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Fulltext The ACCEPT-study: design of an RCT with an active treatment control condition to study the effectiveness of the Dutch version of PEERS® for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

van Pelt BJ, Idris S, Jagersma G, Duvekot J, Maras A, van der Ende J, et al.

BMC Psychiatry, 2020 06 01;20(1):274.
PMID: 32487179 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02650-9

BACKGROUND: Social skills interventions are commonly deployed for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Because effective and appropriate social skills are determined by cultural factors that differ throughout the world, the effectiveness of these interventions relies on a good cultural fit. Therefore, the ACCEPT study examines the effectiveness of the Dutch Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) social skills intervention.
METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a two-arm parallel group randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which adolescents are randomly assigned (after baseline assessment) to one of two group interventions (PEERS® vs. active control condition). In total, 150 adolescents are to be included, with multi-informant involvement of their parents and teachers. The ACCEPT study uses an active control condition (puberty psychoeducation group training, focussing on social-emotional development) and explores possible moderators and mediators in improving social skills. The primary outcome measure is the Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (CASS). The CASS assesses social skills performance in a face to face social interaction with an unfamiliar, typically developing peer, making this a valuable instrument to assess the social conversational skills targeted in PEERS®. In addition, to obtain a complete picture of social skills, self-, parent- and teacher-reported social skills are assessed using the Social Skills improvement System (SSiS-RS) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2). Secondary outcome measures (i.e. explorative mediators) include social knowledge, social cognition, social anxiety, social contacts and feelings of parenting competency of caregivers. Moreover, demographic and diagnostic measures are assessed as potential moderators of treatment effectiveness. Assessments of adolescents, parents, and teachers take place at baseline (week 0), intermediate (week 7), post intervention (week 14), and at follow-up (week 28).
CONCLUSION: This is the first RCT on the effectiveness of the PEERS® parent-assisted curriculum which includes an active control condition. The outcome of social skills is assessed using observational assessments and multi-informant questionnaires. Additionally, factors related to social learning are assessed at several time points, which will enable us to explore potential mediators and moderators of treatment effect.
TRAIL REGISTRATION: Dutch trail register NTR6255 (NL6117). Registered February 8th, 2017 - retrospectively registered.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Pathways to Youth Empowerment and Community Connectedness: A Study of Youth-Adult Partnership in Malaysian After-School, Co-Curricular Programs

Zeldin S, Krauss SE, Kim T, Collura J, Abdullah H

J Youth Adolesc, 2016 08;45(8):1638-51.
PMID: 26092232 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-015-0320-2

After-school programs are prevalent across the world, but there is a paucity of research that examines quality within the "black box" of programs at the point of service. Grounded in current theory, this research examined hypothesized pathways between the experience of youth-adult partnership (youth voice in decision-making; supportive adult relationships), the mediators of program safety and engagement, and the developmental outcomes of youth empowerment (leadership competence, policy control) and community connectedness (community connections, school attachment). Surveys were administered to 207 ethnically diverse (47.3 % female; 63.3 % Malay) youth, age 15-16, attending after-school co-curricular programs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Results showed that youth voice in program decision-making predicted both indicators of youth empowerment. Neither youth voice nor supportive adult relationships was directly associated with community connectedness, however. Program engagement mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and empowerment. In contrast, program safety mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and community connectedness. The findings indicate that the two core components of youth-adult partnership-youth voice and supportive adult relationships-may operate through different, yet complementary, pathways of program quality to predict developmental outcomes. Implications for future research are highlighted. For reasons of youth development and youth rights, the immediate challenge is to create opportunities for youth to speak on issues of program concern and to elevate those adults who are able and willing to help youth exercise their voice.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations*
The relationship between psychosocial work factors, work stress and computer-related musculoskeletal discomforts among computer users in Malaysia

Zakerian SA, Subramaniam ID

Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 2009;15(4):425-34.
PMID: 20003776

