Ghasak Ghazi Faisal

Emotional disturbances among adult diabetic patients attending diabetic clinic in a Malaysian General Hospital

Introduction: Emotional disturbances such as depression, anxiety and stress play an important role in the management of diabetes mellitus since their presence can adversely affect glycemic control, quality of life and compliance with medications. Despite this, emotional disturbances are consistently under-diagnosed and undertreated by physicians in general practice. Objectives: This study aims to determine the prevalence and severity of emotional disturbances among diabetic patients Methodology: This is a cross sectional study conducted on a sample of 200 patients with diabetes mellitus attending the diabetic clinic at the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Pahang state, Malaysia. The prevalence and severity of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms were assessed in those diabetic patients by using the self-rating Bahasa Malaysia version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-42). Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among diabetic patients was 13.5%, 28%, 11% respectively. Most of the patients with emotional disturbances had moderate depression and anxiety symptoms. However, stress symptoms were mild. Although females showed higher prevalence of emotional disturbances, only anxiety was significantly higher than males. Conclusion: Diabetic patients are at risk to develop psychiatric illnesses in the form of depression, anxiety and stress. Anxiety symptoms were more prominent than depression and stress in diabetic patients.

Psychological Distress and Sources of Stressors amongst Medical and Science Undergraduate Students in Malaysia

Background: This study aims to compare the prevalence of psychological distress between medical and science undergraduate students and to assess the sources of stressors that are attributing to it. Methods: A sample of 697 undergraduate students participated in this study, in which 501 were medical students and the remaining 196 were Science students. Psychological distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The students were given a list of possible sources of stress which were chosen depending on previous studies. Results: The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 32.6%. Science students showed a significantly higher rate and mean score of psychological distress than medical students, and the mean score was significantly higher during the clinical phase rather than the pre-clinical phase in medical students. Overall, female students had a significantly higher mean score than males, however although the mean score was higher in females it was only significant in the pre-clinical phase. In addition to academic and psychological stressors, factors such as reduced holidays, lack of time for relaxation, and limitation of leisure/entertainment time were among the top ten stressors reported by the students. Conclusions: Psychological distress is common among university students, and it is higher among science students than medical students. Academic and psychological factors can be considered as sources of stressors which may precipitate psychological distress among college students.

Placental Morphology of Pregnant Iraqi Women with Rheumatic Heart Disease

Background: Placental morphology and cellular arrangement can be altered in maternal diseases. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic heart condition that can lead to death in pregnant women. The aim of this study is to determine the histological changes of the placenta in pregnant women suffering from RHD. Methods: Placentae were collected from 10 healthy pregnant women, and 31 pregnant women with heart conditions (26 with RHD and 5 with NRHD) who had been admitted to the Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Placental tissues were fixed in 10% formal-saline and were processed for light microscopy. Measurements including the placental weight and diameter of the chorionic villi capillaries were recorded. Results: The results indicate that there are many histological changes in pregnant women with RHD such as hyalinisation, fibrosis of the chorionic villi, proliferation of trophoblastic cells, and thickening of its membrane. Additionally, expectant mothers with RHD experience a reduction in capillary diameter and thickening of the capillary walls, and decreased size and weight of their placenta when compared with the control. Conclusions: Heart diseases, especially RHD, are associated with developmental damage of the placenta in pregnant women by injuring the endothelial cells of the placentas capillaries.