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To provide current estimates of the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Jordanian adolescents 14 to 17 years of age living in Irbid Governorate, and to determine the factors that are associated with overweight and obesity. Descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was used. Body mass index, perceived stress, dietary habits, physical activity, and demographics of 824 Jordanian adolescents living in Irbid were measured through a multistage cluster sampling method. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 19.1% and 6.3%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among boys was 17.2% and 5.7%, respectively, and among girls was 21.0% and 7.0%, respectively. Both overweight and obesity rates were higher among girls. Physical activity, mother's educational level, and number of family members were negatively correlated with overweight and obesity. On the other hand, eating breakfast regularly, mother's weight, consumption of fried food, and perceived stress level were positively correlated with overweight and obesity. Overweight and obesity are becoming a health problem among both boys and girls in Jordan. Detecting the prevalence and the associated factors of overweight and obesity among adolescents is the first step toward proposing intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) and investigate factors that contribute to psychological distress among psychiatric nurses in Jordan., Method: In this cross-sectional, correlational study, a convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 190 psychiatric nurses., Results: Mean scores for WPV and psychological distress were 13.22 ( SD = 2.51) and 56.11 ( SD = 23.29), respectively. All psychiatric nurses reported incidences of verbal aggression from patients and their families, and a significant majority (92.6%) admitted to experiencing physical violence in the past year. For every unit increase in WPV scores, there was an average increase of 0.631 points in psychological distress ( p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Findings suggest that psychiatric nurses working in psychiatric hospitals experience a high level of WPV, resulting in moderate psychological distress. It is suggested to enhance nurses' knowledge regarding the risk factors of WPV to decrease the occurrence of this phenomenon. Furthermore, implementing educational initiatives designed to support psychiatric nurses in alleviating psychological distress resulting from WPV would yield positive outcomes. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx (xx), xx-xx.].

Aims: This study aims to assess the correlation between antipsychotic drug use, psychological distress and cardiovascular risk factors among patients with schizophrenia., Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was used to obtain data from 143 patients with schizophrenia who were conveniently selected. Data were collected by assessing selected cardiovascular risk indicators blood pressure (BP), random blood sugar (RBS), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) and waist circumference (WC). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, clinical history and the 18-item Psychological Stress Index for patients with schizophrenia., Results: The use of antipsychotics was associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors including BP, BMI and WtHR. Atypical antipsychotic medications were associated with weight gain and obesity which increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Age was significantly correlated with systolic BP (r = 0.31), diastolic BP (r = 0.30) and RBS (r = 0.26). Furthermore, significant correlations were found between the duration of diagnosis with systolic (r = 0.26) and diastolic (r = 0.21) BP. None of the correlations between stress and the other study variables were significant., Conclusion: Screening of antipsychotic side effects is needed in the early phases, and attention must be paid to the cardiovascular risk in patients with schizophrenia, particularly BP, glucose level and BMI. In addition, clinicians should be informed of this evidence to set guidelines for regular monitoring of metabolic parameters., Reporting Method: STROBE guidelines were followed in this study., Patient or Public Contribution: Actively involving patients in data collection, this study ensured that their voices were heard and their experiences were central to informing the research findings. In addition, involving patients in the study would enhance the relevance and applicability of the study's conclusions to real-world contexts, promoting patient-centered care and improved health outcomes for patients with schizophrenia., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Effective medication adherence is vital for managing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and enhancing patient well-being. This study aimed to evaluate medication adherence levels and associated factors among AMI patients using standardized assessment tools., Methods: Employing a cross-sectional descriptive design, the study involved 210 patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. Participants completed the General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and provided socio-demographic details., Results: The study revealed partial adherence to medications among AMI patients, with mean scores of 24.89 (± 3.64) out of 33. Notably, good adherence was observed in non-adherence due to patient behavior (mean ± SD = 11.8 ± 2.3 out of 15) and additional disease burden (mean ± SD = 8.65 ± 2.21 out of 12), while partial adherence was noted in non-adherence due to financial constraints (mean ± SD = 4.44 ± 1.34 out of 6). Patients reported mild anxiety (mean ± SD = 8.38 ± 2.81) and no depressive symptoms (mean ± SD = 7.43 ± 2.42). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that employed status, younger age, shorter duration of MI, lower anxiety, and depression levels were associated with higher medication adherence. However, factors such as monthly income, gender, educational level, and marital status did not predict medication adherence., Conclusion: The study highlights the significance of addressing anxiety and depression levels and considering socio-demographic factors when designing interventions to enhance medication adherence among AMI patients. Further research is needed to explore additional determinants of medication adherence and develop tailored interventions to improve patient outcomes post-AMI., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Bullying in school is a universal psychosocial issue that raises concerns about adolescents' safety and mental health and is positively associated with depressive symptoms. Social support could be a preventive factor that eases bullying and its psychological distress., Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of social support in the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms among adolescents in Jordan. Another aim was to investigate predictors of depression based on adolescents' sociodemographic factors., Methods: In this cross-sectional, non-experimental mediational study, a stratified and systematic sampling method was used to recruit 270 Jordanian adolescents., Results: Sociodemographic variables of being female, having divorced parents, having illiterate fathers, and being older in adolescence explained 12.2% of the variance in depressive symptoms. Family social support partially mediated the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms., Conclusion: Our findings showed that a notable proportion of adolescents experienced bullying victimization and depressive symptoms, and a positive relationship exists between these two variables. These results further highlight the role of family social support in buffering the negative impact of bullying on depressive symptoms., Implications to Practice: The study's results emphasize the significance of developing and implementing family-centered social support initiatives by nurses to lessen adolescents' bullying experiences and depressive symptomatology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No funding or conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Using primary healthcare facilities can decrease the tension and workload in emergency departments (EDs). This study aim to examine the patient's use of primary healthcare facilities before EDs visits and their expectations about the triage., Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized in at various EDs in different hospitals. A convenience sample of 726 patients were enrolled and completed a self-administrated questionnaire., Results: The mean age of the participants was 38.1 (SD = 12.9). Most participants (68.2 %) did not have primary care physicians and did not want to know how long other patients waited (61.4 %). There are significant relationships between participants' desired to know how long other patients have been waiting and their age (X 2  = 4.02, P < .05), education level (X 2  = 13.5, P < .001), and current job (X 2  = 9.90, p < .05). Also, periodic updates from EDs staff about the delays were significantly related to participants' age (X 2  = 3.29), current job (X 2  = 28.4), marital status (X 2  = 8.93), and residency place (X 2  = 9.94)., Conclusion: Educating patients about the triage system and the importance of using primary healthcare facilities is recommended to reduce ED waiting times and overload., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Health care providers (HCPs) caring for autistic children report more perceived psychological and emotional distress related to their job. However, not much is known about what can be done to mitigate such distress, especially in countries with limited mental health resources, such as Jordan., Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between coping strategies (problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant) and perceived emotional and psychological distress among HCPs of autistic children in Jordan., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 180 HCPs working with autistic children in Jordan were recruited through autism centers and social media using an online self-administered questionnaire., Results: The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that 31% of the variability in perceived emotional distress was explained by its significant association with problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidant coping. Likewise, 39% of the variability in perceived psychological distress was explained by its significant association with gender, having an immediate family, area of specialty, problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidant coping., Conclusions: The study shows that problem-focused coping significantly decreases perceived emotional distress, whereas emotion-focused and avoidant coping significantly increase perceived emotional distress. Avoidant coping significantly increases perceived psychological distress. Understanding the association between coping strategies and perceived emotional and psychological distress among HCPs can assist mental health nurses in identifying at-risk providers and providing timely emotional and psychological support., 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.

