UNASSIGNED: Nurses, comprising the largest profession in healthcare, play a significant role in the identification and management of mental health disorders in hospitals.
UNASSIGNED: The study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of non-psychiatric nurses and their encounters with depressive patients throughout their careers.
UNASSIGNED: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study with 400 non-psychiatric nurses from different hospitals in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq during October and November 2022. The independent Student\'s t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and binary logistic regression were used to assess possible factors associated with knowledge and attitude toward depression.
UNASSIGNED: In this study, 400 non-psychiatric nurses were examined, revealing a mean age of 31.57 ± 8.59 years. Their mean scores for knowledge and attitude toward depression were 5.41 out of a maximum of 11 (standard deviation 1.15) and 5.15 out of 18 (standard deviation 1.83), respectively. Notably, differences in mean knowledge scores were observed concerning participant marital status (P = .044), while disparities in mean attitude scores are related to participant gender (P = .010). Upon binary logistic regression analysis, none of the independent variables exhibited an association with good knowledge. Nevertheless, gender emerged as a significant factor influencing attitude toward depression (odds ratio: 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.30-0.86; P = .012). Subsequently, in the multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, gender sustained significance (adjusted odds ratio: 0.573; 95% confidence interval: 0.348-0.942; P = .028) as the key variable impacting attitudes toward depression among non-psychiatric nurses.
UNASSIGNED: Based on the results of this study, nurses have insufficient awareness and management skills for depression. It has been experienced and reported that nurses lack knowledge and an attitude toward depression management. The study highlights a significant gap in nurses\' skills for managing depression, urging the immediate improvement of training programs. Customizing these programs to enhance nurses\' abilities in identifying and managing depression is crucial.

BACKGROUND: Treatment adherence is a primary key in controlling diabetes disease. The study aims to determine the prevalence of treatment adherence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, investigate the potential influence of adherence on elevated blood glucose levels, and identify the key factors which play a role in non-adherence to the prescribed drugs.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study method was utilized to collect data from all T2DM patients at the Diabetic and Endocrine Centre and Shar Hospital in Sulaymaniyah city in the Kurdistan region of Iraq from February 2022 to April 2022. The data collection was performed through a structured questionnaire. The prevalence of drug adherence was assessed using the Morisky Medication-Taking Adherence Scale (4-item), and the glycated hemoglobin test (A1C) was used to determine the blood glucose level.
RESULTS: A total of 300 participants were studied, and more than half of them (192; 64%) revealed that they did not adhere to their anti-diabetic medications. Non-adherence was significantly associated with higher A1C. Several barriers to non-adherence were identified as multiple medications, feeling the dose given is high, lack of finance, and side effects by 209 (70%), 116 (39%), 113 (38%), and 103 (34%), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The current study\'s result revealed that most T2DM patients have no adherence to their medication. This non-adherence is significantly linked to higher A1C levels, emphasizing the critical role of medication compliance in managing diabetes effectively. The study also sheds light on the multiple barriers such as taking multiple prescriptions, the perception that the dose is excessive, lack of finances, and experiencing side effects, which contribute to non-adherence among diabetes patients. These findings underscore the need for healthcare providers to address these barriers and develop tailored strategies to enhance medication adherence among individuals with diabetes.

Thalassemia major is one of the health problems in Iraq, especially in Kurdistan. Pre-marriage mandatory preventive screening program was established in Kurdistan in 2008, which allowed us to study the prevalence of different hemoglobinopathies among newly married young adults in this region. A total of 1154 subjects (577 couples) attending the Koya district, premarital Health center, were screened using red cell indices. Those who had mean corpuscular volume (MCV)<80 fl and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)<27 pg had high-performance liquid chromatography and iron studies. Out of 1154 individuals that were evaluated, 183 (11.9%) had low MCV and MCH. Of the former 183 subjects, 69 (5.97%) had β-thalassemia trait, 10 (0.86%) had δβ-thalassemia trait, and no other hemoglobinopathies were recorded in our study. There was second-degree consanguinity in 4.7% of all 577 couples. In two couples, both partners had β-thalassemia trait and both were consanguineous. Both couples decided to separate after counseling. Based on the current study, the role of the premarital screening program in decreasing the number of new thalassemia major cases among the Kurdish population is laudable. Therefore, mandatory premarital screening is advised in all parts of Iraq.

