Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 34 in total

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  1. Chan, Lai Fong, Hatta Sidi, Suzaily Wahab
    MyJurnal
    The critical review paper is a component of the theory examination for postgraduate psychiatry in Malaysia. Majority of students find this paper difficult, thus this article is intended to help the students understand the critical review paper better. The paper discussed below aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice towards sleep among medical students of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Model answers were provided at the end of each question, as marked in italic font.
  2. Chan Lai Fong, Nurashikin Ibrahim, Nur Ajjrina Abdul Rahman, Sara Bartlett, Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin, Yin, Ping Ng
    MyJurnal
    The media can be a double-edged sword in suicide prevention
    with the Werther and Papageno effect as risk and protective factors
    respectively. Objective: This article provides a brief overview of the impact
    of media suicide reporting on suicidal behaviour and suicide prevention.
    Results: In the Malaysian context, current practices of media suicide
    reporting, advocacy strategies for responsible media suicide reporting as
    well as challenges in stakeholder awareness and engagement are highlighted.
    A review of the literature suggested limited implementaton and adherence of
    media guidelines locally. Conclusions: Future research is warranted to
    establish the evidence base for effective strategies to improve stakeholder
    awareness, engagement and implementation of responsible media reporting
    of suicide.
  3. Chan LF, Shamsul AS, Maniam T
    Psychiatry Res, 2014 Dec 30;220(3):867-73.
    PMID: 25240940 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.08.055
    Our study aimed to examine the interplay between clinical and social predictors of future suicide attempt and the transition from suicidal ideation to suicide attempt in depressive disorders. Sixty-six Malaysian inpatients with a depressive disorder were assessed at index admission and within 1 year for suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, depression severity, life event changes, treatment history and relevant clinical and socio-demographic factors. One-fifth of suicidal ideators transitioned to a future suicide attempt. All future attempters (12/66) had prior ideation and 83% of attempters had a prior attempt. The highest risk for transitioning from ideation to attempt was 5 months post-discharge. Single predictor models showed that previous psychiatric hospitalization and ideation severity were shared predictors of future attempt and ideation to attempt transition. Substance use disorders (especially alcohol) predicted future attempt and approached significance for the transition process. Low socio-economic status predicted the transition process while major personal injury/illness predicted future suicide attempt. Past suicide attempt, subjective depression severity and medication compliance predicted only future suicide attempt. The absence of prior suicide attempt did not eliminate the risk of future attempt. Given the limited sample, future larger studies on mechanisms underlying the interactions of such predictors are needed.
  4. Chan, Lai Fong, Tuti Iryani Mohd Daud, Hazli Zakaria, Phang, Cheng Kar, Loo, Tsui Huei, Ong, Lieh Yan, et al.
    ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2010;11(1):25-35.
    MyJurnal
    Objective: According to Malaysian law, defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity may be admitted to a psychiatric hospital and discharge is subject to the state ruler’s assent. The objective of this study is to examine the clinical, socio-demographic and forensic factors that influence inpatient duration of insanity acquittees in a Malaysian mental institution. Methods:This is a cross-sectional study of one hundred and twelve insanity acquittee inpatients in Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta from January 2007 to February 2007. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) respectively. Other relevant sociodemographic, clinical and forensic factors were also assessed. Results: The inpatient duration varied widely from three months to forty-seven years with a median of seven years. Seventy five percent of patients were in remission. According to the multiple linear regression model, the strongest predictor of a longer duration of hospital stay for insanity acquittees was older age (p
  5. Lai MH, Maniam T, Chan LF, Ravindran AV
    J Med Internet Res, 2014;16(1):e30.
    PMID: 24472876 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2973
    Suicide is a serious and increasing problem worldwide. The emergence of the digital world has had a tremendous impact on people's lives, both negative and positive, including an impact on suicidal behaviors.
  6. Nordin N, Zainol Z, Mohd Noor MH, Chan LF
    Artif Intell Med, 2022 10;132:102395.
    PMID: 36207078 DOI: 10.1016/j.artmed.2022.102395
    BACKGROUND: Early detection and prediction of suicidal behaviour are key factors in suicide control. In conjunction with recent advances in the field of artificial intelligence, there is increasing research into how machine learning can assist in the detection, prediction and treatment of suicidal behaviour. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature exploring machine learning techniques in the study of suicidal behaviour prediction.