The aim of this study is to assess the levels, relationships, and predictors of resilience and perceived stress among psychiatric nurses working in inpatient units. A descriptive, cross-sectional, predictive design was employed to collect data from 140 psychiatric nurses through a self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic and work-related variables, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), and perceived stress scale (PSS-10). The total mean score of the perceived stress was 22.73 (SD = 3.54) indicating a moderate level. The total mean score of the resilience was 49.49 (SD = 15.31) indicating a low level. Resilience correlated positively with educational level and job satisfaction; and negatively with intention to leave psychiatric settings. Significant differences were found in resilience with educational level, intention to leave psychiatric settings, and job satisfaction. Three independent variables predicted resilience: educational level, ward/unit, and job satisfaction; and only one variable (intention to leave psychiatric settings) predicted the perceived stress.

Background: Social anxiety is an emerging public health issue associated with significant impairment of social functioning during adolescence. Among many determinants of social anxiety, proneness to smartphone addiction may significantly contribute to the development of social anxiety. To cope with the consequential development of social anxiety, adolescent school students may rely on various forms of social support. Particularly in the Middle East, including Jordan, the relationship between proneness to smartphone addiction and adolescent social anxiety is understudied., Aim: To examine the mediating role of social support in the relationship between proneness to smartphone addiction and social anxiety in a sample of adolescent school students., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 432 adolescents were recruited via a random cluster sample from public schools across three provinces in Jordan. The data were collected face-to-face using the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents , the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale , and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support ., Results: Significantly higher levels of social anxiety were associated with females of lower economic status who reported more gaming hours and higher levels of proneness to smartphone addiction. Familial social support significantly mediated the relationship between proneness to smartphone addiction and social anxiety, controlling for the other covariates in the social anxiety model., Conclusions: Familial social support reduced the impact of proneness to smartphone addiction on social anxiety. Nurses may supplement treatment for reducing social anxiety in adolescents suffering from proneness to smartphone addiction by fostering sources of familial social support., 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.

Background: Jordan's population of older adults is growing due to improved health care and lifestyle, but the country has limited mental health care resources, causing challenges for the health care system. Reminiscence is a point of nursing intervention and a way for psychiatric nurses to help people improve their mental health by expanding their personal boundaries (self-transcendence)., Aims: The study aimed to examine the mediating effects of self-transcendence on the relationship between reminiscence functions and death anxiety in a sample of Jordanian older adults. Psychiatric nurses can refine reminiscence therapy by targeting aspects of self-transcendence to reduce death anxiety., Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was employed to collect the data. A total of 319 older adults participated in the study. The sample was recruited using convenience and snowball sampling strategies through social media and personal contacts., Results: The reminiscence function of "Bitterness Revival," gender, the presence of a life-threatening disease, a history of psychiatric disorder, and the work sector were statistically significant predictors of death anxiety. This model accounts for 24% of the death anxiety score ( F = 7.789, p < .001). Reminiscence functions 1, 2, and 5 predicted self-transcendence. This model explained 25% of the variance in the self-transcendence score ( F = 6.548, p < .001). Self-transcendence exerts a positive, partial mediating effect between "Bitterness Revival" and death anxiety, controlling for other covariates in the death anxiety model ( p = .016)., Conclusions: The study is informative for understanding the role of self-transcendence in buffering death anxiety, notwithstanding "Bitterness Revival" reminiscences. This knowledge reveals practical implications for psychiatric nurses about the importance of developing reminiscence interventions to promote self-transcendence and ease death anxiety., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Patients with heart failure (HF) reported poor quality of life (QOL) due to different reasons among which fatigue is the most important. Improving QOL is a crucial objective for patients with HF and their primary health care providers. Managing fatigue with medication is not enough. Benson's relaxation technique (BRT) is a complementary therapy used to manage fatigue among different populations with limited studies checking its effect among patients diagnosed with HF. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to check the effect of BRT on fatigue and QOL among 140 (68 intervention and 72 control) patients diagnosed with HF. Intervention group performed BRT for 20 minutes twice a day for 2 months. Control group received regular care from their health care providers. At baseline, there were no differences between intervention and control groups regarding fatigue, physical component summary, and mental component summary. At follow-up, intervention group had higher scores in physical and mental component summaries than control group (45.48 ± 10.52 vs 37.97 ± 14.78) and (46.22 ± 8.39 vs 41.01 ± 10.36), respectively. Also, intervention group had lower levels of fatigue than control group (2.54 ± 0.87 vs 6.33 ± 0.61). In conclusion, the use of BRT as a complementary therapy for patients with HF might decrease fatigue level and improve QOL., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: High levels of empathy and self-awareness and low level of stress among nursing students are the core elements of improving patients' care and outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess the levels, relationships, and predictors of empathy, self-awareness, and perceived stress in a sample of undergraduate Jordanian nursing students., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 330 students using a web-based survey., Results: The total mean scores of empathy, self-awareness, and perceived stress were 75.75, 40.17, and 55.65, respectively. Students who are studying in public universities, with higher GPA, who have no intention to leave nursing, and who are satisfied with nursing; reported higher level of empathy. Students with lower income level, who have no intention to leave nursing, and who are satisfied with nursing; reported higher level of self-awareness. Female students, those who sleeping 6 h and less, did not get a balanced diet or perform exercise, studying in public universities, lower GPA, have intention to leave nursing, and did not satisfy with nursing; reported higher level of perceived stress., Conclusions: Nursing students reported adequate empathy level, low self-awareness level, and moderate perceived stress level. Students who are satisfied and have no intention to leave nursing reported higher level of empathy, self-awareness, and perceived stress. It is necessary to conduct interventional programs that enhance students' well-being especially empathy and self-awareness, and reduce the level of their stress., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The training of nursing staff to deliver extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in Lebanon has recently attracted attention. It is important to comprehend the background of nurses who take on this new duty., Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to (1) explore the experiences of intensive care unit nursing staff who work with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, (2) identify the psychological and physiological challenges experienced by intensive care unit nurses while managing patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and (3) determine the roles assumed by intensive care unit nurses while managing patients utilizing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation., Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design utilizing semistructured interviews utilizing a purposive sampling of 15 intensive care unit nurses using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation devices. Interviews were audio recorded, verbatim transcribed, and thematically analyzed., Results: Three themes emerged, namely (1) nurses' role in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, (2) skills and training, and (3) challenges faced by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation nurses., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that nurses play a crucial role in providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patient care, placing them under significant occupational stress due to the intensive care unit's routine workload and the demands of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Additionally, role confusion brought on by a lack of professional practice norms and emotional exhaustion made occupational pressure worse., 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.)

