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ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 12(1): Jan to June 2011
Message From The Chief Editor
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Message From The Chief Editor
It has been two years since I was given the privilege to serve as the Chief Editor of the ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry. It has been a great pleasure for me to have done my duty for the journal despite the constant demand that it required.
Recognizing the challenges faced by the 2-yearly rotating set of editorial board and the need for constant board members for stability of the journal, it was decided during the last AFPMH committee meeting that Malaysia should host the editorship for another two years. Again, I have been chosen to continue this honourable duty, a responsibility I accepted with great honour.
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The Role Of Treating Nicotine Addiction Prior To Treatment Of Periodontal Diseases
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Review Article
Nicotine is the principle addictive component of tobacco smoke or the act of smoking [1,2]. Nicotine addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder that may require many attempts at quitting smoking and may even necessitate long-term use of medications [3]. Smoking and smokeless tobacco use is a significant public health problem worldwide. It is the single most important cause of preventable ill-health.
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Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms And Health-Related Quality Of Life Status Among Patients With Cancer In Terengganu, Malaysia
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Original Article
The incidence of cancer is steadily increasing and had caused approximately 12% of all deaths worldwide [1]. It is expected that the prevalence of cancer will grow from 11.3 million cases in 2007 to 15.5 million cases by 2030 [2]. In Malaysia, cancer is one of the five principal causes of national mortality which also contributed 9.54 % of national death in 2004 and it has been estimated that about 30,000 new cases of cancer are being diagnosed annually [3].
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Beyond A Certain Creativity: Thoughts And Commentary
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Opinion
Is human creativity a spark of divine creativity? This question begs another question concerning the origin of our species. Many would find acceptability in the theory that man was evolved from a lower life form. Charles Darwin [1] in the concluding paragraph of his book held the view that "life was originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one". His co- discoverer, Alfred Russel Wallace believed that "He (the Creator) created living matter by bridging the gulf between the complicated protein matter and the first truly living entity".
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Second Opinion On Insanity Plea In A Murder And Attempted Suicide Case: A Case Report
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Case Report
Insanity is "a legal term of mental illness in such degree that the individual is not responsible for his or her acts" [1]. Temporary insanity, as the name implies, applies to the time period during the occurrence of the crime after which the person recovers his/her sanity. It is still a debatable concept and it is a "greatest single cause for continuing battle between the law and psychiatry" [2].
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A Randomized Trial Of Oral Risperidone Versus Intramuscular Haloperidol In The Emergency Treatment Of Acute Psychotic Agitation
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Original Article
Acute agitation secondary to an underlying psychotic condition is a common presentation in the psychiatric emergency room [1,2]. Standard treatment of acutely agitated psychotic patients involves parenteral administration of an antipsychotic and a benzodiazepine. Intramuscular (IM) Haloperidol is the antipsychotic preferred by most clinicians because of its reliable drug delivery, rapid onset and sedating effect. However, the use of IM neuroleptics has several drawbacks. The route of administration is perceived by some patients as coercive and abusive, thus oral medication is preferred.
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Thrombocytopenia With Valproate And Clozapine Combination Therapy
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Review Article
Valproate is commonly used in the treatment of bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, or as augmentation to antipsychotics in schizophrenia. A range of blood dyscrasias can occur with valproate including thrombocytopenia, macrocytic anemia and leucopenia. Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic agent with superior efficacy for the management of treatment resistant schizophrenia. Common hematological adverse effects include agranulocytosis, neutropenia, leukocytosis, and eosinophilia. Thrombocytopenia as a complication of clozapine therapy is seldom reported.
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Concurrent Validity Of The Depression And Anxiety Components In The Bahasa Malaysia Version Of The Depression Anxiety And Stress Scales (DASS).
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Original Article
The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) has 3 domains namely depression, anxiety and stress. The original version of DASS is 42-item and DASS 21-item is a short version [1]. It is not a diagnostic questionnaire but rather as a severity measurement [2]. The DASS-21 has been translated into Malay language (Bahasa Malaysia (BM)) by adopting the guideline of the US Census Bureau on questionnaire translation in which 2 forward and 2 back translations were done in parallel. Based on 2 previous publications, the BM DASS-21 is proven to have good psychometric properties among clinical and non-clinical populations [3, 4].
