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Background Egypt is a country of nearly 100 million citizens, and there are less than 1000 registered psychiatrists. The mental health care system is under resourced and nearly inaccessible for the majority of the population. In addition, youth under the age of 25 years represent 50% of Egyptian citizens; however, there are no specific services addressing their unique needs. How can the needs of the largest population in the Middle East be effectively addressed? Is a web-based framework an option for Egyptian psychiatrists to serve the population? Objective The aims of this study were to better understand the opinions of psychiatrists on the current state of mental health care services in Egypt and their current knowledge on electronic mental health (EMH); assess the attitudes of Egyptian psychiatrists toward web-based interventions and telemedicine for mental health; and identify perceived advantages and barriers of EMH development in Egypt. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted online among 640 Egyptian psychiatrists. It included a total of 36 items within a set of 16 questions asking about EMH literacy, integrating EMH into the mental health care system, and the perceived priorities and barriers of EMH. The sampling was supported by Tanta University, a large academic institution close to Cairo. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25 (IBM Corp). Descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the independent sample t test, and analysis of variance were applied. Results A total of 188 participants responded (response rate of 29.4%), of which 54.2% (102/188) were female and 54.3% (102/188) were between 30 and 45 years old. Less than half of the participants thought that the current health care system was efficient for adults (69/155, 44.4%), and even less thought it was efficient for youth (44/155, 28.3%). Almost all participants agreed that EMH would be beneficial for patient care (147/155, 94.8%) and that integrating EMH into the current health care system would be a good idea (118/155, 76.2%). The highest rated utility of web-based solutions was documentation, followed by psychoeducation and communication with professionals. The main advantages were to improve access to care in rural areas of the country and its convenience. Conclusions There is scarcity of mental health resources in Egypt. Egyptian psychiatrists are interested in EMH and believe web-based platforms can become part of the solution for the Egyptian mental health care system.

IntroductionPregnancy and the postpartum are times of increased risk for women with bipolar disorder to develop new episodes.ObjectiveTo evaluate factors that are supposed to be associated with recurrence of bipolar I disorder among euthymic women with a history of bipolar I disorder, which could be used as a predictors of bipolar I disorder in that period.MethodEighty-three pregnant women with history of bipolar I disorder were followed through pregnancy and post-partum periods for possible recurrence of a new episode. All women were assessed using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Factors that may contribute to recurrence were assessed prospectively; these included age of patients, age of onset of bipolar disorder, duration of illness, number of previous attacks, number of previous pregnancies, prior episodes in pregnancy or postpartum, complications during pregnancy and labor, pregnancy type, prior hospitalization, prior suicidal attempts, time since last episode in months, and continuation of medications.ResultsSixty five % of euthymic bipolar females had recurrence of a new episode, either during pregnancy (33.73%) or 4 weeks postpartum (31.32%). Discontinuation of medications, longer duration of illness, more number of previous attacks, more number of previous pregnancies, more prior episodes in pregnancy, more complication during pregnancy, more complication during labor, unplanned pregnancy type, prior hospitalization, were associated with recurrence of bipolar disorder during pregnancy and postpartum.ConclusionsMultiple factors were associated with risk of recurrence of bipolar I disorder during pregnancy and postpartum, which should be while planning treatment for such women.

Aim Approximately half of the population in Egypt is under the age of 25. Globally, mental illness represents the highest burden of disease in this age group. Yet in Egypt, there is still no youth‐specific mental health system in place and the vast majority of young people do not have access to any professional mental health support. The objective of this study was to describe the mental health needs of Egyptian youth and the resources they use when seeking help. Methods An online cross‐sectional survey was distributed among medical students at Tanta University in Egypt. Of the 707 individuals who completed the survey (90.9% response rate), 60.5% were female, 62.0% lived in urban and suburban areas, and the mean age of the sample was 20.5 (±1.8) years old. Results More than half (54%) of the students reported that they had been affected by mental health problems at some point in their lives. Anxiety and depression were the most common problems. Regarding help‐seeking behaviours, participants mainly searched the web or spoke to peers and relatives; few reported approaching medical professionals. The majority of participants (59.7%) reported being disappointed with the current mental health care system in Egypt. Conclusions There is a high prevalence of mental challenges among Egyptian youth and the health care system is not adequately prepared to respond to their needs. E‐Mental Health and online interventions seem to be a promising solution that could increase access to mental health services for Egyptian youth.

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