Pesticides exposure causes usually harmful effects to the environment and human health. The present study aimed to investigate the potential toxic effects of penconazole, a triazole fungicide, on the ...cerebrum and cerebellum of adult rats. Penconazole was administered intraperitoneally to male Wistar rats at a dose of 67 mg kg−1 body weight every 2 days during 9 days. Results showed that penconazole induced oxidative stress in rat cerebrum and cerebellum tissues. In fact, we have found a significant increase in malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and advanced oxidation protein product levels, as well as an alteration of the antioxidant status, enzymatic (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and nonenzymatic (glutathione), the cholinergic function, and membrane-bound ATPases (Na+/K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase). Penconazole also provoked histological alterations marked by pyknotic and vacuolated neurons in the cerebrum and apoptosis and edema in the cerebellum Purkinje cells’ layer. Therefore, the use of this neurotoxicant fungicide must be regularly monitored in the environment.
Introduction
In addition to psychological distress in patients with COVID 19, neurological and neurocognitive manifestations, such as memory impairment, are increasingly reported. Screening for ...cognitive impairment is therefore crucial.
Objectives
Identify cognitive impairment inpost COVID19.
Methods
This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study that took place during the period from 1 st March 15 th May 2021 with 154 patients who were hospitalized at the COVID19 unit at Hedi Chaker Hospital Sfax. The psychometric evaluation, done by telephone, was performed using the "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale" for the screening of anxiety-depressive disorders, the "Impact of Event Scale-Revised" for the screening of post-traumatic stress disorder, the Insomnia Severity Index for the evaluation of sleep, the "The Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire" scale and the Mac Nair questionnaire for the evaluation of subjective memory.
Results
The mean age was 66.62 ± 13.34 years. Male patients represented 60.4% of the population. The prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder was 24.7%, 11% and 13.6% respectively. For the assessment of subjective memory, the mean total score of the PRMQ was 27.72 ± 7.71, with that of prospective and retrospective memory 15.41 ± 4.44 and 12.16 ± 3.73 respectively. According to the Mac Nair scale, 18.8% of patients had memory impairment (Mac Nair score >15). Anxious patients showed more memory impairment. Depressed patients had the most impaired scores for total memory (p= 0.03) and retrospective memory (p= 0.022). Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder had more memory impairment (p=0.021).
Conclusions
Psychological distress is multifactorial in its etiology. The medium and long term management of COVID+ patients must therefore be multidisciplinary.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction
Recent studies proved that academic procrastination is a very common pervasive problem that has a negative impact on general well-being, causing distress, anxiety, remorse and ...unhappiness. It could also result in poor academic performance and negatively affect students’ satisfaction with themselves and their academic life.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to explore the influence of self-esteem and self-efficacy on academic procrastination among Tunisian medical students.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study among medical students from Tunisia. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire, exploring sociodemographic characteristics, the “Tuckman Procrastination Scale” (TPS), the “Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale” (RSES) and the “General Self-Efficacy Short Scale” (GSESS).
Results
A total of 133 participants completed the questionnaire. Their mean age was 26 ± 3,8 years, with a sex-ratio (F/M) of 4,5. Among them 87.2% were engaged in academic procrastination, 57,1% showed low self-esteem and 55,6% perceived themselves as non-effective.
GSESS score were higher among males (p=0.019)
TPS score was negatively correlated with RSES score (p<0.001; r=-0.372). RSES score was positively correlated with GSESS score (p<0.001; r=0.44).
No relationship was proved between TPS and GSESS.
Conclusions
Even though procrastination is most of the time considered as a maladaptive and detrimental behavior with a psychological cost, some authors consider it acting in a beneficial way, as it reflects self-reliance, autonomy and self-confidence knowing that they are able to finish their task in time. As a result, procrastination is linked to feelings of superiority and it should be recoined as “purposeful delay”.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our health system had to face new challenges such as Burnout (BO), particularly among healthcare workers (HCWs).
Objectives
Our study aimed to examine the ...prevalence of burnout among HCWs, as well as to identify the sociodemographic and professional factors associated to it.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical survey, conducted during the fifth wave of COVID-19 between December 2021 and February 2022, among the healthcare workers of 3 hospitals in Djerba city. We used an online questionnaire to collect their sociodemographic and professional data. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to assess their burnout level.
