Comparison of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Neurofeedback on Quality of Life of Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Background: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders and is usually associated with abdominal pain. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness and neurofeedback on quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Materials & Methods: The present study was a pretest-posttest control group design with a two-month follow-up. The study population included all women with irritable bowel syndrome referred to gastroenterology centers and clinics of Qazvin city in 2019. Patients were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned into two experimental and one control groups (n=45). The experimental groups underwent Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Neurofeedback (NFB). The Rome-III diagnostic criteria form and the WHOQOLBREF were administered. Data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance. Results: There was significant difference between NFB and control group for total quality of life and all its components. The mean between-group difference (MD) of total quality of life score in NFB compared to control group was 21.2±2.58 in post-test and 15.4±2.35 in follow-up (P<0.05). MBCT group was significantly different with the control group in component of general health both in post-test (MD= 0.93±0.53) and follow-up (MD=0.73±0.53), (P<0.05). Conclusion: NFB therapy considerably improved the quality of life of patients with IBS that was remained after two months of follow-up, while MBCT was only effective on improvement of general health in comparison with the control group.

Clinical and Laboratory Predictors of Mortality in Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in A Tertiary Care Center of Central Kerala, India - A Case control Study

Background: Since various studies indicate differences in the case fatality rate of SARS-CoV-2 in different settings, it is vital to elucidate the clinical and laboratory parameters. This would be helpful in identifying individuals who are susceptible to adverse outcomes, thereby targeting essential health interventions to resource poor settings. This study aimed to determine the clinical and laboratory predictors of mortality due to COVID-19. Materials & Methods: In this case control study, we included 162 adult inpatients who died due to COVID-19 from May 2020 to February 2021, as cases (n=81) and those discharged as controls (n=81). Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data was extracted from medical records and electronic database and compared between survivors and non-survivors. Univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression methods were used to identify the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. Results: Comorbidities were present among 82 (50.6%) participants. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity 99(61.1%) followed by diabetes mellitus 92 (56.8%) and coronary artery disease 55(34%). Multivariable logistic regression model showed that cardiovascular disease (OR=5.80, 95%CI: 1.09–47.55, P=0.011), decreased oxygen saturation (OR=33.68, 95%CI: 2.81–403.80, P=0.006), elevated CRP (OR=1.16, 95%CI: 1.01–1.32, P=0.026), and serum creatinine (OR=3.26, 95%CI: 1.02–11.55, P=0.047) were the significant predictors of mortality. Conclusion: This study found that comorbidities such as CAD, elevated serum creatinine, elevated inflammatory markers, and decreased O2 saturation were independent predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients.

Dysplasia in Papilloma at the Tip of the Tongue; A Rare Entity-Importance of on Time Prevention

Background: Oral papilloma is benign lesion while there is concern about high-risk types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) for cancer. Case Presentation: The patient was a 30-year-old woman who presented to the School of Dentistry, Semnan University of Medical Sciences for orthodontic treatment. Intraoral examinations revealed a prominent white papule on the tip of the tongue. Histopathologic exanimation revealed the proliferation of hyper keratinized stratified squamous epithelium arranged in projections with fibrovascular connective tissue cores, cell irregularity with hyperchromatic nucleus and koilocytes within the epithelium which confirmed the diagnosis of squamous papilloma (SP) with mild to moderate dysplasia. The patient was instructed to take care of the sexual behaviors and the injection of Gardasil vaccine was recommended. A month later, there was no evidence of a lesion. Conclusion: Though SPs are common lesions in the oral cavity, occurrence of dysplasia on SPs on the anterior part of the mouth is rare. Surgical removal supplemented by administration of Gardasil vaccine can be the treatment of choice in these cases. The significance of close attention to the oral lesions and consultation with an Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine Specialist is highly recommended in order to accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.

Relationship Between Work-Family Conflict and Perceived Organizational Support Among Nurses of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences

Background: Due to the importance of work-family conflict, it is necessary to find its relationship with organizational variables like perceived organizational support. The present study investigated the relationship between work-family conflict and perceived organizational support in nurses of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. Materials & Methods: The present study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 300 nurses working at educational hospitals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A three-part questionnaire including demographic information, Carlson’s family-work conflict, and perceived organizational support of Eisenberg was used. Descriptive statistics and analytical statistical tests (Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis) and Spearman correlation coefficient were used. Results: The majority of the participants were female (64.2%) and married (55.9%). Work-family conflict was slightly higher than the mean. The dimensions of time-based work-family conflict (10.79±2.95) and strain-based work-family conflict (10.66±2.72) had the highest scores compared to other dimensions of work-family conflicts. Perceived organizational support was less than mean and there was a negative correlation between work-family conflict and perceived organizational support (r=-0.21, P=0.001). Conclusion: The present study showed the importance of paying attention to reducing workfamily conflict by increasing perceived organizational support. Therefore, reducing the dimensions of work-family conflict is necessary and organizational managers should increase organizational support for nurses and thus reduce the conflict between nurses and family work.

Alexithymia and Self-Efficacy With Pain Perception in Women with Migraines: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Pain perception in individuals with migraine is very important and is influenced by various factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of alexithymia and self-efficacy with pain perception in women with migraine. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in women with migraine referred to medical centers in Rasht in 2021. Using convenience sampling method, 160 women with migraines participated in the study and answered the demographic information questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). Data was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression model. Results: Of total, 152 women responded to the questionnaire (response rate= 95%). The mean age of study participants was 32.86±8.5 years. Pain perception was negatively associated with selfefficacy (r=-0.28; P=0.001) and positively associated with alexithymia (r= 0.20; P=0.001). The results of linear regression also showed that self-efficacy and Externally-Oriented Thinking (EOT) subscale explained 13% of the variance in pain perception. Conclusion: Self-efficacy and externally-oriented thinking were significant contributors of pain perception in women with migraine. These variables can be considered for adopting coping strategies in patients experiencing migraine pain.