OBJECTIVE: The suicide rate has increased in Iraq in recent years, making it a major public health concern. This systematic review examines the prevalence of suicidal behaviours in the Iraq and Kurdistan region.
METHODS: This study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines, conducting searches on PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Out of 153 initially identified publications, only 18 full articles met the inclusion criteria, with 135 articles excluded due to reasons such as eligibility criteria, duplication, predatory publications and lack of relevance and lack of quality data.
RESULTS: The suicide crude rate in Iraq (excluding Kurdistan) rose from 1.09 to 1.31 per 100,000 between 2015 and 2016, while Kurdistan had an estimated rate of 3.83 per 100,000 during the same period. Limited data on reference group sizes and population figures make specific rate calculations challenging. Suicide is more prevalent among women, those aged 15-40, and individuals with mental disorders. Contributing factors include domestic violence, mental health issues, and traditional norms. Urban residents generally have higher suicide rates than rural residents. Common suicide behaviours include self-immolation, hanging, firearms, jumping from heights, and self-poisoning with pesticides.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of suicide in Iraq, as indicated by this systematic review, requires urgent attention and effective public health initiatives. The interplay of social, economic, cultural, and psychological factors emphasizes the need for comprehensive prevention programs. Additionally, a crucial requirement is the implementation of a standardised method for collecting suicide data to improve epidemiological understanding.

A new species, Veronicakurdistanica (Plantaginaceae), is described and illustrated. It grows on limestone cliffs in mountainous alpine areas of western Iran (Kurdistan province). The new species belongs to the species group of V.kurdica and is considered to be closely related to V.daranica, V.khorassanica and V.kurdica, with which the new species is compared. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of nrDNA (ITS) region confirms this relationship. Veronicakurdistanica is distinguished from the mentioned species by its glandular indumentum, length and shape of leaves and bracts, number of flowers per raceme, length and width of calyx and corolla, and size of capsules and seeds.

BACKGROUND: There are many dimensions regarding autism that are closely connected to social structures, policies, and power dynamics, silently impacting the well-being of individuals within the autism spectrum. This research aims to explore these overlooked aspects using a theoretical framework called \"structural violence.\"
METHODS: The study was conducted in Kurdistan, Iran, and a qualitative longitudinal approach was chosen. A purposive sampling method was employed to select the participants, with 11 parents taking part. The study data comprised 29 interviews using a topic guide conducted over a span of 2 years. Thematic analysis and a matrix-based approach were utilized for data analysis. To enhance the scientific rigor of this research, four criteria, including Guba and Lincoln\'s principles, were implemented to ensure methodological accuracy.
RESULTS: The research findings highlight four primary forms through which structural violence impacts children on the autism spectrum and their families: access to healthcare, geographic disparities, awareness and stigma, and poverty and financial burden. Additionally, the study identified 11 subthemes related to structural violence in the context of autism and families.
CONCLUSIONS: We illustrated how structural forces create barriers to accessing adequate healthcare services, exacerbate discrimination based on ethnicity and geography, perpetuate stigma, and contribute to poverty and the inability to meet basic needs. These factors not only worsen health issues but also deepen existing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes for children on the autism spectrum and families. We emphasize the urgent need for systemic changes to address these issues. It is essential to promote public awareness, provide better access to health and support services, and address economic and political factors that contribute to these inequalities.

Women turn to Kolberi for various reasons, which cause numerous challenges for them. Thus, it is imperative to identify these causes and problems. Since no study has ever been undertaken to deal with this participant, the present research aims to identify the causes and consequences of Kolberi among Kurdish women in Iran.
The present research uses the grounded theory approach to investigate 28 female Kurdish Kolbers. To achieve several participants, purposive, snowball, and theoretical sampling methods were used, while face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The process of data collection and analysis took 10 months, from April to December 2022. The data were analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin method and MAXQDA-20018 software. The Guba and Lincoln criteria were also met to increase the trustworthiness of the results.
Analysis of the data led to 143 initial codes, 31 subcategories, and 9 main categories: Causal condition (individual characteristics and economic factors); predisposing conditions (social and cultural factors, familial factors); intervening conditions (advantages and characteristics of Kolberi); strategies (strengthening compatibility with Kolberi); and consequences (individual problems, social problems and positive consequences).
Measures such as training occupational skills for women and providing employment conditions for them, increasing social, financial, and mental support for women without guardians, creating border markets, and expanding women\'s handicrafts can help prevent female Kolberi.

