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The effect of emotional support on postpartum depression among postpartum mothers in Asia: A systematic review

Low SR, Bono SA, Azmi Z

Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2023 Jun;15(2-3):e12528.
PMID: 37072907 DOI: 10.1111/appy.12528

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a chronic mood illness that typically develops in the first few months after giving birth. It affects 17.2% of women worldwide, and its deleterious consequences on infants, children, and mothers have elicited global public concern. Therefore, this paper aims to present an overview of the relationship between emotional support and PPD among postpartum mothers in the Asia region.
METHODS: An extensive search using various keywords was conducted in Science Direct, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, JSTOR, Springer Link, and Taylor Francis. The screening process was compliant with the PRISMA guideline, while the quality of the selected studies was assessed using the QuADS tool.
RESULTS: The analysis included 15 research from 12 different countries with 6031 postpartum mothers. A decreased risk of PPD for postpartum mothers is shown to be significantly correlated with greater emotional support, and vice versa.
DISCUSSION: Asian women are less likely to seek emotional assistance than other mothers, which is influenced by culture. There needs to be more research on the impact of culture on postpartum mothers' emotional support. Additionally, this review hopes to raise awareness among the mothers' friends and family as well as the medical community to be more attentive to postpartum mothers' emotional needs and offer specialized assistance.
The impact of social media on mental health among young people

Tong WT, Bono SA, Low WY

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2023 Sep;35(6-7):449-450.
PMID: 37649284 DOI: 10.1177/10105395231198919
Fulltext Prevalence and Factors of Postpartum Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

Low SR, Bono SA, Azmi Z

Curr Psychol, 2023 Jan 07.
PMID: 36643791 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-04181-w

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic has led to several mandatory prevention regulations, changes in healthcare services, unprecedented unemployment rates, financial stress, and emotional worries. Given the increasing cases of COVID-19, coupled with the drastic physical and psychological changes within postpartum mothers during the postpartum period, this paper aims to present an overview of the postpartum depression (PPD) among postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The postpartum period is characterized by drastic physical changes and substantial demands on parental role adjustment, and it places enormous stress on the mothers and makes them vulnerable to mental health problems. A literature search was conducted in four electronic databases (ScienceDirect, Scopus, Wiley, and SAGE) with different combinations of keywords were used. As the result, 25 articles that involved 10,515 postpartum women from 14 countries were extracted. Results have recorded PPD prevalence ranged from 6.4% to 56.9% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited social support, social isolation, fear of COVID-19 exposure, or infection for themselves, newborns, have worsening PPD symptoms among postpartum women. In brief, early detection, appropriate and timely intervention is needed to prevent and identify PPD among postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-04181-w.
Fulltext Mediating Effect of Chronic Illnesses in the Relationship Between Psychological Distress and COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance

Chen WS, Siau CS, Bono SA, Low WY

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2022 01;34(1):106-112.
PMID: 34550027 DOI: 10.1177/10105395211047868

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is an emerging problem globally. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of chronic illnesses in the relationship between psychological health and the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, prior to the national vaccine rollout in Malaysia. An online cross-sectional study was conducted in Malaysia between December 10, 2020, and February 9, 2021. In addition to the descriptive analyses, a mediation analysis was performed to examine the mediating effect of chronic illnesses in the relationship between psychological distress and the willingness to accept the vaccine. A total of 1738 participants completed the survey. The psychological distress levels were found to be significantly different across demographic factors such as age, gender, and social economic status. This study demonstrated a partial mediating effect of chronic illnesses in the relationship between psychological distress and vaccine acceptance.
The Influence of Attitudes on the Perceived Effectiveness of the COVID-19 Vaccine in Malaysia

Chen WS, Siau CS, Bono SA, Low WY

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2021 Dec 12.
PMID: 34894785 DOI: 10.1177/10105395211065300
Fulltext The impact of employment stress on college students: psychological well-being during COVID-19 pandemic in China

Peng Y, Lv SB, Low SR, Bono SA

Curr Psychol, 2023 May 30.
PMID: 37359658 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04785-w

