Development of the Chinese, Malay and Tamil translations of the Positive Mental Health Instrument: Cross-cultural adaptation, validity and internal consistency.

This study describes the development and validation of Chinese, Malay and Tamil translations of the Positive Mental Health Instrument (PMHI) in a general population sample in Singapore. Translations were performed using two independent forward translations followed by expert panel discussions and tested for content, construct and language appropriateness using focus group discussions. The final translated tools were field-tested among 220 residents per language using self-administered questionnaires comprising the translated PMHI and other validity measures.

Predictors of General Functioning and Correlates of Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study among Psychiatric Outpatients.

Introduction: Functioning and quality of life (QOL) are negatively impacted as a result of mental illness. This study aimed to determine the: i) socio-demographic and clinical correlates of functioning and; ii) associations between functioning and QOL in a multiethnic sample of psychiatric outpatients.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of outpatients receiving treatment from a tertiary psychiatric hospital.

Stigma among Singaporean youth: a cross-sectional study on adolescent attitudes towards serious mental illness and social tolerance in a multiethnic population.

Objectives: Stigma against mental illnesses is one of the significant obstacles faced by mental health service users and providers. It can develop at a young age and is also influenced by culture. Youths in Southeast Asian countries are under-represented in mental health research, thus this study aims to explore the dimensions of stigma and social tolerance and examine its correlates in the younger, multiethnic population of Singapore.

Mediating effects of self-stigma on the relationship between perceived stigma and psychosocial outcomes among psychiatric outpatients: findings from a cross-sectional survey in Singapore.

Objectives: To examine whether self-stigma mediates the relationship between perceived stigma and quality of life, self-esteem and general functioning among outpatients with depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Outpatient clinics at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Singapore.

Stigma resistance and its association with internalised stigma and psychosocial outcomes among psychiatric outpatients.

Studies have suggested that stigma resistance plays an important role in the recovery from mental illness. However, there has been limited research in Asian countries that has examined the benefits of stigma resistance among the mentally ill in Asian populations. Hence, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of stigma resistance and establish the socio-demographic correlates of stigma resistance, as well as its association with internalised stigma and psychosocial outcomes among a multi-ethnic population of 280 outpatients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, depressive disorders and anxiety disorders in Singapore.

Prevalence and associative factors of orthostatic hypotension in older adults: Results from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study.

Background: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is commonly reported among older adults and is associated with an increased risk of mortality. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and investigate the possible associations between OH with sociodemographic variables, chronic medical conditions, health service utilisation, dementia and cognitive status among older adults residing in Singapore.

Methods: Data was collected from 2266 participants aged 60 years and older who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study in 2013.

Gender differences in positive mental health among individuals with schizophrenia.

Objective: This article aims to investigate the gender differences in positive mental health among outpatients with schizophrenia.

Methods: 142 outpatients (aged 21-65 years) with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited from a tertiary psychiatric hospital. They were administered the following instruments: The Positive Mental Health (PMH) instrument, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-8 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7, and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Caregiver Dependence among Older Adults in a Southeast Asian Population.

Introduction: Currently very little is known about the prevalence or magnitude of caregiver dependence in Singapore and thus, there is a need to fill this gap in this multiethnic ageing population. This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of caregiver dependence among older adults in Singapore.

Materials And Methods: Data were used from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey among Singapore residents aged 60 years and above.

Positive mental health in outpatients: comparison within diagnostic groups.

Background: Positive mental health (PMH) supplements the definition of mental health which is not just the mere absence of mental illness. It encompasses an individual's social, emotional and psychological well-being. This cross-sectional study examines the PMH levels in a multi-ethnic outpatient population and the socio-demographic correlates of PMH across the various diagnostic groups.

Internalized stigma among psychiatric outpatients: Associations with quality of life, functioning, hope and self-esteem.

This study aimed to: (i) determine the prevalence, socio-demographic and clinical correlates of internalized stigma and (ii) explore the association between internalized stigma and quality of life, general functioning, hope and self-esteem, among a multi-ethnic Asian population of patients with mental disorders. This cross-sectional, survey recruited adult patients (n=280) who were seeking treatment at outpatient and affiliated clinics of the only tertiary psychiatric hospital in Singapore. Internalized stigma was measured using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale.

Beliefs About Help Seeking for Mental Disorders: Findings From a Mental Health Literacy Study in Singapore.

Objective: This study investigated beliefs about help seeking, treatment options, and expected outcomes for alcohol abuse, dementia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia, by using a vignette-based approach.

Methods: The Mind Matters study was a comprehensive, population-based, cross-sectional survey conducted among Singapore residents (N=3,006) ages 18 to 65 to establish the level of mental health literacy. Questions were asked about whom the person in the vignette should seek help from, the likely helpfulness of a broad range of interventions, and the likely outcome for the person in the vignette with and without appropriate help.

Gender differences in patients with first-episode psychosis in the Singapore Early Psychosis Intervention Programme.

Aims: This study aimed to identify the gender differences among multi-ethnic, Asian patients with first-episode psychosis attending the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) in Singapore.

