Humans ; Preventive Psychiatry ; Psychotic Disorders ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Risk Assessment

Chronic Disease ; Comorbidity ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology

INTRODUCTIONFew studies have examined the impact of pathological gambling on quality of life especially in the Asian context. The aim of the current study was to examine the quality of life in pathological gamblers in a multiracial population in Singapore and we hypothesised that those with pathological gambling would have poorer quality of life as compared to controls.

MATERIALS AND METHODSForty subjects with "compulsive gambling behaviour" were recruited and matched (for gender and age) with 40 controls. Subjects with pathological gambling were compared with control subjects with regard to sociodemographic data as well as on the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment - abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF).

RESULTSA one-way MANOVA revealed that pathological gamblers had significantly diminished quality of life as compared with the healthy controls using the summary scores of the 4 domains of quality of life (Pillai's Trace = 0.338, F = 9.5, P <0.001). Univariate tests indicated subjects with pathological gambling scored significantly lower on physical health, psychological, social relationships and environment domains of quality of life compared with subjects without pathological gambling.

CONCLUSIONOur study found that those with pathological gambling had lower scores than the controls in all the domains of the quality of life scale. The impact and the extent of pathological gambling on the quality of life should be borne in mind -- not only as a consideration in the management but also as an important indicator of treatment outcome of pathological gamblers.

Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; statistics & numerical data ; Case-Control Studies ; Competitive Behavior ; Confidence Intervals ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Ethnic Groups ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Gambling ; psychology ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; psychology ; Singapore ; ethnology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

INTRODUCTIONPathological gambling has been defined as a persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behaviour that disrupts personal, family and work life. The present study reports on the sociodemographic features, gambling activity, comorbidity and legal problems in a sample of 150 pathological gamblers who sought treatment from the Community Addiction Management Programme (CAMP), Singapore over a 4-year period from 2002 to 2006.

MATERIALS AND METHODSData were collected on 150 consecutive subjects who sought treatment at CAMP. Patients were administered a semi-structured interview to elicit demographic data, age of onset, family history, onset games and types of games ever played, largest debt incurred due to gambling, triggers, illegal activities and suicidal attempts by their counsellor. Patients were then assessed by the clinicians to establish the primary and comorbid diagnoses.

RESULTSThe mean age of the subjects was 42.5 [standard deviation (SD) 10.2] years. The majority of them were males (87.3%) and of Chinese origin (97.3%). The most common comorbid disorders were mood disorders (n = 22, 14.7%), substance abuse (n = 11, 7.3%) and alcohol abuse or dependence (n = 7, 4.7%). Sixteen (10.7%) subjects had a history of suicidal attempts which had been precipitated by gambling-related issues.

CONCLUSIONSPathological gambling in our subjects appears to be associated with significant comorbidity and financial problems. These are the preliminary findings and further research is needed regarding the phenomenology, profile, course and response to treatment of pathological gambling disorders.

Adult ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Gambling ; psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mood Disorders ; epidemiology ; Singapore

INTRODUCTIONThere has been an explosive growth of Internet usage worldwide and this is expected to continue with its use becoming an integral part of everyday life. The Internet provides tremendous educational benefits; however, excessive Internet use can lead to negative outcomes such as poor school performance and social isolation.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThe survey consisted of a 69-item, anonymous, self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Data collected included demographic data, academic performance, social support and general wellbeing as well as questions pertaining to Internet use. For the purposes of our study, we defined Internet use of more than 5 hours a day as "excessive use".

RESULTSOf the 2735 adolescents who took part in the study, 1349 (49.3%) were male and 1383 (50.6%) were female. The mean age of the adolescents was 13.9 years [standard deviation (SD), 1.0]. A quarter of the adolescents surveyed (25%) reported that they did not access the Internet everyday, while 17.1% of adolescents reported using it for more than 5 hours every day. Excessive Internet use was associated with (i) no rules of Internet use at home (x2 = 313.1, P <0.001 ), (ii) less likelihood of having confidants (x2 = 15.8, P = 0.003), (iii) feelings of sadness or depression (x2 = 49.6, P <0.001) and (iv) perceived poorer grade/school work (x2 = 226.1, P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe high figures of excessive Internet use (17.1%) reported in our study is not equivalent to Internet addiction as no diagnostic instruments were used. However, school counsellors and teachers need to be made aware of the prevalence of and problematic behaviours associated with excessive Internet use. Training and resources should also be made available to parents and caregivers so that they can play a greater role in setting boundaries and detecting early warning signs.

Adolescent ; Adolescent Behavior ; Behavior, Addictive ; Data Collection ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; utilization ; Male ; Singapore ; Social Isolation

Employment ; Employment, Supported ; methods ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; rehabilitation ; Prejudice ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; methods ; Return to Work ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Social Stigma ; Unemployment ; statistics & numerical data

The objectives were to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of older adults who visit traditional healers as well as identify medical and psychiatric conditions that are associated with visits to the traditional healer. Methods: Data from 2563 older adults who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) population-based survey was used. Sociodemographic information, details on traditional healer visits as well as medical and psychiatric conditions were collated through an adapted 10/66 protocol. Results: A total of 10.4% of older adults sought help from a traditional healer within the past three months. There were significantly more visits to traditional healers by women, those whose highest level of education was primary or secondary school, those who had stomach/intestine problems and those who had anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Traditional healers appear to be a preferred source of help among some older adult groups. Future research should focus on the impact of seeking help from these alternative healthcare providers in terms of clinical outcomes and costs. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 17 (2): July – December 2016: XX XX.

Objective: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasingly used globally and the implications of their smoking are being debated. The aim of this study is to identify awareness, use and perceptions of e-cigarettes among young smokers and parents of youths in Singapore. Methods: A total of 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among youths (aged 15-29 years) who smoke and parents of youths, from diverse social contexts. Participants were recruited using a mix of network and purposive sampling. Youth FGDs were conducted in English language while the parent FGDs were conducted in Chinese and English language. FGDs were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Awareness about e-cigarettes was perceived more among youth as compared to parents in terms of structure, mechanism and use of the device. Parents considered e-cigarettes to be a healthy substitute for conventional smoking. However, youth expressed the failure of e-cigarettes to provide satiety level same as conventional cigarette smoking. Participants endorsed e-cigarettes as a tool for smoking cessation. Conclusion: It was evident from the study that though there was knowledge of e-cigarettes, both parents and youths were ill- informed about them, owing to varied and inconsistent information on e-cigarettes along with its legal implications in Singapore. Future research is required to assess safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes as well as the association of their use with smoking cessation.