There is increasing interest in using information and communication technology to help older adults with dementia to engage in reminiscence work. Now, the feasibility of such approaches is beginning to be established. The purpose of this study was to establish an evidence-base for the acceptability and efficacy of using multimedia digital life storybooks with people with dementia in care homes, in comparison with conventional life storybooks, taking into account the perspectives of people with dementia, their relatives, and care staff.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that often runs a chronic unremitting course. Treatment outcomes can be unsatisfactory despite the availability of various somatic and psychological therapies. Psychodynamic psychotherapy in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention (ERP) could help patients with treatment-resistant OCD achieve better outcomes. An integrative approach can help patients gain insight, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, improve treatment adherence, and provide symptomatic relief when other treatments seem insufficient or have failed. We describe the treatment process of a person with treatment-resistant OCD who received pharmacotherapy, concurrent CBT/ERP, and a brief course of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Case formulations from cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic perspectives are presented. The authors discuss the advantages of doing a psychodynamic assessment and formulation in treatment refractory cases and the wisdom of integrating psychotherapy interventions for OCD, as well as the unique clinical features of cases that warrant a multimodal treatment approach.
The present study aimed to examine whether physical and environment elements of PETTLEP imagery relate to the ability to image five types of sport imagery (i.e. skill, strategy, goal, affect and mastery). Two hundred and ninety participants (152 males, 148 females; Mage = 20.24 years, SD = 4.36) from various sports completed the Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ), and a set of items designed specifically for the study to assess how frequently participants incorporate physical (e.g. 'I make small movements or gestures during the imagery') and environment (e.g. 'I image in the real training/competition environment') elements of PETTLEP imagery. Structural equation modelling tested a hypothesised model in which imagery priming (i.e. the best fitting physical and environment elements) significantly and positively predicted imagery ability of the different imagery types (skill, β = 0.38; strategy, β = 0.23; goal, β = 0.21; affect, β = 0.25; mastery, β = 0.22). The model was a good fit to the data: χ2(174) = 263.87, p
To determine the relationship between absenteeism rates and psychological intervention over a 6-month period in an agency with 334 employees in Klang Valley, Malaysia, which had the highest absenteeism rates.
Objective: Medical training has always been regarded as a highly stressful environment to students. This article described a preliminary data on impact of a stress-management programme on medical students’ stress level. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental before after comparison study design. The programme was run over half-day and convenient sampling method was applied. Sample size as calculated for this preliminary study was 38. The 12 items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was administered prior to the
programme and four months later. Data was analysed using SPSS version 12. Results: 34 participants were involved in this study. This study found that there was a significant difference in participants’ GHQ-12 scores before and after the programme (p
This paper has evaluated the spatial growth of Bauchi Metropolis from 1976 to 2015
through the application of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. Various satellite
imageries of the metropolis (Landsat MSS of 1976, TM of 1986, 1996 and ETM+ of 2006
and 2015) were integrated; processed and classified using ERDAS imagine 9.1. The
results showed an increase in area from 11.68km2
in 1976 to 12.51km2
in 1986 to
32.44km2 in 1996, to 49.66km2
in 2006 and finally to 89.23km2 in 2015. It is
recommended that government should provide the required capacities for the use of
Remote Sensing and GIS in planning for the growth of the town.
The subjective nature of psychodynamic psychotherapy (PP) makes training and supervision more abstract compared to other forms of psychotherapy. The issues encountered in the learning and supervision process of PP of Malaysian psychiatry trainees are discussed in this article. Issues of preparation before starting PP, case selection, assessment of patients, dynamic formulations, supervision, anxieties in the therapy, countertransference, termination of therapy, the treatment alliance, transfer of care, the therapeutic setting, and bioethical considerations are explored. Everyone's experience of learning PP is unique and there is no algorithmic approach to its practice. With creative thinking, effort, and "good enough" supervision, a trainee can improve PP skills, even in underserved areas of the world.
