Internet-based search of randomised trials relevant to mental health originating in the Arab world.
BACKGROUND
The internet is becoming a widely used source of accessing medical research through various on-line databases. This instant access to information is of benefit to busy clinicians and service users around the world. The population of the Arab World is comparable to that of the United States, yet it is widely believed to have a greatly contrasting output of randomised controlled trials related to mental health. This study was designed to investigate the existence of such research in the Arab World and also to investigate the availability of this research on-line.


METHODS
Survey of findings from three internet-based potential sources of randomised trials originating from the Arab world and relevant to mental health care.


RESULTS
A manual search of an Arabic online current contents service identified 3 studies, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO searches identified only 1 study, and a manual search of a specifically indexed, study-based mental health database, PsiTri, revealed 27 trials.


CONCLUSIONS
There genuinely seem to be few trials from the Arab world and accessing these on-line was problematic. Replication of some studies that guide psychiatric/psychological practice in the Arab world would seem prudent.
Takriti
Yahya
Y
El-Sayeh
Hany G
HG
Adams
Clive E
CE
D018643:Arab World; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016239:MEDLINE / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results