Employment among final year college students in China has encountered unprecedented difficulties during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the high unemployment rate had led college graduates faced inadvertently mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. This study aims to investigate the impact of employment stress on college students' psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. An online survey consisting of demographic items (i.e., age, gender, subject major, type of university, and perceived severity of the current employment situation), Employment Stress scale, Employment Anxiety Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire was employed for data collection. A total of 2,627 final year college students were recruited, with participants displayed below moderate levels of employment stress and anxiety. Approximately 13.2% of participants were depressed and 53.3% considered the current employment situation as severe. Female students were stressed by individual factors and anxious, whilst male students were more depressed. Arts students were less depressed and students from comprehensive universities were more depressed and anxious compared to other types of universities. Students who perceived the employment situation as very severe displayed the lowest level of employment stress and anxiety. Gender, university type, family stress, college stress, and individual stress are predictors of psychological well-being among college students. The family environment, female identity, and stress from university play a crucial role in college students' psychological well-being. The government should pay more attention to the psychological well-being of graduate students and develop feasible measures to help them secure a job during this unprecedented time.
The Roles of Social Value Orientation and Anticipated Emotions in Intergroup Resource Allocation Decisions

Bono SA, van der Schalk J, Manstead ASR

Front Psychol, 2020;11:1455.
PMID: 32733327 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01455

How individuals divide resources between themselves and another person is influenced both by their social value orientation (SVO) and the emotions they expect to feel when dividing resources (anticipated emotions). Research has also shown that individuals favor members of their own group (ingroup) over individuals from other groups (outgroup) when allocating resources. The Malaysian multi-ethnic population is a highly relevant context to study the combined effects of intergroup relations and SVO on anticipated emotions and resource allocation. The current studies recruited Malaysian participants to examine whether anticipated emotions and allocation behavior are influenced by the ethnic identity of the person receiving the allocation. Participants completed an SVO measure and rated how they would feel if they were to share resources equally or unequally. They then made allocations between themselves and an ingroup or outgroup member in an economic game. There was no evidence of ingroup favoritism in anticipated emotions and allocation behavior. This may have been due to impression management, social desirability concerns, and/or the use of a population with socially liberal attitudes. The results nevertheless provide support for the notion that anticipated emotions play a key role in resource allocation decisions.
Scientists, speak up! Source impacts trust in health advice across five countries

Zarzeczna N, Hanel PHP, Rutjens BT, Bono SA, Chen YH, Haddock G

J Exp Psychol Appl, 2024 Sep;30(3):430-441.
PMID: 37902696 DOI: 10.1037/xap0000500

We examined how different types of communication influence people's responses to health advice. We tested whether presenting COVID-19 prevention advice (e.g., washing hands/distancing) as either originating from a government or scientific source would affect people's trust in and intentions to comply with the advice. We also manipulated uncertainty in communicating the advice effectiveness. To achieve this, we conducted an experiment using large samples of participants (N = 4,561) from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Across countries, participants found messages more trustworthy when the purported source was science rather than the government. This effect was moderated by political orientation in all countries except for Canada, while religiosity moderated the source effect in the United States. Although source did not directly affect intentions to act upon the advice, we found an indirect effect via trust, such that a more trusted source (i.e., science) was predictive of higher intentions to comply. However, the uncertainty manipulation was not effective. Together, our findings suggest that despite prominence of science skepticism in public discourse, people trust scientists more than governments when it comes to practical health advice. It is therefore beneficial to communicate health messages by stressing their scientific bases. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Influence of mental health on the well-being status among Malaysian adults before and during COVID-19 pandemic

Cheah WL, Law LS, Samy AL, Chua BS, Siau CS, Fitriana M, et al.

