ORCID Profile
0000-0003-2859-2100
Current Organisations
Université de Montréal
,
United Arab Emirates University
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Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 12-02-2021
Abstract: he COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis in the world of information and digital literacy. The amount of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 that has circulated through social media (SM) since January 2020 is notably significant and it has been linked to rising levels of anxiety and fear amongst SM users. The COVID-19 'infodemic' was singled out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and several newly published studies as one of the causes of anxiety, depression, and fear amongst the global population his study aimed to assess SM practices during COVID-19 and investigates their impact on well-being. n online infodemic cross-sectional survey was distributed via different SM platforms in the United Arab Emirates and other countries. Adults above 18 years of age were invited to complete an online survey that covered multiple domains, including the WHO-5 Well-being Index. he study sheds light on the use of SM during the pandemic and its impact on well-being throughout the novel coronavirus pandemic. Out of 993 participants, 73% were females, 76% were non-Emirati, 91% university graduates, and 50% were employed in various occupations, of which 20% were health care professionals. Participants indicated that they acquired COVID-19 related information primarily from social media, of which WhatsApp was the most accessed. Most participants reported sharing the information after the verification. The mean well-being score was 12.6 ±5.6 with 49% of participants had poor well-being (WHO-5 score .5). The adjusted linear regression showed that Facebook usage was negatively associated with well-being score. Also, high time-usage was associated with poorer well-being. When adjusting for other factors, including low confidence in information around COVID-19 and poor knowledge overall, SM usage was significantly associated with poorer well-being ocial media practices during emergencies and disasters may impact public well-being. Authorities are advised to step in to minimize the spread of misinformation and more frequent use of social media, as it may influence well-being leading to increased levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. Public health specialists, information technology and communication experts should collaborate to limit the infodemic effect on communities.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2021
Abstract: It is well established that 1 in 50 in iduals receives a diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Within body image disorders, there is genital retraction syndrome also known as Koro. A unique syndrome in which there is a heightened belief that one’s genitals will diminish in size, retract into the abdomen and ultimately lead to death. However, we have recently discovered a separate form of BDD that is directly opposite of Koro, in which the patient presents a strong belief that his penis will enlarge and extend out of their body. We present a unique case report of a counter-Koro syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by the delusion that one’s penis is growing larger and that it will result in its extreme protrusion from the abdomen and a consequent fear of recurring and visible erections. Given its mirror-like presentation and uniqueness to occurring only in males, we refer to it as Roko Syndrome. To our knowledge, this syndrome has not yet been reported in the literature and requires further study to understand whether it fits as a separate syndrome or falls along the spectrum of body dysmorphia. Thus, assessments used to identify body image disorders can be broadened to include items representing the behavior and presentation of Roko that we delineate in comparison of Koro. The new syndrome is also easily distinguishable from a priapism which is a urological emergency.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 07-2021
DOI: 10.1177/26318318211028845
Abstract: Koro syndrome has been colorfully described as a pathological distortion of one’s body image of the genital organ. In Koro, body image dysphoria is characterized by severe anxiety related to the delusional idea that one’s genitals will shrink and retract into one’s abdomen, eventually leading to death. This syndrome was first reported in South East Asia, where endemics have been described, but it has also sporadically occurred globally. We present a systematic literature review on Koro syndrome and report 7 cases from Canada. A search review with PubMed and Google Scholar resulted in 504 entries. Sixty-seven manuscripts were eventually selected following a thorough elimination process. The resultant literature underscored the cultural ersity that underlay the reported cases. Various aspects of Koro have been examined (eg, etiological, clinical, diagnostic, and cultural aspects). It has stimulated substantial scholarly debate, discussions, correspondences, and arguments from anthropological, psychiatric, psychological, and biological perspectives. In our series, it seems that Koro could have been misattributed here. The primary concern was not with penile retraction of the cases. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a series of cases is documented from North America where the syndrome is often ignored. We highlight the potential differences between the classical Koro syndrome and a collection of beliefs related to the perception or delusion of penile retraction in other codable psychiatric disorders, Koro-like syndrome. Understanding Koro syndrome beyond geographic boundaries is in line with our collected case reports of Koro from outside Asia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCHRES.2017.05.027
Abstract: Our objective was to assess the generalizability, across sites and cognitive contexts, of schizophrenia classification based on functional brain connectivity. We tested different training-test scenarios combining fMRI data from 191 schizophrenia patients and 191 matched healthy controls obtained at 6 scanning sites and under different task conditions. Diagnosis classification accuracy generalized well to a novel site and cognitive context provided data from multiple sites were used for classifier training. By contrast, lower classification accuracy was achieved when data from a single distinct site was used for training. These findings indicate that it is beneficial to use multisite data to train fMRI-based classifiers intended for large-scale use in the clinical realm.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 12-06-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.11.20128371
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic originated in Wuhan, China on December 31 st and spread into international borders, leading to a public health crisis and complete shutdown of countries. The strict quarantine measures taken by governments kept a large number of people, around the world, in isolation and affected many aspects of people’s lives. These unprecedented changes triggered a wide variety of psychological problems ranging from panic disorders, anxiety and depression. In this study, we aim to explore anxiety levels among parents, teachers and the general community amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE, as well as identify emotional and anxiety disorders in children. Using a web-based cross-sectional survey we collected data from 2,200 self-selected assessed volunteers. Demographic information, knowledge and beliefs about COVID-19, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using the (GAD-7) scale, emotional problems in children using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), worry and fear about COVID-19, coping mechanisms and general health information were collected. The overall prevalence of GAD in the general population was 71% with younger people (59.8%) and females (51.7%) reporting the highest levels of anxiety. Parents who were teachers reported the highest percentage of emotional problems in children (26.7%) compared to parents only (14.6%) or teachers only (4.7%). Multivariate logistic regression for GAD-7 score showed that females, participants who felt public fear was justifiable, persons who worried about COVID-19, persons who intended to take the COVID-19 vaccine and smokers were all associated with anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression for SDQ showed parents who had severe anxiety levels were 7 times more likely to report more emotional problems in their children (OR=7.00, 95% CI, 3.45 to 14.0) than less anxious parents. Findings suggest the urgency of policy makers to develop effective screening and coping strategies for parents and teachers and more specifically for vulnerable children.
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 05-10-2020
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-66841/V1
Abstract: Background : Studies have investigated the psychosocial impact of infectious disease outbreaks in adults however, there is limited information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and the general UAE community. The aim of this study was to explore anxiety levels among parents, teachers and the general community amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE, as well as to identify emotional and anxiety disorders in children. Methods : Using a web-based cross-sectional survey we collected data from 2,200 self-selected, assessed volunteers. Demographic information, knowledge and beliefs about COVID-19, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using the (GAD-7) scale , emotional problems in children using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), worry and fear about COVID-19, coping mechanisms and general health information were collected. Results : The overall prevalence of GAD in the general population was 71% with younger people (59.8%) and females (51.7%) reporting highest levels of anxiety. Parents who were teachers reported the highest percentage of emotional problems in children (26.7%). Multivariate logistic regression for GAD-7 scores showed that being female, reporting high levels of worry associated with COVID-19, intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine and smoking were associated with higher levels of anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression for SDQ showed that parents with severe anxiety were seven times more likely to report emotional problems in their children than less anxious parents. Conclusions : This study is among the first to report the psychological impact of COVID-19 among adults and children in the UAE, and to highlight the significant association between parental and child anxiety. Findings suggest the urgency for policy makers to develop effective screening and coping strategies for parents and especially children.
No related grants have been discovered for Emmanuel Stip.