Background/Objective This study examined the role of different psychological coping mechanisms in mental and physical health during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis with an emphasis on meaning-centered coping. Method A total of 11,227 people from 30 countries across all continents participated in the study and completed measures of psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety), loneliness, well-being, and physical health, together with measures of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, and a measure called the Meaning-centered Coping Scale (MCCS) that was developed in the present study. Validation analyses of the MCCS were performed in all countries, and data were assessed by multilevel modeling (MLM). Results The MCCS showed a robust one-factor structure in 30 countries with good test-retest, concurrent and divergent validity results. MLM analyses showed mixed results regarding emotion and problem-focused coping strategies. However, the MCCS was the strongest positive predictor of physical and mental health among all coping strategies, independently of demographic characteristics and country-level variables. Conclusions The findings suggest that the MCCS is a valid measure to assess meaning-centered coping. The results also call for policies promoting effective coping to mitigate collective suffering during the pandemic.

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Background: Emotional and behavioral problems have been noted in a considerable number of patients after open-heart surgery. However, great discrepancy exists in the literature regarding the frequency and the course of psychiatric symptoms, cognitive performance, and quality of life among those patients. This prospective study was designed to assess the pre-and postoperative psychiatric profile, as well as the quality of life of patients undergoing open-heart surgery. Methods: One hundred patients who were prepared for cardiac surgery and met our selection criteria were recruited in this study. Each patient was subjected to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination with selective subtests of Wechsler Adult intelligence scale, and the Short Form 36 questionnaire to assess psychiatric symptoms, cognitive performance, and quality of life respectively. Assessment was done for each of the evaluated items before surgery as well as at 1 week and 6 months postoperatively. Results: The anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly lower at 6 months postoperatively than preoperatively. The cognitive performance declined after 1 week, then improved significantly at the 6-month follow-up. The quality of life scale was significantly lower preoperatively than after surgery. Conclusions: Anxiety and depressive symptoms, which occurred in substantial percentage of patients undergoing open-heart surgery, were gradually improved with time. Cognitive functions showed early deterioration with significant improvement at 6 months. Psychiatric problems had an adverse impact on patients' quality of life which raised the importance of psychiatric consultation before and after cardiac surgeries to shorten recovery time.

BackgroundThe sensori-motor manifestations of Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) are usually severe enough to mask the psychiatric and sleep problems which are in need for more attention for better functional outcome.MethodsThis study was performed on 20 GBS patients and 10 healthy controls. Patients were evaluated initially before immunotherapy using the Overall Disability Sum Score (ODSS), Neuropathy Pain Scale (NPS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS), Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and one-night polysomnography (PSG) followed by the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) to evaluate the mean sleep latencies. Reevaluation was done using the same parameters 1 month after completing immunotherapy.ResultsThe study showed significant increase in HAS in GBS patients which were positively correlated with the degree of motor disability. The mean sleep latencies of MSLT were significantly shortened and PSG showed shortening of the total sleep time, sleep efficiency, lowest O2 saturation and pulse transit time with increased wake after sleep onset, sleep stage transition index, apnea hypopnea index, desaturation index, arousal index, snore index and periodic limb movement index. One month after immunotherapy, the anxiety symptoms and sleep abnormalities showed non-significant improvements which were not correlated with the improvements in the sensori-motor manifestations.ConclusionsGBS patients usually have sleep and psychiatric abnormalities which may take longer time to improve than the sensori-motor manifestations. So, they need more attention in the management protocol for early patients’ independence and return to usual daily activities.

Background: Migraine is a primary headache that commonly starts in childhood and adolescent's periods with great negative impacts on the educational and psychosocial performances of its sufferers. The objectives of this work were to study the existence and types of sleep and psychiatric abnormalities in school-age children with migraine (SCM). Methods: The study was conducted on 40 SCM and 20 age-and sex-matched healthy control subjects (HCS) submitted to history taking, neurological examination, Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (PedMIDAS) questionnaire, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and one-night polysomnography (PSG). Results: The study showed a high incidence of psychiatric and sleep abnormalities in SCM. The most common psychiatric disorders were anxious depressed symptoms, withdrawal depressed symptoms, social problem, somatic complaints, and attention problems. At the same time, SCM experienced decreased sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and PSG abnormalities in the form of decreased total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE) in addition to increased sleep latency, wake after sleep onset (WASO), arousal index (AI), and REM sleep without atonia index. Conclusion: Sleep and psychiatric abnormalities are common underdiagnosed pediatric migraine comorbidities greatly reducing headache control and school performance in this very important period of psychosocial development.