Results
Our population consisted of 95 HCWs with a sex ratio of 0.46. Most of them (75%) had an age of less than 40 years. Among our participants, 56.8% were paramedics and 71.6% had a working experience of less than 10 years. A rate of 56.8% worked full-time with a minimum of 36 hours per week and more than 5 on-calls per month in 56.8%.
In our study, 76% of the HCWs were affected by BO. The mean emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and professional accomplishment scores were 35.74 ±12.16, 11.84 ±8.08 and 27.32 ±6.95, respectively. A rate of 69% had a high level of emotional exhaustion, 42% had a high level of depersonalization and 41% had a low level of personal accomplishment.
The subgroup analysis showed that BO was associated with: an age of less than 30 years (p=0.007); having no children (p=0.030); a work experience of less than 10 years (p=0.001); a number of working hours greater than 36 hours (p=0.030) and a number of on-call duties greater than 5 per month (p=0.007).
Conclusions
Our study shows the burden of BO in the HCWs of Djerba, especially among the youngest ones, the least experienced and those with the highest workload. Thus, a special attention must be paid to this condition, and the implementation of a prevention strategy is essential.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction
In addition to psychological distress, neurological and neurocognitive manifestations, the COVID19 pandemic and its medium- and long-term consequences combine other risk factors to alter ...sleep.
Objectives
To screen for COVID19 sleep disorders and to identify epidemiological and clinical factors correlated with this disorder in post COVID19 patients.
Methods
This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study that took place during the period from the 1rst of March to the 15th of May 2021 with 154 patients who were hospitalized at the COVID unit19 at the Hedi Chaker Hospital in Sfax Tunisia.
The sleep evaluation, made by telephone, was performed using the “Insomnia Severity Index” scale.
Results
The mean age was 66.62 ± 13.34 years. Male patients represented 60.4% of the study population.
In our study, the prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder was 24.7%, 11% and 13.6% respectively.
The mean score of the sleep disorder severity index was 3.94 with extremes of score ranging from zero to 24. Thirty-six patients (23.4%) had insomnia, which was severe in 2.6% of patients.
We found a significant association between gender and sleep disorders. Thus, women were more likely to have insomnia.
A significant association was found between insomnia, anxiety-depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
No significant association was found between disease characteristics and sleep disorders.
Conclusions
In post COVID, patients suffer from an important sleep disorder. Indeed, the management of these sleep disorders in post Covid-19 is essential to improve the quality of life of these people.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
IntroductionPatients with long COVID experience a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms. Mental health disturbances include cognitive impairment, memory loss, anxiety, depression sleep ...disorders…ObjectivesWe aimed to determine to assess mental repercussions in long COVID, especially sleep disturbances and depression.MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study including 84 adults Tunisian COVID 19 inpatients who had been discharged alive from hospital. Each enrolled patient was asked about the period before SARS COV2 related hospital stay, and the 6-9 month-period after hospital discharge, using the validated Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).ResultsThe mean age of patients was 57,59 ± 12,84 years with a sex ratio (H/F) 1,2.As compared with baseline, all assessed outcomes (ISI and PHQ) significantly impaired after the covid-19 infection (p<0.001 for the two cases).The prevalence of depressive symptoms doubled after the infection (25% to 58,3%).The prevalence of insomnia was multiplied by 5 after the covid-19 infection (5,95% to 30,95%). ISI score was correlated with the PHQ score (p<0.001; r=0.738).ConclusionsOur study highlighted the association between COVID-19 infection and the impairment of mental health outcomes. Thus, patients who have experienced COVID-19 illness should be screened for long psychological disturbances even a few months after the infection, in order to guarantee a better quality of life.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Introduction
Nowadays, the rates of antidepressant prescription are high and increasing. In this context, the issue of whether these medications are addictive has been increasingly discussed.
...Objectives
The aim of this review was to explore the debate about the addictive property of antidepressants.
Methods
We conducted a literature review in the Pubmed database, using the search terms “antidepressants”, “SSRI”, “tricyclic”, “addiction”, “dependence” in various combinations, and narrowing the search to the last 10 years, to identify articles about the addiction to antidepressants.
Results
All the articles included in our study highlighted the fact that antidepressants were associated with withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are heterogeneous, and long-lasting in some cases, and Paroxetine was shown to have particularly high rates of withdrawal symptoms.
Some articles reported a psychological and physical dependence on antidepressants. However, the most recent studies agreed that, using established classification systems and concepts and after integrating neurobiological and behavioral criteria, antidepressants are shown to have no addictive property.