The paper proposes and validates the strategic public procurement regulatory compliance model with mediation effect of ethical behavior. It expands the socio-economic theory of regulatory compliance to explore the mediating effect of ethical behavior on the influence of professionalism, familiarity, enforcement, resistance to political pressure and compliance with public procurement regulation. A quantitative research design was deployed using 125 procurement officers as a sample group. The data from the sample was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results validated the hypotheses for the strategic public procurement regulatory compliance model with mediation effect of ethical behavior. The study not only confirmed the earlier findings on the direct effects of professionalism, familiarity, enforcement, resistance to political pressure and ethical behavior on compliance, but also established the mediating effect of ethical behavior on compliance on all the predictors except resistance to political pressure. The study implied that ethical behavior of public procurement officers should be a strategic point of concern by both policymakers and professional bodies. Theoretically, the studyexpands thesocio-economic theory of regulatory compliance within the context of procurement literature through mediation effects of ethical behavior via structural analysis.
To examine the relationship between visual imagery and autobiographical memory, eye position and pupil size were recorded while participants first searched for memories and then reconstructed the retrieved memories (Experiment 1), or only searched for memories (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, we observed that, although recollective experience was not associated with the number of fixations per minute, memories that took longer to retrieve were linked to increased pupil size. In Experiment 2, we observed that directly retrieved memories were recalled more quickly and were accompanied by smaller pupils than generatively retrieved memories. After correcting for response time, retrieval mode also produced an effect, showing that decreased pupil size is not simply due to directly retrieved memories being recalled more quickly. These findings provide compelling evidence that objective measures, such as pupil size, can be used alongside subjective measures, such as self-reports, to distinguish between directly retrieved and generatively retrieved memories.
Recent research has reached a consensus on the feasibility of motor imagery brain-computer interface (MI-BCI) for different applications, especially in stroke rehabilitation. Most MI-BCI systems rely on temporal, spectral, and spatial features of single channels to distinguish different MI patterns. However, no successful communication has been established for a completely locked-in subject. To provide more useful and informative features, it has been recommended to take into account the relationships among electroencephalographic (EEG) sensor/source signals in the form of brain connectivity as an efficient tool of neuroscience. In this review, we briefly report the challenges and limitations of conventional MI-BCIs. Brain connectivity analysis, particularly functional and effective, has been described as one of the most promising approaches for improving MI-BCI performance. An extensive literature on EEG-based MI brain connectivity analysis of healthy subjects is reviewed. We subsequently discuss the brain connectomes during left and right hand, feet, and tongue MI movements. Moreover, key components involved in brain connectivity analysis that considerably affect the results are explained. Finally, possible technical shortcomings that may have influenced the results in previous research are addressed and suggestions are provided.
Psychotherapeutic management of a potential spirit medium (shaman) in a modern University Hospital setting in Malaysia is described. Magical thinking, projection and spirit possession (trance state) occur during management. Discussion of management was based on what Heinz Wolff described as the psychotherapist's functions of (1) psychodynamic understanding; (2) the therapeutic function; and (3) the developmental function. This patient did not conform to the general criteria of a suitable patient for psychotherapy. But her willingness to engage in therapy contributed to a satisfactory outcome. The therapist's growth in cross-cultural therapeutic encounter seems to be prominent.
Matched MeSH terms: Psychotherapy*; Psychotherapy, Group
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the validity and reliability of Cognitive Therapy Group Intervention (CTGI) which focuses on the elements of resilience among adolescents with behavioural problems. It is developed based on Cognitive Theory (comment: it’d be more sufficient if you can mention whose theory) and Sidek Module Development Model and consists of eight interventions. Cognitive Therapy Intervention (CTI) manuscripts and a five-item questionnaires were distributed to five content experts to determine the intervention’s validity. The findings reported the validity index of 0.87. The target group were thirty-two adolescents chosen to measure the reliability of each intervention by evaluating the objectives in each intervention session. As a result, a reliability index of 0.85 was obtained. From these two indexes, it is proven that the Cognitive Therapy Group Intervention (CTGI) possesses high validity and good reliability and is ready to be put to use. This implies that, counselling interventions in schools are required in working with adolescents with at risk behaviours.
Understanding the way in which people seek care for mental disorders is important for planning services, training and referral mechanisms. Pathways to care fall broadly into three categories: via primary care physicians; via native healers; and via patient choice (patients can have direct access to mental health professionals). The pattern and nature of access to service in low-income countries are different from those in high-income countries. In many societies, deep-seated cultural beliefs on the part of patients and families about the causes of mental disorders are a major barrier to the receipt of modern psychiatric care.