Back Ground: Hemodialysis (HD) is a lifesaving procedure required for many patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) who are not able to undergo a kidney transplant. However, HD could cause anxiety and depression for those patients. This study aimed to assess the levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and find out the predictors affecting them., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was adopted on a sample of 230 patients who received HD. Patients answered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale along with demographic and clinical variables., Results: The study found that patients with ESRD undergoing HD had a high level of anxiety (mean = 10.59 SD = 2.78) and depression (mean = 10.86 SD = 2.49). There were significant differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms in regard to comorbidity, vascular access type, fatigue, fear, and financial status. Predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms were: creatinine level, fatigue level, HD duration, number of dialysis sessions, blood urea nitrogen level, and age., Conclusions: Anxiety and depression are under-diagnosed in patients with ESRD undergoing HD in Jordan. Screening and referral to psychological health specialists are needed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Aim and Objectives: This study aimed to explore the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward palliative care (PC) among nurses working with patients diagnosed with cancer in Jordan., Background: PC is a growing specialty in healthcare and nursing in Jordan with an increased need to expand its scope, develop policies to govern it, and increase the awareness of its importance especially for patients diagnosed with cancer., Design: Cross sectional design was used in the current study., Methods: Using an online self-report questionnaire data was collected from 228 nurses working at four hospitals in Amman. The four hospitals were from three different healthcare sectors: one public, one educational, and two private hospitals. A convenience sampling method was employed., Results: Results showed a low level of PC knowledge (M = 8.8), a moderate level of attitudes (M = 80.9) toward dying patients, and a moderate level of PC practices (M = 52.7). Differences in PC knowledge, attitudes, and practices were found in regard to nurses' gender, level of education, PC training, years of experience, and working sector. Significant correlations were found between PC practices with both PC knowledge and attitudes toward dying patients. No significant relationship between PC knowledge and attitudes toward dying patients., Conclusion: Low level of PC knowledge and moderate level of attitudes toward dying patients. Differences in PC knowledge, attitudes, and practices were found in regard to some participants' demographics., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Altarawneh 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: Limited research exists on the knowledge and attitudes of Jordanian community residents toward people with dementia (PwD). As the prevalence of dementia is anticipated to increase, there is a critical need for informed knowledge and positive attitudes toward dementia in the Jordanian community., Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate people's knowledge of and attitudes toward PwD and identify the predictors of dementia knowledge and attitudes., Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional research design and utilized a self-administered questionnaire as the primary data collection method. The study employed the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) to evaluate the knowledge of the participants, and the Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS) was utilized to assess their attitudes in the Jordanian community. Multiple regression analysis was performed to find relevant factors influencing knowledge of and attitude toward dementia., Results: The study's 346 participants revealed limited knowledge about dementia, with an average ADKS score of 17.21 out of 30. However, participants showed a positive attitude toward dementia, as evidenced by a mean DAS score of 88 out of 140. Statistical analysis demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores among employed individuals ( P  < .05), while females exhibited significantly higher attitude scores ( P  < .05). Participants with experience in geriatric clinical practice, dementia education or training, informal caregiving experience, and a desire to learn more about dementia also exhibited significantly higher knowledge and attitude scores ( P  < .05)., Conclusion: The study offers preliminary insights into the knowledge and attitudes toward dementia in the Jordanian population. The findings underscore the importance of continuing education and training to increase knowledge and understanding of dementia. Improving dementia care and support in Jordan requires enhancing knowledge and attitudes toward dementia. The study findings were presented to policymakers, with recommendations for strategic planning and the development of awareness programs. Future research can build upon these findings and promote evidence-based practices in dementia care and community awareness programs., 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.)

Healthcare professionals caring for children with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to be emotionally and psychologically distressed because of the children's challenging behaviors. This study aimed to investigate whether social support mediates the association between coping strategies and perceived emotional and psychological distress among professionals working with children with autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, this study explored the moderating effect of autism severity on this mediation. The study's design is cross-sectional, correlational, and predictive. An online, self-administered questionnaire was used to recruit a convenience sample of 180 healthcare professionals working with children with autism spectrum disorder. The results revealed a significant mediation effect of family social support on the relationship between problem-focused coping and psychological distress for those dealing with moderate or severe autism. Likewise, there was also a significant mediation effect of family social support on the relationship between avoidant coping and psychological distress for those dealing with moderate autism. Familial social support can serve as a protective factor for healthcare professionals caring for children with autism against accumulated psychological distress. The direct effect of avoidant coping strategies on emotional distress changes depending on autism severity. The study's findings are informative to mental health nurses to create more effective coping strategies as problem-solving interventions or develop new coping strategies based on familial social support for those working with children with autism.

Background: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a common arrhythmia with associated symptoms such as palpitation, dizziness, and fatigue. It significantly affects patients' quality of life (QoL). Radiofrequency cardiac ablation (RFCA) is a highly effective treatment to eliminate arrhythmia and improve patients' QoL. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of QoL among patients with SVT and examine the difference in QoL before and after RFCA., Methods: One group pre-posttest design with a convenience sample of 112 patients was used. QoL was assessed by 36-Item Short Form (SF-36). Data were collected at admission through face-to-face interviews and 1-month post-discharge through phone interviews., Results: There was a significant difference between QoL before (33.7±17.0) and 1 month after (62.5±18.5) the RFCA. Post-RFCA patients diagnosed with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia had higher QoL than other types of SVT. Moreover, there were significant negative relationships between QoL and the number and duration of episodes pre- and post-RFCA. There were no significant differences in QoL based on: age, sex, working status, marital status, smoking, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension., Conclusions: After RFCA, the QoL of patients with ST improved for both physical and mental component subscales.