    METHODS: A search of four databases was conducted: Web of Science, PubMed, Dimensions, and Scopus for research papers dated between January 2016 and September 2021. The search keywords are 'data mining', 'machine learning' in combination with 'suicidal behaviour', 'suicide', 'suicide attempt', 'suicidal ideation', 'suicide plan' and 'self-harm'. The studies that used machine learning techniques were synthesized according to the countries of the articles, sample description, sample size, classification tasks, number of features used to develop the models, types of machine learning techniques, and evaluation of performance metrics.

    RESULTS: Thirty-five empirical articles met the criteria to be included in the current review. We provide a general overview of machine learning techniques, examine the feature categories, describe methodological challenges, and suggest areas for improvement and research directions. Ensemble prediction models have been shown to be more accurate and useful than single prediction models.

    CONCLUSIONS: Machine learning has great potential for improving estimates of future suicidal behaviour and monitoring changes in risk over time. Further research can address important challenges and potential opportunities that may contribute to significant advances in suicide prediction.

  7. Nordin N, Zainol Z, Mohd Noor MH, Chan LF
    Asian J Psychiatr, 2023 Jan;79:103316.
    PMID: 36395702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103316
    Machine learning approaches have been used to develop suicide attempt predictive models recently and have been shown to have a good performance. However, those proposed models have difficulty interpreting and understanding why an individual has suicidal attempts. To overcome this issue, the identification of features such as risk factors in predicting suicide attempts is important for clinicians to make decisions. Therefore, the aim of this study is to propose an explainable predictive model to predict and analyse the importance of features for suicide attempts. This model can also provide explanations to improve the clinical understanding of suicide attempts. Two complex ensemble learning models, namely Random Forest and Gradient Boosting with an explanatory model (SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)) have been constructed. The models are used for predictive interpretation and understanding of the importance of the features. The experiment shows that both models with SHAP are able to interpret and understand the nature of an individual's predictions with suicide attempts. However, compared with Random Forest, the results show that Gradient Boosting with SHAP achieves higher accuracy and the analyses found that history of suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and ethnicity as the main predictors for suicide attempts.
  8. Chan LF, Tan SM, Ang JK, Kamal Nor N, Sharip S
    J Child Sex Abus, 2012;21(6):613-20.
    PMID: 23194137 DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2012.719597
    Adolescent sexual abuse is not an uncommon phenomenon in Malaysia. It is a traumatic experience that complicates the psychosocial development of young people on the threshold of adulthood. This case report highlights the psychosocial sequelae of adolescent sexual abuse by a traditional healer and discusses management issues in the context of unique cultural and belief systems.
  9. Ashcroft R, Seko Y, Chan LF, Dere J, Kim J, McKenzie K
    Int J Public Health, 2015 Nov;60(7):827-37.
    PMID: 26298442 DOI: 10.1007/s00038-015-0713-8
    OBJECTIVES: We conducted a scoping review to identify and summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the mental health effects associated with bed bugs.

    METHODS: We employed a five-stage scoping review framework, to systematically identify and review eligible articles. Eligibility criteria included a focus on bed bug infestations and reference to mental health impacts. Descriptive information was then extracted from each article, including the specific mental health effects cited.

    RESULTS: An initial search yielded 920 unique articles on the topic of bed bugs. Of these, 261 underwent abstract review, and 167 underwent full-text review. Full-text review and subsequent review of reference lists yielded a final sample of 51 articles. Numerous mental health effects were linked to bed bug infestations, including severe psychiatric symptoms. However, the majority (n = 31) of the articles were commentary papers; only five original research articles were identified.

    CONCLUSIONS: Although significant mental health effects are often linked to bed bugs, such discussions remain largely anecdotal. Despite recognition that the impact of bed bugs constitutes an important public health concern, little empirical evidence currently exists on this topic.

