Papers by Mohammed Abou-Saleh
International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, Jul 2, 2019
The bulletin of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Mar 1, 1987
British Journal of Psychiatry, Nov 1, 1983
when lithium started (yrs)MnFPolarity Unip.
International psychiatry, Nov 1, 2013
The series on mental health law returns to the Middle East with the two papers on Qatar and Jorda... more The series on mental health law returns to the Middle East with the two papers on Qatar and Jordan. In both these countries, compulsory psy chiatric care and treatment have not been supported to date adequately by specific legislation. In both countries, families appear to be the fulcrum of and the primary support for the treatment of patients with mental illness. A main concern arising out of this, in the light of this issue's editorial on gender differences and mental health in the Middle East, may therefore be the implications for the burden placed on women who have to look after relatives at home with a mental illness. Another concern is the appropriateness, nature and quality of compulsory treatment of those women in Qatar and Jordan alleged to be suffering from mental disorders. Have they been getting a fair and equitable deal compared with men?
The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) has a longstanding mission to promote the advanceme... more The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) has a longstanding mission to promote the advancement of mental health awareness, of prevention of mental illness and of evidence-based interventions aimed at recovery of mental and physical wellbeing worldwide. The WFMH has advocated for international developments working to establish mental health policy and improve human rights. The WFMH has focused on promoting a holistic approach to patient care through key international programmes advancing the concept of treating the whole person. Among these programmes we highlight the ground breaking Body and Mind campaign, Keeping Care Complete survey and the Diabetes and Depression Dialogue. The World Federation for Mental Health's Africa Initiative on the Mental Health Consequences of HIV/AIDS is a Call for Action for governments throughout Africa to give increased priority to the pressing need to improve the quality of mental health and psychosocial support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. The recent World Mental Health Day 2010 demonstrated a clear focus on the need to address mental health issues to achieve better compliance with treatment, health and social outcomes and improved quality of life for those living with chronic physical conditions. The WFMH's most recent global effort -The Great Pushfocuses on 4 main principles of Unity, Visibility, Rights and Recovery to emphasise the contribution of mental health to the overall disease burden worldwide. The WFMH has now joined with the INPCM in this international network to promote a person centered approach to care as a key area in international healthcare.
This position statement is an addendum to the one on the use and safety of electroconvulsive ther... more This position statement is an addendum to the one on the use and safety of electroconvulsive therapy that was prepared by the Section of Biological Psychiatry in 2004 and was eventually approved by the WPA General Assembly in 2005 1 .
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 1997
For the purpose of this study, a consecutive sample of 95 postpartum women were assessed at 1 wee... more For the purpose of this study, a consecutive sample of 95 postpartum women were assessed at 1 week postpartum with the (EPDS) and at 8 • 2 weeks postpartum using the Present State Examination (PSE). A moderate correlation between PSE total score and EPDS score was found (r = 0.57). A moderate agreement between EPDS and Catego diagnosis of depression was also found (Kappa = 0.52). Using a cut-off score of 12 on EPDS and Catego diagnosis as a criterion variable, the sensitivity and specificity of the scale were 73% and 90%, respectively. However, using a cut-off score of 10, the sensitivity of the scale rose to 91% without much fall in its specificity (84%). The internal reliability of the scale was 0.84 (~ Cronbach). We conclude that the Arabic version of the EPDS is a reliable and valid screening tool for depression in postpartum women.
