To compare psychiatric emergencies and self-harm at emergency departments (EDs) 1 year into the pandemic, to early pandemic and pre-pandemic, and to examine the changes in the characteristics of self-harm presentations. This retrospective cohort study expanded on the Pandemic-Related Emergency Psychiatric Presentations (PREP-kids) study. Routine record data in March to April of 2019, 2020, and 2021 from 62 EDs in 25 countries were included. ED presentations made by children and adolescents for any mental health reasons were analyzed. Altogether, 8,174 psychiatric presentations were recorded (63.5% female; mean [SD] age, 14.3 [2.6] years), 3,742 of which were self-harm presentations. Rate of psychiatric ED presentations in March to April 2021 was twice as high as in March to April 2020 (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.93; 95% CI, 1.60-2.33), and 50% higher than in March to April 2019 (IRR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.25-1.81). Rate of self-harm presentations doubled between March to April 2020 and March to April 2021 (IRR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.68-2.34), and was overall 1.7 times higher than in March to April 2019 (IRR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.44-2.00). Comparing self-harm characteristics in March to April 2021 with March to April 2019, self-harm contributed to a higher proportion of all psychiatric presentations (odds ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05-1.62), whereas female representation in self-harm presentations doubled (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.45-2.72) and follow-up appointments were offered 4 times as often (OR, 4.46; 95% CI, 2.32-8.58). Increased pediatric ED visits for both self-harm and psychiatric reasons were observed, suggesting potential deterioration in child mental health. Self-harm in girls possibly increased and needs to be prioritized. Clinical services should continue using follow-up appointments to support discharge from EDs. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work.

Objective: Despite the rising incidence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is a dearth of studies examining the rate of school dropout and its correlates in non-Western populations. Methods: Medical records were scrutinized to identify Omani children diagnosed with ADHD from 2006 to 2014 in a tertiary care hospital in Oman. The persistence of ADHD symptoms, school performance and dropout, as well as sociodemographic characteristics were examined. Results: Three hundred sixty-seven children fulfilled the diagnosis of ADHD based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) (DSM-IV) criteria and 16.6% of them had dropped out of school. School dropout was associated with poor school performance, comorbid conduct disorder, and parental divorce. Conclusion: This study from Oman concurs with existing literature that school dropout is common among children with ADHD. Concerted efforts are needed to mitigate this trend. Management strategies should incorporate the treatment of comorbid conduct disorder.

Oman is an emerging economy which has witnessed rapid development and demographic shift over the past four decades. With such changes, the country has witnessed a surge in the number of young people with various mental health problems. Despite the increasing need for mental health services for the young, there is a scarcity of such services in Oman due to severe shortage and maldistribution of facilities. Currently, only two institutes in Oman offer child and adolescent mental health services to the whole country. This paper outlines how Oman is delivering mental health services for the young despite the challenges.

Objectives: Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically considered a condition affecting children, there is evidence that children diagnosed with ADHD continue to suffer from this condition after the age of 18. This study aimed to describe the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of adult ADHD patients in Oman and evaluate their association with the disorder’s different subtypes. Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients with ADHD from the outpatient clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Data from medical records from January 2018 to April 2020 were collected. Socio-demographic characteristics, clinical profiles and psychiatric comorbidities were examined. Results: This study included 100 adults who fulfilled the standard diagnosis of ADHD, with 54.0% (n = 54) and 46.0% (n = 46) from the inattentive and combined subtypes, respectively. It was found that ADHD was more prevalent among males (64.0%) than females (36.0%), with the inattentive subtype being more predominant among females. The ADHD patients with the inattentive subtype were associated with comorbid substance use disorders (odds ratio [OR] = 11.29; P = 0.049), personality disorders (OR = 7.96; P = 0.017) and major depressive disorder (OR = 15.94; P = 0.002) compared to patients predominantly with the combined subtype. Conclusion: This study echoes the findings from the current literature that adult patients with ADHD commonly have comorbid psychiatric disorders, leading to significant functional impairment. Psychiatric comorbidities must be identified and urgently treated for better clinical and functional outcomes in adult patients with ADHD.

Purpose: University-industry collaboration yields numerous advantages resulting in potential benefits in funding research and innovation. Despite the numerous benefits, there are various perceived disadvantages of such collaboration especially in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry in prominent academic institutes in London, UK. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes of the academics and clinicians in an academic university department towards industry collaboration. Design/methodology/approach: Two methods were applied, quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative method used an online questionnaire of four-point Likert-Scale, the link of which was emailed to 80 members of the department with a response rate of 32%. The qualitative method included a one-to-one interview with eight researchers from the department to garner in-depth information on the attitude of researchers in child and adolescent psychiatry towards industry collaboration. Findings: The online questionnaire was completed by 26 researchers, the vast majority perceived industry as biased to favour their product and as having a bad or mixed reputation. One-on-one interviews with eight prominent researchers allowed us to share their perception and attitude towards industry collaboration, although the researchers believe that availability of funding was the major advantage of working in collaboration with industry, many did not know how to access such grants and some raised concerns about industry’s record of presenting partial results. Research limitations/implications: Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications: This paper will shed light on how prominent researchers perceive collaboration with industry. Originality/value: Although researchers are very reluctant to collaborate with industry because of its public opinion and sometimes unethical and lack of integrity among the industry, with rigorous ethical guidelines and policies, the pharmaceutical industry can be a potential and significant source of funding of high-quality research and innovation.