Background: The primary aim of this study was to quantify the degree of non-adherence to medications among patients with mental health disorders attending a psychiatry clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Muscat, Oman.Methods: All patients attending the psychiatry clinic during the study period were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Demographic data and factors related to medication adherence were gathered from the participants. The level of adherence to medication was measured using the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS).Results: A total of 251 patients were included in this study. The average MARS score was 5.7, indicating an overall poor level of compliance. Having an educational level of secondary school, a diagnosis of schizophrenia, having had a mental health condition for a longer time, previous history of admission to a psychiatry unit, lack of insight and poor therapeutic alliance were found to be significantly association with low level of adherence to psychiatric medications.Conclusions: Non-adherence to medications is common among patients with mental health disorders. In order to mitigate the impact of medication non-adherence in a psychiatric setting, appropriate interventions are recommended to address and manage the factors related to poor medication adherence.

Objectives:Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children and comorbid depression is common. This study aimed to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms along with demographic and clinical factors in children diagnosed with epilepsy in a tertiary care institution in Oman. Methods:This cross-sectionalstudy was conducted between June 2016 and August 2018 and constituted children (n=75) with age group from 6 to 12 years old, attending the epilepsy clinic at a tertiary care center during the study period. The cohort constituted of children with epilepsy (CWE) following up at a dedicated unit. The instrument, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children (CESDC),was utilized to assess the presence of depressive symptoms. Associated factors including history of seizure in the last three months, compliance with antiepileptic medications,and type of epilepsy were also examined. Results:Depressive symptoms were endorsed in 52%of CWE and 96% of them were compliant to medications. The recurrent seizure was present in the last three months among 48% of the CWE. The type of epilepsy was significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms. Conclusions:The present study found that depression is prevalent among Omani CWE. Certain clinical factors appeared to increase the risk of depression among this population. The findings of this study fill a gap in the existing literature and call for further work aiming to explore possible tailored recognition and CWE.