Predictors of career indecision among Malaysian undergraduate students

Career indecision refers to the phenomenon where individuals especially students are unable to make decisions about the careers they wish to pursue. Career decisions enable us to label students as being either ‘decided’ or ‘undecided’ on their career choices. To a greater extent, career indecision could also invoke the idea of readiness or career maturity in terms of the career developmental tasks they have to complete. The aim of this study was to determine predictive factors of career indecision among Malaysian undergraduates. Data for this study were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. There were 1229 respondents who consisted of undergraduate students from four public universities. The respondents were identified via multistage stratified sampling. The Career Factor Inventory (CFI; Chartrand, Robbins, Morrill & Boggs, 1990) was used to measure career indecision while the My Vocational Situation (MVS; Holland et al., 1980) was used to measure the three core dimensions of career identity namely vocational identity, occupational information and career barriers. The multiple regression analysis indicated that female undergraduates with high academic achievement and low occupational information, and vocational identity were more unlikely to have decided on their career. An understanding of factors contributing to career indecision among university students will provide insights for educators and student personnel in improving the students’ career developmental process

Influence of gender on career readiness among Malaysian undergraduates

This study aimed to investigate the influence of gender on career readiness among Malaysian undergraduate students at Malaysian universities. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire of 1229 Malaysian undergraduate students from four public universities. Respondents were identified through the multistage stratified sampling method. Findings of the study indicate that a majority of the respondents reported low level of career readiness. When compared to male undergraduates, female undergraduates were found to have lower career readiness as manifested by the higher need for career information, and by being more anxious and indecisive when having to make career decisions. An understanding of the factors which contribute to career readiness among male and female university students will help to provide insights for educators in improving students' career developmental process

Examining the reliability and factor structure of the Malay version of the Recovery Self-Assessment in a sample of individuals with schizophrenia

Objective: Without a reliable and valid tool, it is neither possible to gauge recovery orientation of persons with serious mental illness nor to evaluate whether existing mental health system encourages recovery in both its policies and current practice in Malaysia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the reliability and factor structure of the Malay version of the Recovery Self-Assessment (RSA-PIRV-M) in a psychiatric sample. Method: Psychiatric patients were eligible for recruitment to the study, when they fulfilled the following criteria: a diagnosis of schizophrenia, were aged between 18- and 65-years-old, and were able to give consent themselves. We recruited 118 individuals with schizophrenia. They were selected via systematic random sampling technique. All RSA-PIRV-M items were derived from the parent scale. These items were translated based on established procedures. The reliability estimates of the RSA-PIRV-M were based on Cronbach's alpha. We performed confirmatory factor analyses to examine the factor structure of the RSA-PIRV-M. Results: All Cronbach's alphas for the RSA-PIRV-M subscales were at least .70. With respect to the factor structure of the RSA-PIRV-M, our structural equation modeling findings suggest a five-factor model encompassing life goals, involvement, diversity of treatment options, choice, and individually-tailored services. Conclusions and implications for practice: The interpretation of our findings is limited by small sample size, unique sample characteristics, and lack of further evidence for convergent validity. Notwithstanding these limitations, the RSA-PIRV-M is a promising tool in bridging gaps between our knowledge on recovery orientation and existing mental health service provision in Malaysia

Normative beliefs about aggression as a mediator of narcissistic exploitativeness and cyberbullying

The current study examined normative beliefs about aggression as a mediator between narcissistic exploitativeness and cyberbullying using two Asian adolescent samples from Singapore and Malaysia. Narcissistic exploitativeness was significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying and normative beliefs about aggression and normative beliefs about aggression were significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying. Normative beliefs about aggression were a significant partial mediator in both samples; these beliefs about aggression served as one possible mechanism of action by which narcissistic exploitativeness could exert its influence on cyberbullying. Findings extended previous empirical research by showing that such beliefs can be the mechanism of action not only in offline but also in online contexts and across cultures. Cyberbullying prevention and intervention efforts should include modification of norms and beliefs supportive of the legitimacy and acceptability of cyberbullying

Psychological mindedness as a mediator in the relationship between dysfunctional coping styles and depressive symptoms in caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder

Purpose Psychological mindedness (PM) can partly explain depressive symptoms in caregivers of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This cross‐sectional study examines PM in mediating the relationship between dysfunctional coping styles and depressive symptoms. Design and Methods One hundred fifty‐five adult ASD caregivers completed the Malay version of Brief COPE, the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9, and the Balanced Index of PM. Findings Direct paths between dysfunctional coping style and depressive symptoms, between insight and depressive symptoms, and between dysfunctional coping style and all PM variables (insight and interest) were obtained. Multiple regression analyses revealed that insight, but not interest, significantly mediates the relationship between dysfunctional coping and depressive symptoms. Practical Implications PM can be enhanced via psychological interventions

