Changes in pain prevalence among older adults in Singapore: Findings from a nationwide study.

Objective: Pain adversely affects individuals' quality of life and increases the burden on the healthcare system. However, few studies have examined pain among older adults in Asia. Hence, our study investigated (i) the prevalence and correlates of pain in 2023, and (ii) changes in pain prevalence and its correlates between 2013 and 2023 among older adults in Singapore.

Factor structure and predictors of causal beliefs about seven mental illnesses among the Singapore general population.

Introduction: Knowledge about the causes of mental illness is a crucial component of mental health literacy. Poor understanding of the etiology of mental illness can lead to stigmatizing behaviors and hinder access to appropriate help. The current cross-sectional study examined the general population's causal beliefs about seven mental illnesses and explored the factor structure of the revised causal beliefs scale.

Disease burden, lifetime healthcare cost and long-term intervention impact projections among older adults in Singapore.

Singapore's rapidly aging population and increasing healthcare demands highlight the need for projections to inform policy planning. Here we adapted a previously published dynamic Markov microsimulation model, the Future Elderly Model, to estimate disease trajectories and healthcare expenditure among adults aged 51 years and older in Singapore. The model simulated four long-term lifestyle interventions aligned with the Healthier SG program from 2020 to 2050.

Validity, reliability, measurement invariance, and equipercentile linking of the depression anxiety stress scale-21 in the youth population in Singapore.

Objective: The current study aims to examine the structural and convergent validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales Short Form (DASS-21) across age and gender among the youths in Singapore. Additionally, it aims to provide a simple and reliable method for converting the DASS-21 Depression and DASS-21 Anxiety to the Patient Health Questionnaire 8-item (PHQ-8) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scores using an equipercentile linking method.

Methods: A total of 2,600 respondents were recruited from a National Youth Mental Health Study.

The Gut Microbiota in Young Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Performance as Diagnostic Biomarkers.

Diagnosing ASD in adults presents unique challenges, and there are currently no specific biomarkers for this condition. Most existing studies on the gut microbiota in ASD are conducted in children; however, the composition of the gut microbiota in children differs significantly from that of adults. This study aimed to study the gut microbiota of young adults with high-functioning ASD.

Perceived risk of illicit drug consumption in singapore: findings from a nationwide survey.

Background: This study aimed to identify groups of risk perception of illicit drug consumption and associated sociodemographic and mental health factors in Singapore.

Methods: A representative sample of 6,509 Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 15 to 65 years was randomly selected for participation over 14 months. Information on perceived risk related to illicit drug consumption, and correlates were collected via questionnaires.

Neurocognitive correlates of emotion-based urgency in DSM-5 bipolar disorder: the moderating role of diagnosis status and positive affect in a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) experimental study.

Background: A key goal of clinical neuroscience is to uncover reliable neurobiological targets for treatment. Urgency (negative or positive urgency subdomains, or N.urg/P.

Responsiveness and minimal important differences of common disability measures in people with depression and anxiety disorders.

Background: The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 12-item version (WHODAS 2.0), and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) are commonly used disability measures in patients with depression and anxiety disorders.

Gender-based analysis of body dissatisfaction among youths in Singapore: findings from the National Youth Mental Health Study.

Introduction: Body dissatisfaction, often arising from the disparity between the perceived ideal and actual body, is prevalent among young individuals and is linked to various mental health issues. Previous research consistently indicates notable differences in body dissatisfaction between males and females. This study used data from a nationwide study to determine the prevalence of body dissatisfaction among young individuals in Singapore.

A nationwide study exploring the factors associated with psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global adverse event that affected many individuals' well-being. Resilience is an essential component that allows one to cope during stressful events such as the pandemic. Not many studies have longitudinally explored changes in resilience across time during the pandemic in the Southeast Asia region.

"Everybody's problem but nobody's problem": Qualitative study on integrating smoking cessation and mental health services in Singapore.

Background: Although quitting smoking benefits mental health, people with mental health conditions tend to have higher smoking rates and more severe tobacco use disorders. Integration of smoking cessation into mental healthcare, or vice versa, could help to meet the needs of this population. While Singapore offers specialist smoking cessation and mental health services, it is unclear how these services address the needs of people with comorbid tobacco use and mental health issues.

Harm Perception of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Versus Regular Cigarettes in Singapore: Findings from a Nationwide Study.

Background: Singapore has strict regulations for electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS). Hence, its residents may have different risk perceptions of ENDS compared to countries with more liberal measures. This study examined the prevalence of perceived risk of harm for ENDS versus cigarettes, their correlates, and the moderating effect of smoking status on significant associations in Singapore.

Tracking the Prevalence of Depression Among Older Adults in Singapore: Results From the Second Wave of the Well-Being of Singapore Elderly Study.

Late-life depression has serious public health implications due to its impact on healthcare systems and the economy. As the prevalence of depression tends to change over time across populations, continuous disease surveillance is warranted to inform evidence-based preventive interventions. The well-being of the Singapore elderly (WiSE) is the second study in the series that looked at the prevalence and correlates of depression in a multiethnic population in Singapore.

Dissociation as transdiagnostic mediator between trauma exposure and the post-traumatic stress disorder-psychosis symptom spectrum: A structural equation modelling meta-analysis.

Trauma exposure is associated with dissociation, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and psychosis; however, less is known about whether dissociation is a transdiagnostic mediator between trauma exposure and the PTSD-psychosis symptom spectrum. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis to elucidate the associations among trauma exposure, dissociation, PTSD symptoms, and psychotic symptoms. A total of 311 articles with 94,454 individuals were coded and a two-stage meta-analytical structural equation model was used to investigate the indirect effect of trauma exposure on PTSD symptoms and psychotic symptoms through dissociation.

Depression Self-Care Apps' Characteristics and Applicability to Older Adults: Systematic Assessment.

Background: Depression affects 32% of older adults. Loneliness and social isolation are common risk factors for depression in older adults. Mobile apps can connect users and are also effective in depression management in the general population.

Prevalence of dementia in Singapore: Changes across a decade.

Introduction: The study aimed to assess changes in the prevalence of dementia in Singapore over the past decade.

Methods: The Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) 2023 and the WiSE 2013 studies were comprehensive, single-phase, cross-sectional surveys conducted among older adults aged ≥60 years in Singapore. WiSE 2023 included 2010 older adults and 1798 informants, whereas WiSE 2013 comprised 2565 older adults and 2421 informants.

Influential articles in autism and gut microbiota: bibliometric profile and research trends.

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder. Increasing evidence suggests that it is potentially related to gut microbiota, but no prior bibliometric analysis has been performed to explore the most influential works in the relationships between ASD and gut microbiota. In this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the most-cited articles in this field, aiming to provide insights to the existing body of research and guide future directions.

Delving into the world of webCHAT - an e-mental health support service for distressed youths in Singapore.

Background: Young people face high rates of mental health issues, yet many do not seek professional help. In 2017, CHAT launched webCHAT - a free, anonymous, one-on-one synchronous web-based text service managed by case managers (CMs) to support young people aged 16 to 30 who may be hesitant about engaging in face-to-face mental health services.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of users who accessed webCHAT for mental health support in Singapore.

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.

Excess costs of depression among a population-based older adults with chronic diseases in Singapore.

Background: There is limited evidence on the economic burden of depression among the older population in Singapore.

Objective: We aim to evaluate the impact of depression on healthcare expenditure and productivity loss among older adults with chronic diseases in Singapore.

Methods: Using the data from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study (WiSE), a 2011 national representative survey of older adults aged 60 years and above, 2510 respondents were included in this study.