The relationship between therapeutic alliance, frequency of consultation and uptake of telemedicine among patients seeking treatment for early psychosis: A moderated mediation model.

Background: Telehealth services ensure the delivery of healthcare services to a wider range of consumers through online platforms. Nonetheless, the acceptance and uptake of telehealth remain elusive. This study aims to understand the (a) uptake and (b) acceptability of telemedicine, (c) if therapeutic alliance mediates the relationship between the frequency of consultations with clinicians and the uptake of telemedicine in patients with early psychosis, and (d) role of education in moderating the relationship between therapeutic alliance and the uptake of telemedicine for their mental healthcare.

Self-stigma and quality of life among people with psychosis: The protective role of religion.

Aim: The quality of life in people with psychosis has been consistently demonstrated to be lower than those without, with self-stigma contributing greatly to this impairment. Hence, it is imperative to address this gap in order to facilitate recovery-oriented and other outcomes. This study investigates the potential of religiosity in moderating the effects of self-stigma on quality of life among those with psychosis.

Towards a youth mental health paradigm: a perspective and roadmap.

Most mental disorders have a typical onset between 12 and 25 years of age, highlighting the importance of this period for the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of mental ill-health. This perspective addresses interactions between risk and protective factors and brain development as key pillars accounting for the emergence of psychopathology in youth. Moreover, we propose that novel approaches towards early diagnosis and interventions are required that reflect the evolution of emerging psychopathology, the importance of novel service models, and knowledge exchange between science and practitioners.

Mapping the schizophrenia quality of life scale to EQ-5D, HUI3 and SF-6D utility scores in patients with schizophrenia.

Objectives: The current study aimed to map the disease-specific Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS) onto the three- and five-level EuroQol five-dimension (EQ-5D-3 L and EQ-5D-5 L), Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI3) and Short Form six-dimensional (SF-6D) preference-based instruments to inform future cost-utility analyses for treatment of patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: Data from 251 outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders was included for analysis. Ordinary least square (OLS), Tobit and beta regression mixture models were employed to estimate the utility scores.

Growth in the Aftermath of Psychosis: Characterizing Post-traumatic Growth in Persons With First Episode Psychosis in Singapore.

Experiencing first episode psychosis (FEP) is a highly traumatic life event. However, there is evidence to show that the outcome of psychosis is more nuanced than was conventionally thought. Young persons with FEP can grow from the experience of psychosis.

Lifetime Prevalence and Correlates of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders in Singapore.

The current study aimed to establish the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, its sociodemographic correlates and association with physical disorders using data from the Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS 2016). A two-phase design comprising population-level screening of psychotic symptoms using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 psychosis screen followed by clinical reappraisal based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria were used to establish the prevalence.

Mental illness stigma's reasons and determinants (MISReaD) among Singapore's lay public - a qualitative inquiry.

Background: Mental illnesses pose a significant burden worldwide. Furthermore, the treatment gap for mental disorders is large. A contributor to this treatment gap is the perceived stigma towards mental illness.

N-Methyl-D-Aspartate(NMDA) Receptor and Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel (VGKC) Antibody-Associated Encephalitides Presenting as First Episode Acute Psychosis.

Acute psychosis is not an uncommon presenting feature in immune-mediated encephalitides. Most patients improve if properly diagnosed and treated expediently with immunotherapy. Our study aimed to describe the frequency, clinical spectrum, and long-term outcomes in patients presenting with acute psychosis who have anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor or anti-voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) encephalitis.

Trajectories of symptom severity and functioning over a three-year period in a psychosis high-risk sample: A secondary analysis of the Neurapro trial.

The Ultra-High Risk (UHR) for psychosis group is known to be heterogeneous with diverse outcomes. This study aimed to: 1. Identify subclasses of UHR individuals based on trajectories of symptomatic and functional change over time, 2.

An exploratory study on the lived experiences of hoarding in Singapore.

Research studies have revealed that people with hoarding typically collect and keep items due to their aesthetic appeal, utility and strong emotional attachment to the items resulting in clutter and limiting living spaces. This study aims to explore the experiences of individuals with hoarding disorder to understand and describe-the patterns and reasons for hoarding, experiences with decluttering and the impact of hoarding disorder on significant others and society in the context of a multi-ethnic urban Asian country. A total of 12 participants with hoarding disorder were recruited and interviewed using a simple semi-structured interview guide designed for the study.

Evaluating Singapore's CHAT Assessment Service by the World Mental Health Organisation (WHO) "Youth-Friendly" Health Services Framework.

Young people experience high rates of mental health issues. However, many do not seek professional help. In order to encourage help-seeking behavior among young people, it is important to ensure that services are youth-friendly.

Cognitive insight and quality of life among psychiatric outpatients.

