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Background: The duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) among adolescents with first-episode psychosis has received scant attention in non-western societies.Aim: This study aims to explore both socio...

Objective. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of treating children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who present with irritability, aggression, and disruptive behavior at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Muscat, Oman, with risperidone, and to note any sex-based differences among this cohort. Method. This was a retrospective study conducted at the Department of Behavioral Medicine at SQUH over two years from January 2017 to December 2018. This study included all children aged 3 to 18 years attending the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of ASD, based on the DSM-5 criteria, and comorbid disruptive behavior, who had been prescribed risperidone. Result. This study identified 95 ASD patients (72 males). Male patients’ BMI score after 12 months of risperidone treatment showed an increase by 0.62 (1.57 SD; P = 0.001 ); however, there was no significant change among female patients. Somnolence was noted in 69.6% of female patients as compared to 34.7% of males ( P = 0.003 ). Among those with a family history of ASD, 5 out of 17 patients had treatment success (29.4%), whereas 70 out of 78 patients (90.0%) who did not have a similar history had successful treatment. Conclusion. In conclusion, low-dose risperidone monotherapy is effective and well tolerated among some children with ASD who present with disruptive behavior in a naturalistic clinical setting. However, we found that some of the side effects, such as weight gain and somnolence, were concerning.

Objectives: Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children and comorbid depression is common. This study aimed to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms along with demographic and clinical factors in children diagnosed with epilepsy in a tertiary care institution in Oman. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2016 and August 2018 and included children (n = 75) aged 6–12 years old attending the epilepsy clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman. The cohort constituted of children with epilepsy (CWE) following up at a dedicated unit. We used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children to assess the presence of depressive symptoms. Associated factors, including history of seizure in the last three months, compliance with antiepileptic medications, and type of epilepsy were also examined. Results: Depressive symptoms were endorsed in 52.0% of CWE and 96.0% were compliant to medications. Recurrent seizures were present in the last three months among 48.0% of the CWE. The type of epilepsy was significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Depression is prevalent among Omani CWE. Certain clinical factors appeared to increase the risk of depression among this population. The findings of this study fill a gap in the existing literature and call for further work aiming to explore possible tailored recognition and CWE.

Objective: Studies from the past decades have shown that mood disorders are common during childhood and adolescence. This study aimed to estimate the point prevalence of depression in Omani children and adolescents during social distancing and lockdown and identify the risk factors for developing depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in May 2020, in which all young Omani people attending a mainstream school aged 8–18 years old were eligible to participate. Parents were asked to complete the online survey, which consisted of the parent version of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ-Parent). In addition, the option of a self-reported version (MFQ-Self) was provided in cases where children preferred to fill out the survey themselves. Logistic regression was used to identify the contributing socio-demographic variables associated with depressive symptoms.Results: A total of 445 participants completed the MFQ, out of which 72.1% were parents, and 27.9% were children, adolescents and young people. 13.9% of children and adolescents exhibited depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Oman. The presence of depressive symptoms was associated with increased food intake (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.00–3.29, p-value p-value p-value Conclusion: This study from Oman concurs with recent reports of depression being common during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerted efforts are needed to mitigate this trend and identify high-risk groups during the lockdown period.

Objectives: Although typically considered a condition affecting children, scientific evidence has shown that 30–50% of those diagnosed with ADHD in childhood continue to suffer from this condition after the age of 18. This study sought to address the gap in the literature, and to describe the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of ADHD patients in a sample of adult patients attending an outpatient clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Oman, and to evaluate their association with the different subtypes of the disorder. Methods: Data from adult patients with ADHD from the outpatient clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), Muscat, Oman, were retrospectively collected from medical records from January 2018 to April 2020. Socio-demographic characteristics, clinical profiles and psychiatric co morbidities were examined. Results: This study included 100 adults who fulfilled the standard diagnosis of ADHD, with 54% (n=54), and 46% (n=46) from the inattentive and combined subtypes, respectively. It was found that ADHD was more prevalent among males (64.0%) compared to females (36%), with the inattentive subtype being more predominant among females. The ADHD patients with the inattentive subtype were associated with co-morbid substance use disorders (OR=11.29, P = 0.049), personality disorders (OR=7.96, P = 0.017), and major depressive disorder (OR=15.94, P = 0.002) compared to patients with the predominantly combined subtype. Conclusion: This study from Oman echoes the findings from the current literature, that adult patients with ADHD commonly have co-morbid psychiatric disorders, leading to significant functional impairment. Psychiatric co-morbidities must be identified and urgently treated, to allow for better clinical and functional outcomes in adult patients with ADHD. Keywords: ADHD, co-morbidity, hyperactivity, Oman, psychiatry

Objective Despite the rising incidence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is a dearth of studies examining the rate of school dropout and its correlates in non-Western populations. Methods Medical records were scrutinized to identify Omani children diagnosed with ADHD from 2006 to 2014 in a tertiary care hospital in Oman. The persistence of ADHD symptoms, school performance and dropout, as well as sociodemographic characteristics were examined. Results Three hundred sixty-seven children fulfilled the diagnosis of ADHD based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) (DSM-IV) criteria and 16.6% of them had dropped out of school. School dropout was associated with poor school performance, comorbid conduct disorder, and parental divorce. Conclusion This study from Oman concurs with existing literature that school dropout is common among children with ADHD. Concerted efforts are needed to mitigate this trend. Management strategies should incorporate the treatment of comorbid conduct disorder.

We report here a case of very early onset schizophrenia (VEOS) who presented with atypical features, had poor response to a number of antipsychotic medications and had neutropenia with initial exposure to clozapine. She, however, was re-challenged with a lower dose of clozapine and there was a good improvement in her psychotic symptoms. &nbsp