Objectives: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of physicians of different specialties, including psychiatrists, regarding forensic psychiatry to determine whether further modification or training is needed in the psychiatry residency program. Methods:This cross-sectional study was carried out using a 3-page, 3-section questionnaire containing 21 questions disseminated randomly online via Google forms using social media platforms. The 482 participants were residents, specialists, and consultants of various specialties. The study was conducted between September 2020 and August 2021 in various tertiary hospitals across Saudi Arabia.Results: A total of 482 physicians were recruited. The most common age group was 25-35 years, comprising mostly Saudis (62.4%). Based on the results, "poor" and "good" knowledge of forensic psychiatry was identified in 89% and 11% of the Original Article physicians, while "negative" and "positive" attitudes were identified in 16.4% and 83.6% of the physicians. Conclusion:Although the perspective of physicians regarding forensic psychiatry was found to be positive, their knowledge of the topic seems to be lacking.
Background: Self-medication is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the selection and use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms [4]. Use of traditional eye medicines or ophthalmic medicines without the supervision of an ophthalmologist may have adverse effects on the patient’s visual outcome. It is well known that this attitude and practice carries pharmacological and toxicological risks, such as a delayed diagnosis or inappropriate treatment, causing side-effects, intoxication or harmful drug interactions, which can aggravate the individual’s condition and eventually negatively impact the patient’s visual prognosis [5]. Materials and methods: The study was a cross-sectional study. All data was collected using an online self-designed questionnaire that contained demographic data, such as the patient’s age, gender and level of education. There were also questions regarding the knowledge, attitude and practice of using over-the-counter (OTC) eye medication and TEM use among the Saudi population living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Result: The study sample included 894 respondents. Results showed that in the past 12 months, only 6.82% of respondents used eye medications without visiting an ophthalmologist. The most common self-prescribed medications were anti-allergic and antibiotics. The results revealed that 148 respondents had previously used TEMs (16.4%). The majority of respondents (86.6%) preferred medications over TEM to treat eye diseases. Key words: self-medication, traditional eye medication, Saudi Arabia, ophthalmology, eye
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