https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/144 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:02:28 GMT 2026-06-22T18:02:28Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147559 Title: Exploring the experiences of stress of the mother and partner during the perinatal period : a scoping review Abstract: Background - The perinatal period is a vulnerable transition for both mothers and partners. Stress is associated with maternal depression, adverse birth outcomes, and long-term child developmental risks. While most research focuses on the mother, paternal stress is also associated with adverse outcomes such as poorer partner well-being, lower relationship quality, and impaired child development. Internal factors (e.g., health concerns, low self-efficacy) and external factors (e.g., financial strain, poor social support) contribute to perinatal stress in both mother and partner.; Objective - To explore the experiences of stress of the mother and partner during the perinatal period.; Methods - This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search strategy was employed across multiple databases (CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science) to identify peer-reviewed studies examining perinatal stress from the perspective of the mother and partner. Eligible studies included couples in pregnancy and up to two years postpartum and report on stress as experienced or perceived by mother and partner. Studies focusing solely on one parent or related to mental health diagnoses, trauma, or COVID-19 were excluded. A convergent synthesis design will be used to integrate qualitative and quantitative findings.; Expected results - The review will explore the experiences of stress of both mother and partner within the perinatal period. Moreover, the factors that are most commonly identified as sources of ameliorating or reducing perinatal stress in the mother and partner are explored. As part of the data extraction, definitions of stress and measurement tools for stress as used by the author, will be mapped. This review will highlight gaps in the current literature and inform the development of future couple-focused interventions and future research. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147559 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147503 Title: Label integrity of cannabidiol consumer products : a matrix-specific review of accuracy, contaminants, and regulatory gaps (2017–2025) Authors: Szyrner, Karolina; Serracino-Inglott, Anthony; Vella Szijj, Janis Abstract: The global market for cannabidiol (CBD) consumer products is continuing to expand across food, supplement, cosmetic, and inhalable categories, outside the regulatory frameworks applied to authorised medicines. This review assesses the accuracy of CBD label claims and the presence of chemical contaminants across consumer CBD products reported between 2017 and 2025. A narrative literature review of 28 peer-reviewed analytical studies encompassing multiple product matrices was carried out. Studies were categorised according to whether they applied ±10% or ±15% label-accuracy thresholds, or reported only mean deviations from labelled values. Results show that 31.3% (294/937) of products complied with commonly applied label-accuracy threshold within ±10%. Oils and tinctures were most frequently accurately labelled (41.3%, 124/300), whereas edibles (40.5%, 106/262), vape products (24.3%, 28/115), and topicals (13.8%, 36/260) showed pronounced mislabelling, absence of declared CBD, and within-product heterogeneity. Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC), synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, heavy metals, pesticides, and residual solvents were detected, occasionally at levels exceeding legal or toxicological thresholds. Evidence indicates quality-control deficiencies across the CBD consumer market, with important implications for consumer safety, dosing reliability, and regulatory oversight. Product-category variability suggests inadequate standardisation of manufacturing and labelling practices across formulation matrices. Interpretation of the findings was limited by heterogeneity in analytical methodologies, sampling strategies, reporting practices, and label-accuracy criteria between studies. The detection of mislabelling and contaminants across geographically diverse investigations supports the need for harmonised analytical standards, matrix-specific acceptance criteria, mandatory contaminant screening, and strengthened post-market surveillance to better protect public health. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147503 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147484 Title: Emotional experiences and psychological well-being in 51 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic Authors: Sun, Rui; Balabanova, Alisa; Bajada, Claude J.; Liu, Yang; Kriuchok, Mariia; Voolma, Silja-Riin; Đurić, Mirna; Mayer, Claude-Hélène; Constantinou, Maria; Chichua, Mariam; Li, Chengcheng; Foster-Estwick, Ashley; Borg, Kurt; Hill, Carin; Kaushal, Rishabh; Diwan, Ketaki; Vitale, Valeria; Engels, Tiarah; Aminudin, Rabiah; Ursu, Irina; Fadhlia, Tengku Nila; Wu, Yi-jung; Sekaja, Lusanda; Hadchity, Milad; Deak, Anita; Sharaf, Shahira; Figueras, Pau; Kaziboni, Anthony; Whiston, Aoife; Ioumpa, Kalliopi; Montelongo, Alfredo; Pauw, Lisanne; Pavarini, Gabriela; Vedernikova, Evgeniya; Vu, TuongVan; Nummenmaa, Lauri; Cong, Yong-Qi; Nikolic, Milica; Olguin, Andrea; Hou, Wai Kai; Israelashvili, Jacob; Koo, Hyunjin J.; Khademi, Samaneh; Ukachukwu, Chinwendu G.; Juma, Damian Omari; Kamiloğlu, Roza G.; Makhmud, Akerke; Sigurdson Lunga, Peter; Rieble, Carlotta; Rizwan, Muhammad; Helmy, Mai; Vuillier, Laura; Manokara, Kunalan; Quezada, Enzo Cáceres; Tserendamba, Delgermend; Yoshie, Michiko; Du, Amy H.; Philip-Joe, Kumba; Kúld, Pála Björk; Damani, Kalifa; Osei-Tutu, Annabella; Sauter, Disa Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges to psychological well-being, but how can we predict when people suffer or cope during sustained stress?Here,we test the prediction that specific types of momentary emotional experiences are differently linked to psychological well-being during the pandemic. Study 1 used survey data collected from 24,221 participants in 51 countries during the COVID-19 outbreak. We show that, across countries, wellbeing is linked to individuals’ recent emotional experiences, including calm, hope, anxiety, loneliness, and sadness. Consistent results are found in two age, sex, and ethnicity-representative samples in the United Kingdom (n= 971) and the United States (n= 961) with preregistered analyses (Study 2). A prospective 30-day daily diary study conducted in the United Kingdom (n= 110) confirms the key role of these five emotions and demonstrates that emotional experiences precede changes in well-being (Study 3). Our findings highlight differential relationships between specific types of momentary emotional experiences and well-being and point to the cultivation of calm and hope as candidate routes for well-being interventions during periods of sustained stress. Description: Supplemental Material is available within this record. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147484 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147469 Title: Postgraduate pharmacy education contribution to community pharmacists’ confidence in disease management Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Pharmacy programmes are increasingly looking towards establishing a patient-centric approach. At the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Malta, the postgraduate Doctorate in Pharmacy (PharmD) degree (EQF level 8) focuses on developing advanced clinical pharmacy skills, supporting professional innovation and embedding pharmaceutical leadership and entrepreneurship. This study examined whether the postgraduate Doctorate programme was associated with community pharmacists’ self-reported confidence in managing patient conditions, using inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as a case study. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147469 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z