Objectives Assessment of serum levels of IL-23 in PsA patients and its correlation with depression, anxiety, and disease activity. Methods Eighty psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients and eighty healthy volunteers matched for age and gender were included in this observational case–control study. All participants suspected to detailed history, clinical assessment, PsA activity using Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) score, the severity and extent of psoriasis was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), and ultrasonographic assessments of the entheses were examined according to the Madrid Sonographic Enthesitis Index (MASEI). Depression and anxiety were assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Serum IL-23 was measured and correlated with disease activity, depression, and anxiety. Results There was no significant difference between patients and controls regarding demographic data. Thirty-six PsA patients (45%) had anxiety and 28 patients (35%) had depression, while in the control group, 16 persons (20%) had anxiety and 12 (15%) had depression, with significant differences between the 2 groups (p < 0.0001). There were significant differences in HADS anxiety and depression scores between patients and controls with significant positive correlations between HADS depression, anxiety scores and IL-23, DAPSA, PASI, and MASEI scores (p < 0.05). IL-23 was positively correlated with DAPSA, PASI, and HADS scores; we observed that interleukin 23, higher DAPSA, and PASI were independently associated with depression and anxiety. Conclusion Serum interleukin-23 levels were elevated in PsA patients and were found to be correlated with depression, anxiety, and disease activity. Key Points• Psoriatic arthritis is a multidimensional disorder with psychiatric drawbacks.• Interleukin-23 is a proinflammatory cytokines that was correlated with depression and anxiety in PsA patients.• Interleukin-23 was correlated with disease activity in PsA.• Depression and anxiety were positively correlated with disease activity in PsA.

BackgroundEpidemiological studies, describing both community and clinical samples of youth in need for psychiatric help, are rare in the middle east. To our knowledge, this is the first study that aims to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of a sample of children suffering from emotional and behavioral problems seeking psychiatric services in the Nile Delta region and the largest clinical sample to date in Egypt.MethodsThe files of all new cases who presented for care in the outpatient service for children and adolescents between August 2016 and July 2018 were reviewed. Ninety-six files were excluded due to missing data while another 18 files were found to be for adults (ages > 18 years old), so the sample included 886 cases.ResultsThe ages of our sample (n = 886) ranged from 18 months to 18 years with an average of 7.5 (± 3.8) years. Most of our cases were male, school aged children, living within low-income households and predominantly coming from rural areas. The most common diagnoses were attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (22.6%), intellectual disability (ID) (13.7%), depressive disorders (13.3%), and disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) (12.3%). Strong protective effects were found for family integrity and stability. Corporal punishment and physical and sexual abuse were noted to be significant risk factors for internalizing and externalizing disorders in children and adolescents.ConclusionsExcept for males being a majority in our sample of children seeking psychiatric consultation, demographic patterns and prevalence of psychiatric disorders are comparable to other tertiary clinical samples in other parts of the world.

Background Suicidal poisoning is a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic that has several physical and mental hazards. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of suicidal poisoned patients admitted to a tertiary poison control center during the pandemic lockdown and assess COVID-related knowledge and attitude among those patients to identify the high-risk group for suicide. This cross-sectional study was conducted on acutely poisoned patients admitted to Tanta University Poison Control Center from June to December 2020. Upon admission, socio-demographic data, causative poisoning agents, COVID-related knowledge and attitude, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) were collected from all participants. Results A total of 254 poisoned patients were categorized into suicidal (85.04%) and accidental (14.96%) poisoning groups. The former was caused mainly by phosphides and was significantly associated with a history of using psychotropic medications and high HAM-A and HAM-D results. Logistic regression analysis showed that a history of psychiatric illness, low attitude scores, and high HAM-D scores were significant risk factors for suicidal poisoning. Conclusions Considerable number of suicidal poisoned patients had moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, highlighting the importance of providing specialized psychiatric services in poisoning centers, particularly among vulnerable populations, to prevent the overwhelming repeated suicidal attempts.