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Dementia In Malaysia: Issues And Challenges
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Case Report
Malaysia is one of the developing countries located in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories with a total landmass of 329,845 square kilometers (127,354 sq mi). The population stands at over 28 million people with proportions of 50.4% Malay, 23.7% Chinese, 11% indigenous, 7.1% Indian and 7.8% others. The population growth rate for the country in 2009 is about 1.7% per annum with life expectancies at birth for males and females at 70.5 years and 76.2 years respectively [1].
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Stress, Stressors And Coping Strategies Among House Officers In A Malaysian Hospital
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Original Article
Medical housemanship is a period of hospital-based service training of new medical graduates by close supervision of attending physicians. It transforms an academic medical student into a medical practitioner who is fully conversant with the daily requirements, workload and pressures of the doctors’ roles. It is considered an important phase in the journey of medical practitioners. They are regarded as first line service providers in a hospital.
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Paranoid Delusions: A Review Of Theoretical Explanations
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Review Article
Delusions are defined as fixed false beliefs which are unfounded, unrealistic, and idiosyncratic [1]. These false beliefs are held despite the presence of evidence to the contrary [2]. It is "based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained in spite of what almost everyone else believes and in spite of what usually constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary. The belief is not one ordinarily accepted by other members of the person’s culture or subculture (e.g., it is not an article of religious faith)" [3].
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Mastering Tasks Of Adolescence: The Key To Optimum End Of Life Care Of An Adolescent Dying Of Cancer.
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Case Report
The Malaysia National Cancer Registry demonstrates that the Crude Incidence of paediatric malignancy aged from birth to19 years for males and females were 18.0 and 14.0 per 100,000 populations, respectively [1]. For some young people this exciting period of individuation, increasing independence and freedom is profoundly altered and scarred by the unwelcome physical changes due to their cancer treatment.
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Development And Validation Of The Brain Fag Propensity Scale
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Original Article
Mental illnesses in general are among the most common, disabling and costly of medical conditions and are viable threats to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals [1 - 3]. The common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance use disorders readily come to mind. However, culture related psychiatric illnesses such as the Brain Fag Syndrome (BFS) which is prevalent in Africa are viable threats to the Millennium Development Goals. BFS is a psychiatric illness that affects academic 2 performance and has important implications for the development of self, society and the nation.
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Country Madness: An English Country Diary Of A Singaporean Psychiatrist
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Book Review
All psychiatrists appreciate the power of words. Spoken, mumbled, expressed as thought disorder, defined as a neologism and written. More than in other medical specialties, words and language define our trade in psychiatry. We tend to assess our patients using narratives. We are taught to reflect on situations and to analyse recurring and non-recurring themes of import. To formulate ideas and themes into diagnosable scenarios. Then, as appropriate to weave in dreams, the royal road to the unconscious mind. These variables are the tenets of story telling. This is the process of how stories come into being and accrue their meaning.
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Effectiveness Of Group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Augmentation In Reducing Negative Cognitions In The Treatment Of Depression In Malaysia
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Original Article
The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that depression will be among the leading causes of worldwide disability by the year 2020. In the Pacific region,major depression (of at least one month in duration) has recently been measured at a rate of 1.3 to 5.5% in the general population. Epidemiological studies indicate that rates of depression in the Asia Pacific are comparable to those in Western countries; and Malaysia is no exception. Depression is the most common mental illness reported in Malaysia, yet it remains under-detected and under-treated.
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Effects Of A Brief Stress Reduction Intervention On Medical Students’ Depression, Anxiety And Stress Level During Stressful Period.
Issue: Online Journal ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry Vol.12(1): Jan - June 2011
Section: Original Article
In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that mental health is the fourth leading contributor to the global burden of diseases; about 450 million people suffer from a mental or behavioral disorder and nearly 1 million people commit suicide in a year. WHO projected that in 2020 mental health will be the second leading contributor to the global burden of diseases behind the cardiovascular related diseases. These facts suggest a substantial growth of pressure in individuals’ daily lives.
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