Ann Acad Med Singap
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Oct 2019
Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Measurement Invariance of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Young Psychiatric and Non-Psychiatric Asians.
Studies of the 3-factor (family, friends and significant others) Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) have shown mixed results in non-Western and/or psychiatric populations due to factorial inconsistencies in its structure. Our study aimed to replicate and expand previous findings of MSPSS through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and measurement invariance analysis in a young Asian population of psychiatric and non-psychiatric subjects. ⋯ The 3-factor model of MSPSS can be used to compare psychiatric and non-psychiatric subjects locally. Since psychiatric patients reported lower MSPSS scores, future research could examine the causative factors that contribute to lower perceived social support in young adults seeking psychiatric intervention.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Oct 2019
The Need for Scholarly Evaluation of Programmes Targeting Mental Health Stigma in Singapore.
Stigma towards people with mental illness is widely prevalent in Singapore despite nearly 2 decades of anti-stigma efforts. The latest and most ambitious initiative to tackle stigma, "Beyond the Label", was launched in 2018. ⋯ It is crucial that organisations involved in the battle against stigma publish peer-reviewed papers detailing the construction and effectiveness of their programmes vis-à-vis established frameworks or guidelines. We also provide suggestions on useful resources for organisations that are engaged in anti-stigma work.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Oct 2019
Clinical Findings of Ankylosing Spondylitis With and Without Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-B27 and HLA-B51.
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Behçet's disease are known to be associated with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 and HLA-B51 genes, respectively. However, many of their clinical findings-including articular and extra-articular symptoms-are similar, making diagnosis a challenge in the early stage of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in clinical findings of AS patients with and without the HLA-B27 gene. ⋯ HLA-B27 was associated with the development of uveitis but not with other clinical findings or disease activity in AS patients. HLA-B51 was not associated with the clinical findings or disease activity of AS.