Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on public mental health. Our objective was to assess prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the general population in Saudi Arabia during this pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional approach was used targeting all accessible populations in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from participants using an electronic pre-structured questionnaire. Psychological impact was assessed using the Arabic version of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). A total of 1597 participants completed the survey. In total, 17.1% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 10% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and 12% reported moderate to severe stress levels. Depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly higher among females, younger respondents, and health care providers. Depression was higher among smokers, singles, and non-working respondents. Anxiety was higher among those reporting contacts with COVID-19 positive cases, previously quarantined and those with chronic health problems. Our findings reaffirm the importance of providing appropriate knowledge and specialized interventions to promote the mental well-being of the Saudi population, paying particular attention to high-risk groups.

Background: Adequately knowledgeable schoolteachers can play an essential role in early detection and proper treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at school. Objectives: To assess the schoolteachers’ knowledge of ADHD and to evaluate the effectiveness of the ADHD knowledge improvement program. Methods: A randomized controlled trial study design was followed on 100 primary school teachers from Abha City, Saudi Arabia. Teachers were randomly selected and allocated into trial and control groups. A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate teachers’ knowledge about ADHD. After the baseline assessment, participants in the trial group received a two-day ADHD knowledge improvement program. Teachers’ knowledge about ADHD was reassessed using the same questionnaire immediately after finishing the intervention program and after three months in both groups. Results: Only 16% and 22% of trial and control groups, respectively, showed adequate baseline knowledge about ADHD. Teachers’ main sources of information about ADHD were the internet (67%), friends (47%), TV (34%), and reading books (23%). Knowledge of teachers in the trial group significantly improved immediately after the intervention. After three months, these knowledge benefits slightly declined but remained more adequate than those of teachers in the control group. The logistic regression model revealed that being a participant in the trial group and of higher qualification were associated with significant improvement in teachers’ retained knowledge on ADHD (p < 0.001 and p = 0.050, respectively). Conclusions: The majority of male primary school teachers in Abha City, Saudi Arabia, have inadequate knowledge about ADHD. Applying a knowledge improvement program can substantially improve their knowledge of ADHD. Consideration should be given to the integration of ADHD knowledge improvement program into teachers’ educational programs.

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.

Purpose: Although the association between residential location and survival in patients with different cancer types has been established, the conclusions are contentious, and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we reviewed the impact of residence on the survival of patients with glioblastoma (GBM). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to compare the impact of rural and urban residence on the survival rates of patients with GBM diagnosed in Riyadh City and outside Riyadh. All patients in this study were treated in a tertiary care hospital, and their survival rates were analyzed in relation to their residence and other related factors, namely radiotherapy timing. Results: Overall, 125 patients were included: 61 from Riyadh City and 64 from outside. The majority of patients in both groups were aged >50 years (p = 0.814). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (p = 0.430), seizure (p = 0.858), or initiation timing of radiotherapy (p = 0.781). Furthermore, the median survival rate in the Riyadh group versus the other group was 14.4 months and 12.2 months, respectively, with no statistical significance (p = 0.187). Conclusions: Our study showed that residential location had no significant effect on GBM prognosis. However, further studies with a larger sample size are required to delineate the other factors of referral within the healthcare system to facilitate the management of these patients within a specific timeframe.

Background: There is a lack of data on Saudi domestic air travellers’ understanding regarding COVID-19 and their attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccination. Objectives: This study aimed to assess Saudi domestic air travellers’ understanding regarding COVID-19 and attitude towards mandating the COVID-19 vaccination for travellers. Methods: A survey using a self-administered, structured, and closed-ended questionnaire was conducted among domestic air travellers in Saudi Arabia. Participants’ socio-demographic information, travel history, health status, and attitudes and willingness to accept the COVID-19 vaccination were collected and analysed. Results: Of the 2236 respondents who participated in the survey, 542 (24.25%) had a history of COVID-19, 803 (35.9%) were exposed to a COVID-19 case, 1425 (63.7%) were concerned about catching COVID-19 during air travel, 796 (35.6%) thought the COVID-19 vaccination should be obligatory for travellers, 1105 (49.4%) thought it should be optional, and 335 (15.0%) thought the vaccination was unnecessary. Being of the male gender (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.14–1.69), being concerned about contracting COVID-19 (aOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.12–2.10) and frequent travelling (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.10–3.40) were predictors of vaccination uptake. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that although domestic Saudi travellers were concerned about COVID-19 infection, vaccine hesitancy was prevalent among them.

Background: This study aims to investigate the mental health of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out targeting confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Due to travel and time constraints as well as the accessibility of patients, cases were included from East Jeddah Hospital, King Abdulaziz Hospital, and the Oncology Center in Jeddah. The data were collected using a predesigned self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed COVID-19 cases, personal data, medical history, smoking, traveling abroad, and work-related conditions. Additionally, data regarding contact level with COVID-19 cases were considered. The mental health statuses of the patients were assessed using a validated Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale. The study included 261 COVID-19 patients whose ages ranged from 18 to 65 years. Results: The survey findings revealed that 13% of COVID-19 patients had a borderline level of anxiety, 26.8% were considered anxiety cases, while 60.2% were normal. The findings also revealed that 29.9% had a borderline level of depression, 18.4% were considered depression cases, while 51.7% were normal. Conclusions: This study concluded that COVID-19 patients experience anxiety and depression, and as the COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread, the results of the study are particularly useful in developing a strategy to psychologically support COVID-19 patients.