Insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic: prevalence and correlates in a multi-ethnic population Singapore.

Background: Globally, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on mental health. Sudden lifestyle changes, threatening information received through various sources, fear of infection and other stressors led to sleep disturbances such as insomnia. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of insomnia and its associated risk factors during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic among Singapore residents.

Adherence to COVID-19 measures and the associated factors: evidence from a two-wave longitudinal study in Singapore.

Background: At the onset of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic when pharmaceutical interventions were not readily available, governments relied on public health mandates and social distancing measures to counter rising infection rates. In order to address the dearth of longitudinal studies, this study sought to identify factors associated with continued adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours in Singapore.

Methods: Data were from a two-wave longitudinal cohort study; baseline study was conducted from May 2020 to June 2021 and follow-up study from October 2021 to September 2022.

Exploring the Singapore general population's trust in COVID-19 information from different sources and its association with perceived risk of infection during the pandemic.

Background: The degree of public trust in the government's competence is crucial in preventing the spread of misinformation and reducing psychological distress during a pandemic. The study aimed to (i) explore the trust in COVID-19 information from different sources and trust in the ability of the World Health Organization (WHO), government departments and related institutions in handling the epidemic in Singapore and (ii) its association with perceived risk of infection among Singapore residents.

Methods: A total of 1,129 participants (aged 21 and above) were recruited from a cross-sectional study examining the well-being and resilience of Singapore's population between May 2020 to June 2021.

Evaluating a mobile-based intervention to promote the mental health of informal dementia caregivers in Singapore: Study protocol for a pilot two-armed randomised controlled trial.

Background: Informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) often suffer adverse impacts on their mental health and require interventions for effective support. As they are often occupied with providing care, web-based interventions could be more convenient and efficient for them. However, there is currently a dearth of evidence-based mobile interventions to enhance the mental well-being of dementia caregivers locally, especially ones that are user-centered and culturally relevant.

Barriers to using eHealth/mHealth platforms and perceived beneficial eHealth/mHealth platform features among informal carers of persons living with dementia: a qualitative study.

Background: New technologies have brought about a new age of technology-enabled aids that can equip informal carers with the relevant resources for better care. These include but are not limited to facilitating access to healthcare providers, knowledge of caring for persons living with dementia, and sources of support for carers' well-being. This qualitative study explores barriers to using eHealth/mHealth platforms and perceived beneficial eHealth/mHealth platform features among informal carers of persons living with dementia.

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.

The association of mental disorders with perceived social support, and the role of marital status: results from a national cross-sectional survey.

Background: This study investigated whether (i) mental disorders were associated with perceived social support and its subcomponents, (ii) current marital status was related to perceived social support, and (iii) 'Married' status influenced the relationship between mental state and perceived social support.

Methods: Data from a cross-sectional national survey comprising 6126 respondents were used. Lifetime diagnosis for five mental disorders was assessed with a structured questionnaire.

Roles, Facilitators and Challenges of Employment Support Specialists Assisting Young People with Mental Health Conditions.

Purpose The present study aimed to understand the roles, effective strategies and facilitators, and challenges of employment support specialists (ESS) in assisting young people with mental health conditions (MHCs) gain and sustain employment in Singapore. Methods An interpretative qualitative design using an inductive approach was adopted for this study. Using a semi-structured interview guide, in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty ESS employed with mental health service providers or other community-based centers.

Caregivers' hopes, expectations and concerns surrounding the employment and future of young people with mental health conditions.

Objective: Informal caregivers are often placed in a better position to understand and advocate for the vocational needs of young persons with mental health conditions. However, their opinions are largely ignored in the planning of vocational outcomes. This qualitative study had two broad aims: to explore (1) the perceptions of caregivers of young adults with mental health conditions on issues of paid employment and (2) their views and expectations of employment support services.

The prevalence of childhood trauma in psychiatric outpatients.

Background: The aim of this present study was to compare the prevalence and type of trauma experienced by community sample with the outpatient sample with mental disorders.

Methods: A total of 354 outpatients, aged 14-35 years old, with mood disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder were recruited from a tertiary psychiatric hospital. A total of 100 healthy controls were recruited from the Singapore general population by snowballing.

Exploring Singapore's consumption of local fish, vegetables and fruits, meat and problematic alcohol use as risk factors of depression and subsyndromal depression in older adults.

Background: Depression is a chronic mental disorder that severely impacts the older adult population globally. Nutritional psychiatry is an approach that has gained traction over the years. Exploring locally relevant consumption of common types of fish, vegetables and fruits (V&F), meat and problematic alcohol use (PAU) as risk factors associated with depression and subsyndromal depression (SSD) could reveal modifiable factors that could be targeted in the local older adult population in Singapore.

Psychological status and quality of life among primary caregivers of individuals with mental illness: a hospital based study.

Background: This study aimed to explore the psychological status and quality of life among primary caregivers of individuals suffering from various mental illnesses including early psychosis, chronic schizophrenia, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and dementia.

Methods: A total of 350 primary caregivers with relatives seeking treatment at a tertiary psychiatric hospital were recruited for this study. Socio-demographic data was obtained and the brief version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life instrument was used to assess caregiver's quality of life (QOL).

Emotion dysregulation as a mechanism linking child maltreatment exposure and self-harm behaviors in adolescents.

Although child maltreatment exposure is a recognized risk factor for self-harm, mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Self-harm may function as a compensatory strategy to regulate distressing emotions. This cross-sectional study examines if emotion dysregulation mediates between the severity of maltreatment exposure and self-harm, adjusting for demographic variables and depressive symptoms.

Validation of a Latent Construct for Dementia in a Population-Wide Dataset from Singapore.

Background: The latent variable δ has been proposed as a proxy for dementia. Previous validation studies have been conducted using convenience samples. It is currently unknown how δ performs in population-wide data.

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.

Care participation and burden among informal caregivers of older adults with care needs and associations with dementia.

Background: Few studies have estimated care burden in large, representative, multi-ethnic Asian population-based informal caregivers of older adults with care needs. This study describes informal caregivers' care participation for a population-based sample of older adults with care needs in Singapore, investigates differences by dementia status, and examines correlates of caregivers' burden.

Methods: Data collected from 693 pairs of older adults, aged 60 to 100 years, having any care needs, and their informal caregivers, who were aged 21 to 88 years, closely involved in their care and "knew the older resident best," and were interviewed during a cross-sectional national survey, were used.

Prevalence of Dementia in People Aged 60 Years and Above: Results from the WiSE Study.

Background: The challenge of an aging population with its expected attendant problem of an increase in the number of people with dementia is a growing concern across the world.

Objective: The aims of this study were to establish the prevalence and risk factors of dementia in Singapore among the elderly resident population (aged 60 years and above).

Methods: The WiSE study was a comprehensive single phase, cross-sectional, epidemiological survey that adapted the 10/66 protocol to establish the 10/66 and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders -fourth edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of dementia.

Perceived unmet needs of informal caregivers of people with dementia in Singapore.

Background: This study aimed to explore the experiences and challenges of informal caregivers in Singapore with the intent of identifying the multi-dimensional unmet needs from their perspective and generating caregivers' needs checklist based on the findings.

Methods: Informal caregivers were relatives of people with dementia and were responsible for organizing care and providing regular physical and/or financial support. Using a qualitative research design, informal caregivers' experiences were explored.