but this was difficult because of stigmatizing attitudes in their community toward substance misuse., Conclusions: Increasing university students' knowledge about the negative consequences of substance misuse and raising awareness of strategies to address the problem will help young people to make more informed choices, because today's young generation are tomorrow's citizens., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article., (Copyright © 2022 International Nurses Society on Addictions.)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared a pandemic and has affected both patients and health-care workers. This study was conducted to explore the extent of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experiences among nurses because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan., Methods: This study used a cross-sectional study design with a convenience sampling approach. A sample of 259 participants completed the study questionnaires, including a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 between May and July 2020., Results: The prevalence of PTSD among the study participants was 37.1%. Most study participants who exhibited PTSD symptoms presented the lowest level of PTSD (17%). The results showed significant differences in overall COVID-19-related PTSD according to the participant's age (F = 14.750; P = 0.000), gender (F = 30.340; P = 0.000), level of education (F = 51.983; P = 0.000), years of experience (F = 52.33, P = 0.000), place of work (F = 19.593; P = 0.000), and working position (F = 11.597; P = 0.000), as determined by 1-way ANOVA., Conclusions: Nurses must be qualified and accredited to cope with reported PTSD cases and their consequences in relation to COVID-19 outbreaks. A close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team is required to recognize, manage, and encourage safety literacy among health-care professionals and individuals diagnosed with or suspected of PTSD due to COVID-19 outbreaks or any other viral outbreaks.

The aim of the study was to investigate young Jordanians' knowledge and attitudes toward people who have a mental illness. A cross sectional design was utilized. A convenient sample of 858 participants aged between 15-24 years old completed a survey. Participants under 19 years were accessed through their schools and those 19 years and above were accessed through universities. Results showed that although the majority of university and school students' responses were generally consistent, they disagreed on 11 items on the survey; for example, 186 (39.3%) of university students agreed that mental illness has a biological origin compared with only 119 (30%) of school students. The majority of young people 737 (85.9%) were willing to learn and 792 (92.3%) felt that they have to help people with mental illness, which make them willing to learn. In conclusion, the findings provide insights for decision makers and researchers in Jordan about young peoples' knowledge and attitudes toward mental illness. Increasing young adults' literacy through introducing educational programs such as mental health first aid courses will enrich their knowledge; help change attitudes and reduce stigma toward people living with mental illness.

Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental illnesses among young people. Crisis like the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may increase the current prevalence of these illnesses. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to (1) explore the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among youth and (2) identify to what extent certain variables related to COVID-19 could predict depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) among young people in six different countries. Participants were requested to complete an online survey including demographics and the DAS scale. A total of 1,057 participants from Oman ( n = 155), Saudi Arabia ( n = 121), Jordan ( n = 332), Iraq ( n = 117), United Arab Emirates ( n = 147), and Egypt ( n = 182) completed the study. The total prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 57%, 40.5%, and 38.1%, respectively, with no significant differences between countries. Significant predictors of stress, anxiety, and depression were being female, being in contact with a friend and/or a family member with mental illness, being quarantined for 14 days, and using the internet. In conclusion, COVID-19 is an epidemiological crisis that is casting a shadow on youths' DAS. The restrictions and prolonged lockdowns imposed by COVID-19 are negatively impacting their level of DAS. Healthcare organisations, in collaboration with various sectors, are recommended to apply psychological first aid and design appropriate educational programmes to improve the mental health of youth., Competing Interests: No authors of this paper have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Omar Al Omari et al.)

Genetic testing of children to predict their future risk of illness is controversial. When parents make the decision to test their children, they deprive them of their autonomy. Furthermore, while genetic testing to predict the onset of treatable illnesses is welcomed, healthcare providers argue that it is of no benefit for untreatable disorders, such as certain types of cancer. The authors believe that the benefits of predictive genetic testing of children outweigh the concerns and that it should be encouraged. This article provides a position statement of many healthcare providers and researchers in Jordan. It intends to encourage the development of a policy for the genetic testing of children in Jordan as well as other countries where these policies are lacking., Competing Interests: None declared, (©2019 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)