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  1. Ekhtiari H, Khojasteh Zonoozi A, Rafei P, Abolghasemi FS, Pemstein D, Abdelgawad T, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2024;15:1230318.
    PMID: 38528974 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1230318
    Addiction medicine is a dynamic field that encompasses clinical practice and research in the context of societal, economic, and cultural factors at the local, national, regional, and global levels. This field has evolved profoundly during the past decades in terms of scopes and activities with the contribution of addiction medicine scientists and professionals globally. The dynamic nature of drug addiction at the global level has resulted in a crucial need for developing an international collaborative network of addiction societies, treatment programs and experts to monitor emerging national, regional, and global concerns. This protocol paper presents methodological details of running longitudinal surveys at national, regional, and global levels through the Global Expert Network of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM-GEN). The initial formation of the network with a recruitment phase and a round of snowball sampling provided 354 experts from 78 countries across the globe. In addition, 43 national/regional addiction societies/associations are also included in the database. The surveys will be developed by global experts in addiction medicine on treatment services, service coverage, co-occurring disorders, treatment standards and barriers, emerging addictions and/or dynamic changes in treatment needs worldwide. Survey participants in categories of (1) addiction societies/associations, (2) addiction treatment programs, (3) addiction experts/clinicians and (4) related stakeholders will respond to these global longitudinal surveys. The results will be analyzed and cross-examined with available data and peer-reviewed for publication.
  2. Lakshman SJ, Mohd Daud TI, Midin M, Ahmad F, Tommy K
    Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1078423.
    PMID: 37383615 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1078423
    BACKGROUND: The Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI) is a widely used self-report instrument that assesses recovery-oriented knowledge among mental health professionals. The purpose of this study is to translate the RKI into the Malay language (RKI-M) and to examine its psychometric properties among Malaysian health care workers.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 143 participants was conducted at an urban teaching hospital, an urban government hospital, and a rural government hospital. Following the translation of the RKI, its internal reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was also determined using confirmatory factor analysis.

    RESULTS: The Malay-Version RKI (RKI-M) has good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. However, the Malay-version RKI failed to replicate the original four-factor structure. The final model only achieved the best model fit after the removal of 9 items with two-factor loadings: (GFI = 0.92; AGFI = 0 0.87; CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.074).

    CONCLUSION: The 20-item RKI-M is reliable but has poor construct validity. However, the modified 11-item Malay-version RKI is a more reliable measure as it has good construct validity, with room for future studies to examine the psychometric properties of the modified 11-item RKI among mental health care workers. More training on recovery knowledge should be done, and a simple worded questionnaire should be developed in keeping with local practitioners.

  3. Jaafar Sidek MA, Amajid K, Loh YS, Rosli MA, Hashim IS, Mohd Suffian NA, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1085115.
    PMID: 37791131 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1085115
    BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Malaysia. Anxiety is one factor that deters women from participating in mammography. This study aimed to assess the anxiety level and its associated factors in women undergoing mammography.

    METHODS: A three-month cross-sectional study was conducted using self-administered questionnaires, encompassing socio-demographic details, clinical characteristics, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

    RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 57 years old (SD ±10.098). Repeat mammograms consisted of 48.8% of the participants. One-third (35.7%) of them had a history of breast disease. Most participants (84.5%) did not have a positive family history of breast cancer. The proportion of participants with moderate and high anxiety levels was 41.8%. The cause of anxiety was mainly due to the fear of the results (69%), while familiarity with the procedure reduced anxiety among respondents. Socio-demographic and clinical factors were not significantly associated with anxiety levels. However, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between state and trait anxiety scores (r = 0.568, p = 0.001, n = 213).

    LIMITATIONS: The urban setting and absence of questions on the location of origin in the study may have excluded data from the rural population. This may have prevented a true representation of the Malaysian population.

    CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a better understanding of the procedures involved as well as the subsequent disease management would be beneficial in alleviating anxiety prior to, during, and post-mammogram.

  4. Petrus CF, Mohd Salleh Sahimi H, Midin M, Lim JTY
    Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1243015.
    PMID: 37937231 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1243015
    INTRODUCTION: Mental health stigma (MHS) has been a pervasive social issue and a significant barrier to treatment seeking behavior. The treatment pathways and outcomes for people with mental illness, specifically those with recurrent suicidal ideations and attempts have been influenced by how MHS was experienced in clinical practice.

