Purpose Few studies have addressed the sleep disturbances of healthcare workers during crisis events of public health. This study aimed to examine the sleep quality of frontline healthcare workers (FLHCW) in Bahrain during the COVID-19 pandemic, and compare it with the sleep quality of non-frontline healthcare workers (NFLHCW). Methods Healthcare workers (n = 280) from multiple facilities belonging to the Ministry of Health, Bahrain, were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire, including socio-demographics, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), was used to evaluate sleep disturbances and stress levels of healthcare workers. Poor sleep quality was defined as PSQI ≥ 5 and moderate-severe stress as PSS ≥ 14. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the scores of FLHCW and NFLHCW. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of poor sleep quality, moderate-severe stress, and the combined problem of poor sleep quality and moderate-severe stress. Results A total of 257 participants (129 FLHCW and 128 NFLHCW) provided usable responses. The overall PSQI and PSS scores were 7.0 ± 3.3 and 20.2 ± 7.1, respectively. The FLHCW scored higher in the PSQI and PSS compared with the NFLHCW; however, the differences in the PSQI and PSS scores were not statistically significant. For the FLHCW, 75% were poor sleepers, 85% had moderate-severe stress, and 61% had both poor sleep quality and moderate-severe stress. For the NFLHCW, 76% were poor sleepers, 84% had moderate-severe stress, and 62% had both poor sleep quality and moderate-severe stress. Female sex and professional background were the predictors of poor sleep quality and stress. Conclusions Poor sleep quality and stress are common during the COVID-19 crisis. Approximately, 60% of both FLHCW and NFLHCW have poor sleep quality combined with moderate-severe stress.

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The children's mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing must be an utmost priority to be endorsed during the times of public health emergency that accompany fierce pandemic challenges, similar to COVID-19. This paper sheds light on the risks that children might face during lockdowns and emphasis on how parents should be a role-model for their children to cope during the time of uncertainties. Based on the synthesis of the literature, a balanced children's physical and mental wellbeing framework is proposed to foster a holistic approach towards mitigating risks and optimizing positive change, supported by parents facilitation. The authors recommend further testing of the proposed framework so that it can be generalised, while taking care of the limitations surrounded its development.

This review aims to summarize the current evidence relating to university students’ psychological wellbeing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A scoping review using PRISMA-ScR guideline (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) was first conducted to determine if the evidence can be systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed. The search was executed via Google Scholar (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA), MEDLINE/PubMed (US National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Science Direct (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Scopus (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA). A total of 90 original articles were selected for the scoping review. Meta-analysis of a total of 46284 cases revealed an overall pooled prevalence rate for anxiety symptoms was 29.1% [95% CI: 20.9, 39.0] (K=9, N=22357), and 23.2% [95% CI: 15.7, 32.9] (K=12, N=23927) for depression symptoms. COVID-19 had a significant impact on university students' psychological wellbeing. Keywords: Adolescents; Psychological distress; Mental health; Pandemic; nCov; SARS-COV-2

Purpose Medical tourism offers many opportunities to diversify Bahrain’s economy and foster economic development and prosperity. This study aims to holistically investigate the potential of developing Bahrain as a medical tourism destination and create a strategic roadmap to help government decision makers and other key private sector players to realize that potential. Design/methodology/approach This study is primarily based on quantitative research methods. Data were collected from medical service providers in the Kingdom of Bahrain using a questionnaire and subsequently analyzed using quantitative analysis techniques. Findings Overall findings indicate that Bahrain has the potential to attain competitiveness in the medical tourism sector. This can be achieved through a combination of industry-specific management strategies which facilitate effective public–private partnerships, reinvent healthcare legislation and encourage investment in medical tourism infrastructure. Practical implications This study will help determine best practice, prioritize improvement opportunities and enhance performance relative to stakeholders’ expectations and responsible tourism development. Originality/value Studies assessing medical tourism competitiveness of various countries are difficult to obtain. This study fills an existing gap by providing a distinct and comprehensive evaluation method of such competitiveness through a structured analysis of relevant market data in Bahrain. This study can be further extended to include a wider range of stakeholders, namely, private enterprise and the government sector.