Introduction: Bullying is a widespread problem in healthcare organizations, resulting in nurses' poor mental health. Effective leadership, such as authentic leadership, may help to overcome this problem., Objective: To examine the relationship between authentic leadership, workplace bullying, and nurses' mental health, controlling for demographic characteristics., Methods: A descriptive correlational design was utilized with a sample of 170 nurses. Nurses were recruited from four private hospitals in Jordan and completed a survey about their perception of managers' authentic leadership, their experience of workplace bullying, and their mental health., Results: About 48.8%, 25.9%, and 25.3% were categorized as "not bullied," "occasionally bullied," and "severely bullied," respectively. Participant nurses had mild depression ( m  = 12.11) and moderate anxiety ( m  = 10.92). Workplace bullying was higher among nurses who earn less than 600 Jordanian dinars and nurses working in the smallest hospital, with 130 beds. Authentic leadership explains 6% of the variance of workplace bullying, 3% of anxiety, 7% of stress, and 7% of depression above and beyond the variance explained by other variables., Conclusions: Healthcare organizations are facing a challenge in providing a healthy work environment. Employing authentic leadership in the workplace could be one of the factors that could help in addressing this issue., 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.)

Objective: Healthcare professionals particularly nurses should be professionally prepared with knowledge about the standards of palliative care and their roles in providing palliative care. Nurses' knowledge about palliative care and influencing factors has not been examined adequately in Arab countries including Palestine. Thus, this study aimed to assess the adequacy of knowledge level and influencing factors (socio-demographic) about palliative care among nurses in West Bank/ Palestine. Methods : A descriptive-correlational design was utilized. A cluster random sampling method was applied to select 12 hospitals from the three regions in West Bank. Then, four hospitals were selected from each region using a simple random method. All registered nurses working in critical care units and medical and surgical wards in the selected hospitals were recruited. The sample consists of 424 registered nurses and data were collected using Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN). Results : The Findings revealed that nurses' level of knowledge about palliative care was low/inadequate (M = 7.75, SD = 2.96). Knowledge about palliative care was influenced by age (B = -.106; p < 0.05), gender (B = -.223; p < 0.001), and hospital ward (B = -.597; p < 0.001), in which younger nurses, females, and those who work in critical care units reported higher levels of knowledge about palliative care. Conclusions : Findings of this study emphasized the need for developing educational and training courses, seminars, and workshops on palliative care to increase nurses' knowledge in order to enhance the quality of patient care. Also, policymakers should develop national strategic plans and policies regarding palliative care and apply these plans in all hospitals in West Bank/ Palestine.

Self-awareness, empathy, and patient-centered care are essential components for nurses for improving nurse-patient relationship and providing high-quality care for the patients. There is limited research regarding these components among critical care nurses in Arab countries, including Jordan. Thus, this study purposed to evaluate the self-awareness, empathy, and patient-centered care among critical care nurses in Jordan. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was applied. Data were collected from 140 registered nurses from six hospitals in different health sectors. Findings showed that the mean scores for self-awareness, empathy and patient-centered care were as follows: 1.92 (SD = 0.27), 4.87 (SD = 0.88), and 3.71 (SD = 0.80), respectively. These results indicate that nurses had a high level of self-awareness and empathy and a low level of patient-centered care. There was no relationship between self-awareness and socio-demographic variables, perceived stress, and social support. Also, there was a positive relationship between empathy and social support (r = 0.310, p < 0.001) . Patient-centered care had a positive relationship with social support (r = 0.202, p < 0.05) and perceived stress (r = 0.175, p < 0.05) , also, male nurses had higher patient-centered care than female encounters. Social support was a predictor of empathy, while social support and perceived stress were the main predictors for patient-centered care. The results of the study reflect the need for educational programs to promote self-awareness and empathy to enhance patient-centered care and achieve high-quality patient care. Additionally, correlating factors with PCC (social support and perceived stress) should be taken into consideration upon implementing any interventional programs.

Medication adherence is a crucial health issue in major depressive disorder (MDD) that requires regular monitoring and attention. Hence, there are multiple reasons for medication non-adherence among them. This study aimed to examine the effect of adherence therapy (AT) on medication adherence, health beliefs, self-efficacy, and depressive symptoms among patients diagnosed with MDD. One group pretest-posttest, repeated measures time-series design was conducted. A sample of 32 patients was recruited conveniently; they received eight weekly sessions of AT. A self-reported questionnaire was used to measure variables. The analysis showed that the mean scores of the baseline indicated non-adherence, moderate general benefits beliefs about the medication, high beliefs that medication is harmful, high beliefs that doctors overuse medication, high beliefs about potential adverse effects from medication, low perception of MDD severity, and high threatening perception regarding MDD, a moderate degree of confidence in the ability to taking medications, and patients had moderately severe depressive symptoms (M = 16, 3.2, 3.1, 4.1, 3.8, 50, 3, 16 respectively). Over four measurement points, adherence therapy enhanced positive beliefs towards taking medication and illness, increased medication adherence self-efficacy, improved medication adherence, and decreased depressive symptoms (F = 68.57-379.2, P < 0.001). These improvements were clinically significant in all variables immediately post-AT but declined minimally over time. The study indicated that integrating AT as part of the pre-discharge protocol is one core component to sustaining positive healthcare outcomes. Continuous efforts should be paid in terms of the long-term sustainability of an intervention to enhance adherence and clinical outcomes., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: COVID-19-related healthcare services focus primarily on medical and physical treatments. Related treatments for psychosocial and mental health needs have not been a priority for healthcare professionals. Understanding the process by which individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 adapt psychologically will allow better planning for mental healthcare and healthcare outcomes., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how recovered individuals with COVID-19 adapted to related psychological and social stressors during the infection period., Methods: A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to investigate a purposive sample of 13 individuals in Jordan who had recovered from COVID-19. Data were collected using semistructured interviews., Results: Perceptions related to being diagnosed with COVID-19 were distinguished into four major themes: conscious awareness (acceptance, victimization, and normalizing), uncertainty (apprehension and poor communication), sources of psychosocial support (caring family, healthcare professionals' support, and self-grieving), and resilience (optimism, positive thinking, and spirituality)., Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate the need to integrate psychosocial and mental healthcare services into healthcare plans provided to individuals with COVID-19 and similar pandemic infections., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Women planning to become pregnant, who are pregnant, and who are breastfeeding are more hesitant to take COVID-19 vaccines compared to other women globally., Aim: This study investigates COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among women, who are planning for pregnancy, currently pregnant, and breastfeeding women in Jordan., Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted in the biggest three cities in Jordan, including 874 women., Results: Women who were planning for pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding reported statistically significant lower levels of perception of the seriousness of COVID-19 (7.12 ± 0.72, 7.53 ± 1.80, 7.2439 ± 7296, respectively), significant lower levels of perceived benefits of the vaccine (8.92 ± 2.15, 8.73 ± 1.93, 9.09 ± 2.10, respectively), significant lower levels of motivation and causes of action (7.15 ± 1.71, 6.7524 ± 1.40, 7.27 ± 1.68, respectively), and significantly higher levels of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy (31.32 ± 6.40, 30.11 ± 4.49, 30.27 ± 6.29, respectively) than other women. Married women, those whoe were previously infected with COVID-19, and those who had chronic diseases reported statistically significant lower levels of perception of COVID-19 seriousness, perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccine, motivation to take COVID-19 vaccine, and causes of action, and significantly higher levels of hesitancy to take COVID-19 vaccine than unmarried women, those who have not been infected with COVID-19, and those who were medically healthy (p<0.001). There were statistically significant positive correlations between perception, perceived benefits, motivation, and cause of action with years of education; and statistically significant negative correlations between perception, perceived benefits, motivation, and cause of action with age (p<0.001)., Conclusions: Women who were planning for pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding in Jordan showed miderate scores in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy despite the current international recommendations for its safety for women and their foetuses or neonates., Competing Interests: The Authors have declared no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Masa'deh 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.)

