Psychological Support in Uplifting University Students’ Happiness in Fighting the Coronavirus Lockdown

The coronavirus pandemic has caused turbulence in the lives of several university students around the globe, including students of University Malaysia Sabah. The first 14 days ofthe coronavirus lockdown delivered significant psychological experiences to university students.Data from 106 on-and off-campus university students were examined to explore the effects of resiliency coping skills and religious faith in uplifting happiness in students after the first 14-day of the coronavirus lockdown. Also, the effects of religious faith on resiliency were examined. Out of 106 students, 74 (69.80%) were female and 32 (30.20%) were male. The study demonstrates that students‟ resiliency contributed 15% to the variance of happiness, while religious faith contributed 4% to the variance of resiliency. Furthermore, the on-campus students were more resilient compared to off-campus students. High resilient copers were also happier than low-and medium resilient copers. These findings give a glimpse of hope that th

Pengaruh optimistik, kecekapan kendiri umum dan sokongan sosial terhadap kebahagiaan remaja miskin di Sabah

Kajian dijalankan bertujuan untuk mengkaji pengaruh optimistik, kecekapan kendiri umum, sokongan sosial dan afek positif-negatif ke atas kebahagiaan remaja miskin di Sabah. Kajian rintis dijalankan ke atas 110 remaja miskin. Terdapat lima set soal selidik yang digunakan, iaitu Extended Life Orientation Test (ELOT) mengukur optimistik, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) mengukur efikasi kendiri umum, Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB)-Short Form mengukur sokongan sosial, Positive Affective and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS) mengukur afek positif dan negatif, dan Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) mengukur kebahagiaan. Analisis kebolehpercayaan dijalankan adalah melihat kepada pekali Cronbach Alfa menggunakan Statistical Packages of Social Science (SPSS) versi 21. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa Extended Life Orientation Test (ELOT) menunjukkan nilai Cronbach Alfa 0.697, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) sebanyak 0.704, Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB)-Short Form sebanyak 0.925 dan Positive Affective and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS) sebanyak 0.730. Manakala, bagi alat kajian pemboleh ubah terikat Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) menunjukkan nilai sebanyak 0.823. Analisis inferensi mendapati sokongan sosial lebih mempengaruhi kebahagiaan remaja miskin, iaitu sebanyak 20.2%. Dapatan juga mendapati afek positif mempunyai kesan mediator antara hubungan optimistik dan kebahagiaan remaja miskin di Sabah

Sokongan Sosial Sebagai Pengantara Pengaruh Optimistik Ke Atas Kebahagiaan Remaja Di Pengajian Tinggi (Social Support As A Mediator Of The Influence Of Optimism Towards Happiness Among Adolescents In Higher Education)

Happiness is the natural goal of life for every human being. Every indivdual is trying to find happiness because it describes a good life. Therefore, this study aims to examine an influence on happiness, which is optimistic, using a positive psychological strength,. Social support is utilized as an external quality as it supports the optimistic influence towards happiness. The study was conducted on 436 adolescents in higher education, aged between 18 and 25 years old. The quantitative study uses a set of questionnaires to obtain the data, Extended Life Orientation Test for optimistic measurements, Inventory of Socially Supportive Behavior Short Form measures social support, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire measures adolescents happiness. Descriptively, adolescents in higher education showed high optimism (Min = 3.77, SP = .62), while moderate social support for the three forms of support, namely guidance support (Min = 3.07, SP = .81), emotional support (Min = 3.17, SP = .99) and tangible support (Min = 2.82, SP = .95). Adolescents in higher education reported having a moderate level of happiness (Min = 3.39, S.P = .92). The findings show that guidance and emotion support mediating the influence of optimistic towards happiness among adolescents in higher education. Tangible support does not play any role. The implication of the study is to adolescents that even the positive attitudes of optimistic can enhance their happiness, but the guidance and emotional support from significant people can further reinforce those influences

Penglibatan Program Upskilling Dan Kebimbangan Kerjaya Terhadap Kesediaan Bekerja Dalam Kalangan Pelajar Tahun Akhir