    METHODS: We reported a case of a young lady diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder who had recurrent visits to various emergency departments (ED) of tertiary hospitals in Malaysia for suicidality; each time presenting with increased mortality risk and escalating near-lethal outcomes. Among the multiple ED visits after her alleged overdoses of psychotropic medications, thrice she was near-unconscious and had to be intubated for airway protection, subsequently requiring ventilatory support and ICU care. These near-lethal presentations in ED were due to her delays in seeking treatment for fear of re-experiencing the stigmatizing environment among healthcare staff and professionals in the ED.

    DISCUSSION: The impact of MHS is detrimental. Effective interventions at various levels in the clinical setting is of utmost importance to prevent the negative consequences of suicidality against MHS.

  5. Deng H, Zhang R, Wang C, Zhang B, Wang J, Wang S, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1215963.
    PMID: 37674551 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1215963
    BACKGROUND: This multicenter, three-armed, parallel, single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) primarily aims to compare the efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) with that of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and treatment as usual (TAU) to depreciate the degree of alcohol craving among alcohol use disorder patients who have undergone in-patient detoxification across four timelines (t0 = baseline prior to intervention, t1 = 4 weeks after baseline, t2 = 12 weeks after baseline, and t3 = 24 weeks after baseline). The secondary aims of this RCT are to compare the efficacy of VRET with that of ACT and TAU to alleviate the severity of alcohol use disorder, dissipate comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms, and normalize event-related potential (ERP) in electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring across the four timelines.

    METHODS: Initially, after 2 weeks of in-patient detoxification, 120 patients with alcohol use disorder will be randomized into three groups (VRET, ACT, and TAU control groups) via stratified permuted block randomization in a 1:1:1 ratio. Baseline assessment (t0) commences, whereby all the participants will be administered with sociodemographic, clinical, and alcohol use characteristics questionnaire, such as Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), while event-related potential (ERP) detection in electroencephalogram (EEG) will also be carried out. Then, 4 weeks of VRET, ACT, and non-therapeutic supportive activities will be conducted in the three respective groups. For the subsequent three assessment timelines (t1, t2, and t3), the alcohol use characteristic questionnaire, such as AUDIT, PACS, HAM-D, HAM-A, and ERP monitoring, will be re-administered to all participants.

    DISCUSSION: As data on the effects of non-pharmacological interventions, such as VRET and ACT, on the treatment of alcohol craving and preventing relapse in alcohol use disorder are lacking, this RCT fills the research gap by providing these important data to treating clinicians. If proven efficacious, the efficacy of VRET and ACT for the treatment of other substance use disorders should also be investigated in future.

    CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05841823 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

  6. Chen IH, Huang PC, Lin YC, Gan WY, Fan CW, Yang WC, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2022;13:1014447.
    PMID: 36506452 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1014447
    INTRODUCTION: The most widely used instruments to assess food addiction - the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and its modified version (mYFAS 2.0) - have not been validated in a Taiwanese population. The present study compared the psychometric properties between the Taiwan versions of YFAS 2.0 and mYFAS 2.0 among university students.

    METHODS: An online survey comprising the YFAS 2.0, mYFAS 2.0, Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) were used to assess food addiction, self-stigma, and physical activity.

    RESULTS: All participants (n = 687; mean age = 24.00 years [SD ± 4.48 years]; 407 females [59.2%]) completed the entire survey at baseline and then completed the YFAS 2.0 and mYFAS 2.0 again three months later. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that the YFAS 2.0 and mYFAS 2.0 both shared a similar single-factor solution. In addition, both the YFAS 2.0 and mYFAS 2.0 reported good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90 and 0.89), good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.71 and 0.69), and good concurrent validity with the total scores being strongly associated with the WSSQ (r = 0.54 and 0.57; p < 0.01), and less strongly associated with BMI (r = 0.17 and 0.13; p < 0.01) and IPAQ-SF (r = 0.23 and 0.25; p < 0.01).

    DISCUSSION: Based on the findings, the Taiwan versions of the YFAS 2.0 and mYFAS 2.0 appear to be valid and reliable instruments assessing food addiction.