  10. Hu J, Chan LF, Souza RP, Tampakeras M, Kennedy JL, Zai C, et al.
    Neurosci Lett, 2014 Jan 24;559:39-43.
    PMID: 24275212 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.11.025
    Evidence has shown that attempted suicide in psychiatric disorders is a complex interplay of genes and environment. Noradrenergic dysfunction due to abnormalities in the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of suicidal behavior in mood disorders. However, suicide is a leading cause of mortality in schizophrenia too. Recent evidence suggests that TH gene variants may also increase the risk of suicide attempts in schizophrenia patients, although the interaction with established clinical risk factors is unclear. This study aimed to identify TH gene variants conferring risk for suicide attempt in schizophrenia while accounting for the interaction between this gene and clinical risk factors. We performed analysis on four TH SNPs (rs11564717, rs11042950, rs2070762, rs689) and the common TCAT repeat (UniSTS:240639) for 234 schizophrenia patients (51 suicide attempters and 183 non-attempters). Clinical risk factors and ethnic stratification were included as covariates. Single marker analysis identified the SNP rs11564717 (p=0.042) and the TCAT(6) (p=0.004) as risk variants for suicide attempt. We also identified the haplotype A-A-A-G as a risk factor for suicide attempt (p=0.0025). In conclusion, our findings suggest that TH polymorphisms may contribute to the risk of attempted suicide in schizophrenia even after accounting for established clinical risk factors and ethnic stratification. Further larger scale studies are needed to confirm these findings and to understand the mechanisms underlying the role of TH gene variants in suicide attempt in schizophrenia.
  11. Chai YC, Mahadevan R, Ng CG, Chan LF, Md Dai F
    Int J Soc Psychiatry, 2018 09;64(6):578-588.
    PMID: 30074421 DOI: 10.1177/0020764018792585
    BACKGROUND: Depression has been well studied as part of caregiver burden among patients with severe mental illnesses. Curiously, though, there has been little data in terms of caregiver burden with specific focus on depression among caregivers of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

    AIM: This study aims to determine the rate of depression among caregivers of person with depression and its psychosocial correlates, which include stigma, perceived social support, religious commitment and the severity of the patient's symptoms.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 patients diagnosed with MDD using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) together with their caregivers. Apart from gathering social demographic data, patients were administered the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Rated Version (QIDS-SR 16), whereas the caregivers were required to answer Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and Depression Stigma Scale (DSS). Those who scored ⩾5 on PHQ-9 were further assessed with interviewer-rated M.I.N.I. to diagnose the presence of depression.

    RESULTS: A total of 47 (28.5%) caregivers were found to have depressive symptoms. Out of that total, 13 (7.9%) were diagnosed to have MDD using M.I.N.I. From univariate analysis, factors associated with depression in caregivers were the severity of symptoms in patients ( p 