Psychiatria Danubina, 2020
The aim of this study was to explore the co-morbidity between Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and... more The aim of this study was to explore the co-morbidity between Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Schizophrenia (SZ) among a large number of patients describing their clinical characteristics and rate of prevalence. A cohort-study was carried out on 396 patients affected by MDD and SZ who consecutively attended the Department of Psychiatry, Rumeilah Hospital in Qatar. We employed the World Health Organization -Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) for diagnoses. Patients were also grouped in MDD patients with and without co-morbid SZ (MDD vs MDD/SZ) for comparisons. Results: A total of 396 subjects were interviewed. MDD patients with comorbid SZ (146(36.8%)) were 42.69±14.33 years old whereas MDD without SZ patients (250 (63.2%)) aged 41.59±13.59. Statistically significant differences between MDD with SZ patients and MDD without SZ patients were: higher BMI (Body Mass Index) (p=0.025), lower family income (p=0.004), higher rate of cigarette smoking (p<0.001), and higher level of consanguinity (p=0.023). Also, statistically significant differences were found in General Health Score (p=0.017), Clinical Global Impression-BD Score (p=0.042), duration of illnesses (p=0.003), and Global Assessment of Functioning (p=0.012). Rates of anxiety dimensions (e.g.: general anxiety, agoraphobia, somatisation, etc.), mood dimensions (e.g.: major depression, mania, oppositional defiant behaviour, Bipolar disorder), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, psychotic and personality dimensions were higher among MDD with SZ patients than MDD without SZ. This study confirms that MDD with SZ is a common comorbidity especially among patients reporting higher level of consanguinity. MDD/SZ comorbidity presents unfavourable clinical characteristics and higher levels of morbidity at rating scales.
Drugs-education Prevention and Policy, 2005
BJPsych. International, 2016
Refugees have high rates of mental health morbidity as a result of conflict. However, their needs... more Refugees have high rates of mental health morbidity as a result of conflict. However, their needs for mental healthcare and psychosocial support are often unmet, despite the efforts of professional and humanitarian organisations. The war refugee crisis is a global challenge that needs a global solution. We call on all governments, regional and international organisations to take responsible humanitarian actions to intervene and support people affected by these disasters and for all humanity to unite against the forces of injustice and degradation. The thematic papers in this issue report on the Syrian crisis from a variety of perspectives.
British Journal of Psychiatry, 1990
The introduction of single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) has markedly enhanced ... more The introduction of single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) has markedly enhanced the study of brain function. The development of SPECT was the culmination of a series of investigations of cerebral blood flow (CBF) pioneered by Kety and Schmidt in the late 1940s combined with the introduction of transmission computerised tomography (CT) in the early 1960s, in which three-dimensional images are derived from two-dimensional data. Positron-emission tomography (PET), in addition to providing information on cerebral blood flow, also allows the evaluation of brain metabolism and neurotransmitter receptor function. However, the technology required for PET is expensive and sophisticated, with little prospect for general clinical application. Fortunately, SPECT is relatively cheap and is widely available for clinical use. We aim to review the principles and basic techniques of SPECT, its present utility and application to clinical practice, and its future potential in the inve...
British Journal of Psychiatry, 1990
Psychiatry's lack of understanding of the pathogenesis of mental disorders has resulted in th... more Psychiatry's lack of understanding of the pathogenesis of mental disorders has resulted in the attempt, within the antipsychiatry movement, to persuade the world that mental disorder does not exist (Szasz, 1961). Progress towards understanding the underlying biological bases of psychiatric syndromes has been impeded by two factors: (a) a most effective physical barrier – the skull; and (b) dichotomous thinking of structure on the one hand and function on the other.
Person Centered Psychiatry, 2016
A person-centred approach is uniquely befitting for the optimal comprehensive assessment and inte... more A person-centred approach is uniquely befitting for the optimal comprehensive assessment and integrated treatment of addictions; addictions particularly addiction to illegal drugs have for long been considered criminal, immoral, self-inflicted conditions and importantly the most stigmatizing health conditions in all communities and cultures. In recent decades, addictions have been dignified by their recognitions as serious health conditions included under mental disorders in international classification systems and accumulating evidence for an effective treatment and preventative interventions that now shape policy including issues of decriminalization and legalization. In this chapter, we provide an overview of substance use disorders (SUD): their characteristics including characteristics of people prone to SUD and of their environment; their ethology from life history narrative and the rationale for person-centered approach in their assessment, treatment and prevention with reference to international perspectives, models of care, and experience.