Penularan wabak COVID-19 di seluruh dunia telah memberi kesan yang tragis buat seluruh masyarakat global termasuklah masyarakat di Malaysia. Penularan wabak COVID-19 ini juga telah melumpuhkan sektor-sektor utama seperti sektor pendidikan, ekonomi dan perkhidmatan. Sehubungan dengan itu, penawaran pekerjaan menjadi terhad ekoran daripada persaingan dalam mendapatkan pekerjaan akibat daripada berlakunya penularan wabak COVID-19 ini. Terdapat segelintir pelajar tahun akhir di Institusi Pengajian Tinggi (IPT) yang tidak bersedia untuk menghadapi dunia pekerjaan kerana mereka terlalu memikirkan persaingan yang sengit untuk medapatkan pekerjaan apabila mereka tamat pengajian kelak. Jumlah pengangguran yang meningkat dan tawaran pekerjaan yang terhad juga menyebabkan kerisauan dan kebimbangan pelajar tahun akhir IPT semakin meningkat. Untuk mendepani cabaran ini, Pelajar tahun akhir hendaklah lebih bersedia dengan melibatkan diri dalam program upskilling. Dengan menyertai program tersebut, pelajar dapat meningkatkan beberapa kemahiran mereka seperti kemahiran berkomunikasi, berfikiran kritis, kreativiti dan kemahiran dalam kumpulan. Makalah ini membincangkan tentang pengaruh penglibatan program upskilling dan kebimbangan kerjaya terhadap kesediaan bekerja dalam kalangan pelajar tahun akhir. Kajian ini adalah berbentuk kuantitatif dengan menggunakan kaedah tinjauan. Instrumen bagi kajian ini mengandungi 41 jumlah item. Seramai 345 orang responden dalam kalangan pelajar tahun akhir IPT di Sabah terlibat dalam kajian ini. Hasil analisis mendapati penglibatan pelajar dalam program upskilling membantu pelajar untuk lebih bersedia dalam pencarian pekerjaan yang selesa dan lebih baik. Disamping itu, kajian ini juga mendapati semakin tinggi kebimbangan kerjaya masa hadapan pelajar, maka semakin tinggi kesediaan mereka untuk bekerja. Secara keseluruhannya, isu yang dibincangkan dalam kajian ini diharapkan dapat membantu pelajar tahun akhir dengan melibatkan diri dalam program upskilling agar lebih bersedia dalam pencarian pekerjaan kelak

Sokongan sosial sebagai pengantara pengaruh optimistik ke atas kebahagiaan remaja di pengajian tinggi

Happiness is the natural goal of life for every human being. Every indivdual is trying to find happiness because it describes a good life. Therefore, this study aims to examine an influence on happiness, which is optimistic, using a positive psychological strength,. Social support is utilized as an external quality as it supports the optimistic influence towards happiness. The study was conducted on 436 adolescents in higher education, aged between 18 and 25 years old. The quantitative study uses a set of questionnaires to obtain the data, Extended Life Orientation Test for optimistic measurements, Inventory of Socially Supportive Behavior Short Form measures social support, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire measures adolescents happiness. Descriptively, adolescents in higher education showed high optimism (Min = 3.77, SP = .62), while moderate social support for the three forms of support, namely guidance support (Min = 3.07, SP = .81), emotional support (Min = 3.17, SP = .99) and tangible support (Min = 2.82, SP = .95). Adolescents in higher education reported having a moderate level of happiness (Min = 3.39, S.P = .92). The findings show that guidance and emotion support mediating the influence of optimistic towards happiness among adolescents in higher education. Tangible support does not play any role. The implication of the study is to adolescents that even the positive attitudes of optimistic can enhance their happiness, but the guidance and emotional support from significant people can further reinforce those influences

Do Contextual and Demographic Factors Help Malaysian Nurses Prepare in Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic?

As of 11 October 2020, Sabah comprised a quarter of all COVID19 cases reported in Malaysia since the start of the pandemic last January 2020. In this pandemic, nurses serve in vital roles to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. This study aims to explore the nurses’ preparedness in managing the COVID-19 outbreak situation in Sabah, Malaysia, examining the contextual (e.g., participated in an actual major disaster event) and demographic factors (e.g., age and working experience that may influence nurses’ preparedness for managing the COVID-19 pandemic). A total of 317 nurses in Sabah, Malaysia were involved in this study. The Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) contained 41 items and was used to assess civilian nurses’ perceived familiarity with 9 competency dimensions of preparedness. The mean scores of nurses’ preparedness indicated a moderate level of nurses’ preparedness in managing the COVID-19 pandemic (mean ranging from 2.89 to 3.79). The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the nurses who actively participate in an actual major disaster event and who were not active in a total of preparedness and all dimensions (t = 2.79, df = 285, p = 0.006) (except in familiarity with decontamination and familiarity with special populations), across working experience (F(2,291) = 5.09, p = 0.007) (except familiarity with Incident Command System and role), and age among nurses ((F(3,290) = 2.68, p = 0.047)) (total of preparedness, familiarity with ethical issues in triage, epidemiology, and surveillance, and psychological issues). Overall, this study has made a significant theoretical contribution, as well as in clinical implications in the field of nursing practice, by addressing the impact of contextual and demographic factors on nurses’ preparedness in managing the COVID-19 outbreak situation. This study will help nurses to understand the skills, abilities, knowledge, and actions needed to respond, mitigate, and prepare for emergencies during pandemics and disasters

The effects of duration to obtain a first job on mature and immature self-defense mechanisms among recent graduates