Conclusions
Antidepressants are proven to be associated with withdrawal symptoms. Whether or not these symptoms are enough to constitute an “addiction” remains controversial, as recent studies agree that antidepressants should not be classified as addictive substances.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction
Poor sleep quality is a major health problem worldwide. University students tend to suffer from problems of sleep regularity, quantity and quality, which can affect their academic ...performance, and have a serious impact on their psychological and physical well-being.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of insomnia among Tunisian university students, and to identify its associated factors.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional web-based study among university students from several Tunisian faculties. Data were collected using a questionnaire spread throughout social media (Facebook), using the Google Forms® platform, during September and October 2022.
We used the “Insomnia Severity Index” (ISI) to assess the severity of insomnia.
Results
A total of 144 students completed the questionnaire. Their mean age was 23.38±3.27 years, with a sex-ration (F/M) of 2.8. Among them, 70.1% were single and 68.8% lived with family. Among our participants, 10.4% were followed for chronic somatic disease, 11.1% for chronic mental disease, while 29.2% have already been diagnosed and treated for sleep disturbances.
ISI showed that 72.2% of students suffered from insomnia: 45.1% Subthreshold insomnia, 19.4% moderate clinical insomnia and 7.6% severe clinical insomnia. Insomnia was significantly more frequent among psychoactive substances users (75.7% vs 57.6%; p=0.043). ISI scores were significantly higher among cannabis users (17.4 vs 11.06; p=0.025).
Conclusions
Our study highlighted that insomnia is prevalent within the university student population, and psychoactive substances consumption seems to worsen it. Thus, when designing interventions to improve sleep quality among students, the main determinants need to be taken into consideration.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction
Coronavirus 2019 (COVID19) is a contagious disease. Infected patients are not only the vectors of the disease but also often the victim of the social stigma attached to it.
Objectives
To ...assess the social stigma perceived by post-COVID19 patients.
Methods
This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study that took place during the period from 1st March to 15th May 2021 with 154 patients who were hospitalized at the COVID19 unit at Hedi Chaker Hospital in Sfax.
The anxiodepressive disorders were screened using the “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale”. Post-traumatic stress disorder was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised.
Perceived stigma due to COVID19 was assessed by items from the psychometric tool: self-reported instrument measuring COVID19-related stigma.
Results
The mean age was 66.62 ± 13.34 years. Male patients represented 60.4% of the study population.
In our study, the prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder was 24.7%, 11% and 13.6% respectively.
In our study, 21.4% of the participants felt discrimination and social stigma, especially from neighbors (18.2%).
Anxiety was statistically correlated with the presence of stigma related to COVID19.
We have a highly significant relationship between depression and stigma. (p=0.002)
No correlation was found between stigma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Conclusions
In addition to social stigma, people with COVID 19 may perceive themselves as different from normal in terms of physical or mental abilities, leading to a high likelihood of self-stigma and social isolation.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction
The violence against women massively committed by their spouses is a scourge that transcends countries, ethnicities, cultures, classes social and age groups.
This violence is traumatic ...and represents a serious attack on the physical integrity and mental health of the women who are victims
Objectives
To study the prevalence and predictors of peritraumatic distress among women victims of domestic violence
Methods
We contacted 122 women who consulted at the psychiatric emergency of ‘Hedi Chaker hospital’,Sfax examined in the context of medical expertise on the period between May 2021 until January 2022
A questionnaire regarding the violence was asked to responders .It included demographic and violence exposure questions and a scale applied during violence ‘Peritraumatic distress inventory’
Results
The average age of women assaulted in our study was 35.6 ± 9.94 years (min=18,max=64).
78.7% (n=96) of ladies were of urban origin.
The majority of them(44,3%) had secondary level education.
The half of the population (51.6%) had an average socio-economic level. (86.1%) had children.
98.7%were victim of verbal violence,94.7% of physical violence, 97.3% of psychological violence and 54.7 %of sexual violence.
72.1% of women (N=88) developed peritraumatic distress related to the assault with a risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder.
Women who were threatened by their spouses were more in distress than others (0,04).
Physically abused women using a knife developed more peritraumatic distress (p=0,02).
Conclusions
Domestic violence is a global public health problem, that calls for urgent actions.Peritraumatic distress linked to violence may lead to psychotraumatic disordersthat are the source for traumatized victims of great suffering mental health and a possible vital risk (suicide, risky behavior).
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