Background: COVID-19 hesitancy among women planning to become pregnant, who are pregnant, and who are breast-feeding is still a global phenomenon. Unfortunately, there is a lack of national educational programs that provide those groups of people with the information they need about the vaccine., Objective: This study investigated the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine tele-educational program on vaccine hesitancy and receiving the vaccine among women planning for pregnancy, pregnant and breast-feeding mothers., Methods: This study implemented a quasi-experimental pre-post design and was conducted in Jordan. It was a two-time study and had two groups of women; 220 women participated in the control group, and 205 women participated in the intervention group (those received the tele-educational program). All participating women answered the demographic characteristics sheet and the Arabic version of Hesitancy About COVID-19 Vaccination Questionnaire twice., Results: Results showed that after conducting the program the interventional group reported significantly higher vaccination rate and lower mean score of hesitancy than the control group (M = 24.67, SD = 5.11; M = 27.45, SD = 4.92; respectively) t (423) = -4.116, p-value < 0.001. Moreover, before the program, women in the intervention group reported significantly higher levels of hesitancy compared to those in the same group after the program (M = 28.35, SD = 4.91; M = 24.66, SD = 5.11; respectively) t (204) = 17.83, p-value < 0.001., Conclusions: The study concluded that awareness of pregnant women after being given the tele-education program about COVID-19 vaccination decreased their hesitancy and improved their willingness to participate in the COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, health workers should focus on providing scientific-based information about the vaccine to reduce the doubts of pregnant women about participating in the COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Momani 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.)

Background and Aim: Although nursing students are professionally and ethically trained and educated to respect patients with a variety of medical and mental problems, they continue to exhibit negative attitudes and behaviors toward mental disease and patients with mental illness. The accumulated evidence indicates that contact-based intervention (CBI) is helpful in enhancing nursing students' attitudes and behaviors toward patients with mental illness. Although evidence found to support the CBI, culture and settings might play a significant role to decide its effectiveness. This would call for testing further the effectiveness of CBI across cultures and healthcare settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a CBI on the attitudes and intended behaviors of nursing students in Jordan toward people with mental illness., Methods: A quasi-experimental, pre-post, design was used. Data were collected from 81 nursing students from two nursing schools implementing the CBI using self-reported questionnaires to measure students' attitudes and intended behaviors toward people with mental illness. Data were collected during the first semester of the academic year 2019/2020. The paired-samples and independent-samples t tests were used to test the study's hypotheses., Results: At baseline, the results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in terms of their attitudes and intended behaviors toward people with mental illness. At posttest, statistically significant improvements in the attitudes and intended behaviors of nursing students found in the experimental group and between control and experimental groups toward people with mental illness compared with baseline pretest measures ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: The CBI did improve the attitudes and intended behaviors of Jordanian nursing students toward people with mental illness. Significant implications for nurses were discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: Recognizing reminiscence functions can help psychiatric nurses promote patients' mental health. This study aimed to confirm the six-factor, 39-item structure of the Arabic version of the Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS) in a sample of Jordanian adults (N = 470) and examine the invariance of structure across gender., Design and Method: Post hoc model adjustment was conducted sequentially using modification indices (MI) to improve model fit. Measurement invariance across gender was examined using this adjusted Arabic RFS score (ARFS)., Findings: After post hoc adjustment using MI, the fit indices for the adjusted (32-item) ARFS improved, indicating a good fit for the data. The adjusted ARFS factor structure indicated strict measurement invariance across gender., Conclusions: CFA supports a 32-item, six-factor model., Practice Implications: Psychiatric nurses can use the adjusted ARFS to measure subjects' reminiscence functions and predict the psychological and emotional distress associated with these functions., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Aim: This study aimed to describe psychiatric nurses' experiences and the emotional and psychological sequelae after being psychologically or physically assaulted in inpatient psychiatric units., Method: The study employed a descriptive, phenomenological research approach. A purposive sample of 27 psychiatric nurses participated in in-depth one-on-one interviews. The collected data were transcribed and analyzed using ​Colaizzi's (1978) seven-step method., Results: Three themes and ten sub-themes emerged: A Fertile Environment for Physical and Psychological Workplace Violence, Psycho-Emotional Sequelae Aftermath of Assault, and Proactive Strategies for Combating Violence., Discussion: A thorough understanding of workplace violence aids in the development of strategies for preventing and addressing this phenomenon and its psychological and emotional consequences., Implications for Practice: The current study provides new insights on the importance of offering mental health and emotional support to assaulted nurses, especially those with accumulated exposure to violence., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Inappropriately selected models of nursing care delivery and emotional exhaustion of nurses at work not only affect the nurses' health, but also the health of their patients., Purpose: To examine the relationship between nursing care delivery models, nurses' emotional exhaustion, and quality of nursing care., Methods: A cross-sectional survey that used a convenience sampling technique was employed. A total of 160 participants completed the study. Participants provided information about nursing care delivery models, nurses, emotional exhaustion, and quality of nursing care., Results: Participants had a moderate level of emotional exhaustion. No statistically significant difference in the scores of quality of nursing care and emotional exhaustion were found according to the type of care delivery model ( P  > .05). Emotional exhaustion was significantly and negatively correlated with the (nursing staff characteristics) subscale of quality of nursing care ( r  = -.183, P  = .021). There was a significant difference in emotional exhaustion in regard to shift duty, marital status, education level, years of experience, salary, and working area). Only marital status significantly predicted emotional exhaustion ( t  = 2.57, B  = -8.98, P  = .011)., Conclusions: Quality of nursing care was associated with nurses' emotional exhaustion rather than models of nursing care delivery. As nurses' emotional exhaustion could negatively affect the quality of nursing care, addressing the emotional exhaustion of nurses is important to improve patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

The purpose of the current study was to examine prediction power of psychological factors (i.e., alexithymia and psychological distress) on fibromyalgia among high school students. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Data related to alexithymia, psychological distress, and fibromyalgia were collected from 483 high school students from the northern part of Jordan using stratified cluster random sampling. Results showed that psychological distress is a significant predictor of fibromyalgia (odds ratio = 1.1, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between males and females in relation to alexithymia ( t = -4.87, p < 0.001), psychological distress ( t = -6.0, p < 0.001), and fibromyalgia (χ 2 = 4.14, p = 0.04, phi = 0.07). Age was only significantly correlated with alexithymia ( r = 0.06, p < 0.05). Given the relationship among psychological distress, alexithymia, and fibromyalgia, mental health professionals should carefully observe psychological disturbances among high school students. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60 (8), 19-25.].

