Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a globally prevalent behavioural disorder, remains underdiagnosed, particularly among adults. This issue is exacerbated in the Arab region due to stigma and insufficient healthcare facilities and professionals. Despite the United Arab Emirates (UAE) efforts to improve mental healthcare, shortcomings persist. No studies in the UAE currently assesses the appropriateness of the screening system for ADHD and other behavioural issues. Furthermore, prevalence rates of ADHD, particularly within the young adult population, are absent. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of ADHD amongst young adults attending university in UAE and examine its relationship with gender and academic outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Young adults in their first year at university were recruited from different academic institutions across the UAE. The study utilized the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) for data collection. Results: A sample of 406 young adults, aged between 18 and 20 years of age were recruited. Approximately, 34.7% (n = 141) reported symptoms suggestive of probable ADHD. Significantly lower grade point average marks were observed in participants with ADHD symptoms (M = 3.15) compared to those without (M = 3.35). Females reported symptoms of probable ADHD at higher rates than males, indicating possibly a potential screening deficiency and a potential stigma consequence. Conclusions: The study demonstrates a high prevalence of probable ADHD in young adults, particularly among females attending university in the United Arab Emirates. Implications for early screening, service provision, and greater professional health training on this disorder are required.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions for veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder are becoming a more popular way to address some of the social and personal needs identified by this group. Horticultural therapy or growing and eating food together provides several ways to increase mood, improve nutritional status, reduce loneliness and reduce the physical health impacts of mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder. In this paper we will discuss some of the issues people living with post-traumatic stress disorder might face. We will also provide an overview of the therapeutic effects of these approaches and how they will be applied in a locally identified group.

Background This study sought to capture the perspectives and experiences of two sub-groups of military veterans, namely those who had previously been identified as offenders and those employed as practitioners within the criminal justice system in the United Kingdom. Methods The lead author undertook narrative inquiry in the form of life story research. The life stories of 17 in-depth interviews were conducted across England and Wales, allowing for insight into the lived experiences of two life story trajectories of the health of military veterans. Existing literature on salutogenesis, health, post-traumatic growth, and positive deviance has also been investigated. Results Life story interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed concurrently using thematic analysis to identify emergent themes. The researchers used thematic analysis as an analytical framework to allow descriptive themes from the literature on salutogenesis, health, post-traumatic, and positive deviance to be compared with those of life-story interviews. Conclusion The study adopts a salutogenic approach, which suggests that an important indicator for a sense of coherence is enabled through the positive utilization of resilience through the reconstruction of military identity and experience. Notably, the concept of salutogenesis demonstrates the ability to draw from internal and external resources as circumstances require, to survive, and because of this, the participants’ health is maintained or improved. Hence, adaptation was notable through the coherence identified by the identity of being a veteran noted between the two subgroups and represents a continuous and dynamic process. The study suggests that the development of a sense of coherence is not restricted to the early decades of life but is a continuous process as contexts, personal circumstances, and opportunities arise. This later point is realized through the presence of post-traumatic growth and positive deviance, as they aid in the nurturing and development of a renewed sense of coherence via the known identity of military service and life.

Background Higher education is experiencing an increase in students with disabilities, necessitating considering their interests and well-being when preparing educational services. Students with disabilities make up one of the most significant minority groups among students in terms of diversity. Aims This study explored the experiences of students with disabilities at a university in the United Arab Emirates. It also aimed to understand students with disabilities’ social and academic experiences and the factors affecting their university persistence. Methods We used a descriptive qualitative research approach to understand how students with disabilities experience the phenomenon under study. Twenty-five students participated, chosen via purposeful sampling. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using content analysis. Results We found four themes that emerged from this study: (1) perceptions about the university, (2) socialization and integration, (3) barriers to the university journey, and (4) support for the journey. Conclusion We found that students with disabilities indicated positive and negative perspectives and experiences. We recommend modifying the physical, social, and educational environments to support the education of students with disabilities. Future studies should employ a more varied sample and include academics and students to collect different perspectives while stressing the students’ experiences.

Social prescribing is a way of connecting individuals to a source of support within the community to help improve their health and well-being. Social prescribing programmes are being widely promoted within the United Kingdom (UK) and United States as non-pharmaceutical interventions for those living with addiction and substance misuse needs. These needs have been exasperated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and global economic crisis, with emerging research indicating short-term and long-term detrimental effects on physical and mental health due to substance misuse and addictions. Psychosocial interventions utilize psychological or social factors rather than an overreliance on biological interventions to treat the health impacts of mental illnesses such as addictions and substance use disorder. In this paper, I will discuss the associated determinants of addictions and substance for the military veteran population, as well as how the social prescribing of psychosocial interventions could be used to reaffirm participant’s identity and enhance their sense of belonging for military veterans, using a real-world example in Wales, UK.