Highlights The COVID-19 pandemic had significant mental health impacts on the population of Kuwait. Unemployment, uncertainty, distress, increasing deaths and lockdown measures contribute to the burden. From our experience risk factors include; female, smoker, past psychiatric history, increased social media use. Availability of psychological support and mental health awareness reduces the burden.

Background Mental health problems have an adverse effect on the course of cardiac disease. The integration of their diagnosis and treatment into cardiology care is generally poor. It is particularly challenging in cultural environments where mental health problems are stigmatized. The objective of the current study was to investigate the proportion of cardiac patients with depression and anxiety as well as factors associated with the presence of these symptoms in a Palestinian population. Methods This cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted on patients consecutively admitted with a new or existing cardiac diagnosis to one of the four main hospitals in Nablus, Palestine over an eight-month period. Data was obtained from hospital medical charts and an in-person interview, using a structured questionnaire with a sequence of validated instruments. All subjects were screened for depression and anxiety using the Cardiac Depression Scale (CDS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42). Multivariate ordered logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors among four categories (socio-demographic, clinical, psychosocial, lifestyle) independently associated with depression and anxiety. Results In total, 1053 patients with a confirmed cardiac diagnosis were included in the study with a participation rate of 96%. Based on the CDS and DASS-42, 54% met the criteria for severe depression (CDS > 100) and 19.2% for severe-to-very severe anxiety (DASS-anxiety > 15), respectively. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were more prevalent among females and less educated patients. Factors independently associated with both depressive and anxiety symptoms were post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, low level of self-esteem, high somatic symptoms, low physical and mental health component scores, active smoking, physical inactivity, and longer disease duration. Patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms also reported poor social support and lower resilience. Conclusion There was a high level of depression and anxiety in this sample of cardiac patients. The results point to characteristics of patients in particular need for mental health screening and suggest possible targets for intervention such as strengthening of social support and of physical activity. The integration of mental health services into cardiac rehabilitation in Palestine and comparable cultural settings is warranted from the time of first diagnosis and onward. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6561-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Although the approved COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be safe and effective, multiple beliefs and misconceptions still exist influencing the vaccine uptake rates around the world. The multifaceted complex phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy could jeopardize the efforts to overcome this pandemic. The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and examine the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy in Kuwait. This is a web-based cross-sectional study conducted in Kuwait from March 2021 until April 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our questionnaire examined basic demographic information, attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccines as well as reasons for and against accepting the vaccine. Out of the 2345 responders, the majority are fully convinced to take the vaccine (83%) and the rate of vaccine hesitancy is 17%. Vaccine hesitancy is higher among non-healthcare workers, those previously positive for the COVID-19 virus, and those against vaccines in general. Vaccine hesitancy could jeopardize the efforts to overcome this pandemic; therefore, intensifying nationwide education and dismissal of falsified information is an essential step towards addressing vaccine hesitancy.

Background Surgical residency often poses a challenge to residents, with long working hours and a stressful work environment. Surgical residents are at an increased risk of burnout and depression. Such mental health burdens could go so far as to affect treatment outcomes. Aim To assess the prevalence and risk factors for depression and burnout among residents across surgical specialties in Kuwait. Materials and methods An online questionnaire was sent to the residents enrolled to the surgical residency programs in Kuwait, from the period of January 2020–February 2020. Variables collected included; age, gender, marital status, smoking history, exercise, specialty, year of training, on-call frequency, assessment of burnout (using the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI)) and assessment of depressive symptoms (using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score). Results A total of 85 surgical residents between the age of 20 and 40 years responded. Most (64.7%) were male and 35.3% female. More than half were married (51.8%) and 41.2% were single. The majority of the residents were in general surgery (43.5%), with the least being in otolaryngology (7.1%) and neurosurgery (5.9%). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 55.3%, and 51.8% had a high overall burnout score. Conclusion Addressing burnout at all stages during residency training is paramount in improving standard of care as well as increasing the wellness of residents.

The coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a devastating chapter in history. The consequences of the pandemic unfold daily and they extend beyond physical health. Current research suggests that it is a public mental health crisis. With regards to the physical effects of COVID-19, policy makers have drawn from past experiences, such as the acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2003, to craft unique responses. A similar approach must be taken to address the mental health effects of the pandemic. Because COVID-19 can fit the definitions of a mental health disaster, it can be addressed using the principles of disaster mental health management. This letter to the editor presents arguments for defining COVID-19 as a mental health disaster, the challenges facing policy makers in addressing it as such, and calls upon researchers to fill this gap in the literature.

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