The relationship between smartphone addiction, sleep quality and stress among university students

This study investigated the relationship between smartphone addiction, sleep quality and stress level among university students. Questionnaires were distributed to 90 university students in year 2017 who were selected randomly from various residential colleges of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi Campus. The data were collected and analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) software. The results showed that 41.4% of the students had high risk of smartphone addiction while 88.9% and 37.8% of them had poor sleep quality and high perceived stress respectively. It was also found that with confidence interval 90% and maximum error estimate 6%, there was a positive correlation between smartphone addiction and sleep quality. The highest correlation was between smartphone addiction level and perceived stress, while the least correlation was between sleep quality and perceived stress. Hence, it is suggested for the residential colleges to organize or uphold any relevant programs to reduce the smartphone addiction among university students

The Fundamental Rights of Children Deprived of Liberty in Detention Centres in Malaysia During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

The spread of the Covid-19 virus that initially surfaced in China in late 2019 eventually emerged as a global pandemic which adversely affected the worldwide population, including Malaysia. Consequently, the Malaysian government implemented many social and public health measures to help control the spread of Covid-19 in the country. The Covid-19 pandemic affected every level of society in Malaysia, including children who are susceptible to being emotionally, psychologically, and mentally affected due to lockdown measures, school closures, and loss of employment suffered by family members. There is a gap in existing research concerning the impact of Covid-19 on children deprived of liberty in detention centres in Malaysia. Hence, this study aims to identify whether the legal framework in Malaysia adequately protects the rights of children deprived of liberty in detention centres, in line with the international legal framework. A qualitative research design was adopted to explore the issues surrounding the impact of Covid-19 on children in detention centres. Library-based research and semi-structured interviews were carried out with officers from detention centres and the Department of Social Welfare. This research demonstrates that sound policies and guidelines and the availability of fully trained staff are essential in meeting the emotional, physical, and mental needs of children in detention centres. This research is significant for policymakers to strengthen the current legal framework in order to afford better protection for children in detention centres, in line with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development Policy (2021-2025) as well as the international legal framework

Vulnerability towards Online Sexual Grooming among Malaysian Children

This study was conducted to examine the vulnerability of Malaysian children towards online sexual grooming by ascertaining the level of vulnerability and the relationships with social media profiles and demographical factors. To achieve the objectives of this study, a quantitative method using a cross-sectional research design with the aid of electronic questionnaire via Google Form was used to gather the data. A total of 205 Malaysian children from the age of 10 to 17 years old participated in this study with their parents’ consent. Based on the analyses of the items, it was found that each child was vulnerable towards sexual grooming at different levels. This study also found that the frequency of social media usage was directly correlated with online sexual grooming vulnerability (r = 0.14, p = 0.05) and age of the respondents (r = 0.20, p = 0.006). Children with more social media accounts were also found to be more vulnerable towards online sexual grooming compared to those with lower number of social media accounts (F (2, 191) = 7.30, p = 0.001). Findings also revealed that there was no significant difference on online sexual grooming vulnerability in terms of gender (t (191) = -0.39, p = 0.149). As a conclusion, this study provide in-depth exposure related to online sexual grooming vulnerability to public as well as the urgent need for proactive prevention efforts to curb child sexual related offenses

The translation and validation of the smartphone use questionnaire (SUQ) into the Malay language

Interruptions caused by frequent smartphone use steals attention away from daily activities, bringing serious implications onto an individual’s health, safety and education. Smartphone Use Questionnaire (SUQ) is a 20-item questionnaire developed to assess the pattern of smartphone use and its effect on attention. This study was done to translate and validate the Malay-language version of the SUQ and to measure the psychometric properties of the Malay-version SUQ to justify its use in Malaysia. A forward and back-translation was done by four individuals, who were three physicians and one linguist. Content and face validity was done involving three experts who were a linguist, psychiatrist and epidemiologist. Psychometric testing was conducted on a sample of 195 individuals proficient in the Malay language. A construct validity test was performed using factor analysis and the internal reliability was tested by calculating for the Cronbach’s Alpha. The age range of the sample was 13-59 years, most of which were female and of the Malay race. Using principal component analysis with direct oblimin rotation, the factor analysis extracted two components similar to the original study: General Use and Absent-Minded Use. However, question number 20 was grouped into General Use component, whereas in the original study it was under the Absent-Minded Use component. The Cronbach’s Alpha for the obtained components was 0.884 and 0.927, respectively. This study found that the Malay-version SUQ was a valid and reliable instrument for use in Malaysia in assessing inattention associated with smartphone use

Kerentanan kanak-kanak Malaysia terhadap pengantunan seksual dalam talian

This study was conducted to examine the vulnerability of Malaysian children towards online sexual grooming by ascertaining the level of vulnerability and the relationships with social media profiles and demographical factors. To achieve the objectives of this study, a quantitative method using a cross-sectional research design with the aid of electronic questionnaire via Google Form was used to gather the data. A total of 205 Malaysian children from the age of 10 to 17 years old participated in this study with their parents’ consent. Based on the analyses of the items, it was found that each child was vulnerable towards sexual grooming at different levels. This study also found that the frequency of social media usage was directly correlated with online sexual grooming vulnerability (r = 0.14, p = 0.05) and age of the respondents (r = 0.20, p = 0.006). Children with more social media accounts were also found to be more vulnerable towards online sexual grooming compared to those with lower number of social media accounts (F (2, 191) = 7.30, p = 0.001). Findings also revealed that there was no significant difference on online sexual grooming vulnerability in terms of gender (t (191) = -0.39, p = 0.149). As a conclusion, this study provide in-depth exposure related to online sexual grooming vulnerability to public as well as the urgent need for proactive prevention efforts to curb child sexual related offenses

