Pandemik Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) yang melanda Malaysia dan seluruh dunia telah memberikan pelbagai implikasi yang sangat besar terutamanya dalam aspek kesihatan mental. Golongan pelajar merupakan golongan yang berisiko mengalami tekanan akibat norma baharu yang wujud susulan pandemik ini. Justeru, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti tahap tekanan pelajar dan mengenal pasti pengaruh jantina dalam menentukan tahap tekanan pelajar. Kajian ini adalah kajian kuantitatif yang menggunakan reka bentuk tinjauan. Seramai 400 orang pelajar dari sebuah institusi pengajian tinggi di Malaysia dipilih melalui kaedah persampelan rawak mudah. Soal selidik Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) yang dialih bahasa telah digunakan. Analisis statistik deskriptif dalam bentuk peratus kekerapan dan ujian t-test dijalankan melalui perisian Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Versi 26. Kajian mendapati bahawa seramai 340 pelajar (85%) mengalami tekanan pada tahap sederhana. Selain itu, tidak terdapat perbezaan antara jantina lelaki dan perempuan dalam menentukan tahap tekanan pelajar. Konklusinya, kajian ini amatlah signifikan dalam mengetahui tahap tekanan pelajar semasa pandemik ini. Ia boleh dijadikan sebagai garis panduan terutamanya kepada institusi pendidikan dalam mengatur strategi bagi membantu dalam meningkatkan dan mengekalkan kegembiraan pelajar.

Mental illness, particularly depression, is an increasing health problem for many people from all walks of life. Both conventional and non-convventional therapies for mental illnesses including depression have been and are still being put to practice. An alternative method for treatment of depressed patients, particularly Muslims, is through the combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Islamic values, which is known as Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This review discusses the benefits, limitations and future propects of Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy particularly in treating Muslims with depression.

Objective Long-term social distancing, isolation, and economic fallout may be significant psychological triggers during pandemic, such as COVID-19, especially for those with underlying psychiatric illness. This study was conducted to address the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic among patients with depression based at a teaching hospital in Malaysia. Methods This is a cross-sectional online study among patients with depression from University Malaya Medical Centre, using Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self Assessment (MADRS-S), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP), and Social Media Addiction during COVID-19 Pandemic (SMACOP). Results One hundred seventy-eight patients participated in this study. The mean total of the KAP score is 12.65 (SD = 2.65), with knowledge section (mean = 7.34 [SD = 2.13]), attitudes section (mean = 2.63 [SD = 0.58]), and practices section (mean = 2.69 [SD = 1.00]). They scored moderately on the MADRS-S (mean = 21.03 [SD = 4.62]) and ISI (mean = 20.25 [SD = 4.62]) but had high GAD-7 scores (mean = 16.8 (SD = 6.27]). From the multiple logistic regression analyses, depressive symptoms of greater severity (MADRS-S 18–34) are significantly associated with more severe insomnia ( P < .001, adjusted OR = 9.101, 95% CI: 3.613–22.924). Furthermore, the high anxiety level is associated with the younger age group ( P = .029, Adjusted OR = 2.274, 95% CI: 1.090–4.746), greater severity of insomnia ( P < .001, Adjusted OR = 22.9, 95% CI: 6.145–85.343), and higher risk of COVID-19 related social media addiction ( P = .011, adjusted OR = 2.637, 95% CI: 1.253–5.550). Conclusion This study demonstrates the high levels of sleep disturbances and anxiety symptoms experienced by outpatients with depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are closely linked to the younger age group and at-risk social media addiction related to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a novelty that is affecting everyone. Pandemic-related problems, such as isolation and quarantine, social distance, economic and social pressure, may arise to cause major psychological problems specifically to those whom get infected by COVID-19, followed by frontliners such as health care workers and generally public. Thus, this study was conducted to explore psychological stress among health care worker amid COVID-19 pandemic, coping strategies and needs required by health care workers. This qualitative method, using purposive sampling with semistructured via phone/online interviews among thirteen health care worker who worked in Government Clinic and Hospital in one of the District in Pahang state, Malaysia. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. 13 health care personnel were participated in this study with at least about 10 years working experiences. Demographic data include various variable such age, gender, role, marital status, working experiences and their original department. Data analysis discovered that 3 major themes capturing the important elements involves and contributed to psychological stress among health care worker during COVID-19 pandemic from this cohort group. The themes were classified as COVID-19 implications, coping strategies and needs. Each of the themes are further elaborated in details through the identification of sub-themes which consist of Psychological Effect, Working Environment, Social Effects, Self-care, Expression of Feelings (Emotion focused), Problemfocused coping strategie, Psychosocial support and Resource Management. Therefore, it is important to deal and recognize the ongoing distress that could be negatively impaired frontliners. Regular contact between support person should be consider to improve better self-adaptation, positive coping skills and self-care strategies. Nevertheless, consideration among policy makers and government are highly expected in serving frontliners while facing struggles and challenges during present pandemic.

Antidepressants are the mainstay of depression treatment. However, little information is known about patient-centred communication related to the use of antidepressant among people with depression. This review aims to provide a comprehensive mapping of previously published studies on patient-centred communication in the use of antidepressants among patients with depression. A scoping review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane to answer the following questions: What is the nature of published scientific literature on this topic? and To what extent do the published articles address the six core components of patient-centred communication, which are: encouraging effective clinician-patient relationships, obtaining and providing information, responding to emotional states, handling uncertainty, achieving the best decision as well as advocating patient self-management? Out of 494 records identified, a total of 13 articles were included in the scoping review (2 randomised controlled trials, 1 observational cohort study, 5 cross-sectional studies, 4 qualitative studies, and 1 review article). All 6 core components of the patient-centred communication were discussed extensively in the literature except for 2 of them, which were handling uncertainty and patient self-management. Shared decision making (SDM) was found to be a critical feature in patient-centred communication. The six core components of patient-centred communication have been consistently recognized as vital for the process of achieving patient-centred care. SDM can be included as a tool to assist clinicians and patients in addressing effective clinician-patient relationships.