  7. Wan Mohd Yunus WMA, Badri SKZ, Panatik SA, Mukhtar F
    Front Psychiatry, 2020;11:566221.
    PMID: 33664679 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.566221
    Background and Aims: Malaysia's first Movement Control Order (MCO) or "lockdown" was in place for 6 weeks to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Consequently, all universities were forced to close temporarily with abrupt changes to teaching and learning activities. However, there has been a lack of consensus regarding students' actual psychological status and mental health during the MCO implementation. This study investigates the link, state, and differences of negative emotional symptoms, happiness, and work-life balance among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This study recruited 1,005 university students across Malaysia. Data was collected online using Qualtrics to measure negative emotional symptoms (The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), happiness (The Oxford Happiness Inventory), and work-life balance (Work-Family Conflict Scale). All data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 and AMOS version 26 using T-test, ANOVA, logistic regression analyses, and path analysis method. Findings: Findings indicated that 22, 34.3, and 37.3% of the university students scored moderate to extremely severe levels of stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms, respectively. Half scored rather happy or very happy (50%) for happiness levels. Meanwhile, 50.4 and 39.4% scored high to very high levels of work-to-family and family-to-work conflict. Significant differences in stress, anxiety, depression, happiness, work-family conflict, and family-work conflict were recorded across different demographic factors. Happiness was found to be a protective factor with a lesser likelihood of experiencing severe stress (OR = 0.240, 95% CI: 0.180, 0.321), anxiety (OR = 0.336, 95% CI: 0.273, 0.414), and depression (OR = 0.121, 95% CI: 0.088, 0.165) with higher happiness levels. Higher score of work-to-family conflict contributes to greater odds of having severe levels of anxiety (OR = 1.453, 95% CI: 1.161, 1.818). While greater likelihood of developing severe stress (OR = 1.468, 95% CI: 1.109, 1.943) and severe anxiety (OR = 1.317, 95% CI: 1.059, 1.638) under increasing score of family-to-work conflict. Besides, happiness is found to negatively linked with lower negative emotional symptoms, while work-family conflict and family-work conflict are positively linked with higher negative emotional symptoms. Conclusion: Lockdown implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have a significant impact on university students' negative emotional symptoms, happiness, and work-life balance. Happiness was found to be a protective factor while the state of work-life balance is a risk factor that can predict students' negative emotional symptoms.
  8. Loo JL, Mohamad Kamal NA, Goon JA, Ahmad Damanhuri H, Tan JAC, Abdul Murad NA, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:698911.
    PMID: 34916966 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.698911
    Background: Oxidative stress markers are found to be linked with depression and suicide attempts in bipolar disorder (BD), although the role of DNA damage as a marker of suicidal ideation and attempt has yet to be determined. We aim to investigate the association between DNA damage and suicidal behaviour, i.e., suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, among suicidal ideators in BD patients while accounting for clinical and psychosocial risk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre on 62 consecutive BD patients diagnosed using the M.I.N.I. Neuropsychiatric Interview and 26 healthy control participants. Socio-demographic and clinical assessments were performed using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) for lifetime suicidal ideation and attempt, Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) for depression severity, Clinical Global Impression for Bipolar Disorder (CGI-BD) for illness severity [both mania (CGI-Mania) and major depressive episode (CGI-MDE)], Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) for change in life events, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) for behavioural impulsivity. The degree of DNA damage in peripheral blood samples was determined using a standard protocol of comet assay. Results: Multivariable logistic regression revealed higher scores of CGI-MDE as the sole significant factor for lifetime suicidal ideation (OR = 1.937, 95% CI = 1.799-2.076). Although initial bivariate analysis showed a significant association between DNA damage, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and suicidal behaviour, the findings were not seen in multivariable logistic regression. Bivariate subgroup analysis showed that moderate and severe DNA damage (p = 0.032 and p = 0.047, respectively) was significantly associated with lifetime suicide attempts among lifetime suicidal ideators. The study is the first to look at the connexion between DNA damage and suicidal risk in bipolar patients. It is limited by the small sample size and lack of information on illicit substance use. Conclusions: More severe DNA damage was significantly associated with lifetime suicide attempts among lifetime suicidal ideators in BD. However, the severity of depression was found to be independently associated with lifetime suicidal ideation per se rather than DNA damage in BD. Larger prospective studies are required to ascertain the potential of DNA damage as a biomarker for the transition from suicidal ideation to a suicide attempt.
  9. Samsuddin MF, Karim J, Salim AA
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:571027.
    PMID: 33868035 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.571027
    Introduction: Stress level among the caregivers is often related to caregivers' lack of knowledge and skill to care for the patients. A health education program to the caregivers is one of the important elements in increasing the knowledge and skills in managing patients at home. The specific objectives of this study were to determine caregiver's stress level in managing post total knee replacement (TKR) patients pre and post of a health education program. Materials and Methods: A clinical intervention trial design was conducted in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) with a sample size of 32 caregivers. A validated Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) questionnaire was used to measure the stress level pre and post of the health education program on the management of patients post-TKR surgery which was adopted from Fresno Surgical Hospital in California. Results: The findings showed that there was a significant difference between pre and post level of stress (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed the positive outcome of the health education program. It reduced the stress level among the caregivers in caring for their relatives with post-TKR surgery.
