Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 107 in total

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  1. Din MO, Noor NM
    Women Health, 2009 Dec;49(8):573-91.
    PMID: 20183102 DOI: 10.1080/03630240903495897
    Due to a dearth of research on depressive symptoms in Malaysia, particularly in Malay women, a community study was conducted to examine the prevalence and factors associated with current depressive symptoms in rural and urban Malay women with low socioeconomic status.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology
  2. Tay AK, Rees S, Miah MAA, Khan S, Badrudduza M, Morgan K, et al.
    Transl Psychiatry, 2019 09 02;9(1):213.
    PMID: 31477686 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0537-z
    A major challenge in the refugee field is to ensure that scarce mental health resources are directed to those in greatest need. Based on data from an epidemiological survey of 959 adult Rohingya refugees in Malaysia (response rate: 83%), we examine whether a brief screening instrument of functional impairment, the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS), prove useful as a proxy measure to identify refugees who typically attend community mental health services. Based on estimates of mental disorder requiring interventions from analyses of epidemiological studies conducted worldwide, we selected a WHODAS cutoff that identified the top one-fifth of refugees according to severity of functional impairment, the remainder being distributed to moderate and lower impairment groupings, respectively. Compared to the lower impairment grouping, the severe impairment category comprised more boat arrivals (AOR: 5.96 [95% CI 1.34-26.43); stateless persons (A20·11 [95% CI 7.14-10); those with high exposure to pre-migration traumas (AOR: 4.76 [95% CI 1.64-13.73), peri-migration stressors (AOR: 1.26 [95% CI 1.14-1.39]) and postmigration living difficulties (AOR: 1.43 [95% CI 1.32-1.55); persons with single (AOR: 7.48 [95% CI 4.25-13.17]) and comorbid (AOR: 13.54 [95% CI 6.22-29.45]) common mental disorders; and those reporting poorer general health (AOR: 2.23 [95% CI 1-5.02]). In addition, half of the severe impairment grouping (50.6%) expressed suicidal ideas compared to one in six (16.2 percent) of the lower impairment grouping (OR: 2.39 [95% CI 1.94-2.93]). Differences between the severe and moderate impairment groups were similar but less extreme. In settings where large-scale epidemiological studies are not feasible, the WHODAS may serve as readily administered and brief public health screening tool that assists in stratifying the population according to urgency of mental health needs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology
  3. Amin NA, Quek KF, Oxley JA, Noah R, Nordin R
    Int J Occup Environ Med, 2018 04;9(2):69-78.
    PMID: 29667644 DOI: 10.15171/ijoem.2018.1158
    BACKGROUND: Emotional distress is becoming a great concern and is more common in both developed and developing countries. It is associated with several disease conditions.

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of self-perceived emotional distress and its relation to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in nurses.

    METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire survey was carried out on 660 female nurses working in public hospitals in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The validated Malay version of the standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (M-SNMQ) was used to identify the annual prevalence of WRMSDs; perceived emotional distress was assessed using the validated Malay short version, depression, anxiety, and stress (M-DASS) instrument. In addition, socio-demographic and occupational profiles of the participants were considered. Factors associated with WRMSDs were identified using logistic regression analysis.

    RESULTS: A total of 376 nurses completed the survey (response rate 83.3%). 73.1% of the nursing staffs experienced WRMSDs in at least one anatomical site 12 months prior to the study. 75% of nurses expressed emotional distress. Of these, over half also reported anxiety and stress. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that stress and anxiety significantly increased the risk of WRMSDs by approximately twofold.

    CONCLUSION: There were significant associations between emotional distress and WRMSDs. Future longitudinal studies are therefore needed to investigate and identify the sources of emotional distress (non-occupational and occupational) to be used to establish preventive strategies to reduce the risk of WRMSDs.