The current study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) of persons hospitalized for psychiatric problems and the correlation between knowledge and demographics. A correlational, cross-sectional study was used to collect data through structured interviews from a convenience sample of 200 patients with psychiatric disorders seeking treatment at a psychiatric hospital using the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices questionnaire. Participants had poor knowledge (51.5%), moderate attitudes (75%), and low to moderate practices (61%) toward COVID-19. Knowledge was different across most demographic and illness-related variables. Global assessment of functioning and educational level predicted knowledge and accounted for 37.5% of the variance. Due to disability and poor self-care, persons hospitalized for psychiatric problems are more vulnerable to infectious diseases than the general population. Mental health nurses need to raise KAP toward COVID-19. Current results are informative to health care policymakers and mental health authorities in helping identify target populations for prevention and education about COVID-19. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60 (8), 37-45.].

Relapse prevention is an essential component in sustaining positive treatment outcomes., The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a relapse prevention intervention on the ability of patients and their primary caregivers to self-detect and manage early warning signs of relapse, and its impact on relapse rate among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia., Quasi-experimental design; one group posttest only, repeated measure time-series design was employed. A total of 40 patients and their primary caregivers represented the sample in this study., The statistical analysis revealed that the effect of relapse prevention intervention on patients and their primary caregivers' ability to self-detect severity and manage early warning signs of relapse has sustainable and positive effect on patients and their primary caregivers from T1 to T3 (patients, M  = 9.0-9.3; caregivers, M  = 9.7-9.9). Also, positive effect of intervention detected on abilities of patients and primary caregivers to manage EWS from T1 to T3 (patients, M  = 35-36.0; caregivers, M  = 39.7-38.1). The analysis also showed a low relapse rate (14.9%)., The study showed that relapse prevention interventions is effective and applicable approach that psychiatric nurses can use to ensure sustainable positive outcomes of psychiatric healthcare among patients with schizophrenia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing students' knowledge about behavioral and biopsychosocial domains of dementia and the factors associated with nurses' knowledge., Methods: A cross-sectional, predictive study was conducted using a web-based survey. A convenience sample of 356 nursing students from a large public university completed an anonymous online survey comprising 25 Likert-scale items. Univariate analyses (two-sample t tests and one-way ANOVA) were used for model selection at the cutoff level of 0.20 in producing a multivariate linear regression model. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to predict a given student's score using the demographic variables selected. The regression model was used to infer pairwise demographic group comparisons while controlling for other demographic variables., Findings: The mean score of students' knowledge about dementia was 24.53 ± 7.81 out of 48 (52%). Students scored the lowest scores on knowledge about communication with and behaviors of people with dementia and the risk factors and health promotion areas in dementia care. Students' gender, current grade point average (GPA), family history with dementia, and education level had statistically significant effects on the mean total dementia knowledge score and respective subscales (p < 0.05). The model predicting the total dementia knowledge score explained the most variation among all five models conducted (29%)., Conclusions: The findings indicate that nursing curricula should introduce educational programs related to all aspects of dementia knowledge earlier on., Implications for Nursing Practice: The survey findings suggest raising standards of dementia knowledge and implementing educational strategies in clinical settings that adequately prepare nurses to interact with or care for people with dementia., (© 2021 NANDA International, Inc.)

Aim: Many people including students affected physically and psychologically by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and "home-quarantine." This study aimed at assessing the prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress among university students in Jordan during "home-quarantine" due to the outbreak of COVID-19., Design: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study., Methods: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 1,380 Jordanian university students. A web-based survey was used to collect data from the participants using the DASS-21., Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress in different levels was 78.7%, 67.9% and 58.7%, respectively, which are higher during "home-quarantine." The mean scores of depression, anxiety and stress were at moderate levels. Strong correlations were found between depression, stress and anxiety, with demographic, health-related, lifestyle variables. Several variables also predicted depression, stress and anxiety., (© 2021 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The purpose of this article is to review the literature regarding the relationships between alexithymia, fibromyalgia (FM), and psychological distress among adolescents. Google Scholar and databases were searched using alexithymia, fibromyalgia, psychological distress, and adolescent keywords. Studies that examine the relationship between alexithymia and fibromyalgia and the contribution of psychological distress on this relationship among adolescents are lacking. However, based on previous studies on adult samples and theoretical background, there are possible relationship between alexithymia and fibromyalgia as well as possible mediating effect of psychological distress on this relationship in adolescents. Further studies are recommended to examine the relationships between alexithymia, fibromyalgia, and psychological distress among adolescents.

Background: The quality of care provided for patients in mental health-care facilities remains a challenge for health-care providers in general and for nurses in particular. Identifying the level of quality of care provided for patients in mental health-care facilities as perceived by nurses and patients may help health-care providers improve the quality of care and improve patients' outcomes., Objectives: The purpose of the study was to assess the perceptions of nurses and patients of the quality of nursing care, and explore the differences in their perceptions of quality of care in mental health-care facilities in Jordan., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using two convenience samples of 123 nurses and 150 patients. The nurses completed the Karen-personnel instrument, a self-administered questionnaire; One hundred and fifty patients from several mental health-care facilities in Jordan were interviewed using the Karen-patient instrument. The interviews were structured., Results: Sixtyfour percent of nurses rated the quality of psychiatric nursing care as satisfactory, and 47.6% of patients perceived the quality of nursing care as satisfactory. Male nurses, who attended courses in mental health nursing, chose to work in a psychiatric unit, committed to work in the future in a psychiatric unit, and were providing indirect care have significantly higher perception of quality of psychiatric nursing care than their counterparts. Patients in military hospitals have significantly higher perception of quality of psychiatric nursing care than those in governmental ones (p < .05)., Implications for Practice: To improve the quality of care in psychiatric units, patients and nurses need to be educated about the quality indicators set by Joint Commission international standards related to mental health-care facilities.

