Introduction: This study examined a cognitive model of depression among undergraduate students of medical and allied health sciences. Methods: Participants (N=279) completed a series of questionnaires related to depression (Beck Depression Inventory-Malay), negative cognitions (Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Malay), dysfunctional attitude (Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-Malay), stressful life events (Life Events Survey), self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy) and quality of life (WHO Quality of Life-BREF). Results: Results of descriptive analysis revealed a higher percentage of severe depression among males when compared to female students. Results of structural equation modeling indicated an adequate fit of the model (X²=21.29, df=15, p>13; GFI=0.97; CFI=0.97; RMSEA=0.4). Conclusion: The findings also indicated the potential roles of self-efficacy in mediating depression. The results are discussed in terms of self-regulating strategies of managing depression and the roles that university authorities may play in helping students to regulate depression.

Introduction: Regular aerobic exercise and low-fat milk consumption can improve certain cognitive functions and reducing emotional distress. However, the impacts of combining these modalities are less explored. Thus, the present study examined the effects of combining aerobic exercise and low-fat milk intake among sedentary female students. Methods: Using a nonrandomized pretest – posttest with a control group research design, 85 sedentary females aged 16 years old were assigned into either milk (n = 21), exercise (n = 22), combined low fat milk and exercise (n = 23), or control (n = 19) groups. One serving of low-fat milk was provided to the students during each school day, and a 1-hour supervised step aerobics exercise was conducted twice per week for 3 months. Emotional distress and sustained attention were measured at baseline, 6th and 12th weeks after the intervention. A mixed factorial ANOVA was used to analyse the data. Results: The results revealed significantly less emotional distress in the combined (p < 0.01) and exercise groups (p < 0.05) compared with the control group after 12 weeks. Additionally, significant reductions were observed in the total time taken and errors of omission for both digits 6 and 9 of the Digit Vigilance Test in the combined group (p < 0.05, p < 0.001) compared with the control group. Conclusions: The results showed that low fat milk alone did not provide any additional benefits related to distress regulation, but the combination of exercise and low-fat milk contributed to improving sustained attention.

Objective: The MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) is a short, structured diagnostic interview compatible with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV). It was designed for clinical practice, research in psychiatric, primary care settings and epidemiological surveys. This preliminary study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Malaysian Version of MINI for Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms criteria only. Methods: Six hours of MINI training was given as part of a National Health Morbidity Survey training program for layman interviewers (n=229) and three videos were prepared by an expert psychiatrist for inter-rater reliability purposes. Meanwhile, for validity purposes, the MINI was administered to patients with Major Depressive Disorder (n=30), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (n=20) and to a normal population (n=60), to conform against the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-IV) that was administered by psychiatrists. Results: Overall the inter-rater reliability was satisfactory (0.67 to 0.85) and the concordance between the MINI’s and expert diagnoses was good, with kappa values of greater than 0.88. Conclusions: The Malay version of the MINI is adjusted to the clinical setting and for the assessment of positive cases in a community setting. Modifications were highlighted to correct any identified problems and to improve the reliability of the MINI for future research and clinical use.