Suicidal Ideation Among Medical Students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Abstract. Background: Medical students are at high risk of suicidal ideation. Aim: We aimed to obtain information on suicidal ideation among medical students in Dammam located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine affiliated with Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Suicidal ideation in the past 12 months was assessed based on responses to four questions in the depression subscale of the General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ-28). In addition, data were collected to examine the association of suicidal ideation with various factors. Results: We found that 1 in 3 medical students in the study had suicidal ideation in the past 12 months, while around 40% had lifetime suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation was associated with feelings of parental neglect, history of physical abuse, and dissatisfaction with academic performance. Limitations: The cross-sectional nature of this study limits its ability to determine causality regarding suicidal ideation. Conclusion: These rates are considerably high when compared with rates from studies in other countries around the world. This study provides a reference in the field of suicidology for this region of Saudi Arabia.

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The Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Neck, Shoulder, and Low-Back Pains among Medical Students at University Hospitals in Central Saudi Arabia

Pain Research and Treatment ◽

10.1155/2017/1235706 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Abdulrahman D. Algarni ◽

Yazeed Al-Saran ◽

Ahlam Al-Moawi ◽

Abdullah Bin Dous ◽

Abdulaziz Al-Ahaideb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Low Back ◽

Body Site ◽

University Hospitals ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽

Factors Associated ◽

The Past ◽

History Of

Aim. The study aim was to determine the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and low-back pains and to explore the factors associated with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among medical students at university hospitals in central Saudi Arabia. Method. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a government institution using an online self-administered, modified version of the Standardised Nordic Questionnaire in the English language. Results. A total of 469 students responded to our survey. The prevalence of MSP in at least one body site at any time, in the past week, and in the past year was 85.3%, 54.4%, and 81.9%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with MSP in at least one body site at any time were being in the clinical year (P=0.032), history of trauma (P = 0.036), history of depressive symptoms (P<0.001), and history of psychosomatic symptoms (P<0.001). On multivariable regression analysis, factors associated with MSP were history of trauma (P=0.016) and depressive (P=0.002) or psychosomatic symptoms (P=0.004). Conclusion. MSP among Saudi medical students is high, particularly among those in the clinical years and those with history of trauma and with depressive or psychosomatic symptoms. Medical institutions should be aware of this serious health issue and preventive measures are warranted.

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A cross-sectional study on the risk factors for Inflammatory Bowel Disease among medical students and interns in Saudi Arabia.

International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries ◽

10.24911/ijmdc.51-1554227998 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 710-715

Author(s):

Talal Alzahrani ◽

Abdullah Aljuaid ◽

Tariq Alharthi ◽

Alwaleed Aljabir ◽

Khaled Alqurashi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Bowel Disease ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Inflammatory Bowel

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Healthcare Workers’ Perspectives on the Upcoming COVID-19 Vaccine in Terms of Their Exposure to the Influenza Vaccine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9050465 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 465

Author(s):

Leena R. Baghdadi ◽

Shatha G. Alghaihb ◽

Alanoud A. Abuhaimed ◽

Dania M. Alkelabi ◽

Rawan S. Alqahtani

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Influenza Vaccine ◽

Work Experience ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Seasonal Influenza ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Seasonal Influenza Vaccine ◽

History Of

In 2019, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)) caused a global pandemic. There was an urgent need to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 to reduce its spread and economic burden. The main objective of this study was to understand the attitudes and concerns of healthcare workers (HCWs) towards the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine, whether their decision was influenced by their history of taking the seasonal influenza vaccine, and factors that influence the acceptance of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We selected and surveyed 356 HCWs via an electronic self-administered questionnaire. A total of 61.16% of HCWs were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and 55.9% of them had received the seasonal influenza vaccine in the preceding year (2019–2020). The strongest predictors for taking the COVID-19 vaccine were the HCWs’ belief that the COVID-19 vaccine would be safe, needed even for healthy people, that all HCWs should be vaccinated against COVID-19, and that HCWs will have time to take the vaccine. Being female, being middle aged, having <5 years of work experience, having no fear of injections, and being a non-smoker were predictive factors for taking the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine. No associations were found between the intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine and a history of taking the seasonal influenza vaccine.