  12. Woon LS, Tee CK, Gan LLY, Deang KT, Chan LF
    J Psychiatr Pract, 2018 Mar;24(2):121-124.
    PMID: 29509183 DOI: 10.1097/PRA.0000000000000292
    Leukopenia is a known hematological side effect of atypical antipsychotics. We report a case of an antipsychotic-naive patient with schizophrenia who developed leukopenia after a single dose of olanzapine, which worsened during subsequent treatment with risperidone. Normalization of the white blood cell counts occurred within 24 hours of risperidone discontinuation. Possible synergistic mechanisms underlying olanzapine-induced and risperidone-induced leukopenia are discussed. This case highlights the challenges in identifying and managing nonclozapine antipsychotic-induced leukopenia in a susceptible patient.
  13. Sahimi HMS, Mohd Daud TI, Chan LF, Shah SA, Rahman FHA, Nik Jaafar NR
    Front Psychiatry, 2021;12:658174.
    PMID: 34025479 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.658174
    Objective: The burden of suicidal behavior is anticipated to increase as a sequela of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is limited evidence on suicidal behavior among healthcare workers, an at-risk population. Our study aimed to investigate suicidal ideation in terms of the rate and associated factors in a sample of Malaysian healthcare workers during the early-phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A subpopulation analysis (N = 171) was conducted within a larger, nation-wide cross-sectional study of Malaysian healthcare worker psychological distress from March 18-21, 2020. Current suicidal ideation was measured with item 9 of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The following independent variables were assessed: socio-demographic profile, occupation and service-related factors, health-anxiety (Health Anxiety Inventory, HAI), lifetime anxiety disorder and severity of depression (PHQ-9). Results: The proportion of healthcare workers with current suicidal ideation (19/171) and clinical depression (17/171) were 11.1 and 9.9%, respectively. Multivariable analysis showed that clinical depression was the most significant factor associated with current suicidal ideation (p < 0.001, OR = 55.983, 95% CI = 9.015-347.671) followed by mild (subthreshold) depression (p = 0.001, OR = 115.984, 95% CI = 2.977-85.804). Service duration of more than 10 years was associated with significantly less suicidal ideation (p = 0.049, OR = 0.072, 95% CI = 0.005-0.993). Conclusions: Depression (subthreshold and especially within the clinical range) and early-career status (<10 years in service) may be target areas of early intervention for reduction of suicidal ideation amongst healthcare workers who have served during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is warranted to elucidate specific occupational stressors related to COVID-19 work conditions to tailor appropriate suicide preventive strategies in this population.
  14. Roslan AF, Pheh KS, Mahadevan R, Bujang SM, Subramaniam P, Yahya HF, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1009754.
    PMID: 36741120 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1009754
    BACKGROUND: Suicide is a major cause of death among adolescents and young adults, especially students. This is particularly true for healthcare students with a higher risk and more access to lethal means. Thus, it is vital for healthcare educators who have regular contact with these healthcare students to be trained as gatekeepers in preventing suicide. Evidence of the effectiveness of such gatekeeper training, mainly using an online module, is lacking predominantly in Malaysia. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an online gatekeeper suicide prevention training program that is conducted for healthcare lecturers.

    METHODS: A single-arm interventional pre-and post-pilot study was conducted on a sample of healthcare lecturers and workers who are involved in supervising healthcare students. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 50 healthcare educators in Malaysia. The program was conducted by trained facilitators and 31 participants completed a locally validated self-rated questionnaire to measure their self-efficacy and declarative knowledge in preventing suicide; immediately before and after the intervention.

    RESULTS: Significant improvement was seen in the overall outcome following the intervention, mostly in the self-efficacy domain. No significant improvement was seen in the domain of declarative knowledge possibly due to ceiling effects; an already high baseline knowledge about suicide among healthcare workers. This is an exception in a single item that assesses a common misperception in assessing suicide risk where significant improvement was seen following the program.

    CONCLUSION: The online Advanced C.A.R.E. Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training Program is promising in the short-term overall improvement in suicide prevention, primarily in self-efficacy.

  15. Chan LF, Ibrahim N, Khamal NR, Panirselvam RR, Pereira EJ, Khan M
    Crisis, 2024 Nov;45(6):383-388.
    PMID: 39545401 DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000974
  16. Tan SM, Jong SC, Chan LF, Jamaludin NA, Phang CK, Jamaluddin NS, et al.
    Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2013 Apr;5 Suppl 1:74-81.
    PMID: 23857841 DOI: 10.1111/appy.12048
    Anxiety among house officers may impair functioning and health care delivery. This study aimed to determine the association between anxiety among house officers at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center, sociodemographic and work-related factors.
  17. Abd Hadi NH, Midin M, Tong SF, Chan LF, Mohd Salleh Sahimi H, Ahmad Badayai AR, et al.
    Front Public Health, 2023;11:992863.
    PMID: 37033063 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.992863
    INTRODUCTION: Global implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) has been suggested to incorporate a systematic cultural adaptation process which relies on ground-up empirical data of a target cultural group in tailoring a culturally sensitive SEL intervention. Preliminary formative studies among local parents and educators were done to explore the conceptualization of social and emotional competencies (SECs) in various cultural settings, such as the continent of Africa and among the indigenous and refugee groups. Unfortunately, little scholarship has been devoted to studying the SEL adaptation process in Southeast Asian regions. This formative study aimed to explore Malaysian parents' and teachers' cultural conceptualization of adolescent SECs.