  10. Chen IC, Teng G, Chen CJ, Lan TH, Liu HJ
    Front Psychiatry, 2019;10:944.
    PMID: 31998160 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00944
    Background: The intrinsic motivation behind the "need to complete" is more influential than external incentives. We introduced a novel progress-bar tool to motivate the completion of programs designed to treat stimulant and cannabis use disorders. We further examined the effectiveness of the progress bar's scoring approach in forecasting consistently negative urine tests. Methods: This study's participants included 568 patients with stimulant, amphetamine-type, and cannabis use disorders who were undergoing 12-month mandatory treatment programs at Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. Patients were given scores of 1, -1, or 0 depending on whether they received negative, positive, or missing urinalysis reports, respectively. The autonomic progress bar generated weekly score totals. At the group level, scorei donated scores from all patients for a given week (i denoted the week). Scorei was standardized to adjusted scorei. We then conducted Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Model of time-series analyses for the adjusted scorei. Results: A total of 312 patients maintained treatment progress over the 12-month program. The autonomic score calculator totaled the shared achievements of these patients. The coefficients of the lag variables for mean (p), lag variables for residual error term (q), and number of orders for ensuring stationary (d) were estimated at p = 3, d = 4, and q = 7 for the first half of the treatment program, and were estimated at p = 2, d = 2, and q = 3 for the second half. Both models were stationary and tested as fit for prediction (p < 0.05). Sharply raised adjusted scores were predicted during the high-demand treatment phase. Discussion: This study's novel progress-bar tool effectively motivated treatment completion. It was also effective in forecasting continually negative urine tests. The tool's free open-source code makes it easy to implement among many substance-treatment services.
  11. Nazali MIM, Razali S, Ariaratnam S, Ahmad Y, Nawawi H
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:705018.
    PMID: 34434129 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.705018
    Experiencing good quality of life (QOL) among university staff is extremely crucial to ensuring academic excellence; however, there are limited data on factors that contribute to QOL among university staff. This study aims to determine the level and the predictors for good QOL among university staff. The consenting participants were selected using a stratified sampling method. Participants who had fulfilled the selection criteria were provided with socio-demographic, medical illness, job factor, and family background questionnaires. QOL and psychological well-being (depression, anxiety, and stress) were assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaires, respectively. A total of 278 staff (mean ± SD age: 38.84 ± 7.85 years, 44.2% males, 82.7% married) had participated in this study. This study found that participants had low QOL in the domains of physical health [P-QOL] (11.2%), psychological health [PSY-QOL] (9.7%), social relationships [SR-QOL] (19.1%), and environment [E-QOL] (14.4%). The predictors of P-QOL were depression, medical illness, and number of dependents, while those of PSY-QOL were work promotion, depression, medical illness, and number of dependents. Additionally, the predictors of SR-QOL were campus location, depression, and work promotion, while those of E-QOL were age, level of education, depression, work promotion, and medical illness. Depression significantly affected all domains of QOL. Younger participants without medical illness and those with tertiary level of education had increased odds of having good QOL. Participants having dependents without work promotion and employed in suburban areas had decreased odds of having good QOL. The relevant authority should be identified and then assist staff with difficulties to ensure the staff benefited from having a good QOL.
  12. Chie QT, Tam CL, Bonn G, Dang HM, Khairuddin R
    Front Psychiatry, 2016;7:90.
    PMID: 27303313 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00090
    This study examined reasons for substance abuse and evaluated the effectiveness of substance treatment programs in Malaysia through interviews with rehab patients and staff. Substance rehab patients (aged 18-69 years; n = 30) and staff (ages 30-72 years; n = 10) participated in semi-structured interviews covering a range of topics, including family and peer relationships, substance use and treatment history, factors for substance use and relapse, motivation for entering treatment, work experience, job satisfaction, treatment evaluation, and patient satisfaction. Most patients did not demonstrate the substance progression trend and had normal family relationships. Most patients reported having peers from normal family backgrounds as well. Various environmental and personal factors was cited as contributing to substance abuse and relapse. There was no significant difference between patient and staff program evaluation scores although the mean score for patients was lower. A holistic treatment approach with a combination of cognitive-behavioral, medical, social, and spiritual components was favored by patients. Suggestions for improving existing programs include better tailoring treatment to individual needs, and providing more post-treatment group support.
  13. Fountoulakis KN, Alias NA, Bjedov S, Fountoulakis NK, Gonda X, Hilbig J, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1320156.
    PMID: 38293595 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1320156
    INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to search rates of depression and mental health in university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational cross-sectional study. A protocol gathering sociodemographic variables as well as depression, anxiety and suicidality and conspiracism was assembled, and data were collected anonymously and online from April 2020 through March 2021. The sample included 12,488 subjects from 11 countries, of whom 9,026 were females (72.2%; aged 21.11 ± 2.53), 3,329 males (26.65%; aged 21.61 ± 2.81) and 133 "non-binary gender" (1.06%; aged 21.02 ± 2.98). The analysis included chi-square tests, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analysis and Relative Risk ratios.

