Factors influencing duration of untreated psychosis in patient with first episode schizophrenia

Jangkamasa psikosis belum dirawat dalam pesakit Skizofrenia episod pertama secara puratanya adalah panjang (satu hingga dua tahun). Walaubagaimanapun faktor mana yang mempengaruhi jangkamasa ini di dalam pesakit Melayu belum pernah disiasat sepenuhnya. Untuk menentukan faktor-faktor yang berkaitan dengan jangkamasa psikosis belum dirawat di dalam pesakit Kecelaruan Skizofrenifom dan Skizofrenia episod pertama yang dimasukkan ke wad psikiatri, Hospital Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) in first episode Schizophrenics patient in average was very long (one to two years). However which factors influenced the duration of untreated psychosis in first episode Schizophrenia in the Malay patient has not been fully evaluated To determine factors associated with duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) in first episode Schizophreniform Disorder and Schizophrenia admitted to psychiatric ward, at Hospital Kota Bharu, Kelanta

MANZIL VERSES AND TRANQUILIZING EFFECT IN OPIATE DEPENDENTS

This review article discusses the practicality of Manzil Verses recitation in managing opiate dependency among drug users. Opiate addiction is an alarming public health issue and leads to a variety of social problems such as communicable diseases, financial burden and defects in cognition and behaviors. Drug treatment and rehabilitation in Malaysia is implemented under the purview of the National Drug Agency and the Prison Department, Ministry of Home Affairs. Scientifically, the Manzil Verses act as a form of rhythmic therapy by calming the senses, cognition and palpitations. Thus, this article aimed to discuss the potential of Manzil Verses in terms of their tranquilization effect among those with opiate addiction.Keywords: Manzil Verses; Opiate Addiction; Spiritual Therapies; Quranic Rhythmic Therapy, Relaxatio

Psychometric properties of knowledge, attitude, and practice on pharmacogenovigilance in drug safety questionnaire in medicine and pharmacy students: based on Exploratory Factor Analysis

Integration of Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacovigilance in the curricula of future healthcare professionals isessential towards individualized medicine and drug safety. Researchers are lacking in Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding pharmacogenovigilance in drug safety among Malaysian future health professionals. Thisstudy is to develop and validate a reliable questionnaire for evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practice of future Doctors and Pharmacists concerning Pharmacogenovigilance in drug safety. A 49-item self-administeredquestionnaire was developed from the literature. The content was validated by a panel of relevant expertsfollowed by face validity. A pilot study on 100 respondents was conducted for reliability, followed by a crosssectional study involving 247 participants in factor analysis. The content validity index of the wholequest ionnaire was 0.8%. The overall Cronbach‟s Alpha was 0.8, with P<0.001. 67.4% of the total variance wasexplained by 13 factors, and we can conclude that the questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument

Heuristic Evaluation Of i-Dyslex Tool for Dyslexia Screening

Early detection for dyslexia is crucial in order for children to receive early as well as proper treatment. There are various studies that have focused on early detection of dyslexia, however the results remain limited. Therefore, an easy and user-friendly dyslexia screening tool called i-Dyslex was developed. In order to make sure the tool is free from design and interface problems, heuristic evaluation has been carried out. This paper discusses the heuristic evaluation of i-Dyslex tool for dyslexia screening among expert evaluators. This study adopted ten Usability Heuristics to be included in the questionnaire. Overall result derived from the evaluation is above average mean score, which are neutral (3.00) in one domain. Several comments and feedback from the experts. Both the experts’ evaluation and the feedback were essentials for further improvement of the i-Dyslex tool to ensure meets the user requirement and expectation

EFFECTS OF ZAMZAM WATER AND METHADONE ON THE EXPRESSION OF MU-OPIOID RECEPTOR-1 GENE IN MORPHINE-DEPENDENT RATS AFTER CHRONIC MORPHINE ADMINISTRATION

Background: Sodium ion is an essential ion that is implicated in many physiological functions. Recently, sodium ion was reported to facilitate the activation of Mu-Opioid Receptor (MOR) by binding at the allosteric site of the MOR. Zamzam water is water originated from Mecca. Couple of studies proved that Zamzam water has the therapeutic effect owing to its mineral. In this study, we want to determine the ion concentration of Zamzam water and then to investigate the effects of Zamzam water and co-treatment with methadone on the regulation of MOR-1gene after chronic morphine administration. Materials and Methods: Zamzam water, tap water and normal mineral water were analyzed using Ion chromatography. Meanwhile, in animal study, 50 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. All group of rat were made dependence on morphine using intraperitoneal injection except for normal group. Morphine dependent rats then were treated with methadone, Zamzam water and co-treatment methadone with Zamzam water for thirty days, respectively. The Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) of rat’s brain was dissected and subjected to real-time quantitative RT-PCR to determine the regulation of MOR-1 gene expression. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS v.11 software, and one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s Post-test. Results: The data obtained showed that Zamzam water is significantly high in ion concentration compared to tap water and normal mineral water. Besides, the result from gene expression analysis showed co-treatment Zamzam water and methadone significantly prevented the downregulation of MOR as compared to methadone and Zamzam water treatment alone (