Caring for children with different developmental trajectories brings various challenges, which are often exacerbated in low-resource settings. International research has shown that raising a child with autism strongly impacts family caregivers, particularly mothers. There is a dearth of information regarding caregiving for individuals with autism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and for fathers as well as mothers. This study examined the similarities and differences in caregiving for mothers and fathers of a child with autism in KRI using validated rating scales to measure various aspects of their general well-being. Over two years, a sample of 118 parents of individuals with autism (81 mothers and 37 fathers) self-completed the rating scales, which were further discussed through individual interviews with service personnel mainly known to them. The findings indicated that mothers and fathers were similarly impacted. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the ratings of their general health, sources of stress, family functioning, and satisfaction with caregiving, the majority of parents had elevated ratings on all the measures. In addition, parents who rated their children higher on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist had significantly higher scores on their general health issues and were less satisfied with their caregiving role. Parents of female individuals with autism were also significantly more stressed compared to the male individuals with autism and parents of children who received a diagnosis before three years of age, reported fewer behavioral problems with their child compared to the parents who received a diagnosis when the child was older. In this sample, mothers and fathers seem to be similarly impacted by caring for a child with autism, which is contrary to findings from other countries. However, in this region, family bonds between couples and the wider family may have had an influence which further cross-cultural research in low-resource settings could help elucidate, notwithstanding the challenges this poses. The findings have policy implications for health authorities in the KRI to improve the support provided to both mothers and fathers who care for children with autism, which presently is rarely available to them.

BACKGROUND:  Cervix intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) refers to abnormal changes in the squamous cells of the cervix, with more significant changes known as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) occurring in grades II and III.
OBJECTIVE:  The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and explore potential risk factors for HSIL among women living in the Kurdistan region, Iraq.
METHODS:  The research encompassed a sample size of 1300 female participants whose Papanicolaou (pap) smears were taken in several hospitals located within the Kurdistan region. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of cervical infection among these women. This was a multi-centre study conducted from January 2021 to the end of December 2021 for the determination of pap smears and the relationship between CIN and cervical cancer. Only 120 (9.23%) of those 1300 participants suffered from cervical or vaginal problems. A pap smear, also known as a pap test, is a routine screening procedure used to detect abnormal cervical cells that may indicate cervical cancer or precancerous conditions. The procedure involves collecting a sample of cells from the cervix.
RESULTS:  The most important details in this study are the age groups and percentages of women who have undergone a pap smear. There were four women who tested positive for cervical cancer, accounting for 3.33% of the 120 participants with cervical or vaginal problems. However, there were 116 (96.67%) women who tested negative. With regard to the distribution of inflammation rates among the participants with cervical or vaginal problems, there were 114 (95%) women who suffered inflammation, whereas there were six (5%) women without inflammation. In each age group, the numbers of women with and without cervical cancer, as well as the corresponding percentages, were considered. The data suggest that the incidence of cervical cancer tends to increase with age since higher percentages were observed in older age groups. The study highlights the importance of regular screenings and age-specific cervical cancer prevention and detection strategies to ensure early diagnosis and effective medical interventions.
CONCLUSIONS:  The prevalence of cervical cancer cases was relatively low, with only 0.31% of the total participants diagnosed with cervical cancer. The majority, accounting for 99.69%, did not have cervical cancer. These results highlight the importance of pap smear screenings as a valuable tool for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. They also highlight the importance of regular screenings, especially for younger women, to detect and treat cervical abnormalities at an early stage.

β-thalassemia is a prevalent inherited red cell disorder in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. To determine the chromosomal background of the frequent β-thalassemia mutations in the latter region, we investigated the β-globin gene cluster haplotypes in 202 β-thalassemia chromosomes. Haplotypes analysis utilized restriction fragment length polymorphism-PCR of seven restriction sites through the β-globin gene cluster. It was observed that IVS-II-1 (G > A) was mainly associated with haplotype III (68.8%), IVS-1-110 (G > A), codon 8/9 (+G) and codon 44 (-C) with haplotype I (in 90.0%, 100%, and 62.5% respectively), IVS-1-6 (T > C) with haplotype VI (97.4%), codon 8 (-AA) with haplotype IV (75%), codon 5(-CT) and IVS1.1 (G > A) with haplotype V (55.6% and 58.3% respectively), while codon 39 (C > T) and IVS1.5 (G > C) were mainly associated with haplotype VII (85.7% and 75% respectively). These observations support the notion that while some mutations may have originated in the Kurdistan region, others were more likely brought in by gene flow from neighboring countries or the Indian subcontinent. The association of some β-thalassemia defects with more than one haplotype may be due to mutations or recombination events.