Mohammed A. Alarabi

SIRS 2026, held under the theme “Schizophrenia Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” brought together researchers, clinicians, and persons with lived experience to take stock of a field whose tools for measuring, predicting, and intervening in psychosis have expanded rapidly. Themes spanned artificial intelligence, automated speech analysis, retinal imaging, computational modelling, and novel psychosocial and pharmacological targets, with evidence that, individually, warrants cautious but serious attention and that, collectively, points toward a more mechanistically grounded psychiatry. A recurring call across the meeting was for rigorous external validation, equitable implementation, and sustained scrutiny of underlying assumptions, including whether existing diagnostic categories and treatment targets remain adequate. Some areas remained underworked relative to their importance, including translating basic neuroscience advances into questions relevant to patients and families, and the structural determinants of illness onset and treatment access. Perhaps the most significant development at SIRS 2026 was not any single scientific finding but the broadening of whose voices and experiences are treated as evidence worth taking seriously in this era of AI, a shift whose consolidation remains a question for the field as much as for any individual programme of work.

Introduction: Despite the increasing use of the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE) in psychopathology research, no Arabic translation and adaptation has, to our knowledge, been published. Methods: The process of Arabic translation and adaptation of the EASE checklist and manual was conducted through a staged process that included forward translation by an independent medical translator, iterative expert review for semantic and conceptual equivalence, monolingual Arabic review, and final harmonization. Particular attention was given to difficult technical terms and to the descriptions of EASE items, in order to facilitate the exploration of subtle anomalous self-experiences through semi-structured clinical interviews. Additional explanatory footnotes and references were added to the Arabic EASE manual to improve comprehensibility and clinical usability. Conclusion: The present work provides the first Arabic translation and cultural-linguistic adaptation of the EASE checklist and manual. The Arabic EASE is intended for use in clinical and research settings where the exploration of schizophrenia spectrum psychopathology is conducted in Arabic, provided that the examiner has adequate training and familiarity with the instrument and the phenomena explored. Future studies are needed to examine the reliability and clinical utility of the translated instrument in Arabic-speaking populations.

The circadian clock is an internal, ~ 24-hour biological timer that synchronizes physiology with the day-night cycle. Social jetlag. (SJL) describes

Major international sporting events frequently impose exogenous demands that challenge adult circadian rhythms, often leading to the misalignment of sleep-wake cycles and social schedules. This cross-sectional study investigated the impact of the FIFA 2022 World Cup on adult sleep patterns to assess the prevalence and determinants of tournament-associated circadian disruption. Through an online survey, we captured data on sleep duration, timing, and subjective quality from a diverse adult population using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score. The results indicate that 81.3% had high problematic sleep according to PSQI scores, while only 9% perceived that their sleep pattern was impacted by watching matches during the tournament. While 83.7% of the participants had low or mild anxiety according to GAD-7 scores, we found that GAD-7 scores correlated significantly with PSQI scores. Married participants had significantly lower PSQI scores (RR 0.856, p = .005), while those who reported that their sleep hours had changed during the tournament had significantly higher PSQI scores (1.180, P-value P-value <0.001). In conclusion, our data demonstrate a discrepancy between self-perception of sleep quality and self-rated assessment by PSQI scores, as well as the substantial impact of major international sporting events on adult sleep hygiene. The results provide data-driven insights helpful in evaluating potential circadian risks and informing public health strategies for major sporting events such as the FIFA world cup. Graphical

Background: Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric syndrome among hospitalized patients and has been associated with increased short- and long-term mortality. However, data on long-term outcomes and prognostic significance remain limited, particularly in Middle Eastern populations. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Adult patients admitted to medical, surgical, and intensive care units (ICUs) underwent standardized clinical neuropsychiatric assessment for delirium. Five-year follow-up data were obtained from electronic health records and phone follow-up with patients/caregivers. Clinical outcomes and survival were compared between patients with and without baseline delirium. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis assessed five-year survival, and Cox regression explored the association between delirium and time-to-death adjusting for medical/psychiatric morbidity. Results: Among 278 patients, 71 (25.5%) were diagnosed with delirium during initial hospitalization. At five years, 51 patients (18.3%) had died. Patients with delirium had higher mortality (35.2% vs. 12.6%, p < 0.001), reduced five-year survival, and greater cumulative ward and ICU stays. In Cox regression including 50 deaths with complete data, delirium at initial assessment was associated with a higher hazard of death during follow-up (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.06–3.55). Older age per year (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.04), kidney disease (HR 2.12, 95% CI 1.20–3.75), and psychiatric disorders (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.17–3.97) were independently associated with a higher hazard of death. Conclusions: Delirium was associated with increased five-year mortality and adverse long-term clinical outcomes. These findings support the prognostic significance of delirium in hospitalized patients.

