MyMedR

Properties of the temperament and character inventory in a Chinese sample

Parker G, Cheah YC, Parker K

Acta Psychiatr Scand, 2003 Nov;108(5):367-73.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of language and culture on the temperament and character (TCI) measure in a Chinese sample.

METHOD: We translated the TCI into Mandarin and had a non-psychiatric sample of Malaysian Chinese subjects complete the TCI at baseline and at a 1-month retest, with subsets completing English or Mandarin versions alternatively or on both occasions. Analyses examine the TCI factor structure and any impact of language and culture on TCI scoring.

RESULTS: We identified age, gender, occupation and language effects on TCI scale scores. Test-retest reliability was high and not compromised by language. Scale internal consistency was also high. Factor analyses of separate sets of TCI scales corresponded strongly to the structure identified in the TCI development studies.

CONCLUSION: The results indicate that TCI is likely to have applicability to Chinese subjects, and argue against properties being constrained by the English language or by western culture.

Evaluation and validation of a measure profiling needs and problems of psychiatric patients in the community: a Malaysian study

Cheah YC, Parker G, Roy K

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 2000 Apr;35(4):170-6.

PMID: 10868082

The Profile of Community Psychiatry Clients (PCPC) was developed in a Sydney-based sample of those with a mental illness as a 35-item measure of likely need for service recognition, review and possible assistance.

Do the Chinese somatize depression? A cross-cultural study

Parker G, Cheah YC, Roy K

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 2001 Jun;36(6):287-93.

PMID: 11583458

A large literature argues for the Chinese--whether in mainland China or elsewhere--being highly likely to express depression somatically, leading to predictable detection and diagnostic difficulties. If true, detection might be assisted if a set of somatic proxies of depression were identified, and this was the principal initial objective in mounting this study.

Fulltext Prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in Johor Bahru District school children--comparing three geographical areas

Cheah YC, Kadir AB, Jeyarajah S

Med J Malaysia, 1997 Jun;52(2):124-33.

PMID: 10968069

This is a cross sectional community study in Johor Bahru District. The aim of this study is to estimate the overall prevalence of emotional and behavioural deviance among the school children in three different geographical areas, and to identify their correlates. This paper presents the findings of phase one of a two-stage procedure involving a total of 589 children aged 10-12 years. Using the cut-off point validated locally, the prevalence of deviance on the parental scale was 40% in the rural school, 30.2% in the agricultural resettlement (Felda) school and 32.3% in the urban school. On the teachers' assessment, the prevalence of deviance was 40.8% in the rural school, 10.8% in the Felda School and 8.9% in the urban school. There was significantly higher prevalence of deviance in the rural school on the teachers' scale. In the rural school, significantly higher prevalence of deviance was found among boys.

Development of a measure profiling problems and needs of psychiatric patients in the community

Cheah YC, Parker G, Hadzi-Pavlovic D, Gladstone G, Eyers K

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 1998 Jul;33(7):337-44.

PMID: 9689896

We argue the advantages of a measure profiling common problems faced by psychiatric patients in the community and indicating a likely need for service recognition, review and possible assistance. We describe the development of such a measure, the 35-item Profile of Community Psychiatry Clients (PCPC), and the identification of four relevant domains. Component scales assess coping limitations, behavioural problems, levels of social support and organic problems. High test-retest reliability was established, and a number of tests of the measure's validity were undertaken. Discriminant validity was established by demonstrating that those case managed by a community mental health service returned significantly higher scale scores than a comparison group who, while having a similar diagnostic profile, were not case managed. Additionally, scale scores were associated with a number of categorical and dimensional validators reflecting aspects of service need, and distinctly with service costs. We demonstrate that PCPC scores correspond with scores generated by the Life Skills Profile (LSP), a measure of disability, and examine the extent to which PCPC scales correspond to those contained in the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS). We argue for the scale's capacity to provide both a profile of central problems faced by patients and their likely need for community-based service assistance.

Fulltext The association between dyslipidaemia and types of antipsychotic medications among patients with chronic schizophrenia

Ruzanna ZZ, Ong LY, Cheah YC, Fairuz A, Midin M

Med J Malaysia, 2012 Feb;67(1):39-44.

PMID: 22582547 MyJurnal

This cross sectional study aimed to explore the association between dyslipidaemia and types of antipsychotics in 100 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Lipid profile, weight, height and waist circumference together with other relevant factors were measured. We found there was a high rate of dyslipidaemia among patients with chronic schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics (66%), however there was no significant difference found between typical or atypical antipsychotics (OR=1). All sociodemographic and clinical factors were not significantly associated with dyslipidaemia. Only non-Malays were found to have significant dyslipidaemia (p<0.1). Effective management is needed to deal with the dyslipidaemia in this group.