International Journal of Culture and Mental Health, 2016
Co-occurrence of bipolar disorder (BD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and di... more Co-occurrence of bipolar disorder (BD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and difficult comorbid condition to manage. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of comorbidity with OCD among BD patients in a highly endogamous population. A cohort study was carried out on 396 patients enrolled between November 2011 and October 2013. Patients were grouped in BD patients with OCD (BD-OCD) and BD patients without OCD, rated for mania and depression and scored for OCD morbidity. We found significant differences in level of education (p = 0.022), occupation status (p = 0.025), household income, (p = 0.049), cigarette smoking (p = 0.038), sheesha smoking (narghile, water pipe, hookah or hubble bubble smoking) (p = 0.007) and prevalence of consanguinity (p = 0.036) among these groups. Number of hospitalizations and Young Mania Rating Scale score were not different among BD patients with or without OCD, whereas there were significant differences in Ham-D score, Clinical Global Impression for bipolar disorder Score, duration of illnesses and Global Assessment of Functioning. Also, specific phobia, somatization, depression, mania, any mood disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and personality disorder were more common in BD than OCD-BD group. This study confirms that BD-OCD is a common comorbidity, largely under-recognized in clinical practice, which may significantly change BD presentation and outcome.
Psychiatric Bulletin, 1991
There has been considerable interest in doctors' interviewing skills during the last few deca... more There has been considerable interest in doctors' interviewing skills during the last few decades (Nuffield Working Party, 1978). Despite this interest, there has been no consensus as to how these skills may be taught to medical students. We describe the ongoing evolution of a teaching package for these skills as taught by the Liverpool University Department of Psychiatry.
Principles and Practice of Geriatric Psychiatry
The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine, 2011
The first issue of this quarterly journal will be published at the end of March 2011 and contains... more The first issue of this quarterly journal will be published at the end of March 2011 and contains papers from Third Geneva Conference on Person-centered Medicine and the Conceptual Bases of Psychiatry for the Person as well as other articles. The IJPCM is launched when the importance of PCM is gaining ever-greater recognition.Though science, ethics and care are the enduring traditions of the medical profession, it is PCM, in attending to the whole person and the biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of health which unifies these strands. Significantly, the WHO is now placing people/person at the centre of healthcare and public health, and has started discussions on adding the dimension of spirituality. The Editorial Board of this important international Journal is drawn from all major medical specialities and health disciplines and is constituted by the world's most distinguished thinkers in the field. Regional Editors have been appointed for North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania Professor Andrew Miles said: 'The IJPCM, creating as it does an international forum for the exchange of ideas and the promotion of scholarly debate, is an extremely important contribution to the advancement and operationalisation of humanistic medicine in our times. I am honoured to be invited to be the inaugural Editor-in-Chief at this exciting time of paradigmatic change within medicine. I recommend the journal as essential reading for all clinicians and trainees and to all those academic disciplines with an interest in or responsibility for the promotion of person and people-centered medicine'.
Psychiatric Bulletin, 1992
As part of an ongoing educational audit of the process, content, and outcome of higher training i... more As part of an ongoing educational audit of the process, content, and outcome of higher training in the Mersey Region, the Senior Registrar Tutor (MA-S) and the Psychotherapy Speciality Tutor (MG) organised a whole-day workshop for the senior registrars, involving them in internal audit as well as providing an experience of strategic thinking on the impact of NHS changes on higher training. We modified a package used in industry for strategic planning called the Quick Environmental Scanning Technique (QUEST) (Nanus, 1984). The QUEST process involves two whole-day meetings usually separated by a month which we condensed and adapted to one day, alternating large group discussion with small group work.
Psychiatric Bulletin, 1985
Journal of Psychopharmacology, 1994
One hundred and eighty three patients with DSM-III-R major depressive illness were allocated rand... more One hundred and eighty three patients with DSM-III-R major depressive illness were allocated randomly to treatment with one of two new generation antidepressants, fluoxetine and lofepramine. Both patient groups had significantly lower mean scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) 6 weeks after entry to the trial (p < 0.001), but there were no differences between the groups, either at baseline or after 6 weeks, in total HRDS score or in subscores for anxiety or suicidality. Anticholinergic side effects were commoner with lofepramine; adverse effects were on the whole mild and few patients dropped out because of them. This study does not support previous claims of specific adverse effects of fluoxetine on anxiety and suicidality.
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Papers by Mohammed Abou-Saleh