    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  4. Hadi AA, Naing NN, Daud A, Nordin R
    PMID: 17333785
    This study was conducted to assess the reliability and construct validity of the Malay version of Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) among secondary school teachers in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. A total of 68 teachers consented to participate in the study and were administered the Malay version of JCQ. Reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency whilst construct validity was assessed using factor analysis. The results indicated that Cronbach's alpha coefficients revealed decision latitude (0.75), psychological job demand (0.50) and social support (0.84). Factor analysis showed three meaningful common factors that could explain the construct of Karasek's demand-control-social support model. The study suggests the JCQ scales are reliable and valid tools for assessing job stress in school teachers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  5. Yusof ZYM, Hassan WNW, Razak IA, Hashim SMN, Tahir MKAM, Keng SB
    PMID: 29641164
    This study aimed to evaluate the association between dental students’
    personality traits and stress levels in relation to dental education programs among
    senior dental students in University Malaya (UM) in Malaysia and National University
    of Singapore (NUS). A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered
    questionnaire was conducted on UM and NUS senior dental students. The questionnaire
    comprised items on demographic background, the Big Five Inventory
    Personality Traits (BFIPT) test and a modified Dental Environment Stress (DES)
    scale. Rasch analysis was used to convert raw data to interval scores. Analyses
    were done by t-test, Pearson correlation, and Hierarchical regression statistics.
    The response rate was 100% (UM=132, NUS=76). Personality trait Agreeableness
    (mean=0.30) was significantly more prevalent among UM than NUS students
    (mean=0.15, p=0.016). In NUS, Neuroticism (mean=0.36) was significantly more
    prevalent than in UM (mean=0.14, p=0.002). The DES mean score was higher
    among NUS (mean=0.23) than UM students (mean=0.07). In UM, Neuroticism
    was significantly correlated with stress levels (r=0.338, p<0.001). In NUS, these
    were Neuroticism (r=0.278, p=0.015), Agreeableness (r=0.250, p=0.029) and Conscientiousness
    (r=-0.242, p=0.035) personality traits. The correlation was strongest
    for personality trait Neuroticism in both schools. Hierarchical regression analysis
    showed that gender and Neuroticism were significant predictors for students’
    stress levels (p<0.05) with the latter exerting a bigger effect size (R2=0.18) than
    gender (R2=004). This study showed that gender and Neuroticism personality
    trait were significant predictors for stress levels among selected groups of dental
    students in Southeast Asia. Information on students’ personality may be useful in
    new students’ intake, stress management counseling and future program reviews.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  6. Nizam M, Norzila MZ
    Med J Malaysia, 2001 Dec;56(4):428-34.
    PMID: 12014761
    Objectives: A child's admission into intensive care is a major cause of stress for parents. However among Malaysian parents, data concerning the perception of stress are virtually absent. Therefore we conducted a study to measure the reliability of the Malay version of Parental Stressor Scale: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PSS: PICU) in identifying sources of stress and to study factors that might influence their stress response.
    Methods: Over a six-month period, one hundred and twelve parents were requested to answer the questionnaires twice either in Malay or English, a week apart. Spearman's correlation and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess the repeatability and internal consistency of the questionnaires.
    Results: Ninety-four (83.9%) and seventy-one (75.3%) parents responded to the first and second administration of questionnaire respectively. All answered in the Malay language except for three. The correlation ranged from 0.50 to 0.71 with a total score of 0.76. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from 0.75 to 0.93, with total a score of 0.95.
    Alteration in parental roles was the most stressful source of stress. Fathers, parents of children with higher PRISM score and parents with no previous admission into intensive care unit scored significantly higher in staff’s communication.
    Conclusion: The Malay version of PSS: PICU is reliable in identifying sources of stress. Alteration in parental roles was the most stressful source of stress. Parents' gender, previous experience and severity of the child illness may influence their stress responses.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  7. Amit N, Ibrahim N, Aga Mohd Jaladin R, Che Din N
    Med J Malaysia, 2017 10;72(5):291-297.
    PMID: 29197885 MyJurnal
    INTRODUCTION: This research examined the predicting roles of reasons for living and social support on depression, anxiety and stress in Malaysia.

    METHOD: This research was carried out on a sample of 263 participants (age range 12-24 years old), from Klang Valley, Selangor. The survey package comprises demographic information, a measure of reasons for living, social support, depression, anxiety and stress. To analyse the data, correlation analysis and a series of linear multiple regression analysis were carried out.