Background: Past studies have focused primarily on clinical insight and less on cognitive insight among individuals with mental illness.

Methods: This study examined the level of cognitive insight (CI) and its association with quality of life (QoL) among psychiatric outpatients (N = 400) in Singapore. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) consisting of two subscales (self-reflectiveness (SR) and self-certainty (SC)) was used to measure CI while the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used to assess the subjective well-being of the individual.

Motivations to quit smoking and challenges faced during cessation among individuals with first episode psychosis in Singapore.

Aims: The prevalence of smoking has been noted to be higher among individuals with mental illness, particularly among those with schizophrenia and related psychosis than in the general population. The present paper sought to examine the motivations and challenges to quit smoking among first episode psychosis patients (N = 281) enrolled in the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) in Singapore.

Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect details on an individual's smoking status, cessation attempts, motivations to quit, and challenges to stop smoking.

Attitudes towards psychiatry amongst medical and nursing students in Singapore.

Background: A shortage of specialists in psychiatry, both in terms of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses is evident worldwide. While there are multiple factors leading to an individual's decision to specialize in psychiatry, the individual's perceptions and attitudes towards psychiatry tend to play an essential role. This study thus aimed to explore attitudes towards psychiatry amongst medical and nursing students in Singapore and examine factors associated with these attitudes.

Prevalence and correlates of sleep disorder symptoms in psychiatric disorders.

Difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep, poor sleep quality, nightmares, and excessive daytime sleepiness are some of the key clinical symptoms of sleep disturbances observed among individuals with psychiatric illnesses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of symptoms of sleep disorders including parasomnia, narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorder and restless leg syndrome/periodic limb movement (RLS/PLMS) and its correlates in patients with psychiatric diagnoses. Patients aged 21-65 years (n = 400) attending the outpatient clinics with a primary diagnosis of either schizophrenia, mood or anxiety disorder based on ICD-9 criteria were included in this cross-sectional study.

Pathways to care among psychiatric outpatients in a tertiary mental health institution in Singapore.

Background: Pathways to care studies in Singapore are of high interest given the cultural diversity and various sources of help available for those with mental illnesses, ranging from the more traditional to tertiary-level mental health care services.

Aim: The current study aimed to explore the associations of patients' socio-demographic characteristics with pathways to first contact and duration of untreated mental illness.

Method: A total of 402 participants were recruited through convenience sampling.

Evaluating DSM-5 Insomnia Disorder and the Treatment of Sleep Problems in a Psychiatric Population.

Study Objectives: With the introduction of insomnia disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), greater emphasis has been placed on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorder even in the presence of a coexisting mental disorder. The current study seeks to explore the clinical picture of insomnia in the context of psychiatric disorders commonly associated with sleep complaints by assessing the prevalence and correlates of DSM-5 insomnia disorder, and examining the extent to which insomnia symptoms have been addressed in this population.

Methods: Four hundred treatment-seeking outpatients suffering from depressive, bipolar affective, anxiety, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited.

Integrated (one-stop shop) youth health care: best available evidence and future directions.

Although mental health problems represent the largest burden of disease in young people, access to mental health care has been poor for this group. Integrated youth health care services have been proposed as an innovative solution. Integrated care joins up physical health, mental health and social care services, ideally in one location, so that a young person receives holistic care in a coordinated way.

Opening the Black Box of Cognitive-Behavioural Case Management in Clients with Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis.

Background: Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is the first-choice treatment in clients with ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. However, CBT is an umbrella term for a plethora of different strategies, and little is known about the association between the intensity and content of CBT and the severity of symptomatic outcome.

Methods: A sample of 268 UHR participants received 6 months of CBT with case management (CBCM) in the context of the multi-centre NEURAPRO trial with monthly assessments of attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS).

Treatment preferences and help-seeking behaviors for sleep problems among psychiatric outpatients.

Objective: To understand treatment preferences and help-seeking behaviors among psychiatric patients for their sleep problems, and to examine determinants of problem recognition and help-seeking among patients with sleep difficulties.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among psychiatric outpatients in Singapore (n=400). Participants completed questionnaires that assessed their sleep quality, daytime fatigue, help-seeking behavior, treatment preferences for sleep problems, and sociodemographic information.

Clozapine Use in First-Episode Psychosis: The Singapore Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) Perspective.

Objective: Early symptomatic response is pertinent in improving outcomes in first-episode psychosis. One of the ways in which this may be achieved is by reducing inappropriate delays in clozapine initiation. This study aimed to examine clozapine prescribing practices among clinicians by establishing the prevalence of clozapine use, identifying baseline clinical and demographic factors that were associated with clozapine use, examining outcomes in clozapine users versus nonusers, and identifying inappropriate antipsychotic prescription patterns prior to clozapine initiation.