METHODS: Data were collected from an East (Bintulu) and a West (Ipoh) Malaysian hospital medical records in 2015-2021 and 2018-2021, respectively. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association of aspects such as socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, paraquat ban with the types of pesticides involved (paraquat versus non-paraquat versus unknown) ,and the outcomes (fatal versus non-fatal).
RESULTS: From the study sample of 212 pesticide poisoning patients aged 15 years or above, the majority were self-poisoning cases (75.5%) with a disproportionate over-representation of Indian ethnic minority (44.8%). Most pesticide poisoning cases had socio-environmental stressors (62.30%). The commonest stressors were domestic interpersonal conflicts (61.36%). 42.15% of pesticide poisoning survivors had a psychiatric diagnosis. Paraquat poisoning accounted for 31.6% of all patients and 66.7% of fatalities. Case fatality was positively associated with male gender, current suicidal intent, and paraquat poisoning. After the paraquat ban, the proportion of pesticide poisoning cases using paraquat decreased from 35.8 to 24.0%, and the overall case-fatality dropped slightly from 21.2 to 17.3%.
CONCLUSIONS: Socio-environmental stressors in specific domestic interpersonal conflicts, seemed more prominent in pesticide poisoning compared to psychiatric diagnosis. Paraquat accounted for the majority of pesticide-associated deaths occurring in hospitals in the study areas. There was preliminary evidence that the 2020 paraquat ban led to a fall in case fatality from pesticide poisoning.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the determinants of non-adherence to unintentional home injury prevention practice among parents of under-five children in the North Seberang Perai district, Penang.
METHODS: This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study consists of two phases consisting of a quantitative study which looks into respondents and their child's sociodemographic status, their home injury prevention practice and the independent variables, followed by a qualitative study that interviews parents with non-adherence to home injury prevention practice and explore their barriers. In phase I, the parent or primary caregiver of a child age less than five years old who age 18 or older and is a Malaysian will be included in the study while being disabled or having a severe psychiatric disorder or having the index child diagnosed with chronic disease will make them not eligible to participate in the study. Derived using the two-group proportion formula, a sample size of 453 parents will be sampled among those with under-five children following up at the Maternal Child Health Department in the health clinics of North Seberang Perai using stratified systematic sampling. Chi-square/Fisher Exact test, simple logistic regression and multiple logistic regression will be used for data analysis. The sample will be stratified according to household income to look for associated factors and determinants of low prevention practice. In phase II, parents with a low score from the quantitative study will be selected to participate in the qualitative study using purposive sampling. A semi-structured interview using the help of an interview guide will be carried out and recorded with a voice recorder. The thematic analysis approach will be used to analyse the qualitative data.
RESULTS: The study has been registered under the National Medical Research Registry.
CONCLUSION: It is hoped that findings from this study can shed light on the barriers faced by under-five parents in carrying out preventive measures at home.
METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in multiple academic databases, including PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. Keywords related to cognitive behavioral therapy, cultural adaptation, and specific populations were used. The inclusion criteria encompassed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pilot studies that assessed CA-CBT for various mental health conditions.
RESULTS: The review included studies involving Chinese Americans, Latino caregivers, Syrian refugees, Jordanian children, Malaysian Muslims, Afghan refugees, Iraqi women, Japanese children and adolescents, and Tanzanian and Kenyan children. CA-CBT demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and psychosis. For instance, research has shown that CA-CBT is more effective than standard CBT in reducing depressive symptoms among Chinese Americans and in significantly lowering PTSD symptoms in Syrian refugee women. This method has been well-received and is feasible for use in diverse populations, such as Jordanian children and Afghan refugees. The long-term benefits are promising, with sustained improvements being reported in various studies. Additionally, digital and remote delivery methods have demonstrated potential for expanding the accessibility of CA-CBT.
CONCLUSIONS: CA-CBT is a valuable and effective intervention for diverse cultural populations, significantly improving mental health outcomes. However, future research must address limitations such as small sample sizes, short follow-up periods, and variability in assessment tools. Future studies should include larger and more diverse sample sizes, longer follow-up periods, rigorous control groups, and comprehensive outcome measures to further validate and enhance the application of CA-CBT across different cultural contexts.
METHODS: Medline, Embase, ERIC/Proquest, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, EBM Reviews - Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Emcare and reference lists of included studies were searched in February 2020. Studies that evaluated at least one of the main components of MHL, including (1) knowledge related to mental health issues, and (2) stigma, were included irrespective of study design. As secondary findings, the review also synthesized results related to facilitators and barriers to seeking mental health services. Depending on the research design, the quality of each study was assessed through checklists.
RESULTS: Forty six studies published between 1995 to 2019 were included. Most studies used cross-sectional designs to investigate MHL. Findings indicate that most Malaysians have stigmatizing attitudes towards mental health problems. Participants in the included studies endorsed multifactorial explanations of mental health issues with a dominance of supernatural and religious aetiologies. Likewise, the commonest barrier was considering sources other than professional sources of mental-health services. Presence of adequate knowledge and considering providers as competent facilitated help-seeking. Additionally, there was considerable heterogeneity in studies and a lack of standardized measures assessing MHL.
CONCLUSIONS: There is an increase in studies on MHL in Malaysia. A few of these studies, based on experimental design, have shown positive effects. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers should develop standardized measures and interventional studies based on all the components of MHL.