Objective: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for depression is popular in Western countries. In the context of Malaysia, CBT has been applied as an individual session in a clinical setting. However, there is limited research in the area of group CBT for depression among Malays. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (GCBT) in reducing the negative cognitions that are related to depression in a group of Malay patients. Methods: One hundred and thirteen patients, diagnosed with depression, were randomly allocated to either a Treatment As Usual (TAU)
group (n = 55), or a TAU plus GCBT group (n = 58). All participants completed two questionnaires that measured maladaptive cognitions at pretreatment, midway through treatment, post-treatment (week 4), and at followups after three (week 16) and six months (week 28). Results: The TAU+GCBT patients improved significantly more, and at a faster rate, than the TAU group; which showed minimal improvement. The effect size (Cohen’s d) of the treatment group was 0.93 and 96.55% of the treatment group achieved a clinically significant change. Conclusions: The findings suggest that GCBT, when used in addition to the TAU, is effective in reducing negative thoughts and maladaptive attitudes of Malaysian patients suffering from depression.
We report on the case of a middle-aged woman with a complex psychiatric history in whom atypical intrusive imagery identified in the mental status examination appeared to represent an emergence of childhood dissociative phenomena. These new symptoms led to the reappraisal of her clinical presentation and a diagnostic re-evaluation that they represented a re-emergence of childhood post-traumatic stress disorder secondary to sexual abuse. We discuss the phenomenology identified in our patient with the aim of increasing awareness of unusual symptoms in adults with a history of childhood sexual abuse and the importance of the mental state examination in eliciting and classifying such phenomena.
The study was a Quasi experimental two group pre-and post- experimental design. It involved 32 samples at both experimental and control groups. This research was conducted to examine the effect of Guided Imagery on depression among male inmates. Subjects in the experimental group were asked to practice Guided Imagery in group for 10 sessions three times a week over 4 weeks of treatment period. Subjects from the control group participated in daily activities. Due to ethical consideration, following the completion of this study, however, the subjects in the control group were given Guided Imagery exercises as to reduce their depression signs and symptoms. The data were collected from the prisoners at Correctional Institution Sukamiskin Bandung Indonesia, from August to September 2014. Guided Imagery demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in depression (p=0.041) on the experimental group compared with the control group. Guided Imagery is a powerful, simple and economic intervention to reduce depression symptoms. The study found that the experimental group experience less depression than the control group. This study can be applied to other correctional institutions to reduce depression among prison inmates. Further studies are recommended to explore the effectiveness of guided imagery on depression among male inmates.
The researchers examined the factor structure and model specifications of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) with confirmatory tetrad analysis (CTA) using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with a sample of adult clients (N = 298) receiving individual therapy at a university-based counseling research center. The CTA and PLS-SEM results identified the formative nature of the WHODAS 2.0 subscale scores, supporting an alternative measurement model of the WHODAS 2.0 scores as a second-order formative-formative model.
Stroke is the second foremost cause of death worldwide and is one of the most common causes of disability. Several approaches have been proposed to manage stroke patient rehabilitation such as robotic devices and virtual reality systems, and researchers have found that the brain-computer interfaces (BCI) approaches can provide better results. Therefore, the most challenging tasks with BCI applications involve identifying the best technique(s) that can reveal the neuron stimulus information from the patients' brains and extracting the most effective features from these signals as well. Accordingly, the main novelty of this paper is twofold: propose a new feature fusion method for motor imagery (MI)-based BCI and develop an automatic MI framework to detect the changes pre- and post-rehabilitation. This study investigated the electroencephalography (EEG) dataset from post-stroke patients with upper extremity hemiparesis. All patients performed 25 MI-based BCI sessions with follow up assessment visits to examine the functional changes before and after EEG neurorehabilitation. In the first stage, conventional filters and automatic independent component analysis with wavelet transform (AICA-WT) denoising technique were used. Next, attributes from time, entropy and frequency domains were computed, and the effective features were combined into time-entropy-frequency (TEF) attributes. Consequently, the AICA-WT and the TEF fusion set were utilised to develop an AICA-WT-TEF framework. Then, support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbours (kNN) and random forest (RF) classification technique were tested for MI-based BCI rehabilitation. The proposed AICA-WT-TEF framework with RF classifier achieves the best results compared with other classifiers. Finally, the proposed framework and feature fusion set achieve a significant performance in terms of accuracy measures compared to the state-of-the-art. Therefore, the proposed methods could be crucial for improving the process of automatic MI rehabilitation and are recommended for implementation in real-time applications.