Obtaining a job after graduation in today’s job market is quite challenging. Some graduates obtain a job during an internship while others do not secure their first job for a few months or even years. The length of time it takes to obtain a job might affect graduates in coping with job demands. To examine this phenomenon, a study involving 189 graduates was conducted. The study predicted that the duration of a graduate’s job search would affect their mature and immature self-defense mechanisms. The study also examined the difference between graduates with matched and mismatched jobs in using immature and immature self-defense. The study found that taking a longer time to get the first job negatively affects one’s mature self-defense, while there are no significant effects on the immature self-defense mechanism. This study showed that graduates who obtain jobs earlier after graduating tend to apply mature self-defense mechanisms (e.g., sublimation, humor, anticipation, & suppression) compared those who obtain job only after a longer duration. Regarding the differences between the two groups of graduates in using each self-defense mechanisms, the study found no significant difference. The findings showed that the mature psychological self-defense mechanism was more frequently used among graduates who get jobs sooner after graduation than among those who obtain jobs after a longer search. The study findings may help employed graduates to understand their self-defense mechanisms in adapting to their work environment based on the start of their first job

Well-Being, Life Satisfaction and Effectiveness among Sapanggar Island Communities: A Perspective of Island Community

This study is aimed at understanding the index of well-being, satisfaction and effectiveness of community living in Sapanggar Island. It also seeks to examine the differences of the variables based on demographic factors such as gender, generation/age and marital status of study respondents. A total of 124 Sapanggar Island residents were selected randomly and involved in this study. The WHO-5 Wellness Index, The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and The Life Effectiveness Questionnaire are used to measure the variables in this study. The findings indicate that the index of well-being and satisfaction of the community in Sapanggar Island is at medium and high levels while the level of effectiveness reported is high in all dimensions except for emotional control. For emotional control dimensions, many of the respondents reported having low capability compared to other dimensions of life effectiveness. The findings also reported that female respondents were more satisfied with their lives on Sapanggar Island compared to male respondents. In terms of wellness index, reports provided are not different according to gender, generation/age or the respondents’ marital status. In terms of life effectiveness, it was found that age and marital status influenced how these respondents perceived their capabilities, especially for time management dimensions, intelligence flexibility, active leadership and active initiative, whereas married and older respondents (generation X) demonstrated higher ability

Kesejahteraan, kepuasan dan keberkesanan hidup komuniti Pulau Sapanggar: Perspektif komuniti pulau

Kajian ini dijalankan bertujuan untuk memahami indeks kesejahteraan, kepuasan dan keberkesanan hidup komuniti yang tinggal di Pulau Sapanggar. Penyelidikan ini juga bertujuan untuk mengkaji perbezaan pemboleh ubah ini mengikut faktor demografik, iaitu jantina, generasi/umur dan status perkahwinan responden kajian. Seramai 124 orang penduduk Pulau Sapanggar yang dipilih secara rawak telah terlibat dalam kajian ini. Indeks Kesejahteraan WHO-5 (The WHO-5 Well-being Index), The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) dan The Life Effectiveness Questionnaire digunakan dalam kajian ini. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan indeks kesejahteraan dan kepuasan hidup komuniti Pulau Sapanggar terletak pada tahap sederhana dan tinggi. Tahap keberkesanan hidup dilaporkan adalah tinggi dalam semua dimensi kecuali bagi dimensi kawalan emosi. Bagi dimensi kawalan emosi paling ramai di antara responden melaporkan mempunyai keupayaan kawalan yang rendah jika dibandingkan dengan dimensi keberkesanan hidup lain. Hasil kajian ini juga mendapati bahawa responden perempuan Pulau Sapanggar lebih berpuas hati dengan kehidupan mereka berbanding dengan responden lelaki. Dari segi indeks kesejahteraan, laporan yang diberikan adalah tidak berbeza mengikut jantina, generasi/umur mahupun mengikut status perkahwinan responden. Bagi aspek keberkesanan hidup pula, didapati faktor umur dan status perkahwinan mempengaruhi responden dalam mempersepsikan keupayaan mereka, terutamanya bagi dimensi pengurusan masa, fleksibiliti kecerdasan, kepimpinan tugas dan inisiatif aktif

The Link between Life Effectiveness, Well-Being and Life Satisfaction Among Communities of Sepanggar Island in Sabah

The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between life effectiveness, well-being and life satisfaction among members of the Sepanggar Island community. In addition to that, the aim was also to gauge the relationship between these variables according to the different generations of the island’s resident. A random sample of 124 people living at Sepanggar Island, Sabah (aged 65 to 97) responded to a questionnaire that included the following scales: The WHO-5 Well-being Index; The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS); and The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Findings suggested that the community members of the Sepanggar Island who were able to initiate action in new situations reported higher well-being. The subscales of time management and social competence contributed significantly and positively on the community members’ life satisfaction. The findings showed that life effectiveness of Generation X contributed higher variance in well-being as compared to the life effectiveness among Generation Y. The results also reported that the subscales of intellectual flexibility; task leadership and active initiative were the significant predictor of well-being among Generation X. Contrary, emotion control was the only significant predictors of well-being among Generation Y. The subscale of social competence was the only significant predictor of life satisfaction among Generation X of Sepanggar Island. But, for Generation Y, besides social competence, active initiative was also a significant predictor for their life satisfaction