Exploring the Effects of Alternate Auditory Attention Tasks on Electromotility of Cochlear Outer Hair Cells in Healthy Normal Hearing Adults

Background and Aim: There is limited study on the role of rostral efferent auditory pathway on Outer Hair Cell (OHC) activity. We investigated the effect of integrating alternate auditory attention (ALAUDIN©) tasks with White Noise (WN) and its reliability using contralateral suppression of Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emission (TEOAE). Methods: This study was conducted at the Audiology Clinic, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, with fifty normal-hearing adults. All subjects underwent standard audiological testing to ensure normal hearing, middle ear, and cochlear function. Contralateral suppressors with and without attention tasks were delivered randomly to the non-test ear while simultaneously measuring TEOAE amplitude in the test ear to investigate the effect of auditory attention on OHC electromotility. Suppressors with and without attention refer to the combination of a 1000 Hz tone and speech stimulus embedded in WN and WN alone, respectively. Subsequently, the difference in TEOAE amplitude during the presence and absence of suppressors was calculated, and thus suppression magnitude was determined. Results: Intraclass correlation revealed that 4 suppressors produced high reliability. In paired sample t-tests, the tasks significantly reduced the amplitude of the TEOAE in the right ear compared to the left ear (p0.05). Descriptively, females showed greater TEOAE suppression. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that directing ALAUDIN© tasks to one ear can affect OHC electromotility, as evidenced by TEOAE amplitude changes, but it did not impact the overall suppression magnitude. Additionally, it hinted at potential gender differences in TEOAE suppression, warranting further investigation

Neuropsychological profile at three months post injury in patients with traumatic brain injury

This study looked into the rate and pattern of neuropsychological impairment in patients with traumatic brain injury patients at three months post injury. Forty patients attending the neurosurgery outpatient clinic were included in the study. Benton visual retention test (BVRT), rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT), digit span test, trail making test (TMT) and mini mental state examination (MMSE) were used for assessment. Forty five percent (n=18) sustained moderate to severe head injury. Twenty five percent (n=10) have abnormal MMSE result. Forty two and a half percent (n=17) have abnormal BVRT result. Seventy five percent (n=30) have abnormal RAVLT result while 35% (n=14) have abnormal digit span test result. Seventy seven and a half percent (n=31) have at least one neurological deficit. There was significant association between severity of head injury (GCS score) and neuropsychological deficit. This study highlights the point that in post head injury patients, there are high occurrences of cognitive dysfunction. MMSE and GCS play a significant and important role in assessing cognitive dysfunction. Severity of head injury as determined by GCS scores also influence the outcome in patients with head injury

Model Answer For Critical Review Paper: Conjoint Examination For Malaysian Master Of Medicine (Psychiatry) And MPM June 2012

Objective: This paper aims to discuss the answers to Review Paper Exam for the Malaysian Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) May 2012 theory examination. The paper studied the psychotropic prescription practice in cancer patients using a health care registration database. Methods: One of the papers presented during the journal club presentation was picked-up for evaluation of student's critical appraisal. Results: Model answers were provided at the end of the Critical Review Paper. Conclusion: This review paper evaluates students' understanding and critical thinking on the topic of Psychotropic Drugs in cancer patients. This paper may serve as a guideline to teach students how to critically appraise topic related to psychiatry. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 14 (1): January - June 2013: XX XX

Drug Prevention Education Programs in Schools in High-Risk Areas: Challenges for Primary School Teachers in Malaysia

Abstract Drug prevention education programs have been implemented in primary and secondary schools in Malaysia. This study aimed to investigate the existing drug prevention education programs in primary schools in high-risk areas of Perak, Malaysia and to identify the challenges faced by primary school teachers to implement these programs. The methods used in this study was a qualitative case study design by using interviews for data collection. Seven participants, including primary school teachers, a Ministry of Education Malaysia officer, a National Anti-Drug Agency (NADA) Perak officer, and a State of Education Department officer, were involved as study samples. The results of the study showed that teachers still face problems delivering drug messages in the teaching-learning process because they do not have enough learning materials or knowledge. Teachers’ challenges arise not only from the school or educational policy but also from parents` involvement. It can be concluded that the primary school teachers in Malaysia still face challenges related to their skills, community supports, and government policies in drug prevention education programs. It is expected the study can be used by the stakeholders when planning and evaluating drug preventive in Malaysian primary schools especially in selected hot spot areas

Clinical Improvement in Depression and Cognitive Deficit Following Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a long-standing treatment choice for disorders such as depression when pharmacological treatments have failed. However, a major drawback of ECT is its cognitive side effects. While numerous studies have investigated the therapeutic effects of ECT and its mechanism, much less research has been conducted regarding the mechanism behind the cognitive side effects of ECT. As both clinical remission and cognitive deficits occur after ECT, it is possible that both may share a common mechanism. This review highlights studies related to ECT as well as those investigating the mechanism of its outcomes. The process underlying these effects may lie within BDNF and NMDA signaling. Edema in the astrocytes may also be responsible for the adverse cognitive effects and is mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 and the protein Homer1a