Publications by authors named "Chee Loong Lam"
Objectives: Cancer pain is a prevalent and challenging symptom affecting a significant number of patients globally, with inadequate control remaining a substantial challenge despite advancements in pain management. Non-pharmacological interventions, including mindfulness-based approaches, have shown promise in alleviating cancer-related pain. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing in reducing pain among patients with cancer.
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- Individuals in palliative care often experience skin disorders due to their primary illness or other health issues, leading to symptoms like itching, discomfort, or pain.
- Common skin conditions include dry skin, pressure ulcers, fungal infections, and herpes zoster, and these issues can be worsened by reduced skin blood flow and metabolism.
- Treatment focuses on comfort rather than a cure, with strategies such as using moisturizers for dry skin and managing pressure ulcers through proper care, nutrition, and hydration to enhance quality of life.
Objectives: Suffering is common among patients with advanced cancer. The practice of mindfulness during patient care can potentially reduce suffering. We aimed to examine the efficacy of mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST) on reducing suffering in patients with advanced cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Numerous studies have shown that gratitude can reduce stress and improve quality of life.
Objective: Our study aimed to examine the effect of mindful gratitude journaling on suffering, psychological distress and quality of life of patients with advanced cancer.
Methods: We conducted a parallel-group, blinded, randomised controlled trial at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia.
Objective: Suffering is a common experience in palliative care. In our study, we aimed to determine the effect of 5-min mindfulness of love on suffering and the spiritual quality of life of palliative care patients.
Methods: We conducted a parallel-group, blinded, randomized controlled study at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Malaysia from February 2019 to April 2019.
Context: There has been increasing evidence of the role of mindfulness-based interventions in improving various health conditions. However, the evidence for the use of mindfulness in the palliative care setting is still lacking.
Objectives: The objective of our study was to determine the efficacy of a single session of 20 min mindful breathing in alleviating multiple symptoms in palliative care.
To palliate suffering, understanding the circumstances leading to suffering and its amelioration could be helpful. Our study aimed to explore contributing and relieving factors of suffering in palliative care. Adult palliative care stage III or IV cancer in-patients were recruited from University of Malaya Medical Centre.
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- This study investigates various patterns of suffering among adult palliative care patients at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, aiming to enhance understanding and management of suffering experiences.
- Over a week, suffering scores were recorded three times daily for 53 patients, revealing that most experienced a downward trend in suffering, while some reported upward or stable patterns.
- The analysis identified nine distinct patterns of suffering based on two characteristics: intensity and fluctuation, which could help improve care strategies for managing patient suffering.
Article Synopsis
- * Conducted at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, 40 participants were randomly divided into two groups: one practiced mindful breathing while the other engaged in supportive listening.
- * Results showed that the mindful breathing group experienced a significantly greater reduction in both suffering scores and bispectral index (BIS) scores compared to the supportive listening group, demonstrating its effectiveness in alleviating caregiver stress.
Alleviation of suffering in palliative care needs a combination of good symptom control and psychosocial care. The capacity of mindfulness to promote psychological flexibility opens up possibilities of creating a paradigm shift that can potentially change the landscape of psychosocial care. In this review, we attempt to introduce 4 methods to establish mindfulness based on 'The Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness', a core text of Theravada Buddhism, followed by a brief comparison of the concepts and practices of mindfulness in different cultures and religions in Southeast Asia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychological processes of suffering of palliative care patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis.
BMJ Support Palliat Care
March 2019
Unlabelled: Although suffering in palliative care has received increasing attention over the past decade, the psychological processes that underpin suffering remain relatively unexplored.
Objective: To understand the psychological processes involved in the experiencing of suffering at the end phase of life.
Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 palliative care inpatients from an academic medical centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.