MyMedR

Depression and low bone mineral density: The correlation among Chinese

Kurmanji JM, Sulaiman SA, Kah LK, Chandrasekaran PK

Asian J Psychiatr, 2010 Sep;3(3):134-7.

PMID: 23051571 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2010.07.013

Depression is usually associated with changes in the endogenous hormonal system. The most important hormonal modifications are elevation of the serum cortisol level as well as the reduction of endogenous sex hormone levels. These changes have advanced side effects on a bone metabolism and bone remodelling process, which consequently, lead to the declining in bone mineral density and increase the risk of bone fractures, which is reported by current studies.

Exploratory and confirmatory factor validation of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale for Malays (DAS-Malay) in Malaysia

Mukhtar F, Oei TP

Asian J Psychiatr, 2010 Sep;3(3):145-51.

PMID: 23051574 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2010.07.007

The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the Malay version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-Malay) in clinical and nonclinical populations. The DAS is a self-report inventory derived from Beck's cognitive theory of depression to measure beliefs constituting a predisposition to depression. The 40-item DAS-Malay was completed by 315 university students, 495 members of the general community, 167 medical patients, and 113 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Through principal axis factoring, with varimax rotation, two factors were extracted; performance evaluation and self-control. Correlation with depression and other variables indicated that the DAS-Malay held good concurrent validity. In addition, sensitivity and specificity of the total scores of the DAS were evident in this study. The results showed that the DAS-Malay possesses satisfactory psychometric properties suggesting that this instrument is appropriate for use as a cognitive measure in a Malay cultural context although several issues require consideration.

Regional update: Cambodia

Deva MP, D'Souza R, Sundram S

Asian J Psychiatr, 2009 Oct;2(3):120-1.

PMID: 23051055 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2009.09.001

Cambodia is a developing south-east Asian country located in the fertile Mekong delta. Its recent past has been complicated by European colonialism and internal conflict. Health including mental health services are limited and sparse in regional and rural areas. Very constrained public mental health facilities and services are hampered by a shortage of a skilled workforce and insufficient training programs. The recent formation of the Mental Health Association of Cambodia promises to be a positive step forward in promoting mental health throughout the country.

Developing mental health resources for low and medium income countries of the Pacific-The Cook Islands experience

Deva MP, D'Souza R, Sundram S

Asian J Psychiatr, 2010 Mar;3(1):47-8.

PMID: 23051142 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2010.01.007

Validation of the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among a group of medical students in Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya

Ng CG, Amer Siddiq AN, Aida SA, Zainal NZ, Koh OH

Asian J Psychiatr, 2010 Mar;3(1):3-6.

PMID: 23051129 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2009.12.001

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to validate the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among a group of medical students in Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya.
METHODS: 237 students participated in the study. They were given the Malay version of MSPSS, medical outcome study (MOS) social support survey, Malay version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Malay version of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and English version of MSPSS. A week later, these students were again given the Malay version of MSPSS.
RESULTS: The instrument displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.89), parallel form reliability (0.94) and test-retest reliability (0.77) (Spearman's rho, p<0.01). The negative correlation of the total and subscales of the instrument with the Malay version of GHQ and BDI confirmed its validity. Extraction method of the 12 items MSPSS using principle axis factoring with direct oblimin rotation converged into three factors of perceived social support (Family, Friends and Significant Others) with reliability coefficients of 0.88, 0.82 and 0.94, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The Malay version of the MSPSS demonstrated good psychometric properties in measuring social support among a group of medical students from Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya and it could be used as a simple instrument on young educated Malaysian adolescents.

The asian Federation of psychiatric associations society section

Parameshwara Dev M

Asian J Psychiatr, 2008 Sep;1(1):15-9.

PMID: 23050980 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2008.07.007

Bringing out the leader in you--Malaysian Psychiatric Association Leadership Certification for Early Career Psychiatrists

Umi Adzlin S, Rafidah B, Rahima D, Chan LF, Vincent W, Ahmad Qabil AK, et al.

Asian J Psychiatr, 2012 Dec;5(4):370.

PMID: 23174453 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.07.009

Pain symptoms in Malay patients with major depression

Razali SM, Khalib AQ

Asian J Psychiatr, 2012 Dec;5(4):297-302.

PMID: 23174436 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.02.015

There is a strong association between depression and pain, which is influenced by various biological and psychological mechanisms. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and severity of pain symptoms among patients with major depression; and to determine the correlation between pain with clinical variables, neurotic pathology and severity of depression.

Psychometric properties of the Medical Student Well-Being Index among medical students in a Malaysian medical school

Yusoff MS, Yaacob MJ, Naing NN, Esa AR

Asian J Psychiatr, 2013 Feb;6(1):60-5.