Increasing numbers of workers use computer for work. So, especially among office workers, there is a high risk of musculoskeletal discomforts. This study examined the associations among 3 factors, psychosocial work factors, work stress and musculoskeletal discomforts. These associations were examined via a questionnaire survey on 30 office workers (at a university in Malaysia), whose jobs required an extensive use of computers. The questionnaire was distributed and collected daily for 20 days. While the results indicated a significant relationship among psychosocial work factors, work stress and musculoskeletal discomfort, 3 psychosocial work factors were found to be more important than others in both work stress and musculoskeletal discomfort: job demands, negative social interaction and computer-related problems. To further develop study design, it is necessary to investigate industrial and other workers who have experienced musculoskeletal discomforts and work stress.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext Chronic restraint stress impairs sociability but not social recognition and spatial memoryin C57BL/6J mice

Zain MA, Pandy V, Majeed ABA, Wong WF, Mohamed Z

Exp Anim, 2019 Feb 26;68(1):113-124.
PMID: 30393276 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.18-0078

Chronic stress has been associated with impairment of memory, learning, and social cognition. In animal studies, chronic stress has been shown to impair rodent sociability behaviour which mimics social withdrawal as observed in depression patients. The effect of chronic stress on social recognition, however, is uncertain. Moreover, with reference to spatial learning and memory, the effect of chronic stress is dependent on the type of behavioural task: an appetitively or aversively motivated tasks. The effect of chronic stress was consistent in impairing spatial learning and memory in the appetitive task; however, the effect was inconsistent in an aversive task like the Morris water maze. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of chronic restraint stress on sociability and social recognition by using a modified protocol of the three-chamber paradigm and the effect of chronic restraint stress on spatial learning and memory by using the Morris water maze test in young adult C57BL/6J male mice. The present report also describes a modified protocol of the three-chamber paradigm. Our modification is based on measurement of sniffing behaviour, which is a direct social interaction that represents sociability. We used the chronic restraint stress paradigm for 6 h/day for 21 days to induce depression-like symptoms in male C57BL/6J mice which were validated by forced-swim test. We observed that the stressed group had impairments in their sociability behaviour but that social recognition was not affected. Furthermore, we confirmed that chronic stress produced no significant impairment in spatial learning and memory of the mice in the water maze.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext Unheard voices : womens’ inner experiences during the Johore flood

Zabedah, B., Badrul Hisham, A.S.

Malaysian Journal of Community Health, 2009;15(3):98-103.
MyJurnal

Introduction : Human displacement during disaster would cause women and their dependent children to be particularly vulnerable. Yet, women failed to make their voices heard. Thus their needs, priorities and perceptions would not be identified which in turn could hinder an effective emergency response and a full recovery process.
Objective : This paper provides a general overview of problems and issues experienced by women and their dependent children during the Johore flood disaster. With this information, relevant agencies shall focus, among other considerations, on the special needs of women and children in planning and carrying out emergency responses in the future.
Methodology : This paper was written based on data and information obtained from the Johore Flood Disaster Report and observations made by the health teams on the flood victims throughout the flood period.
Findings and Discussions : Pregnant mothers with 36 weeks of gestation or more were evacuated from their homes to the health centres or hospitals when the Johore flood disaster struck. Regular maternal and child health (MCH) services were conducted at the flood relief centres. Despite the efforts by health care providers, we observed women facing some unique issues and problems. These include: 1) Effects of loss of security and protection; 2) Disruption of social relations and privacy; 3) Inadequate supply of basic items and; and 4) Economic disruption. Recommendations for future relief work are: i) Predisaster planning for emergency response must engage and involve women representatives. Women must also be recruited as emergency and relief workers; ii) Assessment of predetermined capacity of identified relief centres with gender consideration for evacuees must be done; iii) All relief centres shall have physical partition between families. Breast feeding room with access to clean water should also be provided; iv) Gender, cultural and religious sensitivity with regards to social protection and relations shall be observed at all times; v) Women should engage and be made occupied with suitable activities to encourage healthy social interaction thus avoiding feelings of boredom and helplessness; vi) Basic personal items for women and adolescent girls, such as sanitary towel and undergarments, and places to wash and hang them in privacy must be provided; vii) Elderly women may have to temporarily stay at unaffected relatives’ or old folk homes throughout the disaster period, and; viii) No smoking policy shall be enforced at all times in flood relief centres.
Conclusion : Women and their dependent children have been recognised as one of the vulnerable groups during disasters. Thus, women shall be empowered as partners in formulating any emergency response plan so that together they would be able to complement all disaster mitigation, relief and recovery efforts in amore effective manner.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Brain functional connectivity patterns for emotional state classification in Parkinson's disease patients without dementia

