Search

The aim of this research paper is to examine the current situation, emotional reactions of university students and their coping mechanisms during and after the COVID-19 quarantine. The study was undertaken in a major higher education institution in Lebanon. An exploratory qualitative research design was adopted. A phenomenological qualitative method was employed where, semi-structured interviews were carried out among 20 university students during and 3 months after release from quarantine. The qualitative analysis have revealed 5 themes during quarantine period namely 'Concerns regarding learning and evaluation methods', 'Overwhelming load', 'Dealing with technical difficulties', 'Confinement', and 'Coping with problems', in addition to 3 themes after the quarantine period namely 'Relief of academic stress', 'Fear of becoming infected and jeopardizing family health', 'Stigma of being infected'. The quarantine has inflicted multiple psychological challenges among university students, which should be highlighted and mediated by higher education institution in order to support the students' learning and their academic achievement., Author(s): Mirna Fawaz [sup.1] , Mohamad Al Nakhal [sup.1] , Mohammad Itani [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.18112.3b, 0000 0000 9884 2169, Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, [...]

Background: Resilience plays a crucial role in mental health promotion and prevention, and was shown to be more represented in individuals who exhibit high levels of extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. However, there is a lack of studies that comprehensively investigate the association between personality traits and resilience in Lebanon and Arab countries more broadly. The purpose of the present study was to complement the literature by investigating the direct and indirect effects between the five personality traits and resilience among a sample of Lebanese adults through the intermediary role of posttraumatic growth. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out between May and July 2022, and enrolled 387 participants, all aged above 18 years old and recruited from all Lebanon governorates. The questionnaire used included socio-demographic questions, and the following scales: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to assess resilience, post traumatic growth (PTG), and Big Five Inventory (BFI-2). The SPSS software v.25 was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Post-traumatic growth mediated the association between extraversion / agreeableness / conscientiousness and resilience. Higher extraversion / agreeableness / conscientiousness was significantly associated with more post-traumatic growth. Higher post-traumatic growth was significantly associated with more resilience. Extraversion, but not agreeableness and conscientiousness, was significantly and directly associated with more resilience. Conclusion: Findings suggest that fostering PTG in individuals who experience adversity can help promote their resilience. Hence, it could be beneficial to design and apply programs aiming at supporting PTG among people who experience stressful and traumatizing situations, to consequently help them increase their sense of resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the mediating role of emotion regulation and emotional intelligence in the relationship between stress and academic engagement among Saudi undergraduate nursing students. Design: This study employed a quantitative cross‐sectional research design. Methods: The study recruited 367 Saudi undergraduate nursing students at a major Saudi university. Structural equation modelling was used to explore the mediational model. Results: The results of the ANOVA and Welch F‐test demonstrated that the emotional intelligence, emotional regulation and academic engagement scores were statistically significantly different according to stress levels (p‐values <0.01). Perceived stress has a statistically significant moderate negative correlation with academic engagement and emotional intelligence and a strong negative correlation with emotional regulation. The results also showed that academic engagement had a statistically significant moderate positive association with emotional intelligence and emotional regulation. Results indicate that stress and academic engagement are negatively correlated among Saudi undergraduate nursing students. It focuses on the balancing functions of emotional regulation and emotional intelligence, highlighting their ability to lower stress levels and improve academic engagement. No Patient or Public Contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are now used in our daily lives. This study aimed to explore the level of awareness, perceived benefits, threats, attitudes, and level of satisfaction with AI tools among individuals within higher education in Asia and Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2023. Snowball sampling was used with a convenience sample of 815 highly educated Asian and African participants from 11 countries. About 56% of participants have Bachelor's degrees. 312 participants (38%) were unaware of AI tools and AI tools were used rarely by 316 (63%) of 503 participants who were aware of them. ChatGPT is the most popular of this study's AI tools (N=405, 81%). Participants who used AI tools reported greater benefits than those who did not (p < 0.05). Of the four educational groups, those with a Master's degree reported a higher AI tool threat than those with a Diploma (P < 0.05). Female participants reported more AI-related threats than males (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this research is important because of the rapid development of modern technology around the world. Nevertheless, Asia and Africa still lag behind developed nations in AI technology awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The training of nursing staff to deliver extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in Lebanon has recently attracted attention. It is important to comprehend the background of nurses who take on this new duty. Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to (1) explore the experiences of intensive care unit nursing staff who work with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, (2) identify the psychological and physiological challenges experienced by intensive care unit nurses while managing patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and (3) determine the roles assumed by intensive care unit nurses while managing patients utilizing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design utilizing semistructured interviews utilizing a purposive sampling of 15 intensive care unit nurses using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation devices. Interviews were audio recorded, verbatim transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results: Three themes emerged, namely (1) nurses' role in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, (2) skills and training, and (3) challenges faced by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation nurses. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that nurses play a crucial role in providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patient care, placing them under significant occupational stress due to the intensive care unit's routine workload and the demands of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Additionally, role confusion brought on by a lack of professional practice norms and emotional exhaustion made occupational pressure worse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Sexual satisfaction (SS) is an essential component of quality of life. There is a scarcity of research about sexual satisfaction in Lebanon, a country where discussing sexual issues is still considered a taboo. The present study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of responses to the items in the Arabic version of the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ), as well as the correlates of sexual satisfaction, among a sample of Lebanese adults. (2) Methods: Two cross-sectional studies were conducted between June and September 2022 with 270 and 359 participants, respectively. (3) Results: The results showed that the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire is adequate to be used in Lebanon (McDonald's ω = 0.90 and 0.86, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that higher waterpipe dependence (Beta = −0.17) was substantially linked to lower sexual satisfaction, while better emotional intelligence (EI) (Beta = 0.27) and physical activity (Beta = 0.17) were significantly associated with greater sexual satisfaction. (4) Conclusions: The reliability and validity of the responses to the Arabic version of the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire were supported by our findings. Also, practical implications for sexual satisfaction enhancement strategies in the Lebanese population might be beneficial since many associated factors are considered to be modifiable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Lebanese frontline nurses were not only fighting off a pandemic for the past year but also facing escalating political, social, economic, and humanitarian turmoil that have accentuated the pressures exerted upon them. However, their needs for psychological support and coping mechanisms have been uncharted in light of the documented stress frontline nurses have been living for the past year. This paper aimed at exploring the perceptions of frontline ground zero nurses in Lebanon regarding their psychological needs and coping mechanisms during the most recent COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study was conducted in 2 main ground-zero hospitals in Beirut. This research paper has adopted a qualitative exploratory research design through employing the phenomenological approach, where online interviews were carried out among 15 frontline ground zero nurses in the 2nd week of January 2020. Results: The results of this study showed that the nurses perceived a need for significant psychological support led by their hospital, while they had to employ various coping mechanisms. The qualitative analysis of the verbatim conveyed by participating nurses have resulted in the emergence of five themes; "Need for actual support," "Need for formal psychological counseling," "Praying and being spiritual," "Avoiding the news," and "Self-reminders.". Conclusion: This study demonstrated that sufficient action has not been taken to enhance the mental health of these frontline nurses, where they shared their perspective of inadequate support mechanisms and the necessity for technical, systemic, and structured mental health support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]