Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent among patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with approximately 52% meeting criteria for comorbid MDD. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis mainly investigated the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with PTSD, and to a lesser degree MDD.Methods Seven databases were searched on March 7, 2026. Using a 60 mg dose cutoff, two meta-analyses were conducted: a mean effect estimation of all experimental arms without control, and a subgroup analysis comparing MDMA-assisted therapy to control in patients with PTSD.Results Participants receiving MDMA-assisted therapy in a blinded setting showed a standardized mean difference between of −0.795 (95% CI −1.481, −0.109; I2 = 59%) on Beck’s depression inventory (BDI-II), favoring MDMA. However, the significance of this analysis was highly sensitive to study inclusion warranting cautious interpretation of the result. Experimental groups in unblinded settings showed a mean change of −18.13 points.Conclusion MDMA-assisted therapy in blinded settings is associated with reduced depressive symptoms in patients with PTSD. Future research should increase reporting on depressive changes following MDMA-assisted therapy for patients with PTSD and conduct large, randomized controlled trials for MDD.
Introduction Somalia’s prolonged conflict has weakened health services, leaving oral health largely outside of functioning primary care and financed mainly through private clinics.Theory Oral diseases share risk factors with non-communicable diseases, particularly free sugar and tobacco use, which supports the integration of oral health into primary care.Method This rapid communication aims to synthesize evidence on Somalia’s oral health needs and to propose prevention-first reforms aligned with the World Health Organization ‘sagenda for universal health coverage.Results Most Somalia-specific disease statistics are World Health Organization-modeled estimates rather than nationally representative survey measurements. These findings indicate significant unmet needs, high rates of untreated caries, and substantial severe periodontal disease. A study suggests that people often seek care late, but population-level data are lacking. Evidence largely from outside Somalia suggests that miswak use can reduce plaque and gingival inflammation and that khat chewing is linked to poor periodontal outcomes. Noma risk factors, including poverty and malnutrition, are present among vulnerable children, although Somalia-specific noma surveillance data are sparse.Discussion We propose, as priorities for piloting and evaluation rather than proven interventions, a national roadmap that embeds oral health services in primary care, scales task-sharing, strengthens regulation, expands access to fluoride toothpaste, and builds surveillance.
Aim To evaluate systematically the incidence of flare-ups and the occurrence and severity of postoperative pain following nonsurgical root canal treatment in patients with and without diabetes mellitus.Methods PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library electronic database were searched using explicit keywords to identify clinical studies concerning flare up post endodontic treatment for diabetic versus nondiabetic patients. Observational cohort, case control, cross sectional studies or clinical trials whether randomized or non-randomized were included. The ROBINS-I tool was utilized to assess risk of bias for non-randomized trials.Results A total of nine studies were assessed using ROBINS-I. One study was classified as having low risk of bias, six as having moderate risk, and two as having serious risk. Total of 381 diabetic patients and 871 nondiabetic were assessed at different follow- up time toward a maximum of 4 years. A higher incidence of postoperative flare-ups and pain was reported among diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic individuals. The controlled diabetic had comparable post-operative pain to non-diabetic patients.Conclusions Diabetes mellitus may be associated with an increased risk of postoperative pain and endodontic flare-ups following root canal treatment, although findings across the included studies were inconsistent. Evidence regarding the influence of glycaemic control remains limited.
Introduction Hearing loss in childhood represents an important public health challenge as can significantly affect overall development, leading to long-term educational and communication difficulties. Hearing health education remains insufficiently integrated into school-based health programs. Raising awareness of both children and parents is important for fostering appropriate ear care, healthy listening habits, and identifying hearing problems at an early stage.Aim This study aimed to assess parental perspectives on school-based hearing health education to identify unmet needs in hearing health promotion and early prevention strategies.Methods This study was conducted among 204 parents of children aged 6–9 years attending a rural primary school in the Mazovian region of Poland. Parents answered a structured, self-administered questionnaire evaluating attitudes toward hearing health education while their children underwent a school-based hearing screening (pure tone audiometry from 0.5 to 8 kHz).Results Although most parents (63%) reported that their child received general health education at school, only 24% indicated it included hearing-related content. A large majority (72%) supported mandatory health education, and 73% identified hearing as the most important sense for communication. Parents generally considered that school-based hearing education should cover practical topics, including ear hygiene, safe use of headphones, and noise protection. Hearing screening identified signs of potential hearing problems in 13% of children.Conclusions Parents recognized hearing as essential for child development and supported integrating hearing health education into school programs. The findings suggest that limited school-based hearing health education may represent a barrier to hearing health literacy and early intervention.
Introduction While the global prevalence of idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF) has been widely assessed, studies on long-term shifts in its affected demographics are lacking.Theory This study investigated IEI-EMF prevalence among Taiwanese adults, comparing current findings with past surveys to track prevalence and demographic changes over a 12-year period.Methods Following previous telephone surveys in Taiwan, we used two-stage geographically stratified sampling to obtain a representative sample in 2019. Data were weighted for comparability and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.Results Among 1,355 participants, IEI-EMF prevalence was 3.9%, a decrease from prior surveys. While affected individuals aged ≥35 remained the majority, their proportion increased to 93.8%, alongside a rise in affected females (65.5%). Conversely, the proportion of those reporting good-to-excellent health dropped to 23.1%. Age ≥35 was significantly associated with higher risk, with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) ranging from 5.36 to 9.30 across age groups, while unemployment correlated with lower risk (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18–0.88).Conclusion Mirroring global trends, Taiwan’s IEI-EMF prevalence has declined continuously since 2007. A significant decrease in cases among individuals under 35 likely reflects youths’ greater adaptation to technology and lower EMF risk perception. Risk communication strategies should aim to alleviate older adults’ concerns regarding EMFs.
