Delusion of pregnancy is an uncommon symptom that has been reported in both male and female patients who suffer from a variety of organic and functional psychiatric disorders. This study describes seven Saudi females who developed this symptom during the course of chronic schizophrenia ( n= 5) and mood disorders ( n= 2). This symptom serves multiple socio-cultural functions, which are described.

This controlled study aims to identify the socioclinical factors predisposing psychiatric patients to abuse trihexyphenidyl (artane) and to document the extrapyramidal symptoms in artane abusers and users. Thirty patients (n=30), with mainly two major functional psychoses and who were abusing trihexyphenidyl, were compared with 90 artane user patients (n=90), who were matched for both the diagnosis and treatment. Besides a detailed clinical interview, each patient was assessed by using DSM-IIIR criteria, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Simpson and Angus Scale, and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. The analysis of data showed that, compared with users, trihexyphenidyl abusers were significantly characterized by being unmarried, unemployed, smokers and having past and concurrent history of multiple drug abuse, and genetic loading of mental disorders. Both groups of patients were prescribed antipsychotic drugs and trihexyphenidyl on a longer basis. Besides other socioclinical parameters, premorbid personalities, stressful life events and extrapyramidals, including tardive dyskinesias, we did not differentiate between the two groups. Artane abusers, when compared with users, were significantly characterized by less negative psychopathology. However, other psychopathological domains, in particular, the positive symptoms and depression, did not differentiate between abusers and users. In conclusion, patients having these socioclinical profiles tend to develop trihexyphenidyl abuse. The mental health professionals should not prescribe trihexyphenidyl indiscriminately or for a long time to such patients, who indeed require long-term antipsychotic maintenance medications.

the extensive examination of family health files coupled with door-to-door survey identified 1736 patients with CMs. The results showed that the prevalence of CMs was 6.9/1000 population. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1. The patient's age, sibling order, co-morbid disorders of CMs, parental age, chronic maternal diseases, and the family history of CMs were significantly associated with groups of arbitrarily classified CMs. The most frequently encountered CMs were of central nervous system (39.2%) followed by cardiovascular (22.3%), alimentary (13.1%), musculoskeletal (6.85%), urogenital (6.16%), communicative and audiovisual (5.5%), and miscellaneous (6.9%). Further one-way ANOVA found significant differences among CM categories and age of patients and parents. Unlike Western trends, our study tentatively concludes that overall the inheritance rather than socioenvironmental factors contributes significantly in the etiology of different congenital malformations. We further suggest that the basic information of this research might be useful foundation data in future analytic studies on congenital malformations. Ann Saudi Med 1995;15 (1) Major congenital malformations are. the leading cause not only of perinatal deaths 1,2 but also of infant mortality and morbidity.3,4 They have multifactorial origin and about 40% of cases have idiopathic etiology. The major, minor, and variant features of CMs 5 occur during the process of organogenesis. During the last two decades there have been several anecdotal case reports and reports of case series of different congenital malformations. Additionally, the large hospital-based studies carried out among neonates have explored the patterns of CMs and also made references to the CMs as the prime contributors to perinatal deaths.1,2,6,7 Furthermore, some studies have explored the individual specific body system's CMs. [8][9][10][11] The former studies have, however, some limitations as a majority of these are hospital-based, do not reflect the prevalence of CMs in the general population, are carried out in neonates only, and moreover do not provide data regarding other age groups surviving with congenital malformations. Notably, as a result of multiple favorable factors, the perinatal and infant mortality and morbidity rates attributable to major congenital malformations have considerably decreased in the developing world, though not as sharply as in developed countries. Consequently, it is expected that survival rates of neonates born with CMs would increase in underdeveloped nations, hence posing a major chronic sociomedical health problem. To our knowledge, there is no study which has explored the epidemiological parameters of CMs among different age strata in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we piloted this study with the goals of finding out the prevalence, possible etiological correlates, and the patterns of congenital malformations in a population less than 20 years of age in the Al-Qassim Region. Material and MethodsThe Al-Qassim Region is geographically located in the center of...

Background:Health education is the cornerstone of primary health care. Health education materials distributed to the community should, therefore, be suitable and effective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health education brochures, designed and disseminated by Ministry of Health institutions in the Qassim province.Materials and Methods:The study was a cross-sectional review of health education brochures. We used a structured evaluation form, comprising general information on the brochures and a modified Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) score sheet. The SAM consisting of 22 criteria in six groups, includes content, literacy demands, graphics, layout/typography, learning stimulation/motivation, and cultural appropriateness. SAM criteria categorize written material into “superior,” “adequate” and “not suitable.” Two qualified consultant family physicians evaluated the brochures. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 3.4 statistical package.Results:We evaluated 110 brochures, the majority of which addressed chronic health conditions such as mental health, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Seventy-four (67.3%) brochures were evaluated as “adequate,” 34 (30.9%) as “not suitable” and 2 (1.8%) as “superior.” “Cultural appropriateness” was the highest scoring factor, with 92 (83.6%) brochures falling into either the “superior” or “adequate” category. With regard to “content,” 88 (80.0%) brochures fell into either the “superior” or “adequate” category. This was the second highest scoring factor. Graphics was the factor that scored the least. Seventy-five (68.2%) brochures were rated in this factor as “not suitable.”Conclusions:Although two-thirds of our brochures were considered “adequate,” the majority needed improvement to their graphics and learning stimulation factors. We recommend that guidelines for designing health education brochures should be formulated to improve the quality of health education brochures.