Yuvaraj R, Murugappan M, Acharya UR, Adeli H, Ibrahim NM, Mesquita E

Behav Brain Res, 2016 Feb 1;298(Pt B):248-60.
PMID: 26515932 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.10.036

Successful emotional communication is crucial for social interactions and social relationships. Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients have shown deficits in emotional recognition abilities although the research findings are inconclusive. This paper presents an investigation of six emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust) of twenty non-demented (Mini-Mental State Examination score >24) PD patients and twenty Healthy Controls (HCs) using Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based Brain Functional Connectivity (BFC) patterns. The functional connectivity index feature in EEG signals is computed using three different methods: Correlation (COR), Coherence (COH), and Phase Synchronization Index (PSI). Further, a new functional connectivity index feature is proposed using bispectral analysis. The experimental results indicate that the BFC change is significantly different among emotional states of PD patients compared with HC. Also, the emotional connectivity pattern classified using Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier yielded the highest accuracy for the new bispectral functional connectivity index. The PD patients showed emotional impairments as demonstrated by a poor classification performance. This finding suggests that decrease in the functional connectivity indices during emotional stimulation in PD, indicating functional disconnections between cortical areas.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext Parent-adolescent relationships and its association to adolescents' self-esteem

Yaacob MJ

Malays J Med Sci, 2006 Jan;13(1):21-4.
PMID: 22589586

Psychoanalysts believed that early mother-child relationships form the prototype of all future relationships and the outcome of adolescents development depends on their ego-strength. Object relations theory believed that intrapsychic process mediates interpersonal interaction to develop a sense of secure self and adolescents must relinquish the internalized other in order to develop a more mature sense of self. Social-relation theory believed that mothers and fathers provide different socialization experiences. Self-esteem depends on the functioning of the whole family in which adolescent is intimately related to the dyadic relationship in a family. There is an association between interparental conflict and adolescent's self-esteem and problem behaviour.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext Quality of Life and Its Predictive Factors Among Healthcare Workers After the End of a Movement Lockdown: The Salient Roles of COVID-19 Stressors, Psychological Experience, and Social Support

Woon LS, Mansor NS, Mohamad MA, Teoh SH, Leong Bin Abdullah MFI

Front Psychol, 2021;12:652326.
PMID: 33897561 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.652326

Although healthcare workers play a crucial role in helping curb the hazardous health impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), their lives and major functioning have been greatly affected by the pandemic. This study examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life (QoL) of Malaysian healthcare workers and its predictive factors. An online sample of 389 university-based healthcare workers completed questionnaires on demographics, clinical features, COVID-19-related stressors, psychological experiences, and perceived social support after the movement lockdown was lifted. All domains of QoL were within the norms of the general population except for social relationship QoL, which was lower than the norm. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that COVID-19-related stressors (e.g., stress due to annual leave being frozen, loss of daily routine, and frequent exposure to COVID-19 patients) and psychological sequelae (e.g., greater severity of depression, anxiety, and stress) predicted lower QoL. Conversely, greater perceived social support from friends and significant others predicted higher QoL. Clinical and demographic characteristics predicted QoL to a lesser extent: A history of pre-existing medical illness was associated only with lower physical health QoL, whereas older age and being single, divorced, or widowed were only predictive of higher environmental QoL. Efforts to enhance QoL among healthcare workers in response to the pandemic should focus on mitigating COVID-19-related stressors and psychological sequelae and facilitating social support.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Islam, sexuality, and the marginal positioning of Pengkids and their girlfriends in Malaysia

Wong Y

J Lesbian Stud, 2012;16(4):435-48.
PMID: 22978284 DOI: 10.1080/10894160.2012.681267

Drawing on the lived experiences of the Pengkids and their girlfriends in the deprived district of the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, this article examines transgender practices and women's same-sex desires within the local contexts of urbanization and political Islam. This article questions the assumed marginal positions of transgender practices and same-sex desires in society, and provides a nuanced understanding of the politics of identity, gender, sexuality and religion involved in a Muslim country. While the Muslim-Malay sexual minorities are increasingly subjected to the threats of moral policing in Malaysia, Pengkid has become a new identity marker for the marginalized sexual subject framed by the Islamic discourse of this country.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext Relationship between trusting behaviors and psychometrics associated with social network and depression among young generation: a pilot study

Watabe M, Kato TA, Teo AR, Horikawa H, Tateno M, Hayakawa K, et al.

