Background: Mental health disorders, including depression, constitute a major global public health concern that can lead to significant morbidity as well as societal costs. Internally displaced people are at risk for depression. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among adults in Atbara, northern Sudan, and identify the key factors associated with depressive symptoms, including internal displacement. Methods: Using a stratified sampling technique, data were collected by trained research assistants through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Multivariate binary analysis was performed. Results: Three hundred and seventy-three adults were enrolled in this study; 104 (27.9%) were males. Their median age was 42.0 years. Of the 373 adults, 81 (21.7%, 95.0% confidence interval = 17.5–25.9%) had depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores ≥ 8). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was significantly higher among displaced adults: 39 (28.1%) of the 139 displaced adults had depression, and 42 (17.9%) of the non-displaced adults had depression, p = 0.027. In multivariate binary analysis, being internally displaced was the only factor associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval = 1.07–3.08); age, body mass index, sex, education, and marital status were not associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusions: One out of five adults in this region of Sudan had depressive symptoms, which was associated with internal displacement. More effort and further research are needed to explore possible interventions to improve mental health and livelihoods, especially among internally displaced people.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are evidence-based pharmacologic treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adolescents; however, hematologic adverse effects such as leukopenia and neutropenia are rare and incompletely characterized. Management becomes particularly challenging when an effective medication is suspected to contribute to clinically significant hematologic abnormalities. This case report describes a multidisciplinary diagnostic and monitoring workflow for evaluating suspected escitalopram-associated neutropenia in a 14-year-old female with moderate-to-severe OCD and substantial functional impairment. The patient was initially treated with escitalopram, titrated from 10 mg/day to 20 mg/day, resulting in a 39-55% reduction in symptom severity as assessed by retrospectively reconstructed Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) scores. Persistent leukopenia and neutropenia identified during routine complete blood count (CBC) monitoring prompted escitalopram discontinuation and a structured multidisciplinary evaluation involving hematology, rheumatology, infectious diseases, allergy and immunology, endocrinology, neurology, and cardiology. Extensive investigations, including laboratory testing, peripheral blood smear examination, brain magnetic resonance imaging, and pelvic ultrasonography, did not identify a definitive alternative etiology. Following medication discontinuation, white blood cell counts did not normalize and OCD symptoms relapsed despite cognitive behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention, delivered in nine weekly sessions by a clinical psychologist. After multidisciplinary risk-benefit assessment and shared decision-making with the patient and legal guardian, escitalopram rechallenge was initiated using gradual dose escalation from 5 mg/day to 20 mg/day over three weeks, with weekly CBC monitoring, predefined stopping criteria, and infection surveillance. The final CY-BOCS score improved to 11/40 (65% reduction from baseline), while hematologic parameters remained stable. The procedural objective of this report is to present a reproducible multidisciplinary framework for diagnostic evaluation, risk stratification, monitoring, and cautious pharmacologic rechallenge in adolescents with suspected SSRI-associated hematologic abnormalities.

Background and Aim: Depression is a global public health concern with significant morbidity and mortality. There are a few published reports on the association between the magnesium depletion score (MDS) and depression. In this study, we aimed to assess the level of association between MDS and depression among men in central Sudan. Methods: A multistage community‐based cross‐sectional survey included adult men in central Sudan from April to June 2025. A face‐to‐face interview was used to collect sociodemographic data and medical history. The Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9) was used to assess depression among men. The MDS was computed. Binary multivariable and modified Poisson regression analyses were performed. Results: Three hundred and twelve men were enrolled. Their median (IQR) age was 50.0 (34.0–64.0) years. Multivariable Poisson analysis showed a positive association between the MDS and the PHQ‐9 score when entering the MDS as either a continuous variable (adjusted relative risk [ARR] = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15–1.31) or a categorical variable (the ARR for medium and high MDS were 1.41 (95% CI = 1.23–1.61) and 2.09 (95% CI = 1.60–2.73), respectively). Multivariable binary regression showed a positive association between MDS (continuous) and depression, with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 2.80 (95% CI = 1.35–3.00) and depression. Likewise, medium (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.28–6.10) and high (AOR = 16.71, 95% CI = 3.91–71.33) MDS were associated with depression. Conclusion: This study showed a positive association between MDS and depression, indicating a need to further assess the possibility of MDS in depression.

The rapid expansion of algorithm-curated short-form video (ACSFV) platforms has raised concerns about their potential association with youth mental health, particularly through personalized content streams that may amplify psychological vulnerabilities and exposure to harmful material. This study examined the relationship between ACSFV use and self-harm behaviors, probable borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits indicators, and anxious personality traits among Saudi adolescents and young adults. It also examined associations with depression, anxiety, stress, and sociodemographic factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Saudi individuals aged 12-30 years, utilizing self-reported data on social media use. The Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale-50 (TMAS-50) was used to assess anxious personality traits, and the Self-Harm Inventory (SHI) was used to screen for BPD traits indicators and evaluate the lifetime history of self-harm. The questionnaire also included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Among the 566 participants (74% female, 51.8% aged 19-25 years), daily engagement with ACSFV content was frequent, with 22.5% using it for 3-4 h and 15.3% for more than 4 h per day. The most frequently used platforms were TikTok (84.2%), Snapchat (80.0%), and Instagram (70.0%). Self-harm behaviors (37.5%), BPD indicators (9.5%), and severe / very severe anxious traits (31.0%) were prevalent. Self-harm correlated with age category 15-25 years, depression, and stress. Anxious traits were associated with extensive engagement with ACSFV content in unadjusted analysis, while Facebook use and higher depression and anxiety scores remained significant in adjusted analysis. BPD indicators were independently associated with psychiatric consultations and stress levels. This study highlights high rates of self-harm, anxious traits, and BPD indicators among Saudi adolescents and young adults, emphasizing the complex associations between social media use and psychological distress and the need for culturally tailored interventions, school-based programs, and further research.