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Use of electronic cigarettes and secondhand exposure to their aerosols are associated with asthma symptoms among adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Respiratory Research ◽

10.1186/s12931-020-01569-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Abdullah Alnajem ◽

Abdullah Redha ◽

Dalal Alroumi ◽

Ahmed Alshammasi ◽

Mohamad Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cigarette Smoking ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cigarette Use ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Uncontrolled Asthma ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Current Asthma ◽

The Past ◽

Asthma Symptoms ◽

History Of

Abstract Background Globally, a surge in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has been observed in recent years, with youth being the most susceptible group. Given their recent emergence, studies assessing the health consequences of using e-cigarettes and exposure to their secondhand aerosols (SHA) are limited. Hence, this study sought to assess associations between e-cigarette use and household exposure to SHA from e-cigarettes with asthma symptoms among adolescents. Methods A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling high school students (n = 1565; aged 16–19 years) in Kuwait. Participants self-completed a questionnaire on tobacco products use (e-cigarettes and cigarettes) and asthma symptoms. Current e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking were defined as any use in the past 30 days. Household exposure to SHA from e-cigarettes in the past 7 days was reported as none (0 days), infrequent (1–2 days), and frequent (≥ 3 days). Asthma symptoms included current (past 12 months) wheeze, current asthma (history of clinical diagnosis and current wheeze and/or medication use), and current symptoms of uncontrolled asthma (≥ 4 attacks of wheeze, ≥ 1 night per week sleep disturbance from wheeze, and/or wheeze affecting speech). Associations were assessed using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation, and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Results Among the analytical study sample (n = 1345), current e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking was reported by 369 (27.4%) and 358 (26.6%) participants, respectively. Compared to never e-cigarette users and never cigarette smokers, current e-cigarette users with no history of cigarette smoking had increased prevalence of current wheeze (aPR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.01–2.45) and current asthma (aPR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.03–3.41). Moreover, the frequency of exposure to household SHA from e-cigarettes was associated with asthma symptoms. For example, compared to those with no exposure to household SHA, frequent exposure to household SHA was associated with current wheeze (aPR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.04–1.59), current asthma (aPR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.13–2.16), and current uncontrolled asthma symptoms (aPR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.35–2.62). Conclusions E-cigarette use and their household SHA exposure were independently associated with asthma symptoms among adolescents. Hence, such observations indicate that e-cigarette use and passive exposure to their aerosols negatively impact respiratory health among adolescents.

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Suicidal ideation among students enrolled in healthcare training programs: a cross-sectional study

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1590/s1516-44462009005000006 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 338-344 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Clóvis Alexandrino-Silva ◽

Maira Lazarini Guimarães Pereira ◽

Carlos Bustamante ◽

André Corrêa de Toledo Ferraz ◽

Sergio Baldassin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Training Programs ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Psychiatric Symptomatology ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Response ◽

Healthcare Training

Objective: We aimed to assess the presence of suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms and symptoms of hopelessness in three healthcare training programs. Method: The study's population comprised all students enrolled at the Medical School of the Fundação do ABC, Brazil, from 2006 to 2007 compared to students enrolled in nursing and pharmacy programs. We applied the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Hopeless Scale to assess psychiatric symptomatology. The general response rates of the medical, nursing, and pharmacy students were 56%, 56% and 61%, respectively. Results: There was no difference regarding the presence of suicidal ideation among medical, nursing and pharmacy students. There was also no difference regarding the presence of either depression or hopelessness in medical students in comparison to nursing and pharmacy students. In comparison to nursing and pharmacy students, significantly higher severity rates in terms of hopelessness were observed only among medical students. Conclusion: Although we did not observe significant differences regarding suicidal ideation and depression among the three healthcare programs, our findings suggest that the presence of suicidal ideation is indeed a source of concern. Early identification of these symptoms is crucial in order to offer appropriate support and treatment and prevent deaths by suicide.

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Behavior of Medical Students toward Over-the-Counter Drugs in Comparison to Students from Other Faculties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i35b31911 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 129-135

Author(s):

Amar Fathi Mohamed Khalifa ◽

Yasser Nabil AlKhudairy ◽

Adel Ahmed Algahtani ◽

Bandar Mohammed Abduljabbar ◽

Fahad Majed Aldawsari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

P Value ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Over The Counter ◽

Otc Drugs ◽

Professional Guidance

Background: Over-the-counter-drugs (OTC) are drugs that can be obtained by patients without a prescription from a physician. In Saudi Arabia, it has been reported that more than half of university students practiced self-medication and used OTC drugs. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study, among medical and non-medical students in Riyadh. The sample size was 421, by systemic random sampling. A pre-coded pre-tested online questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS V 23. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant relationship between what the participants were majoring in and the usage of OTC drugs (p value= 0.373). Gender also had no relation with the use of OTC (p value= 0.168). Panadol appeared as the most commonly used OTC drug 62.9% for the relief of the most commonly mentioned factor which is headache 50.12%. Conclusion: Medical education didn’t have much of an effect on the use of OTC drugs. Moreover, professional guidance or advice was not considered most of the time for taking OTC, but the majority of respondents portrayed good behavior towards usage of OTC.