PLoS One, 2015;10(3):e0120183.
PMID: 25836972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120183

Maladaptive social interaction and its related psychopathology have been highlighted in psychiatry especially among younger generations. In Japan, novel expressive forms of psychiatric phenomena such as "modern-type depression" and "hikikomori" (a syndrome of severe social withdrawal lasting for at least six months) have been reported especially among young people. Economic games such as the trust game have been utilized to evaluate real-world interpersonal relationships as a novel candidate for psychiatric evaluations. To investigate the relationship between trusting behaviors and various psychometric scales, we conducted a trust game experiment with eighty-one Japanese university students as a pilot study. Participants made a risky financial decision about whether to trust each of 40 photographed partners. Participants then answered a set of questionnaires with seven scales including the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS)-6 and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. Consistent with previous research, male participants trusted partners more than female participants. Regression analysis revealed that LSNS-family (perceived support from family) for male participants, and item 8 of PHQ-9 (subjective agitation and/or retardation) for female participants were associated with participants' trusting behaviors. Consistent with claims by social scientists, our data suggest that, for males, support from family was negatively associated with cooperative behavior toward non-family members. Females with higher subjective agitation (and/or retardation) gave less money toward males and high attractive females, but not toward low attractive females in interpersonal relationships. We believe that our data indicate the possible impact of economic games in psychiatric research and clinical practice, and validation in clinical samples including modern-type depression and hikikomori should be investigated.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations*
Fulltext The effect of listening to Qur’anic recitation on social skills among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Wan Fara Adila Wan Ahmad Kaspi, Kartini Ilias, Amir Muhriz Abdul Latiff, Mohd Zaid Daud

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(104):101-101.
MyJurnal

Introduction: The number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) keeps increasing every year. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disability that affects social communication and social interaction. They also demon-strate restricted, repetitive pattern of behaviour, interest or activities (RRB) that shows at an early developmental age. Due to this characteristic, ASD children are facing difficulties in social skills aspect such as eye contact, expression, and making friends. Studying and reciting the Quran are often used in Malaysia to ameliorate the symptoms, but there is no specific study in Malaysia that demonstrates the impact of these renditions on ASD’s children’s social skills. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect selected Qur’anic verses recitation on the social skills of the children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods: This study will use the quasi-experimental research design. This study will be held at IDEAS Autism Centre, Rawang. The purposive sampling technique will be used and 14 ASD Muslim children aged 4-6 years old will be chosen. The ASD children will be divided into an experimental and control group. The experimental group will be listening to selected Qur’anic verses before the intervention. The Social Responsiveness Scale- Second Edition (SRS-2) will be used to assess the response. The scale consists of a 65-item questionnaire, with a 4-point Likert-scale. Results: The expected result for this study is the ASD children in the experimental group will have lower Total-scores of SRS-2 compared to control group. Conclusion: Listening to Qur’anic recitation provides a cost-effective complementary therapy to improve social skills among Muslim ASD children. Information from this study also can be used as a stepping stone in developing the teaching module to ASD children.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Development, validity and reliability of the short multidimensional positive mental health instrument

Vaingankar JA, Subramaniam M, Abdin E, Picco L, Chua BY, Eng GK, et al.

Qual Life Res, 2014 Jun;23(5):1459-77.
PMID: 24307210 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-013-0589-0

PURPOSE: The 47-item positive mental health (PMH) instrument measures the level of PMH in multiethnic adult Asian populations. This study aimed to (1) develop a short PMH instrument and (2) establish its validity and reliability among the adult Singapore population.
METHODS: Two separate studies were conducted among adult community-dwelling Singapore residents of Chinese, Malay or Indian ethnicity where participants completed self-administered questionnaires. In the first study, secondary data analysis was conducted using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to shorten the PMH instrument. In the second study, the newly developed short PMH instrument and other scales were administered to 201 residents to establish its factor structure, validity and reliability.
RESULTS: A 20-item short PMH instrument fulfilling a higher-order six-factor structure was developed following secondary analysis. The mean age of the participants in the second study was 41 years and about 53% were women. One item with poor factor loading was further removed to generate a 19-item version of the PMH instrument. CFA demonstrated a first-order six-factor model of the short PMH instrument. The PMH-19 instrument and its subscales fulfilled criterion validity hypotheses. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the PMH-19 instrument were high (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.87; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: The 19-item PMH instrument is multidimensional, valid and reliable, and most importantly, with its reduced administration time, the short PMH instrument can be used to measure and evaluate PMH in Asian communities.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext Relationship and career challenges faced by people infected with HIV in Malaysia