    RESULTS: Dysphoria was present in 15.66% and probable depression in 25.81% of the total study sample. More than half reported increase in anxiety and depression and 6.34% in suicidality, while lifestyle changes were significant. The model developed explained 18.4% of the development of depression. Believing in conspiracy theories manifested a complex effect. Close to 25% was believing that the vaccines include a chip and almost 40% suggested that facemask wearing could be a method of socio-political control. Conspiracism was related to current depression but not to history of mental disorders.

    DISCUSSION: The current study reports that students are at high risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified specific risk factors. It also suggested a role of believing in conspiracy theories. Further research is important, as it is targeted intervention in students' groups that are vulnerable both concerning mental health and conspiracism.

  14. Sharif Nia H, Gorgulu O, Naghavi N, Robles-Bello MA, Sánchez-Teruel D, Khoshnavay Fomani F, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:754831.
    PMID: 34777060 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754831
    This study investigates the relationship between spiritual well-being, social support, and financial distress with depressive symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A path analysis was used to analyze data collected from 1,156 Iranian participants via an online survey. The results showed that spiritual well-being and social support were negatively related to depressive symptoms and financial distress. The impact of COVID-19 events showed negative associations with depressive symptoms. In addition, the link between spiritual well-being and financial distress with depressive symptoms was partially mediated by the impact of events.
  15. Ismail MA, Midin M
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:680800.
    PMID: 34381387 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.680800
    Introduction: Shared decision-making (SDM) is recognized as a promising strategy for improving collaboration between clinicians and their patients in achieving recovery. In Malaysia, SDM among people with schizophrenia is still lacking both in practice and in research. This study aimed to determine the level of SDM and role preference and their associated factors among patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 86 outpatient attendees with schizophrenia at a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The nine-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire and Control Preference Scale were used to assess perceived SDM experience and role preference, respectively. Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors associated with SDM and role preference, respectively. Factors with a p <0.25 from the simple regression analyses were controlled as the covariates in the multiple regression analyses. Results: The study respondents were predominantly female, single, and unemployed, with a mean age of 44 years. Only 35% of the participants reported having high SDM experiences, even though the majority (56%) preferred autonomous role preference. Among the participants who preferred autonomous roles, only 40% experienced high SDM. High SDM was found to be significantly associated with being younger (B = -0.33, 95% CI = -0.67 to -0.003) and being non-clozapine users (B = 19.90, 95% CI = 9.39-30.41), while autonomous role preference was significantly associated with a lower level of insight [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.72-0.99] and being on oral antipsychotic drugs only (AOR = 2.94, 95% CI = 1.10-7.82). Conclusion: The practice of SDM is still lacking in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia, even though many of them preferred to be involved in the decision-making pertaining to their treatment. This study indicates the need for clinicians to improve their patients' involvement in the treatment process. More research is needed on how SDM can be implemented in patients with schizophrenia, especially in Asian population settings.
  16. Muhamad AB, Pang NTP, Salvaraji L, Rahim SSSA, Jeffree MS, Omar A
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:558591.
    PMID: 33967840 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.558591
    Introduction: Much has been known about the psychological issues that can emerge in people who are quarantined and unable to move freely. The COVID-19 pandemic has no contrast from previous outbreaks like SARS and MERS regarding their ensuing worries and boosted anxiety levels. This article seeks to examine the unique psychological changes that occur in students who have been quarantined inside a university campus and assess sociodemographic factors associated with certain psychological factors. Methodology: The data was collected from students in an Agricultural Campus. In the first phase, the factor structure of the modified National Index Psychological Wellness (NIPW) was acceptable, and to establish statistical parameters for validation an exploratory factor analysis was done. In the second phase, Independent T-tests, ANOVA, and Hierarchical Multiple regression were performed. