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Problem behaviours and caregiver burden among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Kuching, Sarawak

Chua SY, Abd Rahman FN, Ratnasingam S

Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1244164.
PMID: 37965356 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1244164

OBJECTIVE: Caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience emotional and psychological distress, as well as disruptions to family life and employment due to the challenges of caring for children with ASD. This study examines the relationship between problem behaviours and caregiver burden among children with ASD.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling recruited 230 caregivers of children with ASD aged 4 to 18 years from selected autism centres in Kuching, Sarawak. The caregivers completed the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist-2 and the Zarit Burden Interview.
RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed a significant difference in caregiver burden for children with ASD receiving medications (p = 0.013), registered with the Social Welfare Department (p = 0.036), and having siblings with ASD (p = 0.046). About 40% of the children exhibited at least one domain of problem behaviour. More than half of the caregivers (53.9%) experienced burden, with the majority experiencing mild burden. Positive associations were seen between irritability (r = 0.458, p
Trends and factors associated with mental health problems among children and adolescents in Malaysia

Ahmad N, MuhdYusoff F, Ratnasingam S, Mohamed F, Nasir NH, MohdSallehuddin S, et al.

International journal of culture and mental health, 2015 Apr 03;8(2):125-136.
PMID: 26000035

Studying trends in mental health morbidity will guide the planning of future interventions for mental and public health services. To assess the trends in mental health problems among children and adolescents aged 5 through 15 years in Malaysia from 1996 to 2011, data from the children's mental health component of three population-based surveys was analysed using a two-stage stratified sampling design. Mental health problems were assessed using the Reporting Questionnaire for Children. The prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents aged 5 through 15 years showed an increasing trend from 13.0% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 11.5-14.6) in 1996 to 19.4% (95% CI: 18.5-20.3) in 2006 and 20.0% (95% CI: 18.8-21.3) in 2011. In 2011, male children and adolescents and those who were in less affluent families were significantly associated with mental health problems. The findings indicate that even though mental health problems among children and adolescents in Malaysia are increasing, the rate of increase has decreased in the past five years. Socially and economically disadvantaged groups were most vulnerable to mental health problems.
Fulltext Measuring population health and quality of life: Developing and testing of the significant quality of life measure (SigQOLM)

Bujang MA, Lai WH, Hon YK, Yap EPP, Tiong XT, Ratnasingam S, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Dec;9(12):e22668.
PMID: 38149205 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22668

Quality of life (QOL) should ideally be determined by a broader spectrum of measurable parameters. This study aims to develop and validate a study instrument that is designed to determine a holistic measure of health and non-health aspects of QOL, and it is called the 'Significant Quality of Life Measure' (SigQOLM). This study involves five phases which aim to (i) explore and understand the subject matter content, (ii) develop a questionnaire, (iii) assess its content validity and face validity, (iv) conduct a pilot study, and lastly (v) perform a field-test by using the questionnaire. For the field-testing phase, a cross-sectional study was conducted which elicited responses from healthcare workers via a self-administered survey for all the SigQOLM items. Based on the results, the overall framework of the SigQOLM consists of four elements, 18 domains with 69 items. The element of "Health" is measured by nine domains, while "Relationships", "Functional activities, and "Survival" are measured by three domains respectively. The SigQOLM has been developed successfully and then validated with a high level of reliability, validity, and overall model fit. Therefore, the SigQOLM will provide researchers and policymakers another viable option to elicit a more comprehensive outcome measure of QOL which shall then enable them to implement specific interventions for improving the QOL of all the people, both healthy or otherwise.

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