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Ghader N, AlMheiri N, Fikri A, AbdulRazzak H, Saleheen H, Saddik B, Aljawarneh Y, Dalky H, Al Banna A, Al Memari S, Al Shehhi B, Al Mazrouei S, Al Hajeri O. Prevalence and factors associated with mental illness symptoms among school students post lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional national study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296479. [PMID: 38300941 PMCID: PMC10833540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Limited data exists on the mental health of children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among school students in post-lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 3,745 school students participated, responding to standardized tests (Mood and Feeling Questionnaire-Child Self-Report, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders-Child Version, and Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale-8). Findings showed that the risk for PTSD was the most prevalent (40.6%), followed by symptoms of anxiety (23.3%), and depression (17.1%). For gender differences, symptoms of the three conditions (depression, anxiety, and PTSD) were higher in female students (9.2%) compared to male peers (7.7%) (p = 0.09). Moreover, symptoms of depression and anxiety were found to be higher among late adolescents (p<0.05). Further analysis revealed that having medical problems was a positive predictor for anxiety (OR = 2.0, p<0.01) and risk for PTSD (OR = 1.3, p = 0.002); similarly, witnessing the death of a close family member due to COVID-19 (OR for depression, anxiety, and PTSD = 1.7, p<0.01) were positive predictors associated with PTDS, depression, and anxiety. The study concluded that post COVID-19 lockdown, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and risk for PTSD were found to be prevalent among school students in the UAE. Researchers put forward recommendations on the initiation of a national school mental health screening program, the provision of follow-up services for vulnerable students, and the integration of a mental health support system in the disaster preparedness plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nariman Ghader
- Mental Health Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noor AlMheiri
- Mental Health Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Asma Fikri
- National Center for Health Research, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hira AbdulRazzak
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hassan Saleheen
- Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yousef Aljawarneh
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Heyam Dalky
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ammar Al Banna
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center of Excellence, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shammah Al Memari
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Budoor Al Shehhi
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shereena Al Mazrouei
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Omniyat Al Hajeri
- Statistics and Research Center, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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