This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the psychological status of oral health care workers (OHCWs) and the willingness to treat a patient during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was carried out on oral health care workers at ten different dental hospitals in Pakistan from March to July 2020. Information on the socio-demographic status, and willingness to report for duty and treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was assessed using the Urdu version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and Impact of Events Scale. Simple and multiple linear regression tests were used for analysis. A total of 392 OHCWs participated in this study and 25% of them had moderate to severe anxiety levels and only 14% had post-traumatic stress disorder. About 26% of the OHCWs were willing to work and treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and they had lower anxiety and stress scores. Greater anxiety and stress were associated with participants who were older, female, single, married, living with family and friends. The adjusted coefficients of GAD and IES scores were greater in participants who were not willing and unsure to work compared to their colleagues who were willing. The OHCWs are anxious and stressed because of the COVID-19 outbreak and that affects the perception of whether they should work and treat patients during the pandemic.

The current research aimed to find out the effects of skill development training on mental well-being and mental health among women of Kalohi, Tharparkar. This particular area was selected because the people were deprived of basic necessities of their lives such as employment and shelter. 120 females belonging to the age range 14 to 25 years were recruited for the purpose of data collection through purposive sampling. The study was quantitative in nature. The participants were assessed through objective tests for mental health and well-being along with a qualitative interview for skill training assessment. Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (Tennant et al., 2007) and Mental Health Screening Form-III (Carroll & McGinley, 2001) were used to assess well-being and mental health respectively. The Sindhi version of the scales was used for the convenience of the participants. Participants were divided into control (non-targeted) and experimental (targeted) groups through fishbowl technique. Pre-testing and post-testing on both groups were conducted to check the authenticity and effectiveness of the training. The results revealed that skill development training proved to be effective as mental health and well-being were significantly increased in the targeted group as shown in the post-testing. This study pointed out the necessity of self-helping tactics which aid individuals to fulfil their daily requirements and earn a livelihood.

The globe on which we live faces a lot of complex challenges. The world of the 21st century needs some particular skills based on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in order to solve complex global challenges. This research aimed to assess teachers’ perspectives on the benefits and role of STEM education in the solution of complex global challenges. This research was descriptive. All the government secondary school teachers of Faisalabad Division of Pakistan were the population, and a sample of 100 teachers was selected from them through a convenience sampling method. A Likert-based, closed-ended questionnaire with 13 statements was developed for data collection. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by obtaining the experts’ opinions, and reliability was ensured through pilot testing. The data were collected by the researchers, and the same were analyzed in SPSS, where descriptive as well as inferential statistics were applied. Results revealed that the majority of the government secondary school teachers had a higher level of agreement with the benefits of STEM education, such as that it increases the critical thinking skills of the students, develops innovation and curiosity in students, improves cognitive skills, develops problem solving skills, and makes them responsible citizens. Results found that teachers also had a higher level of agreement towards the role of STEM education in the solution of global complex challenges, such as developing students’ understanding of real world problems, applying STEM knowledge to tackle global challenges, enabling students to eliminate pollution around the planet, equipping students to discover sources of renewable energy and water, enabling students to propose novel agricultural and food production techniques, enabling students to deal with social and medical problems at the national and international level, and preparing students to find solutions to problems on a global scale. The study recommends that a STEM educational approach be implemented from primary classes to higher education in order to equip students with STEM skills to tackle the complex global challenges.

This research reflects the special role of VET on the different levels of Anxiety Depression and Stress. The population selected for the study was women living in the village of Mureed Khan. By using the purposive sampling technique 120 women were selected from the population. The sample was divided into two groups i.e., targeted, and non-targeted groups. Women with age 14 to 25 years old were selected to become part of the study. SPSS-22 software was used for testing of hypothesis. Pre-test and post-test differences in study variables show that VET is an effective intervention and caused significant changes in the participants.