No abstract

Background: Dementia is one of the world’s greatest public health issues. Most people with dementia receive home care, and family members are vulnerable to feeling burdened and depressed that reinforces the need for caregiver-driven services to mitigate these negative effects. Objective: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of the psychoeducational program on burden and quality of life of family caregivers for people with dementia. Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted on 60 family caregivers. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the 8-session psychoeducational program (study group) or routine care only (control group). The demographic data of the caregivers and their patients, the burden of caregivers using Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and the quality of life of the patients using Quality of Life in Alzheimer Disease (QoL-AD) questionnaire were measured before and after the psychoeducational program and compared between the study group and the control group. Results: The results revealed that 80% of the family caregivers were female and 42% were daughters. The mean ± SD of the baseline burden was 61 ± 13.7 and 60.9 ± 10 in the study and the control group, respectively. ZBI burden score in the study group demonstrated a significant drop after the psychoeducational program compared to the control group. Logistic regression analysis showed that caregivers who received the psychoeducational program have OR (95% CI) of 14 (3.1-67.8) compared to those who did not receive the psychoeducational program. Conclusions: Psychoeducational program is effective in reducing the family caregivers’ perceived burden. These findings need to be considered in developing comprehensive dementia care programs to well increase the strategies that help caregivers to deal with their patients.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a significant impact on children, adolescents, and their families. So, the purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of children’s psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic and their association of COVID-19 infection in children and their risk factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 148 children aged 6–12 years old categorized into 2 groups based on COVID-19 infection history. Participants were assessed by the Socioeconomic Scale and the Checklist for Children’s Behavior (CBCL). Results Children who had COVID-19 had a high percentage of problems regarding family, school, social, financial, and parent problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding CBCL, children who had COVID-19 infection had a higher percentage of clinical rating than the other group regarding withdrawal (11.1% vs. 8.9%), anxious/depressed (33.3% vs. 25%), somatic (11.1% vs. 10.7%), internalizing (61.1% vs. 48.2%), externalizing (38.9% vs. 35.7%), and total problems (50% vs. 44.6%). Family history of psychiatric disorder and the presence of three or more offspring were at high risk for internalizing problems, while those with school problems during pandemic were more vulnerable for internalizing and total problems. Conclusion Children with COVID-19 infection had a higher risk of developing psychological problems, such as withdrawal, anxiety/depression, somatic, internalizing, externalizing, and total problems.

No abstract

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder that affects women during their reproductive age. Previous studies have suggested that PCOS may be linked to some mental disorders. Aim: The study aimed to estimate the perceived stress among adolescents with PCOS and investigate the relationship between PCOS symptoms and perceived stress scale (PSS) in adolescents. Methods: This was a case control study with 72 participants (between 11 and 19 years); 36 adolescents with PCOS and 36 matched controls were recruited from family medicine and gynecological outpatient clinics at Cairo University hospitals. They participated in a structured interview using a pre-designed questionnaire. Full general examination was conducted, including anthropometric measures, acne staging, and hirsutism staging using the Ferriman-Gallwey score. We assessed the severity of stress over the previous month of interview using the 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS-10). Results: There was a statistically significant difference in PSS scores among adolescents with and without PCOS; most cases with severe PSS scores were found to have PCOS. The mean score of PSS was higher in PCOS adolescents (20.416) than in the non-PCOS control group (18.8), but with no statistical significance. There was no significant correlation between the severity of PSS in PCOS adolescents and BMI, WC, acne or hirsutism severity; there was only weak positive correlation between PSS score and DBP (r=0.167). Conclusion: PCOS adolescents have higher incidence of severe perceived stress; however, degree of PSS was independent of BMI, WC, acne or hirsutism severity and shows only weak correlations with DBP. Our results urge the need for implementing a holistic approach that should include stress reduction programs to help adolescents get ready for their adult life.