    METHODS: This qualitative study interviewed 12 Malaysian parents and 10 Malaysian teachers comprising of Malay (82%), Chinese (9%) and Indian (9%) races in an online focus group discussion. Sampling is purposive to parents of adolescents and teachers at secondary school only. Data were analyzed thematically to determine the culturally sensitive SEL constructs for Malaysian adolescents.

    RESULTS: All themes and sub-themes of SEC regarded as crucial for Malaysian adolescents are aligned with CASEL's five domains of competencies. Our findings extended the conceptualization of subskills under CASEL's relationship skills and responsible decision-making domains, which reflect Asian cultural values. The main themes of social competency: (a) preserving interpersonal relationships, (b) utilizing intrapersonal skills, and (c) communicating effectively, are shared with the established CASEL constructs. However, the underlying subthemes denote the unique cultural manifestation of social competency in Malaysia. Two of the emotional competency themes represent the established CASEL constructs: (a) practicing self-regulation, (b) demonstrating help-seeking behavior, and the other two themes signify Asian values: (c) upholding altruism, and (d) maintaining cultural display rules.

    DISCUSSIONS: This formative study revealed the habitual use of experiential and expressive suppressions as adaptive emotion regulation strategies in Malaysian collectivist culture and offered a potential alternative emotion regulation pathway suitable for Malaysian adolescents. It also informed the feasibility of implementing SEL modules developed based on the CASEL framework in Malaysia and suggested two key lessons to enhance the cultural sensitivity of SEL in Malaysia: effective, respectful communication and expressive writing.

  18. Chan LF, Woon LS, Mohd Shukor NA, Eu CL, Ismail N, Chin SJ, et al.
    Front Psychiatry, 2022;13:890099.
    PMID: 35966463 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.890099
    A significant proportion of patients with treatment-resistant depression do not attain functional recovery despite administration of multiple steps of pharmacotherapeutic strategies. This highlights the elusiveness of meeting unmet needs in existing pharmacotherapies for treatment-resistant depression. There is accumulating evidence that antidepressant agents involving the glutamatergic system such as brexpiprazole and esketamine/ketamine have more rapid onset of action and potentially improved effectiveness as an augmentation therapy in treatment-resistant depression. This case series aimed to report five complex cases of unipolar and bipolar treatment-resistant depression where conventional treatment strategies were inadequate in managing high risk suicidal behavior and achieving functional recovery. We discussed further the possible synergistic mechanisms of the novel combination strategy of brexpiprazole and esketamine/ketamine, clinical and patient factors that influenced treatment response, challenges with this combination strategy and implications for future practice and research.
  19. Keng SL, Mohd Salleh Sahimi HB, Chan LF, Woon L, Eu CL, Sim SH, et al.
    BMC Psychiatry, 2021 10 04;21(1):486.
    PMID: 34607589 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03500-y
    AIM/BACKGROUND: Even though dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has received substantial empirical support in treating patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), fewer studies have evaluated whether a brief DBT skills group may be effective in improving clinical outcomes in this population. Further, less is known regarding the feasibility and outcomes of DBT beyond Euro-American contexts. This paper describes outcomes from a pilot study examining the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical outcomes following completion of a shortened, 14-week DBT skills group in a sample of Muslim-majority BPD patients in Malaysia.

    METHODS: Twenty patients were recruited from a public hospital and attended DBT skills groups in an outpatient clinic. Participants completed measures assessing psychological symptoms, self-harm behaviors, suicidal ideation, emotion regulation difficulties, self-compassion, and well-being pre- and post-intervention.

    RESULTS: There were significant reductions in depressive symptoms, stress, and emotion regulation difficulties, as well as increases in self-compassion and well-being from pre- to post-intervention. A trend was found for decreases in frequency and types of non-suicidal self-harm behaviors, suicidal ideation, and anxiety symptoms. Qualitative content analyses of participants' feedback indicated that the vast majority of participants perceived a positive impact from the skills group, with mindfulness and distress tolerance being rated frequently as skills that were beneficial.

    CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings suggest that DBT skills training is feasible and acceptable in a Muslim-majority, low resource clinical setting, and holds promise in improving clinical outcomes among BPD patients in Malaysia.

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