Tuan Abdullah TN, Mat Min R, Hossain M, Abdullah SS

F1000Res, 2019;8:1994.
PMID: 33214871 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.21079.3

Background: In Malaysia, there are still lack of studies related to the challenges of people infected with HIV (PIWH). Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the experiences of PIWH and how they cope with HIV. Methods: This qualitative study was based on a social constructivist and grounded theory approach. A total of 12 PIWH were selected by purposive sampling, all of whom participated in semi-structured and audio-recorded interviews, which were supported with non-participant observations and diary entries on three occasions for each participant. The interviews and diaries were transcribed and analysed using the grounded theory approach, which was assisted by utilizing NVIVO-8 to identify the themes related to the experiences of the participants. Results: PIWH experienced challenges related to their career and relationships with family and others. These challenges led to difficulties in gaining employment and career development, as well as feelings of denial, being uncomfortable, rejection, and labelling. They found that their lives were totally and dramatically changed after being tested positive for HIV. Conclusions: Among PIWH, HIV impacted relationships with significant others and career development. The absence of support and acceptance from significant others affected the ability of PIWH to cope with their daily challenges. The results of this study have implications for policymakers in terms of gaining sufficient knowledge and awareness to provide prevention programmes for HIV/AIDS.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations*
Proceedings: Cultural conflict and transition: epidemic hysteria and social sanction

Teoh JI, Yeoh KL

Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 1973 Dec;7(4):283-95.
PMID: 4522945
Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Effectiveness of Methadone Maintenance Therapy and Improvement in Quality of Life Following a Decade of Implementation

Teoh Bing Fei J, Yee A, Habil MH, Danaee M

J Subst Abuse Treat, 2016 10;69:50-6.
PMID: 27568510 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2016.07.006

Methadone maintenance therapy has been found to be an effective harm reduction treatment for opioid use disorder. However evidence of its benefits over a longer duration of treatment is limited as most studies focus on its short term benefits. As methadone maintenance therapy reaches a decade since its implementation in Malaysia, this study sought to examine the effectiveness of methadone treatment, change in quality of life among patients since entry to methadone treatment, as well as factors predicting the magnitude of change in quality of life. This study found that methadone maintenance therapy was effective in reducing heroin use, injecting practices and crime, and in improving in social functioning and physical symptoms, but not in reducing sex-related HIV risk-taking behavior. Though patients had a significantly better quality of life at follow-up than at entry to methadone maintenance therapy, the improvement in quality of life was not significantly greater as the duration of treatment increased. Age above 50 years old, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive status and physical symptoms predicted a poorer improvement in quality of life between baseline and follow-up. On the other hand, patients with hepatitis B showed a greater improvement in quality of life in the social relationships domain compared to patients without hepatitis B. In conclusion, methadone maintenance therapy is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder and improves quality of life but its benefits in further improving quality of life beyond a decade of treatment need further evaluation.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext Facial Complexity in Sun Bears: Exact Facial Mimicry and Social Sensitivity

Taylor D, Hartmann D, Dezecache G, Te Wong S, Davila-Ross M

Sci Rep, 2019 03 21;9(1):4961.
PMID: 30899046 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39932-6

Facial mimicry is a central feature of human social interactions. Although it has been evidenced in other mammals, no study has yet shown that this phenomenon can reach the level of precision seem in humans and gorillas. Here, we studied the facial complexity of group-housed sun bears, a typically solitary species, with special focus on testing for exact facial mimicry. Our results provided evidence that the bears have the ability to mimic the expressions of their conspecifics and that they do so by matching the exact facial variants they interact with. In addition, the data showed the bears produced the open-mouth faces predominantly when they received the recipient's attention, suggesting a degree of social sensitivity. Our finding questions the relationship between communicative complexity and social complexity, and suggests the possibility that the capacity for complex facial communication is phylogenetically more widespread than previously thought.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations*
Fulltext Gender identity disorder is not simply two in one

Syed Masroor, A., Abdul Ghani, K.