    RESULTS: Findings showed that there were low negative relationships between all subdomains and the total score of reasons for living and depression. There were also low negative relationships between domain-specific of social support (family and friends) and total social support and depression. In terms of the family alliance, self-acceptance and total score of reasons for living, they were negatively associated with anxiety, whereas family social support was negatively associated with stress. The linear regression analysis showed that only future optimism and family social support found to be the significant predictors for depression. Family alliance and total reasons for living were significant in predicting anxiety, whereas family social support was significant in predicting stress.

    CONCLUSION: These findings have the potential to promote awareness related to depression, anxiety, and stress among youth in Malaysia.

    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  8. Abdollahi A, Hosseinian S, Asmundson GJG
    J Gen Psychol, 2018 01 18;145(1):93-105.
    PMID: 29345535 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2017.1421137
    To better understand depression among adolescent university students, this study was designed to examine coping style as a potential mediator between perfectionism and depression. Participants comprised 510 undergraduate students from Malaysia. Structural Equation Modelling demonstrated that personal standards perfectionism and task-focused coping style were negatively associated with depression, while emotion-focused coping style, avoidant coping style, and evaluative concerns perfectionism were positively associated with depression. Multiple mediator modelling provided evidence that coping styles partially mediated the relationship between perfectionism and depression. These findings advance current knowledge by suggesting how perfectionism may contribute to depression and may inform the development of more effective prevention and intervention programs for depression.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology
  9. Nurasikin MS, Khatijah LA, Aini A, Ramli M, Aida SA, Zainal NZ, et al.
    Int J Soc Psychiatry, 2013 Jun;59(4):332-8.
    PMID: 22408116 DOI: 10.1177/0020764012437127
    Patients having psychiatric diagnoses often experience high level of distress. Religiousness is often used by them as part of their coping mechanism and problem-solving strategies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  10. Shaw SA, Ward KP, Pillai V, Hinton DE
    Am J Orthopsychiatry, 2019;89(6):665-674.
    PMID: 30035560 DOI: 10.1037/ort0000346
    Forcibly displaced persons confront multiple stressors while awaiting permanent asylum or resettlement and often experience high levels of emotional distress. This study assessed an 8-week somatic-focused culturally adapted cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) group intervention with 39 female refugees from Afghanistan living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty-nine participants were randomly assigned to treatment conditions, resulting in 20 participants in two separate treatment groups and 9 in a waitlist control group. An additional 10 participants were not randomly assigned and therefore were treated as an additional treatment group and analyzed separately. A three-group piecewise linear growth model was specified in Mplus using Bayesian estimation. Dependent variables included emotional distress, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and social support. From baseline to posttreatment assessments, initial intervention participants experienced significant declines in emotional distress (b = -16.90, p < .001), anxiety (b = -.80, p < .001), depression (b = -.59, p < .001), and posttraumatic stress (b = -.24, p < .05). Gains were maintained three months posttreatment, with similar trends observed among nonrandomized participants. Subsequent to receiving treatment, the waitlist control participants also showed significant declines in emotional distress (b = -20.88, p < .001), anxiety (b = -1.10, p < .001), depression (b = -.79, p < .001), and posttraumatic stress scores (b = -.82, p < .001). Comparing the treatment groups to the waitlist control group revealed large effect sizes: Cohen's d was 2.14 for emotional distress, 2.31 for anxiety, 2.42 for depression, and 2.07 for posttraumatic stress. Relevant public health findings include low drop out, group format, and facilitation by a trained community member. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology
  11. Beng TS, Ahmad F, Loong LC, Chin LE, Zainal NZ, Guan NC, et al.
    Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2016 Jul;33(6):555-60.
    PMID: 25632044 DOI: 10.1177/1049909115569048
    A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 5-minute mindful breathing in distress reduction. Twenty palliative care patients and family caregivers with a distress score ≥4 measured by the Distress Thermometer were recruited and randomly assigned to mindful breathing or "listening" (being listened to). Median distress reductions after 5 minutes were 2.5 for the mindful breathing group and 1.0 for the listening group. A significantly larger reduction in the distress score was observed in the mindful breathing group (Mann-Whitney U test: U = 8.0, n1 = n2 = 10, mean rank1 = 6.30, mean rank2 = 14.70, z = -3.208, P = .001). The 5-minute mindful breathing could be useful in distress reduction in palliative care.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology
  12. Beng TS, Guan NC, Seang LK, Pathmawathi S, Ming MF, Jane LE, et al.
    Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2014 Feb;31(1):45-56.
    PMID: 22956340 DOI: 10.1177/1049909112458721
    A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 20 adult palliative care inpatients of University Malaya Medical Centre. The results were thematically analyzed. Ten basic themes were generated (1) loss and change → differential suffering, (2) care dependence → dependent suffering, (3) family stress → empathic suffering, (4) disease and dying → terminal suffering, (5) health care staff encounters → interactional suffering, (6) hospital environment → environmental suffering, (7) physical symptoms → sensory suffering, (8) emotional reactions → emotional suffering, (9) cognitive reactions → cognitive suffering, and (10) spiritual reactions → spiritual suffering. An existential-experiential model of suffering was conceptualized from the analysis. This model may inform the development of interventions in the prevention and management of suffering.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  13. Beng TS, Guan NC, Seang LK, Pathmawathi S, Ming MF, Jane LE, et al.
    Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2013 Aug;30(5):473-89.
    PMID: 23341445 DOI: 10.1177/1049909112473633
    A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 15 palliative care informal caregivers in University Malaya Medical Centre. The data were thematically analyzed. Seven basic themes were generated (1) empathic suffering, (2) anticipatory grief, (3) obsessive-compulsive suffering, (4) helpless-powerless suffering, (5) obligatory suffering, (6) impedimental suffering, and (7) repercussion suffering. A model of compassion suffering was conceptualized from the analysis. This model may serve as a guide in the assessment and management of suffering in palliative care informal caregivers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  14. Aman Z, Liew SM, Ramdzan SN, Philp I, Khoo EM
    Singapore Med J, 2020 May;61(5):238-245.
    PMID: 31423540 DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2019100
    INTRODUCTION: Many older people rely on caregivers for support. Caring for older people can pose significant burdens for caregivers yet may also have positive effects. This study aimed to assess the impact on the caregivers and to determine factors associated with caregivers who were burdened.

    METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 385 caregivers of older people who attended a community clinic in Malaysia. Convenience sampling was employed during the study period on caregivers who were aged ≥ 21 years and provided ≥ 4 hours of unpaid support per week. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire, which included the Carers of Older People in Europe (COPE) index and the EASYCare Standard 2010 independence score. The COPE index was used to assess the impact of caregiving. A highly burdened caregiver was defined as one whose scores for all three COPE subscales were positive for burden. Care recipients' independence was assessed using the independence score of the EASYCare Standard 2010 questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with caregiver burden.

    RESULTS: 73 (19.0%) caregivers were burdened, of whom two were highly burdened. Caregivers' median scores on the positive value, negative impact and quality of support scales were 13.0, 9.0 and 12.0, respectively. Care recipients' median independence score was 18.0. Ethnicity and education levels were found to be associated with caregiver burden.

    CONCLUSION: Most caregivers gained satisfaction and felt supported in caregiving. Ethnicity and education level were associated with a caregiver being burdened.

    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  15. Lai ST, Tan WY, Wo MC, Lim KS, Ahmad SB, Tan CT
    Seizure, 2019 Oct;71:132-139.
    PMID: 31325820 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2019.07.008
    PURPOSE: The literature on caregiver burden tends to focus on children and teenagers with epilepsy and less on adults. As caregiving is a dynamic, complex process across the trajectories, this study aims to examine the factors associated with caregiving burden in those caring for adults with epilepsy.

    METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, survey-based study in which participants responded to questionnairesregarding perceived burden (ZBI), quality of life (IEQoL), psychological distress (DASS-21), family functioning (FAD) and perceived social support (MSPSS). Additional measures include socio-demographics and clinical characteristics of the care-recipient.

