Uma Visvalingam - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Uma Visvalingam
Healthcare, Nov 30, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Journal of Research in Nursing, Aug 26, 2021
BackgroundThere has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contri... more BackgroundThere has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contribute positively or negatively to their attitudes towards suicidal patients.AimsThis study aims to explore qualitatively the influence of religious/spiritual beliefs on healthcare workers’ attitudes towards suicide and suicidal patients in the culturally heterogeneous Malaysian population.MethodsThirty-one healthcare workers from diverse religious backgrounds, professions and medical disciplines were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed the centrality of religion in determining healthcare workers’ acceptability of suicide, specific religious beliefs that influenced their views on the right-to-die issue, perceptions of the suicidal patient’s religiousness/spirituality, and the aspects and extent of religious relevance in professional philosophy and practice.ResultsHealthcare workers who could perceive the multifactorial nature of suicide causation had a more empathetic response. There were high levels of paternalism in the care of suicidal patients, involving unsolicited religious/spiritual advice practised as a form of suicide deterrent and social support.ConclusionsThe formal integration of religious/spiritual practices into the professional care of suicidal patients was indicated.
Healthcare
Medication adherence, especially among children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders, is of... more Medication adherence, especially among children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders, is often seen as a major treatment challenge. The purpose of this study is to systematically review studies addressing specific aspects of parental factors that are positively or negatively associated with medication adherence among children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders. A systematic literature search of English language publications, from inception through December 2021, was conducted from PubMed, Scopus, and MEDLINE databases. This review has complied with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines. A total of 23 studies (77,188 participants) met inclusion criteria. Nonadherence rates ranged between 8% to 69%. Parents’ socioeconomic background, family living status and functioning, parents’ perception and attitude towards the importance of medication taking in treating psychiatric disorders, and parents’ mental health status are sig...
Healthcare
Due to the increasing importance of caregivers in the treatment outcomes of patients with mental ... more Due to the increasing importance of caregivers in the treatment outcomes of patients with mental illness, this study aimed to systematically review studies investigating the former’s caregiver burden and determine its prevalence. An open search, without filters, was conducted. Articles were selected from Medline, Scopus, and PubMed from inception to 30 April 2022 using the PRISMA protocol. Subgroup analyses examined the between-group differences by study setting, measurements used, and disorder type. A total of 5034 caregivers from 23 countries were included in this review. Thirty-nine studies were included in the systematic review, and, among them, twenty-six were deemed eligible for meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of caregiver burden among caregivers of individuals with mental illness was 31.67% (95% CI = 26.22–37.12). Pooled prevalence was the highest among care recipients receiving treatment in a hospital setting (36.06%; 95% CI = 22.50–49.63), followed by the commu...
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying
We examined whether burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, lifetime suicidal ideation, self-effica... more We examined whether burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, lifetime suicidal ideation, self-efficacy in preventing suicide and demographic factors predicted the understanding of and willingness to help suicidal patients among hospital healthcare workers. A total of 368 healthcare workers from the major surgical and medical departments in a general hospital setting were recruited. Participants responded to the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Self-efficacy in Suicide Prevention, and Understanding Suicide Attempt Patient Scale. Those from the psychiatric department, with higher suicide prevention self-efficacy, and lower personal accomplishment indicated more understanding and helpful attitudes; doctors, depressed and anxious healthcare workers reported less understanding and helpful attitudes. Suicide prevention efforts must be conducted in tandem with equipping and supporting the healthcare workers who manage suicidal patients.
Journal of Research in Nursing, 2021
Background There has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contr... more Background There has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contribute positively or negatively to their attitudes towards suicidal patients. Aims This study aims to explore qualitatively the influence of religious/spiritual beliefs on healthcare workers’ attitudes towards suicide and suicidal patients in the culturally heterogeneous Malaysian population. Methods Thirty-one healthcare workers from diverse religious backgrounds, professions and medical disciplines were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed the centrality of religion in determining healthcare workers’ acceptability of suicide, specific religious beliefs that influenced their views on the right-to-die issue, perceptions of the suicidal patient’s religiousness/spirituality, and the aspects and extent of religious relevance in professional philosophy and practice. Results Healthcare workers who could perceive the multifactorial nature of suicide causation had a more empathetic response. ...
Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2018
Burnout and psychological distress were reported at higher rates among hospital healthcare worker... more Burnout and psychological distress were reported at higher rates among hospital healthcare workers. Despite this, there is a paucity of research examining the associated risk factors among workers across specialties and occupations in Asia. This paper aimed to examine the risk factors associated with burnout and psychological distress among Malaysian hospital healthcare workers from diverse medical specialties and occupations. A total of 368 doctors, nurses, assistant medical officers and hospital attendants were recruited from major medical and surgery departments in an urban general hospital. The participants were self-administered a questionnaire consisting of demographic information, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. In the fully adjusted multivariate analyses, doctors were about four to five times more likely to be emotionally exhausted (aOR [adjusted Odds Ratio], 4.826; 95% CI [Confidence Interval]: 1.492-15.604, p<0.01...
Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the risk factors and attitude towards suicide... more Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the risk factors and attitude towards suicide among healthcare workers with suicidal ideation, planning and attempt in a public hospital in Malaysia. Methods: Nurses, assistant medical officers and hospital attendants were randomly sampled, while doctors were universally sampled from continuous medical education workshops from seven major hospital departments. A questionnaire consisting of demographics, personal and family lifetime suicidality, the Attitudes Towards Suicide questionnaire, MBI and DASS-21 was self-administered. Results: Of the 368 participants, most were nurses (41.0%), Malay (84.8%), female (68.8%), and married (69.8%). Risk factors for suicidal ideation were being a doctor (OR = 13.039, p = 0.003), a nurse (OR = 7.507, p = 0.016), an assistant medical officer (OR = 9.128, p = 0.024), having family suicide history (OR = 3.396, p = 0.046), being male (OR = 2.319, p = 0.047), stressed (OR = 1.117, p = 0.022) and emot...
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 2018
This study explored health-care workers’ perception of patients’ suicide intention and their unde... more This study explored health-care workers’ perception of patients’ suicide intention and their understanding of factors leading to particular interpretations. Semistructured face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 health-care workers from a general hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis. The health-care workers were found to have four types of perceptions: to end life, not to end life, ambivalence about intention, and an evolving understanding of intention. Factors leading to their perceptions of patients’ suicide intention were patient demographics, health status, severity of ideation/attempt, suicide method, history of treatment, moral character, communication of suicide intention, affective/cognitive status, availability of social support, and health-care workers’ limited knowledge of patients’ condition/situation. Insufficient knowledge and negative attitudes towar...
Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 2018
Introduction: There is a lack of suicide-related training in the nonpsychiatric health profession... more Introduction: There is a lack of suicide-related training in the nonpsychiatric health professional's basic education. We suggest that a continuing education through a brief gatekeeper suicide training program could be a suitable platform to improve suicide-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of the Question, Persuade, Refer gatekeeper program on improving the knowledge, self-efficacy in suicide prevention, and understanding of/willingness to help suicidal patients of Malaysian hospital health professionals. Methods: The Question, Persuade, Refer program materials were translated and adapted for implementation in the hospital setting for nonpsychiatric health professionals. There were 159 (mean age = 35.75 years; SD = 12.26) participants in this study. Most participants were female (84.9%), staff/community nurses (52.2%), who worked in the general medical department (30.2%) and had no experience managing suicidal patie...
Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing, 2017
Understanding attitudes toward suicide, especially among healthcare personnel, is an important st... more Understanding attitudes toward suicide, especially among healthcare personnel, is an important step in both suicide prevention and treatment. We document the adaptation process and establish the validity and reliability of the Attitudes Toward Suicide (ATTS) questionnaire among 262 healthcare personnel in 2 major public hospitals in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The findings indicate that healthcare personnel in Malaysia have unique constructs on suicide attitude, compared with the original study on a Western European sample. The adapted Malay ATTS questionnaire demonstrates adequate reliability and validity for use among healthcare personnel in Malaysia.
Malaysian Family Physician
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common but complex illness that is frequently presented in t... more Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common but complex illness that is frequently presented in the primary care setting. Managing this disorder in primary care can be difficult, and many patients are underdiagnosed and/or undertreated. The Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on the Management of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (2nd ed.), published in 2019, covers screening, diagnosis, treatment and referral (which frequently pose a challenge in the primary care setting) while minimising variation in clinical practice.