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2013;12(2):83-85.
MyJurnal

A Case Report on Gender Identity Disorder with Recurrent Depressive Disorder is presented. Individuals having this disorder often exhibit discomfort about their actual anatomic gender, and they may have wished to alter their bodies. Sex role-stereotypes adopted during childhood are the beliefs, characteristics and behaviors of individual cultures that are considered normal and appropriate for boys and girls to possess. These "norms" are influenced by one's family and friends, the mass-media, and their community. Since some cultures disapprove of cross-gender behavior, it often results in significant problems for affected individuals and those in close relationships with them. The importance of treatment is not only because of the high rate of mental-health problems, including Depression but with higher suicide rate among untreated transsexual people than in the general population. These problems are not usually related to the gender identity issues themselves, but the social and cultural responses to gender-deviated individuals. An example which classically illustrates Gender Identity Disorder is the case of a young man from Brunei Darussalam, who was seen and treated. This
contribution will highlight the cultural and religious perspective of this Disorder.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Fulltext The role of communities Liaison Committee in pioneering social cohesion in Malaysia: an initial review for a future model

Suzy Aziziyana Saili, Rosila Bee Mohd Hussain, Khairulnizam Mat Karim

Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018;3(3):160-167.
MyJurnal

A plural society existence due to economic policy is an outcome of foreign colonization. Due to the
British economic policy, Malaya saw the influx two foreign ethnic; Chinese and Indian, working in tin
mining and rubber estates respectively. Early conflict involving the Malays and these foreign workers
is inevitable which is evident during both the Japanese intervention and the British colonization. The
objective of this paper is to review the role and responsibilities of Communities Liaison Committee in
pioneering social cohesion between the three main ethnics in Malaya during the crucial time of
Japanese intervention, British colonization, communist threat and the declaration of emergency. Before
CLC, a cooperation was initiated by AMCJA-PUTERA coalition but was short lived due to the absence
of support from the British and lack of bargaining between Malays and Non-Malays. CLC received a
full patronage of the British as the pioneer of social cohesion in Malaya, especially when it was able to call upon the three main ethnic in its discussion of bargaining and negotiation or what is widely known
as the social contract, as well as practicing political power sharing.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Esthetic perception and psychosocial impact of developmental enamel defects among Malaysian adolescents

Sujak SL, Abdul Kadir R, Dom TN

J Oral Sci, 2004 Dec;46(4):221-6.
PMID: 15901066

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and psychosocial impact of enamel defects among 16-year-old school children on the island of Penang. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire survey and an oral examination, using the Modified Developmental Defects of Enamel Index (FDI, 1992). In all, 1024 subjects were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. About two-thirds of the sample (67.1%) had at least one tooth affected by enamel defects. Enamel opacities accounted for 85.6% of the total condition. Diffuse-type opacity predominated (63.5%). Among subjects who expressed dissatisfaction, 18.8% reported covering their mouths when smiling, 8.7% avoided going out with friends and 39.1% had consulted their dentists. About 17% of the subjects reported that their parents had complained about the color of their front teeth but only 5.7% had experienced being teased by their friends about the problem. Two-thirds of the subjects were affected by enamel defects involving at least one tooth; however, the esthetic perception and psychosocial impact of those affected were minor.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations
Social relations and health assessments among older people: do the effects of integration and social contributions vary cross-culturally?

Su YP, Ferraro KF

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, 1997 Jan;52B(1):S27-36.
PMID: 9008679

Research on health assessments has shown the importance of social relations as a factor influencing health, especially among older people. Drawing upon sociological theories of social integration and social exchange, this research examines two domains of social relations which are expected to influence assessed health. In addition, the study uses a cross-national sample (N = 3,407) of noninstitutionalized older people from the Republic of Korea, Fiji, Malaysia, and the Philippines to determine if modernization conditions the relationships between social relations and health. Results indicate that social integration has a positive effect on subjective health assessments in all nations, whereas social contributions are significant only in Korea. Findings suggest that health assessments by elders in the most modernized nations appear to be much more influenced by the contributions they make to the social order than is the case in nations which are less modernized.

Matched MeSH terms: Interpersonal Relations*

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