Methods: Data for this study were derived from 533 (258 female, 275 male) patients aged 16-41 years old in the EPIP database. Socio-demographic data, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for schizophrenia (PANSS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year were obtained.

The importance of considering differential item functioning in investigating the impact of chronic conditions on health-related quality of life in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Purpose: The present study aims to examine the impact of chronic conditions after adjusting for differential item functioning (DIF) on the various aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a multi-ethnic Asian population in Singapore.

Method: Data on 3006 participants from a nation-wide cross-sectional survey of mental health literacy conducted in Singapore were used. Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes model was used to investigate the effects of chronic medical conditions on various HRQoL dimensions assessed with the 36-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) after adjusting for DIF.

Disability in Singapore's Elderly Population.

Introduction: Disability increases an individual's dependence and negatively impacts their physical, mental, and social functioning. The current study aims to establish the prevalence and risk factors of disability in Singapore's population.

Materials And Methods: Data was extracted from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study.

Prevalence and Correlates of Internet Gaming Problem among Internet Users: Results from an Internet Survey.

Introduction: The current study aimed to establish the prevalence of internet gaming disorder (IGD) and its association with demographic characteristics, game genre, game use (time spent on gaming), as well as psychological distress, social phobia and well-being among current online gamers in Singapore.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1251 participants aged 13 to 40 years completed the study which was administered as a web survey. The online questionnaire was designed using QuestionPro, and consisted of 8 sections and 105 questions.

Prevalence of Depression among Older Adults-Results from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly Study.

Introduction: Depression is a significant public health issue across all sociodemographic groups and is identified as a common and serious mental health problem particularly among the older adult population. The aims of the current study were to determine the prevalence of depression and subsyndromal depression among older adults in Singapore.

Materials And Methods: The Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study was a comprehensive single phase, cross-sectional survey.

Psychiatric morbidity and its correlates among informal caregivers of older adults.

Objective: This present study estimated the psychiatric morbidity among informal caregivers of older adults and investigated its association with their socio-demographic factors and older adult's health status, including dementia, depression and physical health conditions.

Methods: Data from a national cross-sectional survey were used. For each participating older adult, an informal caregiver who 'knew the older adult best' and was aware of their health condition, was also interviewed to collect information on the older adults' care needs, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help: Factor Structure and Socio-Demographic Predictors.

Attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help (ATSPPH) are complex. Help seeking preferences are influenced by various attitudinal and socio-demographic factors and can often result in unmet needs, treatment gaps, and delays in help-seeking. The aims of the current study were to explore the factor structure of the ATSPPH short form (-SF) scale and determine whether any significant socio-demographic differences exist in terms of help-seeking attitudes.

Recognition of mental disorders among a multiracial population in Southeast Asia.

Background: Mental health literacy is an important mediating factor in help-seeking behavior. An important component of this literacy is the proper recognition of mental disorders. The aim of this population-based study in Singapore was to determine the proportion of adults in the resident population who were able to recognize vignettes pertaining to alcohol abuse, dementia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia correctly.

The Societal Cost of Dementia in Singapore: Results from the WiSE Study.

Background: There is currently limited evidence on the economic burden that dementia exerts on multi-ethnic Asian populations.

Objective: The present study aimed to estimate the economic cost of dementia in Singapore.

Methods: We used data from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study, a nationally representative survey of the older Singapore Resident population aged 60 years and above.

Psychometric properties of the positive mental health instrument among people with mental disorders: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The Positive Mental Health (PMH) instrument was developed and validated to assess the level of PMH and its six dimensions in a multi-ethnic general population sample. This cross-sectional study examines the psychometric properties of the instrument for assessing the level of PMH among help-seeking patients with mental disorders.

Methods: The PMH instrument was tested among 360 out-patients with schizophrenia, depression or anxiety spectrum disorders, seeking treatment at a tertiary psychiatric hospital and its affiliated clinics in Singapore.

Positive mental health in outpatients with affective disorders: Associations with life satisfaction and general functioning.

Background: Positive mental health (PMH) is an integral and essential component of health that encompasses emotional, psychological and social well-being. The Keyes' two continua model of mental health and illness posits that mental health status is not merely the absence of mental health problems, and it can be enhanced regardless of a diagnosis of mental illness. The present study hypothesized that mentally ill patients with higher levels of PMH would be associated with better life satisfaction and general functioning.

Prevalence and predictors of tobacco use in the elderly.

Objective: Smoking is a well-established public health issue, which has not been examined previously among the elderly in Singapore. This paper describes and identifies the current prevalence and predictors of tobacco use among the older resident population.

Methods: Data were derived from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study, a cross-sectional epidemiological study of the elderly in Singapore.

Functioning and quality of life in hoarding: A systematic review.

Hoarding, the acquisition and inability to let go of a large number of possessions, has been found to be associated with high levels of impairment that can compromise functioning and quality of life (QoL). Yet few studies have specifically investigated the relationship between hoarding and functioning/QoL. The present review aimed to summarize the current status of research on functioning and QoL in hoarding as well as identify knowledge gaps in the extant literature.