Challenges Confronting COVID-19 Vaccination

Vaccination is a fundamental approach in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are challenges confronting successful COVID-19 world-wide vaccination. This editorial pointed out to the doubt on long-lasting immunity gained from vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and inequity in vaccine access as windering issues facing the global combat against COVID-19.

Effectiveness of Training Based on Healthy Human Theory and Emotion-Focused Therapy in Marital Happiness

Background: Psychological factors affect marital conflict and happiness; in other words, they strengthen and shape marital relations. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of training based on Healthy Human Theory (HHT) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) in marital happiness of couples living in Isfahan City, Iran. Materials & Methods: This research has a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included all couples referring to mental health centers in Isfahan in 2020. The study sample consisted of 39 couples selected by the convenience sampling method. The participants were randomly divided into two experimental groups (training based on HHT and EFT) and control group (n=13 couples per group). The research instrument included the marital satisfaction scale. Follow-up was performed after 90 days. Repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that training based on HHT significantly affected marital happiness compared to EFT and control group (P=0.001). The Mean±SD of the posttest scores of marital happiness in the HHT-based training, EFT, and control groups were 97.92±1.54, 87.50±5.56, and 75.38±8.71, respectively. There was no significant difference between the effects of HHT-based training and EFT on happiness in couples. Conclusion: Based on the results, the HHT-based training and EFT are appropriate methods for improving marital happiness.

Prevalence of Mental disorders among Children and Teenagers in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran

Background: Paying attention to psychiatric disorder in childhood and adolescence is critical. It causes the occurrence of mental disorders in adulthood. The present study aimed to explore the frequency of mental disorders among children and adolescents in Zahedan City, Iran. Materials & Methods: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Individuals aged between 6 and 18 years were included in this investigation. In total, 1003 children and adolescents were selected by the random cluster sampling method. To collect the required information, in addition to demographic information, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL) for school-age Children-Present and Lifetime version was employed. The obtained data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression method. Results: A total of 1003 children and adolescents participated in the study; of them, 489 (48.8%) and 514(51.2%) were males and females, respectively. The Mean±SD age of study participants was 11.96±3.99 years. Moreover, 86.8% of the study subjects were from urban areas and 13.2% from rural areas. The highest prevalence of psychiatric disorders concerned behavioral disorders (6.8%); anxiety disorders (6.7%); The lowest prevalence were related to post-traumatic stress disorder (0.2%) and autism (0.1%). The overall prevalence of psychiatric disorder among children and adolescence was 14.4%. Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders similar to previous studies in the same age groups. The estimates played an important role in designing useful programs and interventions.

Epidemiology of Childhood Burn: A 5-Year Retrospective Study in the Referral Burn Center of Northern Iran Northern Iran

Background: Burns are the second most common etiology of injury death in children under 5 years old and are the most common cause of death in a home accident. Materials & Methods: This study was performed to investigate the epidemiology of childhood burn in children under 16 years old referred to Velayat Burn Center, Rasht City, Iran, from 2013 to 2018. Data were collected from electronic hospital records of burn patients aged under 16 years of age. Results: Out of 717 patients, 44.5% were girls, and 55.5% were boys (sex ratio=1.2). The highest frequency of burns (56.1%) was reported in the 1-5 years age group. The most common cause of burn was scalds (76%), and the most common burn severity was second-degree burns (46.7%). The Mean±SD duration of hospitalization was 3.07±4.15 days, and the hospital stay was significantly associated with the cause of the burn, Burned Body Surface Area (BBSA), and burn severity. The highest frequency was reported on Saturdays, i.e., (the first working day in Iran) (22.7%), between 6 and 12 o’clock (42.8%). Conclusion: This study found that children in 1-5 years old were the most susceptible age group for burn injuries and scalds were the most common cause of the burn. The male to female ratio was 1.2, and the majority of burns occurred in the winter.

COVID-19 Anxiety, Academic Burnout and Academic Achievement Among Medical Stagers and Interns at Guilan University of Medical Sciences, in 2020

Background: Medical students, as part of the healthcare team, are directly exposed to challenging conditions during the COVID-19 epidemic. This study investigated COVID-19 anxiety, burnout, and academic achievement in stagers and interns of Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Materials & Methods: The present analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on medical students and interns studying at Guilan University of Medical Sciences in the 2020-2021 academic year. Of whom, 150 students participated in this study. Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) were used to measure anxiety and academic burnout of the students, respectively. Measuring students’ academic achievement was based on Grade Point Average (GPA). Data analysis was performed using chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test, and partial Spearman correlation Coefficient. Results: The participation rate in this study was 92%. The results showed that 6.5% of students had high anxiety, 18.8% reported high academic burnout, and 79% reported the average level of burnout score. Also, the participants’ GPA was 16.76±1.30. The academic burnout score was significantly higher in male students than female ones (t=-2.01; P=0.04). The GPA was significantly higher in students under 24 years old than in older students (t=4.71; P=0.01). The partial correlation coefficient adjusted for sex showed a positive and significant correlation between CDAS and MBI-SS (r=0.346; P<0.001). Conclusion: The present study results showed that medical stagers and intern students had high academic burnout during the COVID-19 epidemic, and there was a weak and direct correlation between academic burnout and COVID-19 anxiety. Accordingly, to reduce the consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic, appropriate therapeutic and educational interventions should be provided to empower stagers and intern students.