Fulltext Audit of new long-stay patients in Permai Mental Hospital, Johor

Cheah YC, Nur Aiza Z, Paramasivam S, Kadir ABA, Jeyarajah S

Med J Malaysia, 1997 Jun;52(2):139-45.

PMID: 10968071

We report a cross-sectional descriptive study of 90 new long-stay patients (NLS) (i.e. those who had been resident for six months to three years in Permai Mental Hospital, Johor) and studied from April to June, 1995. The age of this sample ranged from 18 to 85 years. Two subgroups were observed (i.e. younger NLS patients aged 18 to 34 years and older NLS patients aged 35 to 85 years). Among the younger NLS patients, the commonest diagnosis was schizophrenia (51.2%), followed by mental retardation with related problems (24.4%). Sixty-one percent of these younger patients had a history of serious violence or dangerous behaviour. Older NLS patients were likely to have a diagnosis of schizophrenia (79.6%), followed by mood disorder (6.1%) and dementia (4.1%). Forty seven percent of these older group had history of danger to others and 57.1% were at moderate or severe risk of non-deliberate self-harm. Focusing on the schizophrenic patients, all of them had some form of psychopathology, either positive, negative or general symptoms and about one-fourth were assessed to pose a risk for aggression.

Fulltext BDNF and DARPP-32 genes are not risk factors for schizophrenia in the Malay population

Loh HC, Tang PY, Tee SF, Chow TJ, Cheah YC, Singh SS

Genet. Mol. Res., 2012;11(1):725-30.

PMID: 22576830 DOI: 10.4238/2012.March.22.2

A number of studies have pointed to the association of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and DARPP-32 (dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, 32 kDa) with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these two genes are involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia in the Malay population. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms Val66Met of BDNF, -2036C>G and g.1238delG of DARPP-32 were genotyped in the Malay population in 200 patients with schizophrenia and 256 healthy controls. Analysis of allele and genotype frequencies in these two groups revealed no significant association of BDNF or DARPP-32 polymorphisms with schizophrenia in Malays. This is the first such association study in the Malay population.

Fulltext The National Mental Health Registry (NMHR)

Aziz AA, Salina AA, Abdul Kadir AB, Badiah Y, Cheah YC, Nor Hayati A, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2008 Sep;63 Suppl C:15-7.

PMID: 19227671

The National Mental Health Registry (NMHR) collects information about patients with mental disorder in Malaysia. This information allows us to estimate the incidence of selected mental disorders, and to evaluate risk factors and treatment in the country. The National Mental Health Registry (NMHR) presented its first report in 2004, a year after its establishment. The report focused on schizophrenia as a pioneer project for the National Mental Health Registry. The development of the registry has progressed with data collected from government-based facilities, the academia and the private sector. The 2003-2005 report was recently published and distributed. Since then the registry has progressed to include suicides and other mental illnesses such as depression. The NMHR Report 2003-2005 provides detailed information about the profile of persons with Schizophrenia who presented for the first time to various psychiatry and mental health providers throughout Malaysia. More detailed description regarding pharmacotherapy is reported and few cross tabulations done in an effort to provide better understanding and more clinically meaningful reports.

Fulltext A double blind comparison of zuclopenthixol acetate with haloperidol in the management of acutely disturbed schizophrenics

Chin CN, Hamid AR, Philip G, Ramlee T, Mahmud M, Zulkifli G, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 1998 Dec;53(4):365-71.

PMID: 10971979

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of zuclopenthixol acetate compared with haloperidol in the management of the acutely disturbed schizophrenic patient. Suitable subjects diagnosed as having schizophreniform disorder or acute exacerbation of schizophrenia admitted to the psychiatric wards Hospital Kuala Lumpur were randomised to receive either zuclopenthixol acetate or haloperidol. They were rated blind for three consecutive days using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and UKU Side Effects Scale. Apart from repeat injections of the same medication, no other anti-psychotic was given for the duration of the study. 50 subjects entered the study of which 44 completed. 23 were given zuclopenthixol acetate and 21 haloperidol. Both groups significantly reduced BPRS and CGI scores on all 3 days compared to the initial rating (p < 0.001). There was however no difference between the zuclopenthixol acetate and haloperidol group scores on all days (p > 0.05). More subjects on haloperidol than zuclopenthixol required more than 1 injection during the study. Both groups had minimal side effects. Zuclopenthixol acetate was effective in the management of the acutely disturbed schizophrenic.

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