Petrus Ng

Group Psychosocial Program for Enhancing Psychological Well-Being of People with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract Emotional ups and downs are common among people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) as they live with fears about treatment, pain from the illness and unexpected “flare-ups.” The side effects of medications have a severe impact on their self-esteem and lead to psychological distress. This paper reports a study on the impact of a psychosocial group program on the self-esteem and psychosocial functioning of people with SLE. A total of 56 people with SLE were recruited to participate in a 6-week, 2.5-hour weekly session psychosocial group. The group served to equip members with knowledge and skills to cope with SLE and stress arising from the illness, to enhance their self-confidence and develop a positive attitude toward the illness, and to enhance their social support network. The members were assessed before the commencement and during the last session of the groups with Rosenbergs Self-esteem Inventory and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). Results showed that members obtained better scores in self-esteem (p < 0.001) and GHQ (p < 0.001) after the group. The study revealed significant positive changes in self-esteem and psychosocial functioning of people with SLE after the psychosocial group program. The implications for psychosocial programs for people with SLE are discussed.

The prevalence and predictors of self-stigma of individuals with mental health illness in two Chinese cities.

Background: Although self-stigma is found to have adverse effects on the lives of persons with mental illness, little is known on the self-stigma of these individuals in Chinese societies. Objective: This research study explores the prevalence rate and predicting factors of self-stigma of consumers in two Chinese cities, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Methods: A cross-sectional research design is adopted which involves a random sample of 266 consumers from Hong Kong and a convenient sample of 208 consumers from Guangzhou. These individuals have been assessed in terms of their self-stigma, recovery, self-esteem and quality of life by using standardized assessment scales. Results: In all, 38.3% of the Hong Kong participants and 49.5% of the Guangzhou participants report to have self-stigma. Also, self-stigma is found to be negatively related to self-esteem and quality of life. A logistic regression analysis shows that hope and well-being are predicting factors of self-stigma. Conclusion: Self-stigma is found to be higher in Guangzhou, probably due to the influence of traditional cultural values. Also, as hope and well-being are found to be predicting factors of self-stigma, suitable recovery-orientated interventions that facilitate hope and well-being should be developed so as to reduce self-stigma of consumers in Chinese societies.

Burdens and psychological health of family caregivers of people with schizophrenia in two Chinese metropolitan cities: Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

Family members charged with the care of those suffering from schizophrenia experience considerable stress due to their multiple responsibilities. Research regarding the burdens of caregiving is scant in Hong Kong and China. The present study quantified the association of the duties of caregivers with mental health symptoms in two Asian cities having distinct health care systems (i.e., Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China). Thirty nine caregivers in Hong Kong and 70 caregivers in Guangzhou were recruited from nongovernmental mental health organizations. They were assessed using the Chinese version of the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire. While the Guangzhou family caregivers had a significantly higher burden than the Hong Kong sample, there was no significant difference in the psychological health status of family caregivers in the two cities. Result of correlational analyses, however, revealed high associations between burden of care variables and the psychological health of the caregivers. Findings for the present study have implications regarding the physical and mental health needs of those caring for seriously disturbed relatives.

Public Amnesia and Multiple Modernities in Shanghai: Narrating the Postsocialist Future in a Former Socialist “Model Community”

In contemporary Shanghai, one key phenomenon that marks the disappearance of the status and benefits once promised by Maoist socialism has been the spread of consumer values among the populace. This article draws from the ethnographic observations of Cucumber Lane—an urban slum turned into a socialist “model community” in the 1960s—and the post-socialist cultural landscape of urban Shanghai to explore the different interests, agendas, and rationales of the residents in terms of multiple narrative forms that underlie the fabric of reformist China in transitioning toward a post-socialist future. The author concludes that, despite the state-led efforts to articulate a new course of transition, ostensibly by encouraging public amnesia of the socialist past, the “multiple modernities” expressed by the residents represent an “informal privatization of time” through which individuals come to lay claims on the control of their previously collectively shared future.