Recovery orientation among individuals with serious mental illness

In the present study, we examined differences between individuals with schizophrenia and individuals with neuroses in a suburban clinical sample with respect to recovery orientation. A sample of 100 psychiatric patients from one public hospital in Selangor, Malaysia participated in this study. Participants’ recovery orientation was assessed by the Recovery Assessment Scale Questionnaire. The Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was significant. Univariate tests further showed that there was a significant difference across two different diagnoses on reliance on others. In particular, individuals with neuroses had higher reliance on others than individuals with schizophrenia did. In an attempt to promote recovery orientation among individuals with serious mental illness, social connection and social support are domains that mental health care providers could target on

The effects of connectedness on health-promoting and health-compromising behaviors in adolescents: evidence from a statewide survey

Using a social ecological perspective, we examined the effects of connectedness in multiple domains on health-promoting and health-compromising behaviors among Asian American (AA), Pacific Islander (PI), and Caucasian/White American (WA) adolescents in California. After adjusting for age, gender, and socioeconomic status, the following consistent results emerged across the three ethnic groups: (a) community connectedness increased the odds of physical activity; (b) internal, family, and school connectedness decreased, whereas friend connectedness increased, the odds of substance use; and (c) internal and family connectedness decreased the odds of violent behavior. We also found specific ethnic variations pertaining to the effects of connectedness. Friend connectedness increased the odds of violent behavior for AAs and WAs, but not for PIs. Meanwhile, community connectedness increased the odds of substance use and violent behavior for AAs and PIs, but decreased the odds of these behaviors for WAs. Findings for healthy dietary behavior were inconsistent across ethnic groups and connectedness domains. Our overall findings suggest that the effects of connectedness were more salient for health-compromising behaviors than for health-promoting behaviors. Health prevention and intervention efforts in adolescents could target the role of their connectedness to their multiple social domains

Pangs of loneliness breed material lifestyle but don't power up life satisfaction of young people: the moderating effect of gender

Associations between loneliness, materialism, and life satisfaction were examined in a sample of 366 Malaysian undergraduate students. Also examined was the mediating role of materialism in the relation between loneliness and life satisfaction, and such a mediational link (i.e., loneliness–materialism–life satisfaction) is expected to be moderated by gender. Loneliness was significantly and positively associated with materialism but negatively associated with life satisfaction. Materialism was significantly and negatively associated with life satisfaction. In addition to these direct associations, materialism emerged as a significant partial mediator in the relation between loneliness and life satisfaction. As predicted, gender moderated the loneliness–materialism–life satisfaction relationship. In particular, materialism significantly mediated such a link for male undergraduate students but not for female undergraduate students. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings for youth wellness are discussed

What Has Been Done to Tackle Overweight and Obesity in Malaysia?: A Literature Review (2005 – 2015)

As reported by the World Health Organisation, Malaysia is the fattest country (Malaysian adults with the highest prevalence of overweight, body mass index equal or more than 25kg/m2) among the Southeast Asia. Among others, obesity is a leading contributor of non-communicable diseases (e.g., type II diabetes and cancer). This article aims to review the exiting weight management programmes targeting overweight and obese adults in Malaysia from 2005 to 2015. EMBASE, MEDLINE and PubMed were used to search for the published literature. Out of 544 articles, eight articles were selected for this review. Components of the intervention programmes in this review were: “spirituality-based programmes”, “dietary-based and physical activity programmes” and “diet, physical activity and behaviour modification-oriented programmes”. The findings from this review could be useful for future intervention efforts in an attempt to address such issues in Malaysia. Weight management or weight reduction intervention can be conducted among overweight or obese Malaysian adults in order to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity, therefore reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Malaysia

What has been done to tackle overweight and obesity in Malaysia?: a literature review (2005 – 2015)

As reported by the World Health Organisation, Malaysia is the fattest country (Malaysian adults with the highest prevalence of overweight, body mass index equal or more than 25kg/m2) among the Southeast Asia. Among others, obesity is a leading contributor of non-communicable diseases (e.g., type II diabetes and cancer). This article aims to review the exiting weight management programmes targeting overweight and obese adults in Malaysia from 2005 to 2015. EMBASE, MEDLINE and PubMed were used to search for the published literature. Out of 544 articles, eight articles were selected for this review. Components of the intervention programmes in this review were: “spirituality-based programmes”, “dietary-based and physical activity programmes” and “diet, physical activity and behaviour modification-oriented programmes”. The findings from this review could be useful for future intervention efforts in an attempt to address such issues in Malaysia. Weight management or weight reduction intervention can be conducted among overweight or obese Malaysian adults in order to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity, therefore reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Malaysia