Psychol Health Med, 2023 Jan;28(1):189-199.
PMID: 35437088 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2022.2063351

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the well-being of individuals worldwide. Due to the scarcity of information in the Malaysian context, this study aimed at investigating the changes in well-being before and during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia and its association with mental health status. This cross-sectional study was part of a Malaysian non-probabilistic online survey on psychosocial well-being in Malaysia, under the Personal and Family Coping with COVID-19 Global South Research Consortium. A total of 543 respondents (≥18 years old) were recruited using snowball sampling. A validated self-administered questionnaire for assessing sociodemographic characteristics, well-being, anxiety, boredom, and loneliness was circulated on social media platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp) and emails. Paired samples t-test, chi-square test, and multinomial logistic regression analyses were applied during data analysis. Results revealed significant changes in the mean scores of well-being, anxiety, boredom, and loneliness before and during MCO (p
Fulltext Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: An International Survey among Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Bono SA, Faria de Moura Villela E, Siau CS, Chen WS, Pengpid S, Hasan MT, et al.

Vaccines (Basel), 2021 May 17;9(5).
PMID: 34067682 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9050515

Vaccination is fast becoming a key intervention against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted cross-sectional online surveys to investigate COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across nine Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs; N = 10,183), assuming vaccine effectiveness at 90% and 95%. The prevalence of vaccine acceptance increased from 76.4% (90% effectiveness) to 88.8% (95% effectiveness). Considering a 90% effective vaccine, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, and five African countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Uganda, Malawi, and Mali) had lower acceptance odds compared to Brazil. Individuals who perceived taking the vaccine as important to protect themselves had the highest acceptance odds (aOR 2.49) at 95% effectiveness.Vaccine acceptance was also positively associated with COVID-19 knowledge, worry/fear regarding COVID-19, higher income, younger age, and testing negative for COVID-19. However, chronic disease and female gender reduced the odds for vaccine acceptance. The main reasons underpinning vaccine refusal were fear of side effects (41.2%) and lack of confidence in vaccine effectiveness (15.1%). Further research is needed to identify country-specific reasons for vaccine hesitancy in order to develop mitigation strategies that would ensure high and equitable vaccination coverage across LMICs.
Fulltext Psychosocial Factors Associated With Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Low-Middle- Income Countries, December 2020 to February 2021

Pengpid S, Peltzer K, Sathirapanya C, Thitichai P, Faria de Moura Villela E, Rodrigues Zanuzzi T, et al.

Int J Public Health, 2022;67:1604398.
PMID: 35645703 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604398

Objectives: To investigate psychosocial factors associated with adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: This online cross-sectional survey included 10,183 adults (median age 45 years) from nine LMICs. Participants were asked about adhering to four COVID-19 preventive measures (physical distancing, wearing a face mask, hand, and cough hygiene); a composite adherence score was calculated, ranging from 0-4 positive responses. Psychosocial measures included worry, anxiety, depression, social and demographic, and COVID-19 related factors. Results: Factors associated with adherence to more preventive measures included being a participant from Malaysia or Bangladesh, older age, higher education, belonging to the healthcare sector (either as or worker), having health personnel as a trusted source of COVID-19 information/advice, possessing correct COVID-19 knowledge, worry or fear about being (re)infected with COVID-19, and screening negative for general anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Moderate to high adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures was found, with significant variations across countries. Psychosocial factors (worry, anxiety, knowledge, education, age, and country) seemed determinant in predicting the number of measures to which participants adhered.
Validation of the Malay version of the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 among Malaysian undergraduates

Tan YK, Siau CS, Chan LF, Kõlves K, Zhang J, Ho MC, et al.

Asian J Psychiatr, 2023 Nov;89:103772.
PMID: 37748229 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103772

This cross-sectional study aimed to validate the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5) among Malaysian undergraduates (N = 500; mean age = 21.66 ± 1.57), of which 90.4% had ever experienced a lifetime traumatic event. Cronbach's alpha of .87 (95% CI [.86, .89]) and McDonald's omega of .89 (95% CI [.89, .93]) indicated good reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis based on a six-factor structure showed the best fit. The measurement invariance showed that the six-factor structure was similar across sexes. Therefore, the Malay LEC-5 is a valid and reliable instrument to screen for traumatic events among Malaysian undergraduates.