Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among juvenile offenders in Malaysian prisons and association with socio-demographic and personal factors.

Purpose: The number of juvenile offenders admitted to Malaysian prisons is alarming. The purpose of this paper is to determine the presence of any psychiatric disorders and their association with personal characteristics of juvenile detainees in prisons across Peninsular Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach: Detainees were recruited from five different prisons in Peninsular Malaysia and interviewed by a psychiatrist using the MINI-Kid and FACES-IV, relevant personal and family information was also collected.

Association of FTO, LEPR and MTHFR gene polymorphisms with metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients receiving antipsychotics.

Aim: The occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in schizophrenia patients receiving long-term antipsychotics (APs) contributes to their high mortality rate. We aimed to determine whether genetic polymorphisms of identified candidate genes are associated with MS in our study population.

Materials & Methods: We recruited 206 schizophrenia patients receiving AP treatment for at least a year.

Association of ADRA2A and MTHFR gene polymorphisms with weight loss following antipsychotic switching to aripiprazole or ziprasidone.

Objectives: Various genetic polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with antipsychotic-induced weight gain. In this study, we aimed to determine whether risk polymorphisms in 12 candidate genes are associated with reduction in body mass index (BMI) of patients following switching of antipsychotics to aripiprazole or ziprasidone.

Methods: We recruited 115 schizophrenia patients with metabolic abnormalities and who have been on at least 1 year treatment with other antipsychotics; they were then switched to either aripiprazole or ziprasidone.

Pulmonary artery sling: An uncommon cause of stridor.

Pulmonary artery sling is a rare congenital condition often associated with congenital tracheal stenosis. Untreated pulmonary sling carries a high morbidity and mortality, most of which is due to the airway and other associated anomalies rather than the aberrant artery itself. We report the case of an infant presenting progressive respiratory distress after a viral infection.

Religiousness, religious coping methods and distress level among psychiatric patients in Malaysia.

Background: Patients having psychiatric diagnoses often experience high level of distress. Religiousness is often used by them as part of their coping mechanism and problem-solving strategies.

Objective: To determine the level of religious commitment and coping methods in psychiatric patients and its relationship with distress level.

The lag structure and the general effect of ozone exposure on pediatric respiratory morbidity.

Up to now no study has investigated the lag structure of children's respiratory morbidity due to surface ozone. In the present study, we investigate the lag structure and the general effect of surface ozone exposure on children and adolescents' respiratory morbidity using data from a particularly well suited area in southern Europe to assess the health effects of surface ozone. The effects of surface ozone are estimated using the recently developed distributed lag non-linear models, allowing for a relatively long timescale, while controlling for weather effects, a range of other air pollutants, and long and short term patterns.

Validation of the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among a group of medical students in Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya.

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among a group of medical students in Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya.

Methods: 237 students participated in the study. They were given the Malay version of MSPSS, medical outcome study (MOS) social support survey, Malay version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Malay version of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and English version of MSPSS.