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Evaluating depression and suicidality in tetrabenazine users with Huntington disease

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000005817 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 91 (3) ◽

pp. e202-e207 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Jordan L. Schultz ◽

Annie Killoran ◽

Peg C. Nopoulos ◽

Chloe C. Chabal ◽

David J. Moser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Huntington Disease ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cag Repeat ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Increased Risk ◽

History Of ◽

Antidepressant Use ◽

History Of Depression ◽

Total Functional Capacity

ObjectiveTo determine whether tetrabenazine (TBZ) use is associated with an increased incidence of depression and/or suicidal ideation.MethodsIn this retrospective cross-sectional study of the Enroll-HD database, we used multiple logistic regression analyses to determine whether TBZ use is associated with an increased incidence of depression and/or suicidal ideation. For both dependent variables (depression and suicidality), separate analyses were conducted on (1) all participants, (2) only participants with a history of depression, and (3) only participants with no history of depression. Adjustments were made for CAG repeat length, total motor score, total functional capacity, Symbol Digit Modalities Test score, sex, disease duration, history of depression (when applicable), antipsychotic use, and antidepressant use.ResultsCompared to participants who were not using TBZ (n = 3,548), TBZ users (n = 543) did not have an increased risk of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78, p = 0.064). Participants taking TBZ actually had a relatively lower risk of suicidality (OR = 0.61, p = 0.043). Among only participants with a history of depression, those using TBZ had a lower incidence of depression (OR = 0.71, p = 0.016) and suicidal ideation (OR = 0.57, p = 0.028) compared to those not using TBZ. Finally, among only participants with no history of depression, TBZ use was not associated with a higher incidence of depression (OR = 1.59, p = 0.18) or suicidality (OR = 1.43, p = 0.66) compared to those who were not using TBZ.ConclusionsTBZ use was not associated with an increased incidence of depression or suicidality. These findings suggest that TBZ may be safe to use in patients with Huntington disease who have a history of depression.

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Cosmetic surgeries and procedures among youth in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study of undergraduate university students in the Eastern Province

Postgraduate Medical Journal ◽

10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-139618 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. postgradmedj-2020-139618

Author(s):

Nouf A AlShamlan ◽

Reem S AlOmar ◽

Abdullah Zuhair Al-Sahow ◽

Abeer A AlShamlan ◽

Bayan Mohammed Almir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

University Students ◽

Cosmetic Surgery ◽

Family Income ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Eastern Province ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Undergraduate University Students

Purpose of the studyTo assess the attitudes and acceptance of cosmetic surgeries and procedures among undergraduate university students in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, as well as the barriers against having cosmetic surgeries and procedures.Study designA cross-sectional study of undergraduate university students in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, during October 2020. The research instrument included the Attitudes towards Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS), sociodemographic data and perceived barriers towards cosmetic surgeries and procedures. A bivariate analysis was performed followed by a linear regression to account for confounders.ResultsA total of 1240 students participated in the study. The mean ACSS for cosmetic surgeries was 3.14 (±1.37 SD), and 3.25 (±1.49 SD) for cosmetic procedures. Older students, students with a history of previous cosmetic surgeries/procedures, and students with engineering specialties had more acceptance scores in both cosmetic surgeries and procedures. On the other hand, men, students belonging to a middle family income and students who perceived themselves to be aware of the risk associated with cosmetic surgeries/procedures had less acceptance scores. The most reported barrier to have cosmetic surgeries and procedures among students was feeling that they do not need it.ConclusionThe findings from the current study could help dermatologists, plastic surgeons and adolescent specialists wishing to recognise the rising interest in cosmetic surgeries and procedures in Arabic youth populations, the possible associated factors, as well as the barriers to have these surgeries and procedures. A further qualitative in-depth study to explore the acceptance is suggested.

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