Ways of coping of Chinese caregivers for family members with schizophrenia in two metropolitan cities: Guangzhou and Hong Kong, China

Background: In Chinese societies, family caregivers play an important role in the recovery of persons with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia. While family caregivers are often invaluable sources of caregiving in the community, a majority of them lack adequate knowledge and support skills to cope with the tasks involved. Aims: This study compares the coping strategies and psychological health of caregivers for family members with schizophrenia in two Chinese cities, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Method: A total of 109 caregivers, including 39 from Hong Kong and 70 from Guangzhou, were recruited from non-governmental mental health organizations in the two cities. They were assessed by the Chinese version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire. Results: While there was no significant difference in the psychological distress of the family caregivers in the two locations, the Guangzhou caregivers adopt significantly more of the eight coping strategies, namely, confronting coping, distancing, self-control, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, escape–avoidance, planful problem solving and positive reappraisal, than their counterparts in Hong Kong. Significant correlations were also found between psychological distress and coping strategies of caregivers in the two cities. Conclusion: There were significant differences in the coping strategies of family caregivers for people with schizophrenia in the two Chinese cities. Further studies are warranted to investigate factors affecting their coping strategies and their effects on psychological health.

Cognitive behavioral intervention in the Chinese cultural context: a case report.

Depression is predicted to become the worlds second leading cause of disability by 2020 according to the World Health Organization. Cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI), recognized as a viable and effective treatment for depression, is becoming more widely used among Chinese clients. However, information about the application of this Western approach in the Chinese population is very limited.

Validity and Reliability of Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (Cantonese)

Purpose: This study aims to translate and test the reliability and validity of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness-Cantonese (ISMI-C). Methods: The original English version of ISMI is translated into the ISMI-C by going through forward and backward translation procedure. A cross-sectional research design is adopted that involved 295 participants randomly drawn from a population of Chinese consumers participated in different kinds of community-based mental health services. Results: Results show that the Cronbach’s α coefficient of the ISMI-C is .93. With regard to validity test, the ISMI-C shows significant and negative correlation with measures on self-esteem and quality of life. Also, an explorative factor analysis yields five factors that are consistent with previous research results. Discussion: This study shows that the ISMI-C is a reliable and valid measure. ISMI-C can facilitate the development of interventions in reducing self-stigma for people with mental illness across Chinese societies.

Validation of the automatic thoughts questionnaire (ATQ) among mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong

OBJECTIVE The present study validated the combined version of the 8-item Automatic Thought Questionnaire (ATQ) and 10 positive items from the ATQ-revised among Chinese university students. METHOD A total of 412 Mainland Chinese university students were recruited in Hong Kong by an online survey. RESULTS A 14-item Chinese ATQ was derived via item analysis. Satisfactory internal consistency reliability and good split-half reliability were obtained. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 3-correlated-factor solution for the Chinese ATQ: negative thought, positive thought (emotional), and positive thought (cognitive). The negative ATQ subscale score was positively correlated with negative affect, and negatively correlated with positive affect and life satisfaction. The two positive ATQ subscale scores were negatively correlated with negative affect, and positively correlated with positive affect and life satisfaction. CONCLUSION The 14-item ATQ is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring automatic thoughts in the Chinese context of Hong Kong.

Youth Opinions about the Ex-Mentally Ill in Hong Kong

Community care has been adopted as the principal service delivery strategy to various target groups, especially the mentally ill, in Hong Kong. The success or failure of community care services dep...

Validity and Reliability of Recovery Assessment Scale for Cantonese Speaking Chinese Consumers with Mental Illness

The present study aims to determine the reliability and validity of a 24-item Recovery Assessment Scale for Cantonese speakers (RAS-C) in the Chinese cultural context. The original English version of the RAS was translated into the RAS-C by means of forward and backward translation procedures. AThe cross-sectional research design adopted involving 295 participants randomly drawn from a population of Chinese Cantonese speaking consumers with mental illness who have been participating in community-based mental health services. The RAS-C has demonstrated high reliability with Cronbach’s alpha = .92. The RAS-C also shows significant and positive correlations with measures on the stage of recovery, self-esteem and quality of life of the service consumers. An explorative factor analysis of the RAS-C yielded five factors that were consistent with previous research results. The present study confirms the reliability and validity of the RAS-C. The RAS-C can facilitate the development of interventions that are effective in promoting the recovery of consumers in Chinese communities.