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  1. Fulltext Mental health, risk perception, and coping strategies among healthcare workers in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic
    Elsayed MEG, El-Abasiri RA, Marzo RR, Dardeer KT, Kamal MA, Abdelaziz H, et al.
    PLoS One, 2023;18(2):e0282264.
    PMID: 36848375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282264
    BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-19 emerged in December 2019. Healthcare workers were exposed to this highly infectious virus during the pandemic and suffered several social and psychological consequences, such as anxiety, psychological distress, and burnout.

    OBJECTIVES: To assess the psychological distress, anxiety, depression, coping strategies, risk perception, and attitude toward interprofessional teamwork among Egyptian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey which consisted of five sections. The primary outcomes were anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), risk perception towards COVID-19, interprofessional teamwork attitude, and coping strategies during the Coronavirus disease-19 pandemic. The web-based questionnaire was distributed to Egyptian healthcare workers from the 20th of April 2020 to the 20th of May 2020. A snowball sampling method was used. Regression analysis was conducted to test the relationship between the socioeconomic characteristics and the previously mentioned outcomes.

    RESULTS: A total of 403 participants responded to the online questionnaire. The majority were females (70.5%) and within the age group of 26-40 years (77.7%), with 2-5 years of work experience (43.2%). Most participants were pharmacists (33%) and physicians (22.1%). Eighty-two participants (21%) reported moderate to severe anxiety, and 79 participants reported (19.4%) moderate to severe depressive symptoms. In the univariate model, the marital status was associated with depression (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.28-0.78), anxiety (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32-0.85), and an attitude toward interprofessional teamwork (β = -1.96 95% CI -2.72 to -1.2). Providing direct care to the patients was associated with lower anxiety symptoms (AOR 0.256, 95% CI 0.094-0.697). More severe anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with difficulties in everyday life and the professional work environment (AOR 4.246 and 3.3, P = 0.003 and 0.01, respectively). Availability of mental health facilities at the workplace was associated with a lower risk perception towards COVID-19 (β = -0.79, 95% CI -1.24 to -0.34) and a more positive attitude towards teamwork (β = 2.77 95% CI 1.38-4.15).

    CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mild anxiety and depression among healthcare workers in Egypt, especially pharmacists and physicians. We recommend more research targeting the mental health of healthcare workers in Egypt. If proven cost-effective and needed, wide-scale mental health screening and public health campaigns can facilitate effective prevention and treatment strategies. In addition, the availability of mental health facilities at the workplace could alleviate some of the risk perception associated with health emergencies and improve interprofessional teamwork.

  2. The first BGICC consensus and recommendations for breast cancer awareness, early detection and risk reduction in low- and middle-income countries and the MENA region
    Elghazaly H, Aref AT, Anderson BO, Arun B, Yip CH, Abdelaziz H, et al.
    Int J Cancer, 2021 08 01;149(3):505-513.
    PMID: 33559295 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33506
    In low-middle income countries (LMICs) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there is an unmet need to establish and improve breast cancer (BC) awareness, early diagnosis and risk reduction programs. During the 12th Breast, Gynecological & Immuno-oncology International Cancer Conference - Egypt 2020, 26 experts from 7 countries worldwide voted to establish the first consensus for BC awareness, early detection and risk reduction in LMICs/MENA region. The panel advised that there is an extreme necessity for a well-developed BC data registries and prospective clinical studies that address alternative modalities/modified BC screening programs in areas of limited resources. The most important recommendations of the panel were: (a) BC awareness campaigns should be promoted to public and all adult age groups; (b) early detection programs should combine geographically distributed mammographic facilities with clinical breast examination (CBE); (c) breast awareness should be encouraged; and (d) intensive surveillance and chemoprevention strategies should be fostered for high-risk women. The panel defined some areas for future clinical research, which included the role of CBE and breast self-examination as an alternative to radiological screening in areas of limited resources, the interval and methodology of BC surveillance in women with increased risk of BC and the use of low dose tamoxifen in BC risk reduction. In LMICs/MENA region, BC awareness and early detection campaigns should take into consideration the specific disease criteria and the socioeconomic status of the target population. The statements with no consensus reached should serve as potential catalyst for future clinical research.
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