Purpose: The aim of the article is to identify the prevalence, levels, and associated factors of alexithymia among Jordanian university students., Design and Methods: Using stratified cluster random sampling, data were collected from 492 students using Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21)., Findings: The prevalence of alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress were 24.6, 28.5, 38.4, and 22.6%, respectively, and were all higher among females. Alexithymia correlated with five factors: depression, anxiety, stress, female gender, and satisfaction with life., Practical Implications: There is a need for screening and interventional programs that prevent or alleviate the symptoms of alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress among university students., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Mental health nurses have a crucial role in preventing medical incidents and in promoting safety culture because they provide and coordinate most of patients' care. Therefore, they are able to enhance patients' outcomes and reduce nurses' injuries., Aims: The aims of this study were to assess the perception of mental health nurses about patients' safety culture and to detect the factors which may affect patients' safety culture at psychiatric hospitals., Methods: A predictive correlational design was employed to collect data about patient safety culture and safety outcomes from 224 mental health nurses working in psychiatric hospitals using Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture., Results: Positive scores to patients' safety culture dimensions ranged between 13.4% and 81.2%. Two-thirds of mental health nurses perceived safety as excellent/very good, 20.5% perceived it as acceptable and 10.8% perceived it as poor/failing. Overall perception of safety correlated significantly with four dimensions and explained 32.6% of the variance. Frequency of events reported correlated significantly with six dimensions and explained 23.1% of the variance., Conclusion: Of the 12 dimensions of patients' safety culture, only one was strong, six within acceptable range and five were weak and need improvement., Implications for Nursing and Health Policy: Healthcare managers and policy-makers should encourage educational interventions and help to establish a reporting system that focus on improving systems, not on blaming individuals and encourage open communication among mental healthcare workers., (© 2016 International Council of Nurses.)

Purposes: The purposes of this study were to identify the sources of knowledge for nursing practices and to identify the barriers of using "evidence-based practice" (EBP)., Design and Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 164 Saudi mental health nurses by completing the Development of Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire., Findings: The most frequently used sources of knowledge were relied on social interactions and the nurses' own experiences, while the least frequently used sources were external sources of knowledge and research evidences. Insufficient time to find research reports, difficulty in understanding research reports, and insufficient resources for evidences were the barriers of using EBP., Practice Implications: The organizations should encourage using EBP by providing adequate time, resources, knowledge, and skills for mental health nurses through conducting workshops and mentoring., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Clinical training has been recognized as a stressful experience for nursing students., Aims: The aims of this study were to identify levels and types of stressors among nursing students during their clinical training and their coping behaviors., Methods: Data were collected using a purposive sampling method from 100 nursing students using a self-reported questionnaire composed of Perceived Stress Scale and Coping Behavior Inventory., Results: Results showed that "assignments and workload" as well as "teachers and nursing staff" were the highest sources of stress in clinical training. The most common coping behaviors used were "problem-solving" and "staying optimistic". There was a significant difference in perceived stress among students in regard to the way of choosing nursing. There were significant differences in coping behaviors in regard to the presence of relatives in nursing, living status and mothers' educational level. The predictors of perceived stress were self-choosing for nursing and the presence of relatives in nursing, while the predictors for coping behaviors were stress from peers and daily life as well as mothers' educational level., Conclusions: Nursing teachers and staff are encouraged to develop strategies that decrease level of stress and promote adaptive coping behaviors among nursing students during their clinical training.

Men's participation in family planning has become a cornerstone in women's reproductive health. The aim of this study was to examine knowledge, attitudes and practice towards family planning of Jordanian men in southern Jordan. In a cross-sectional descriptive study in 2012, structured interviews were made with 104 married men in Aqaba and Ma'an governorates. Although 93.5% of the men had heard about family planning-most commonly the intrauterine device (IUD) and oral contraceptives-only 45.1% reported that they and their wife currently used it. Most men agreed about a minimum 2 years' child spacing (93.3%) and starting contraception after childbirth (71.2%) and that husband and wife should share decisions about family planning (90.2%) and the number of children (89.5%). Level of education significantly affected current use of contraception, while number of children significantly affected previous use of contraception. Although married men had positive attitudes and good knowledge about family planning, this did not translate into practice of contraceptive use.

Background: There are many factors that affect college academic achievement among health sciences students., Aim: The aim of this study was to examine selected psychological, cognitive, and personal variables that affect students' academic achievement among health sciences college students in Saudi Arabia., Method: A correlational descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to collect data on the studied variables from 510 health sciences students (Medicine, Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, and Pharmacy Doctor) employing self-administered questionnaire., Results: Results showed that students experienced low level of self-esteem and low level of student-faculty interaction; and high level of achievement motivation and satisfaction with life. Also, they reported mild levels of depression and stress and a moderate level of anxiety. Female students reported higher level of achievement motivation, depression, anxiety, and stress; while male students reported a higher level of self-esteem. Results also showed that achievement motivation, mothers' educational level, working besides studying, gender, aptitude test score, and depression level were the best predictors of academic achievement and accounting for 43% of the total variance., Conclusions: Several psychological, cognitive, and personal variables were found to affect college academic achievement among health sciences students. Recommendations and implications to enhance students' academic achievement are discussed., (© 2013.)

The objectives of this study were to detect the prevalence, severity and factors associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) among Jordanian women, and to identify the most common self-treatment strategies used by women to alleviate the symptoms associated with PMS and/or PMDD. Data were collected from 254 women studying or working at one of the largest Jordanian governmental university using Shortened Premenstrual Assessment Form (SPAF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) research criteria for diagnosis of PMDD. The findings indicated that the prevalence of PMS and PMDD were 80.2%, 10.2% respectively. Abdominal cramp, lower back pain and breast pain were reported to be the most severe symptoms associated with PMS and PMDD. Significant correlations were found between severity of premenstrual symptoms and perceived stress level, age, body mass index, marital status, perception of health in general and absent from work. The most frequently reported self-treatment strategies used by women to alleviate PMS and PMDD symptoms were: taking analgesics, increasing hot fluids intake, wearing heavy and warm clothes, and lying down on the abdomen. Understanding the prevalence, severity and self-treatment strategies for women experiencing PMS and PMDD symptoms help in improving women's quality of life and decrease their suffering from these symptoms., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Moral distress has received much attention in international nursing published work in recent years. However, in the published work, little is known about the moral distress of mental health nurses. The aims of this study were to examine the intensity level of moral distress, to identify the best predictors of moral distress, and to examine relationships of moral distress with burnout, job satisfaction, intention to leave the current job, and both demographic and work-related variables of that group. Employing a descriptive correlational cross-section design and a convenience sampling method, data were collected using the Moral Distress Scale for Psychiatric Nurses, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Job Satisfaction Scale from 130 Jordanian mental health nurses working in the largest psychiatric hospital in Jordan. Results showed that the intensity level of moral distress was found to be moderately high, especially in an 'unethical conduct by caregivers' subscale. Age, income level, nurses' years of experience, and caseloads correlated significantly and negatively with moral distress, while educational level and intention to leave the current job correlated significantly and positively with moral distress. Interestingly, job satisfaction did not significantly correlate with moral distress. Income level, caseloads, burnout level, attending workshops in mental health, and educational level were the best predictors of moral distress. More studies on moral distress and continuing educational interventional programs aimed at minimizing the levels of moral distress and burnout at institutional and individual level are required., (© 2013 The Author; International Journal of Mental Health Nursing © 2013 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.)