Healthcare, Nov 30, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Journal of Research in Nursing, Aug 26, 2021
BackgroundThere has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contri... more BackgroundThere has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contribute positively or negatively to their attitudes towards suicidal patients.AimsThis study aims to explore qualitatively the influence of religious/spiritual beliefs on healthcare workers’ attitudes towards suicide and suicidal patients in the culturally heterogeneous Malaysian population.MethodsThirty-one healthcare workers from diverse religious backgrounds, professions and medical disciplines were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed the centrality of religion in determining healthcare workers’ acceptability of suicide, specific religious beliefs that influenced their views on the right-to-die issue, perceptions of the suicidal patient’s religiousness/spirituality, and the aspects and extent of religious relevance in professional philosophy and practice.ResultsHealthcare workers who could perceive the multifactorial nature of suicide causation had a more empathetic response. There were high levels of paternalism in the care of suicidal patients, involving unsolicited religious/spiritual advice practised as a form of suicide deterrent and social support.ConclusionsThe formal integration of religious/spiritual practices into the professional care of suicidal patients was indicated.
Healthcare
Medication adherence, especially among children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders, is of... more Medication adherence, especially among children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders, is often seen as a major treatment challenge. The purpose of this study is to systematically review studies addressing specific aspects of parental factors that are positively or negatively associated with medication adherence among children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders. A systematic literature search of English language publications, from inception through December 2021, was conducted from PubMed, Scopus, and MEDLINE databases. This review has complied with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines. A total of 23 studies (77,188 participants) met inclusion criteria. Nonadherence rates ranged between 8% to 69%. Parents’ socioeconomic background, family living status and functioning, parents’ perception and attitude towards the importance of medication taking in treating psychiatric disorders, and parents’ mental health status are sig...
Healthcare
Due to the increasing importance of caregivers in the treatment outcomes of patients with mental ... more Due to the increasing importance of caregivers in the treatment outcomes of patients with mental illness, this study aimed to systematically review studies investigating the former’s caregiver burden and determine its prevalence. An open search, without filters, was conducted. Articles were selected from Medline, Scopus, and PubMed from inception to 30 April 2022 using the PRISMA protocol. Subgroup analyses examined the between-group differences by study setting, measurements used, and disorder type. A total of 5034 caregivers from 23 countries were included in this review. Thirty-nine studies were included in the systematic review, and, among them, twenty-six were deemed eligible for meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of caregiver burden among caregivers of individuals with mental illness was 31.67% (95% CI = 26.22–37.12). Pooled prevalence was the highest among care recipients receiving treatment in a hospital setting (36.06%; 95% CI = 22.50–49.63), followed by the commu...
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying
We examined whether burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, lifetime suicidal ideation, self-effica... more We examined whether burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, lifetime suicidal ideation, self-efficacy in preventing suicide and demographic factors predicted the understanding of and willingness to help suicidal patients among hospital healthcare workers. A total of 368 healthcare workers from the major surgical and medical departments in a general hospital setting were recruited. Participants responded to the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Self-efficacy in Suicide Prevention, and Understanding Suicide Attempt Patient Scale. Those from the psychiatric department, with higher suicide prevention self-efficacy, and lower personal accomplishment indicated more understanding and helpful attitudes; doctors, depressed and anxious healthcare workers reported less understanding and helpful attitudes. Suicide prevention efforts must be conducted in tandem with equipping and supporting the healthcare workers who manage suicidal patients.
Journal of Research in Nursing, 2021
Background There has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contr... more Background There has been mixed findings on whether a healthcare workers’ religious beliefs contribute positively or negatively to their attitudes towards suicidal patients. Aims This study aims to explore qualitatively the influence of religious/spiritual beliefs on healthcare workers’ attitudes towards suicide and suicidal patients in the culturally heterogeneous Malaysian population. Methods Thirty-one healthcare workers from diverse religious backgrounds, professions and medical disciplines were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed the centrality of religion in determining healthcare workers’ acceptability of suicide, specific religious beliefs that influenced their views on the right-to-die issue, perceptions of the suicidal patient’s religiousness/spirituality, and the aspects and extent of religious relevance in professional philosophy and practice. Results Healthcare workers who could perceive the multifactorial nature of suicide causation had a more empathetic response. ...
Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2018
Burnout and psychological distress were reported at higher rates among hospital healthcare worker... more Burnout and psychological distress were reported at higher rates among hospital healthcare workers. Despite this, there is a paucity of research examining the associated risk factors among workers across specialties and occupations in Asia. This paper aimed to examine the risk factors associated with burnout and psychological distress among Malaysian hospital healthcare workers from diverse medical specialties and occupations. A total of 368 doctors, nurses, assistant medical officers and hospital attendants were recruited from major medical and surgery departments in an urban general hospital. The participants were self-administered a questionnaire consisting of demographic information, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. In the fully adjusted multivariate analyses, doctors were about four to five times more likely to be emotionally exhausted (aOR [adjusted Odds Ratio], 4.826; 95% CI [Confidence Interval]: 1.492-15.604, p<0.01...
Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the risk factors and attitude towards suicide... more Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the risk factors and attitude towards suicide among healthcare workers with suicidal ideation, planning and attempt in a public hospital in Malaysia. Methods: Nurses, assistant medical officers and hospital attendants were randomly sampled, while doctors were universally sampled from continuous medical education workshops from seven major hospital departments. A questionnaire consisting of demographics, personal and family lifetime suicidality, the Attitudes Towards Suicide questionnaire, MBI and DASS-21 was self-administered. Results: Of the 368 participants, most were nurses (41.0%), Malay (84.8%), female (68.8%), and married (69.8%). Risk factors for suicidal ideation were being a doctor (OR = 13.039, p = 0.003), a nurse (OR = 7.507, p = 0.016), an assistant medical officer (OR = 9.128, p = 0.024), having family suicide history (OR = 3.396, p = 0.046), being male (OR = 2.319, p = 0.047), stressed (OR = 1.117, p = 0.022) and emot...
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 2018
This study explored health-care workers’ perception of patients’ suicide intention and their unde... more This study explored health-care workers’ perception of patients’ suicide intention and their understanding of factors leading to particular interpretations. Semistructured face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 health-care workers from a general hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis. The health-care workers were found to have four types of perceptions: to end life, not to end life, ambivalence about intention, and an evolving understanding of intention. Factors leading to their perceptions of patients’ suicide intention were patient demographics, health status, severity of ideation/attempt, suicide method, history of treatment, moral character, communication of suicide intention, affective/cognitive status, availability of social support, and health-care workers’ limited knowledge of patients’ condition/situation. Insufficient knowledge and negative attitudes towar...
Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 2018
Introduction: There is a lack of suicide-related training in the nonpsychiatric health profession... more Introduction: There is a lack of suicide-related training in the nonpsychiatric health professional's basic education. We suggest that a continuing education through a brief gatekeeper suicide training program could be a suitable platform to improve suicide-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of the Question, Persuade, Refer gatekeeper program on improving the knowledge, self-efficacy in suicide prevention, and understanding of/willingness to help suicidal patients of Malaysian hospital health professionals. Methods: The Question, Persuade, Refer program materials were translated and adapted for implementation in the hospital setting for nonpsychiatric health professionals. There were 159 (mean age = 35.75 years; SD = 12.26) participants in this study. Most participants were female (84.9%), staff/community nurses (52.2%), who worked in the general medical department (30.2%) and had no experience managing suicidal patie...
Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing, 2017
Understanding attitudes toward suicide, especially among healthcare personnel, is an important st... more Understanding attitudes toward suicide, especially among healthcare personnel, is an important step in both suicide prevention and treatment. We document the adaptation process and establish the validity and reliability of the Attitudes Toward Suicide (ATTS) questionnaire among 262 healthcare personnel in 2 major public hospitals in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The findings indicate that healthcare personnel in Malaysia have unique constructs on suicide attitude, compared with the original study on a Western European sample. The adapted Malay ATTS questionnaire demonstrates adequate reliability and validity for use among healthcare personnel in Malaysia.
Malaysian Family Physician
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common but complex illness that is frequently presented in t... more Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common but complex illness that is frequently presented in the primary care setting. Managing this disorder in primary care can be difficult, and many patients are underdiagnosed and/or undertreated. The Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on the Management of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (2nd ed.), published in 2019, covers screening, diagnosis, treatment and referral (which frequently pose a challenge in the primary care setting) while minimising variation in clinical practice.