Assessment tools to measure postnatal mental illness: A 10-year scoping review

Introduction: The use of assessment tools to measure postnatal mental illness is essential in healthcare settings. However, variations in the types of tools and their reliability in a particular population lead to under-recognition of mental health status in postnatal mothers. The aim of this review is to evaluate the most recent 10 year of research on the validity and reliability of postnatal mental illness assessment tools. Methods: A literature search of studies from online databases PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct was conducted. Results: A total of 59 studies were selected for this review. Several studies utilised multiple assessment tools, and a total of 96 assessment tools were identified and classified into six domains: postnatal blues, postnatal stress, postnatal anxiety, postnatal depression, postnatal psychosis, and postnatal psychological disorder. In this review, EPDS was the most common tool used to identify postnatal depression and anxiety while DASS 21 was the most common tool used to identify postnatal psychological disorder. There is a wide range in preponderance of evidence for the reliability of each assessment tool and there were inconsistencies in assessing the validity of the assessment tools. Conclusion: This review provides information regarding some of the main assessment tools currently available to measure postnatal mental illnesses. There were no standardised tools that were used in a particular setting. The results may differ in different population because there are differences in not only languages and dialects, but also cultural and racial backgrounds, which greatly influences their perception and interpretation of postnatal mental illness

Exploring the views of healthcare practitioners on postnatal mental illness screening among Malaysian women

Introduction: Healthcare practitioners involved in the maternity care provision should be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills in the screening of postnatal mental illness. The promotion of a screening tool for this purpose can enhance these skills among the healthcare providers. In Malaysia, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge among healthcare practitioners regarding postnatal mental illness and their perceptions are not fully understood, thus hindering the development of relevant screening tools. This study aimed to explore the views of Malaysian healthcare practitioners on the indicators and potential mechanisms for the screening of postnatal mental illness. Method: This qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews involving 28 healthcare practitioners at maternal and child health clinics, psychiatric departments, and obstetrics and gynaecology departments across 18 maternal and child health clinics and six government hospitals in the states of Pahang, Terengganu, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Kuala Lumpur. The data were analysed using framework analysis. Results: The healthcare practitioners’ views on postnatal mental illness were reflected in three themes, namely perceived causes of postnatal mental illness, indicators of postnatal mental illness, as well as screening and intervention mechanisms for postnatal mental illness. According to the respondents, the existing screening tools available within the clinical practice were less sensitive in assessing postnatal mental illness. Conclusion: The introduction of a relevant screening tool in addressing the common symptoms of postnatal mental illness can improve its the detection among Malaysian women

Depression, anxiety, and physical activity among antenatal women during COVID-19 pandemic

The prevalence of mental health problems among antenatal women has escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Physical activity palys role to reduce depression and anxiety, which required to be studied further. This study aimed to assess the association between physical activity with depression and anxiety among antenatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study applied convenience sampling to recruit 544 antenatal women from March to June 2021. Questionnaires including the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS), state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), and pregnancy physical activity questionnaire (PPAQ) were distributed via social media to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and physical activity level. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal Wallis tests. Out of 544 antenatal women, 24.1% of them had depressive symptoms and 82.4% had anxiety. Only 12.1% of the women were sufficiently active during the pandemic. There was no association between physical activity, depression, and anxiety. The high prevalence of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic among Malaysian antenatal women underscores the urgent need for addressing this public health burden. Interventions to alleviate the symptoms should include strategies beyond physical activity, for example, a mobile application or telephone-delivered social support that is made easily accessible throughout the pandemic

Depression, anxiety, and behavioural changes during the Covid-19 pandemic among medical and nursing students

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical and nursing students are faced with various challenges such as the need to attend online classes and juggling clinical postings under the new norm. This study aimed to assess the association between depression, anxiety, and behavioural changes among medical and nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed between March 2021 and July 2021 to 292 undergraduates medical and nursing students in a higher education institute on the East Coast of Malaysia. The questionnaires consisted of four parts: sociodemographic data, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and questions related to behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study found that 23.6% and 33.6% of the students experienced anxiety and depression respectively, possibly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety was associated with a high level of behavioural changes during the pandemic with a total of 87% of the students showing behavioural changes. Therapeutic interventions such as online counselling and consultation should be implemented by the university to reduce the prevalence of depression and anxiety resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic among medical and nursing students

Stress among medical students and advantages of metallisation therapy in general: A review of literatures

Stress is a constraining force that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. The study showed that medical students have more proneness to higher stress than students study in non-medical fields. The objective of this study is to discover the stress as evident among Malaysian medical students and general positive effects of mentation programmes in stress management. The current study was worked with the review of literature of the past study reports regarding stress in Malaysian medical students and general positive effect of mentation in stress management. The study had used electronic databases for rummaging and reviewing literature articles published on stress and other psychological determinants among medical students and mindfulness in the management of stress. Stress, mindfulness and related terminologies are used in searching related articles. In the current study, data were extracted through reviewing various related research articles focussing more on the prevalence and stress management in medical students. Stress among medical students found to be more than 50% needs close attention and monitoring. The academically related stressors were found to be high with the existence of other stressors with financial and relationship problem. Mentors help and religious sources were used as coping strategy. Medical education is found to be highly stressful. Developing awareness effects of managing stress through mindfulness and mentation among students and teachers and facilitate students to cope with academic and other stress that can negatively affect students' mental health. Prospective studies are encouraged using matured mentation programmes in medical schools