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Result/Discussion: A total of 46 male and 76 female students enrolled in this study. The Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (p < 0.001) and the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy for the AUDIT-M was 0.901. The Cronbach's alpha of the entire modified NIPW was 0.657 which suggests reasonable internal consistency and subscales between 0.913 and 0.924. Raw scores of 12 positive items were higher for the quarantined group except for "I can do daily routines," "I understand what happens," and "I understand the action that is performed is fair." Raw mean scores of eight negative scoring items were higher in the quarantined group, except for "I feel angry" (2.88 vs. 2.89 for non-quarantined group). There were statistically significant differences between year groups for the questions "I understand what happens," "I understand the action that is performed is fair," and "I think everyone is good." Conclusion: Movement control orders or compulsory quarantine orders can be distressing and may cause understandable psychological sequelae. Holistic management of a quarantine center that addresses the needs and health of an individual student will give a positive impact on psychological wellness. Quarantining facilities can be a place of positivity, allowing people to live a shared experience together, provide peer support for each other, and give each other hope.
  17. Scheibein F, Stowe MJ, Arya S, Morgan N, Shirasaka T, Grandinetti P, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:634309.
    PMID: 33796034 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.634309
  18. Abd Rahman FN, Wong YY, Khalib AQ
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:772744.
    PMID: 35046852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.772744
    Postnatal depression is a major illness affecting maternal and family health. The rate of postnatal depression among mental health clients is postulated to be higher than in the community due to the added brain assault. Children of parents who are mental health clients are more likely to have psychological problems compared to children from other parents in the community. This study investigates the rate of postnatal depression among mental health clients and their offspring's psychological health. A total of 140 mental health clients were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). They subsequently completed the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) regarding their children. The majority ethnicity was the Kadazan (40.7%). The mean age of mothers was 38.6 (7) years with most having a secondary education (53.6%) and a household income per month of < RM1000 per month (27.1%). The postnatal depression rate was 47.8%. Higher EPDS scores were associated with higher total SDQ scores in their offspring. Model 1 was unadjusted, giving an OR of 5.65 [95% CI (3.74, 7.55)], p < 0.001. After adjustment for confounders, Model 2 had an OR of 5.51 [95% CI (3.57, 7.46)], p < 0.001. More efforts need to be given to the early detection of maternal depression and its prompt treatment in mental health clients because of the relationship with the psychological health of the offspring.
  19. Ismail NH, Nik Jaafar NR, Woon LS, Mohd Ali M, Dahlan R, Baharuddin ANAP
    Front Psychiatry, 2022;13:989079.
    PMID: 36762292 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.989079
    BACKGROUND: The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) is a common tool for screening anxiety symptoms. In Malaysia, the Malay-version 21-item BAI has been previously validated in the Malaysian adult population. However, information regarding its reliability and validity among adolescents below 18 years old is still lacking. The objective of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Malay-version BAI in this population.

    METHODS: The Malay versions of the BAI and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) were administered among a sample of lower secondary school students (n = 329, age range: 13-14 years) in Selangor, Malaysia. Cronbach's alpha value for the internal consistency of the Malay-version BAI was determined. The correlation coefficient between the BAI score and DASS anxiety subscale score was calculated to examine convergent validity. The factor structure of the Malay-version BAI was identified by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal axis factoring.

    RESULTS: The study included 329 respondents, who were predominantly female (58.7%) and Malay (79.9%). The mean Malay-version BAI score was 14.46 (SD = 12.39). The Malay-version BAI showed a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.948) and convergent validity with the DASS anxiety subscale score (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). The EFA suggested a one-factor solution, with the factor loading of all items on the single factor ranging between 0.48 and 0.81.

    CONCLUSION: The Malay-version BAI demonstrated good psychometric properties. It can be a valid and reliable screening instrument for anxiety among Malaysian adolescents.

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