PMID: 23380320 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.09.001

This study evaluated the convergent, discriminant, construct, concurrent and discriminative validity of the Medical Student Wellbeing Index (MSWBI) as well as to evaluate its internal consistency and optimal cut-off total scores to detect at least moderate levels of general psychological distress, stress, anxiety and depression symptoms. A cross sectional study was done on 171 medical students. The MSWBI and DASS-21 were administered and returned immediately upon completion. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, ROC analysis and Pearson correlation test were applied to assess psychometric properties of the MSWBI. A total of 168 (98.2%) medical students responded. The goodness of fit indices showed the MSWBI had a good construct (χ(2)=6.14, p=0.803, RMSEA<0.001, RMR=0.004, GFI=0.99, AGFI=0.97, CFI=1.00, IFI=1.02, TLI=1.04). The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.69 indicating an acceptable level of internal consistency. Pearson correlation coefficients and ROC analysis suggested each MSWBI's item showed adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Its optimal cut-off scores to detect at least moderate levels of general psychological distress, stress, anxiety, and depression were 1.5, 2.5, 1.5 and 2.5 respectively with sensitivity and specificity ranged from 62 to 80% and the areas under ROC curve ranged from 0.71 to 0.83. This study showed that the MSWBI had good level of psychometric properties. The MSWBI score more than 2 can be considered as having significant psychological distress. The MSWBI is a valid and reliable screening instrument to assess psychological distress of medical students.

Fulltext Prevalence and associated factors of stress, anxiety and depression among prospective medical students

Yusoff MS, Abdul Rahim AF, Baba AA, Ismail SB, Mat Pa MN, Esa AR

Asian J Psychiatr, 2013 Apr;6(2):128-33.

PMID: 23466109 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.09.012

Many studies have reported that the prevalence of psychological distress among medical students during medical training was high. However, there are very few studies exploring on the psychological health of prospective medical students. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors for stress, anxiety and depression symptoms among the prospective medical students. A cross-sectional study was done on two cohorts of applicants to a public medical school. A total of 839 applicants were invited to participate in the study. The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale was administered to the applicants after they completed interviews. A total of 743 (92.2%) applicants took part in the study. The prevalence of moderate to extremely severe level of stress, anxiety and depression were 3.6%, 54.5% and 1.9%, respectively. Stress was significantly associated with extra-curricular activity (p<0.001) and race (p<0.001). Anxiety was associated with extra-curricular activity (p<0.001), race (p<0.001), mother education level (p=0.002) and CGPA group (p=0.034). Depression was associated with academic performance in class (p<0.001) and race (p=0.004). Prevalence of stress and depression among entering medical students was low; however prevalence of anxiety was high which could be due to worry about the interviews to enter medical course. The associated factors of psychological distress among prospective medical students were related to academic, non-academic, parent education and cultural backgrounds.

Population screening in Asia: A unique opportunity to enhance early detection of psychosis?

Woodberry KA

Asian J Psychiatr, 2015 Dec;18:97-8.

PMID: 26498721 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2015.09.005

A recent article in this journal (Razali et al., 2015) reports the results of a 2-stage study screening for psychosis risk in Malaysia. The researchers incorporated both selective and indicated prevention strategies and included self-report items probing non-specific "early" experiences as well as attenuated psychotic symptoms associated with the prodromal phase of schizophrenia. Given that increased stigma and reduced services may reduce help-seeking in many Asian countries, population screening may be more important to early detection of individuals at risk for psychosis. In fact, the availability of large population centers and greater trust of providers may make Asian research centers uniquely suited for conducting badly needed research on screening strategies and the role of cultural factors in the emergence of psychosis.

Depression, anxiety and stress among patients with dialysis and the association with quality of life

Bujang MA, Musa R, Liu WJ, Chew TF, Lim CT, Morad Z

Asian J Psychiatr, 2015 Dec;18:49-52.

PMID: 26549864 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2015.10.004

Studies addressing the nature of relationship between psychological symptoms and quality of life among dialysis patients in Malaysia are scarce. Hence, this study is intended to investigate the association between psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety and stress on the quality of life in dialysis patients. A cross sectional multicentre study was conducted from May to October 2012 at 15 centres that provide haemodialysis and/or peritoneal dialysis. Apart from socio-demographic profile data collection, WHOQOL-BREF and DASS21 questionnaires were administered to study subjects. All three psychological symptoms had significant impact on quality of life domains of physical health, psychological health, social impact, perceived environment and overall quality of life. These findings suggest that subjects with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress had poorer quality of life than those without, highlighting the negative impact of psychological symptoms.

Aggression in Malaysian schizophrenia patients: Its clinical determinants and association with COMT Val158Met genotypes

Mohamed Saini S, Razali R, Ibrahim L, Yik OD, Mohd Shah MA, Ahmad SZ, et al.

Asian J Psychiatr, 2015 Oct;17:107-8.

PMID: 26300284 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2015.07.012

Screening for schizophrenia in initial prodromal phase: Detecting the sub-threshold psychosis

Razali SM, Abidin ZZ, Othman Z, Yassin MA

Asian J Psychiatr, 2015 Aug;16:26-31.