Background: Large sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, attract global attention and raise questions about psychological impact. Anxiety is among the most common mental health symptoms, but little is known about its predictors during international tournaments. This study explored predictors of anxiety during the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,331 respondents mostly residing in Saudi Arabia who completed an online survey during the FIFA 2022 World Cup (November–December 2022). The survey included sociodemographic variables, items related to the World Cup viewing habits, perceived effects of the tournament, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. Results: Although most respondents reported minimal anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 median score = 5, IQR = 6), 41.5% of the sample felt that watching the World Cup made them feel nervous. Females and younger adults reported significantly higher GAD-7 scores ( p < 0.001). Employment status and method of watching the matches were not significant predictors. Regression modelling revealed that age, gender, and perceived sleep disruption predicted 9.1% of the variance in GAD-7 scores ( p < 0.001). Younger age was the strongest predictor, while perceived sleep disturbance related to watching the matches predicted higher GAD-7 scores. Conclusions: This was a population-based study of anxiety during the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Younger adults were more likely to report elevated anxiety, and sleep disruption was linked to higher GAD-7 scores. These findings highlight modifiable and non-modifiable predictors of anxiety and may inform public health strategies ahead of FIFA 2026.

Introduction: The circadian clock is an internal, ∼24-hour biological timer that synchronizes physiology with the day-night cycle. Social jetlag (SJL) describes the misalignment between this internal clock and social schedules, a condition affecting approximately 70% of the population and linked to a spectrum of metabolic, mental, and cognitive health issues. This study examined how the 2022 FIFA World Cup disrupted normal children’s sleep routines and other associated factors from parents’ prospect. Methods: An online, cross-sectional survey was distributed to parents (N=848). The questionnaire collected sociodemographic data, children’s habitual sleep habits, and changes perceived during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. SJL was defined as a ≥1-hour delay in bedtime on weekends versus weekdays. Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with perceived sleep changes and SJL. Results: Over half (53.4%) of the children exhibited pre-existing weekend SJL. Children aged 5-11 (OR=1.847, p<0.001), higher socioeconomic status (OR=1.383, p<0.001), international residency (OR=2.845, p<0.001) were significant predictors of baseline weekend SJL. During the tournament, 33% and 17.8% of parents reported their children had delayed sleep (≥1 hour) on weekdays and weekends due to match watching, respectively. Regression analysis revealed that these parental perceived FIFA impact on their children sleep was significantly associated with weekdays SJL OR= 1.958, p=0.001 and weekends OR= 1.784, p=0.009 during the FIFIA season. Discussion: Our findings indicate that major social events can exacerbate circadian misalignment and SJL, likely driven by social conformation. The high prevalence of baseline SL confirms it is a widespread pediatric health issue. The vulnerability of the 5-11 age group shows SJL is not exclusively an adolescent problem. Conclusion: Major sporting events significantly disrupt children’s sleep schedules, compounding the public health issue of chronic SJL. Proactive guidance for families is needed during such events. More importantly, these findings underscore the urgent need for structural changes to align social schedules with pediatric circadian biology.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of mortality among adolescents and young adults, with suicidal ideation and attempts representing critical predictors of suicide-related outcomes. Although global evidence highlights rising trends in suicidal behaviors, regional patterns remain varied. In the MENAT region (Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey), where cultural stigma, conflict, and insufficient mental health infrastructure may exacerbate vulnerability, evidence remains fragmented. This study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the prevalence, risk factors, and protective factors associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among young people in the MENAT region. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251101524) and conducted following PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search of six electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO) was conducted for studies published between January 2010 and June 2025. Eligible studies were observational in design, published in English, and reported the prevalence of suicidal ideation or suicide attempts among individuals aged ≤25 years in the MENAT region. Many included studies relied on single-item measures of suicidality rather than validated multi-item scales, which was considered when interpreting results. Pooled prevalence and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects models. Heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias were examined. A total of 47 studies encompassing 115,152 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation was 25% (95% CI: 0.19–0.31), while suicide attempts were reported by 12% (95% CI: 0.06–0.19). Suicidal ideation reached as high as 52.7% in individual studies from Jordan, while suicide attempts were most prevalent in studies from Kuwait. Female gender, bullying (OR = 1.6), loneliness (OR = 2.2), substance use, including smoking (OR = 2.0), alcohol (OR = 3.0), and amphetamines (OR = 3.5), as well as depression (OR = 1.5), anxiety (OR = 2.1) and history of sexual abuse (OR = 2.0) were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Suicide attempts were strongly linked to alcohol (OR = 3.0), cannabis use (OR = 1.7), anxiety (OR = 3.1), depression (OR = 1.5), and a history of sexual abuse (OR = 2.2). Evidence on protective factors such as family connectedness, religiosity, and social support was limited and inconsistently reported across studies, highlighting a major research gap in understanding resilience factors among youth in the MENAT region. Suicidal ideation and attempts are prevalent among young people in the MENAT region and were significantly associated with psychosocial stressors and substance use. However, the reliance of many included studies on single-item assessments of suicidality limits the precision and comparability of estimates. These findings highlight the urgent need for culturally tailored, evidence-based suicide prevention strategies and enhanced mental health services in this vulnerable population. Not applicable.