1.The Behaviour Changes in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic within Malaysia
Eugene Koh Boon Yau ; Nicholas Pang Tze Ping ; Wendy Diana Shoesmith ; Sandi James ; Noor Melissa Nor Hadi ; Loo Jiann Lin
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2020;27(2):45-50
The novel coronavirus infection, COVID-19, is a pandemic that currently affects the whole
world. During this period, Malaysians displayed a variety of behaviour changes as a response
to COVID-19, including panic buying, mass travelling during movement restriction and even
absconding from treatment facilities. This article attempts to explore some of these behaviour
changes from a behaviourist perspective in order to get a better understanding of the rationale
behind the changes.
2.Unfitness To Plead Among Female Offenders: When Looseness Matters
Loo Jiann Lin ; Eu Choon Leng ; Johari Khamis ; Rabaà ; ¢ ; â ; ?¬ ; â ; ?¢ ; iah Binti Mohd Salleh ; Suarn Singh ; Jasmit Singh
ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry 2018;19(1):14-
Objective: Pritchard Criteria are adopted in a Malaysian criminal-justice system while assessing fitness to plead. There is limited data on the reason of unfitness to plead for female offenders in Malaysia. Methods: A case series of five patients hospitalized to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Malaysia due to unfitness to plead was presented and discussed. Result: The offences include three homicides, one assault, and one stealing. All of them were diagnosed to have schizophrenia with prominent looseness of association. Four of them subsequently treated as Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS) with a minimal response toward clozapine. Conclusion: Looseness of association may be a contributing factor for unfitness to plead among Malaysian female offenders, which can result in indeterminate hospitalization. This should be confirmed in a larger prospective study.
3.Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Among Doctors in North Borneo
Syarifah Nurul Ain ; Chua Sze Hung ; Aida Nurbaini Arbain ; Sarah Marilyn Amin ; Teoh Eu Vin ; Ferro Firdaus Ibrahim ; Loo Jiann Lin
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2020;16(No.3, September):124-131
Introduction: Doctors are known to deal with high occupational stress, causing increased risk of depression, anxiety and stress.Nevertheless, the prevalence and associatedfactors of depression, anxiety and stress among registered doctorsworking in 24 public hospitals in Sabah, Malaysia are not known yet. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using convenient sampling from September-October 2018. The data of 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was collected via online link anonymously. Results: Among 314 doctors, majority of them were females (62.1%), mean age 29 (SD 2.72), non-Sabahan (82.8%), Malays (46.8%), not married (78.3%) and medical officers (93.6%). Prevalence of severe/extremely severe anxiety symptoms was 27.4%,depression (22.9%) and stress (18.5%). Doctors perceiving themselves to be depressed, anxious and/or stressed were more likely to develop the corresponding symptoms. Females and Chinese were twice more likely to report anxiety symptoms. Being married had protective effect against depressive symptoms, while working in same hospital for longer time had a significant but weak protective effect against anxiety and stress symptoms. Conclusions: Mental health issue among doctors is substantial and need to be addressed effectively for the benefit of their life, patients and country.