PMID: 26182843 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2015.06.011

The aim of the study is to screen and evaluate the efficacy of the screening tools in detecting subjects with sub-threshold psychosis among asymptomatic individuals at genetic risk, as compared with persons in the general public.

Fulltext Psychosocial support for healthcare frontliners during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

Bakar AYA, Ramli S

Asian J Psychiatr, 2020 Dec;54:102272.

PMID: 32653851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102272

Fulltext Remote Psychological First Aid (rPFA) in the time of Covid-19: A preliminary report of the Malaysian experience

Francis B, Juares Rizal A, Ahmad Sabki Z, Sulaiman AH

Asian J Psychiatr, 2020 Dec;54:102240.

PMID: 32593120 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102240

Fulltext Psychological impact of coronavirus outbreak on borderline personality disorder from the perspective of mentalizing model: A case report

Chong SC

Asian J Psychiatr, 2020 Aug;52:102130.

PMID: 32361209 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102130

Fulltext Adherence to the Malaysian clinical practice guideline for depression by general practitioners in private practice in Penang

Ho KC, Russell V, Nyanti L, Chan MW, Hassali MA, Dawood OT, et al.

Asian J Psychiatr, 2020 Feb;48:101899.

PMID: 31901584 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2019.101899

INTRODUCTION: Most primary care in Malaysia is provided by general practitioners in private practice. To date, little is known about how Malaysian General Practitioners (GPs) manage patients with depression. We surveyed privately practising primary care physicians in the state of Penang, Malaysia, in relation to their experience of the Malaysian Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) in Major Depressive Disorder, their current practice and perceived barriers in managing depression effectively.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire based on the study aims and previous literature was developed by the authors and mailed to all currently registered GPs in private clinics in Penang. Survey responses were analysed using SSPS version 21.

RESULTS: From a total of 386 questionnaires distributed, 112 (29%) were returned. Half of the respondents were unaware of the existence of any CPG for depression. One quarter reported not managing depression at all, while one third used anxiolytic monotherapy in moderate-severe depression. Almost 75 % of respondents reported making referrals to specialist psychiatric services for moderate-severe depression. Time constraints, patient non-adherence and a lack of depression management skills were perceived as the main barriers to depression care.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the need to engage privately practising primary care physicians in Malaysia to improve their skills in the management of depression. Future revisions of the Malaysian Depression CPG should directly involve more GPs from private practices at the planning, development and implementation stages, in order to increase its impact.

Improving coping mechanisms of Malaysian adolescents living in orphanages through a life skills education program: A multicentre randomized controlled trial

Mohammadzadeh M, Awang H, Ismail S, Shahr HK

Asian J Psychiatr, 2020 Feb;48:101892.

PMID: 31864126 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2019.101892

The current study amid to determine whether a life skills-based education could improve coping skills among adolescents in Malaysian orphanages. It was a randomized controlled trial comprising intervention and control groups which were randomly selected to receive the life skills, or the Placebo education programmes. The DASS21 and Brief COPE were used as the study instruments. Results showed the mean scores of self-distraction, active coping, use of emotional support, use of instrumental support, positive reinterpretation, planning and acceptance, at post-test, were significantly increased compared to the pre-test values. Denial, substance abuse, behavioural disengagement and self-blame significantly decreased. The findings provide an opportunity to assess the effects of participation in a life skills education programme on behavioural health in Malaysia orphanages.

Prescription of antipsychotic and concomitant medications for adult Asian schizophrenia patients: Findings of the 2016 Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns (REAP) survey

Dong M, Zeng LN, Zhang Q, Yang SY, Chen LY, Najoan E, et al.

Asian J Psychiatr, 2019 Oct;45:74-80.

PMID: 31520884 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2019.08.010

OBJECTIVE: Regular surveys are important to monitor the use of psychotropic medications in clinical practice. This study examined the psychotropic prescription patterns in adult Asian schizophrenia patients based on the data of the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription (REAP) 2016 survey.

METHODS: This cross-sectional survey across 15 Asian countries/territories collected socio-demographic and clinical data with standardized procedures between March and May 2016. The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded with a standardized questionnaire.

RESULTS: Altogether 3,537 adult patients with schizophrenia were consecutively screened and enrolled in the survey. The mean age was 38.66 ± 11.55 years and 59.7% of the sample were male. The mean dose of antipsychotics in chlorpromazine equivalents (CPZeq) was 424 ± 376 mg/day; 31.3% and 80.8% received first- and second- generation antipsychotics, respectively and 42.6% had antipsychotic polypharmacy, 11.7% had antidepressants, 13.7% had mood stabilizers, 27.8% had benzodiazepines, and 45.6% had anticholinergics.

CONCLUSIONS: Psychotropic prescription patterns in Asian adult patients with schizophrenia varied across countries. Regular surveys on psychotropic medications for schizophrenia are important to monitor pharmacotherapy practice in Asia.

Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 85 in total