    RESULTS: A total of 111 caregivers participated, of whom 72.1% were females, 55% parents, 59.5% Chinese, 51.4% unemployed and 46.0% with tertiary education.Approximately half (42.3%) reported mild-to-moderate levels of burden (mean ZBI score 29.93, SD 16.09).Furthermore, multiple regression analysisidentified10 predictors of caregiver burden, namely family functioning, weekly caregiving hours, number of caregivers per family, attitude towards epilepsy, family support, caregivers' gender, personal income and as well as care-recipients' age of onset, seizure frequency and ADL dependency (F(10, 85) = 11.37, p stress (r = 0.576, p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  16. Eow SY, Gan WY, Lim PY, Awang H, Mohd Shariff Z
    Res Dev Disabil, 2020 May;100:103632.
    PMID: 32179381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103632
    BACKGROUND: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) of different levels of symptom severity may exhibit a wide range of behaviours and characteristics. There is a limited nutrition-related study on children with ASD of different severity in Malaysia.

    AIMS: This cross-sectional study aims to determine the association between sociodemographic factors, parental factors, and lifestyle factors with autism severity in children with ASD.

    METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A total of 224 children with ASD were included in this study. Their mothers completed a self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, autism severity, parenting style, parental feeding practices, parenting stress, child's sleep habits and eating behaviours.

    OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: As high as 78.1 % of the children with ASD demonstrated a high level of autism severity. Multiple linear regression showed that father's employment status (B = 6.970, 95 % CI = 3.172, 10.768, p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  17. Zainol NA, Hashim HA
    Psychol Health Med, 2015;20(4):495-502.
    PMID: 25196807 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2014.955034
    We examined the moderating effects of exercise habit strength on the relationship between emotional distress and short-term memory in primary school children.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology*
  18. Tan ST, Lee L
    Psychol Health Med, 2023 Feb;28(2):419-426.
    PMID: 35638111 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2022.2083643
    Total lockdown caused deleterious mental health to many, resulting from a sudden change in daily routine, working and self-isolation at home, and job and income losses. Therefore, the current study aims to assess the social determinants of self-reported psychological distress in Malaysian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Snowball and purposive sampling approaches were adopted to enroll potential respondents. Respondents were required to self-report gender, age, ethnicity, educational attainment, marital status, number of dependents, and the presence of clinically diagnosed psychological disorders. Psychological distress during the pandemic was assessed using 21-item of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). The findings revealed that respondents with primary/secondary educational attainment were 1.962 times (95% CI: 1.018-3.781, p= 0.044) more likely to suffer from depression than those with tertiary educational attainment. Conversely, the Malaysian Indians had significantly lower odds for depression compared to Malaysian Malays (AOR = 0.538, 95% CI: 0.302-0.957, p= 0.035). Likewise, females were found to have significantly greater odds for anxiety (AOR = 2.369, 95% CI: 1.317-4.260, p= 0.004) and stress (AOR = 1.976, 95% CI: 1.007-3.879, p = 0.048) than males. Being single was at significantly higher odds for anxiety (AOR = 2.032, 95% CI: 1.133-3.646, p= 0.017) during the pandemic. This study highlights the urgency to address the escalated psychological distress in Malaysian adults during the pandemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology
  19. Mansor M, Chong MC, Chui PL, Hamdan M, Lim CC
    Psychol Health Med, 2023 Jul;28(6):1549-1561.
    PMID: 36120729 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2022.2124288
    This scoping review describes the research-based mindfulness intervention on anxiety, distress, and depression. The search strategy retrieved articles published in English from 2014 to 2019 and were retrieved across Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. The PRISMA-Scr checklist is a tool to evaluate the quality of the articles. The selection criteria initially included all original articles in English, with 1,527 that were related to mindfulness intervention for anxiety, distress, and depression. A total of 490 full texts were retrieved, and after the abstracts were reviewed, 124 full-text articles were included for eligibility, and the final eight studies were determined. The articles were reviewed and screened for relevance to mindfulness intervention in reducing anxiety, distress, and depression among those with chronic diseases. The results have shown that mindfulness intervention reduces anxiety, distress, and depression among patients with chronic diseases. The review contributes further insight into the fact that mindfulness intervention is also appropriate for other conditions to facilitate reducing psychological symptoms.
    Matched MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological/psychology
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