Background: Stress among university students has been a topic of interest for researchers and teachers for many years because it affects not only their academic performance but also their physiological and psychological health. Male and female students perceive and react to stressors differently due to their differences in appraising stressful situations., Aims: The aims of this study were to examine differences in the perception of stressors and reactions to stressors between male and female Jordanian university students, and to identify the best predictors of stressors among them., Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. The Student-Life Stress Inventory was used to measure stressors and reactions to stressors of 465 male and 485 female Jordanian university students recruited through stratified random sampling., Results: There were statistical differences between male and female students regarding their perception and reactions to stressors. Female students reported a higher perception of stressors in frustrations, conflict, pressures and changes, as well as emotional reactions to stressors. Male students reported higher behavioural and cognitive reactions to stressors than female students. Participation in stress workshops, perception of general health, and perception of stress level in general were found to predict stressors among male students, while mother's educational level, perception of general health, and perception of stress level in general were found to predict stressors among female students., Conclusions: This study showed that gender differences in perception of stressors and reactions to stressors are similar to previous studies conducted all over the world. Interventions can be developed to help students better cope with stress. Conducting specific stress-training programmes for male and female students will help in reducing stress levels.

Occupational stress affects physical and mental health of mental health nurses. This study measured levels of occupational stress and identified the variables that are associated with occupational stress among Jordanian mental health nurses. A descriptive design was conducted, using self-report questionnaires and demographic characteristics. Data were collected from 181 mental health nurses who were recruited from all mental health settings in Jordan. Jordanian mental health nurses showed high levels of occupational stress regarding "client-related difficulties," "lack of resources," and "workload." The highest level of social support as indicated by these Jordanian mental health nurses was from a spouse/partner followed by colleagues. Regarding quality of life (QOL), physical health scores were higher than mental health scores. Occupational stress correlated significantly and negatively with QOL-physical scores, QOL-mental scores, and social support scores, and correlated positively with being physically assaulted, verbally assaulted, and the respondent having the intention to leave his or her current job. Social support, QOL-mental scores, verbal assault, ward type, and intention to leave the current job were the best predictors of occupational stress among Jordanian mental health nurses. Mental health nurses are under significant occupational stress levels; therefore, comprehensive interventions aimed at minimizing the risk of occupational stress and improving social support and quality of life among mental health nurses are needed.

Aims and Objectives: To examine if Jordanian nurses' job stressors are different in various practice areas in hospitals, particularly in stressful or non-stressful clinical areas of work., Background: Nursing is a stressful profession. Nurses' job stressors have been studied in Jordan, but none compared job stressors in different clinical areas. There is a need to identify nurses' job stressors in different clinical areas to better manage them., Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used. Data about job stressors and demographics were collected from a convenience sample of 464 Jordanian nurses working in Jordanian hospitals. Nursing Stress Scale was used to measure nurses' job stressors., Findings: Nurses' job stressors experienced by nurses working in stressful areas were significantly different from those stressors experienced by nurses working in non-stressful areas in five subscales out of seven. Nurses' job stressors in non-stressful areas were best predicted by one variable, 'model of nursing care provision', whereas nurses' job stressors in stressful areas were best predicted by two variables: 'shift worked' and 'level of education'., Conclusions: Providing access to educational programs, not only in clinical areas, but in teamwork, communication, family interactions, and stress management will reduce nurses' job stressors in different clinical areas., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Knowing different stressors in different clinical areas among Jordanian nurses help nurse managers and hospital administrators to adopt strategies that manage job stressors effectively in different clinical areas of work. Examples of these strategies are scheduling, reduce workload, and improve work environment.

Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess perceptions of risk of coronary heart disease among Jordanians and its association with demographic variables and health behaviours., Background: Lack of accurate risk perception may prevent adults from considering the need for early preventive behaviours or seeking early life-saving interventions in the presence of coronary heart disease symptoms., Design: A descriptive study., Methods: Using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, a convenience sample of 300 adults was used., Results: Older Jordanians had higher perception of risk of coronary heart disease (β = 0·237, p < 0·001). Jordanian women (β = -0·121, p < 0·05) perceived coronary heart disease more as unobservable, unknown, new and delayed in manifestation of harm than Jordanian men. Also, adult Jordanians who reported not having family member with coronary heart disease (β = 0·129, p < 0·05) perceived coronary heart disease more as unobservable, unknown, new and delayed in manifestation of harm. Adults with higher level of education indicated higher perception of risk of coronary heart disease. There were no significant associations between perception of risk of coronary heart disease and health behaviours among adult Jordanians., Conclusions: Our data indicate the need for heart disease education programmes for all adults, including programmes targeted for younger adults, women and persons with low levels of education. It is important to emphasise that adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours can influence their risk for developing long-term disease., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Perception of risk of heart disease can greatly influence the decisions taken by adults in regard to their health care. Lack of accurate risk perception may prevent adults from considering the need for early preventive behaviours or seeking early life-saving interventions in the presence of coronary heart disease symptoms., (© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Burnout occurs in occupations, such as nursing, where a significant proportion of time is spent in close involvement with other people. Mental health nursing has been considered an area that is subjected to high levels of burnout. Burnout in mental health nursing affects both individuals and organizations. The purposes of this study were to measure the levels of burnout and identify the correlates of burnout among Jordanian mental health nurses. A descriptive correlational design was used to collect data from mental health nurses using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Social Support Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, and demographic and work-related variables through a self-reported questionnaire. The sample consisted of 181 mental health nurses recruited from all mental health settings in Jordan. Jordanian mental health nurses showed high levels of emotional exhaustion and moderate levels of depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Scores of job satisfaction and social support were slightly higher than the midrange. Significant correlations were found among burnout categories, job satisfaction, social support, and demographic and work-related variables. Predictor variables accounted for 32.7% of emotional exhaustion, 27.7% of depersonalization, and 16.8% of personal accomplishment. Results revealed that a comprehensive interventional approach aimed at minimizing the risk of burnout among mental health nurses is needed. Such an approach should involve interventions at both individual and organizational levels.