Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item Bridging the gap: Policy recommendations to address suicides committed by Indigenous youth in Victoria(AccScience Publishing, 2024-12) Shoib, S.; Das, S.; Saeed, F.; Chandradasa, M.; Zaidi, I.The Aboriginal population comprises 3.3% of the total Australian population, and youth represent 19% of this segment. In general, the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia experience discrimination, limited access to education, and low socioeconomic conditions, and exhibit high mental disorder rates. The rate of suicide attempts by the Indigenous people of Victoria increased by 75% in 2021. This study examined the possible risk factors associated with suicides committed by Indigenous youth in Victoria. It focused on the health profiles of Victorian Aboriginal individuals, identified stakeholders who could help improve their mental well-being, addressed the needs and issues related to Aboriginal mental health, and examined substance abuse in this population segment. Finally, recommendations are offered to mitigate the studied problem. Rising suicide rates represent an urgent concern because they reflect the diminished mental health conditions of a society, particularly among its marginalized populations. It is crucial to develop an integrated suicide prevention act that takes into account the biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual determinants of this population.Item Religion, spirituality, and coping among the psychiatric population: a narrative review(Academy Publisher, 2024) Shoib, S.; Das, S.; Gupta, A.K.; Ullah, I.; Javed, S.; Nocera, A.; Kar, S.K.; Chandradasa, M.; de Filippis, R.BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The impact of religiosity and spirituality on mental health is still far to be adequately explored. Evidence-based data gathering papers that bring together various perspectives and facets of religion in the mentally ill population is needed. Therefore, we conducted this review to summarise evidence on the subject and raise awareness. METHODS: We searched the literature using generic terms for ‘mental health and psychiatry’, ‘beliefs’, ‘religion’, ‘religious involvement’, ‘religiosity’, ‘spiritual aspects’, and ‘spirituality’, finally summarising all appropriate references. However, for this narrative revision, we collected papers addressing various perspectives, data, and facets of religion in the mentally ill population, a subject with theoretical and practical implications in mental health. RESULTS: The initial literature search found 21,723 total results: 1,723 from PubMed/Medline and Scopus, and up to 20,000 from Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science. After removing repetitions and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, only six studies were included in this review on religion as an adaptive resource, and nine studies on religion, spirituality, and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based studies on the topic are still challenging to develop while maintaining a high scientific value. Notwithstanding this, religion and spirituality can have positive/negative clinical implications depending on how they are managed. Indeed, it can reduce suicidal risk, relieve depressive and anxious symptoms, and improve patients’ and caregivers’ coping and resilience. Nevertheless, it can enhance guilt, worsen/ generate obsessions, and compulsions in the obsessive-compulsive disorder and determine or associate with mystical-religious delusions in the maniacal phase of bipolar disorder.Item Factors behind suicides in Muslim countries: a global ecological study(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024) Shoib, S.; Tayyeb, M.; Armiya’u, A.Y.; Raaj, S.; Elmahi, O.K.O.; Swed, S.; Saeed, F.; Nahidi, M.; Bashir, A.; Chandradasa, M.This study examines the relationship between suicide rates and social, political, and economic factors in Muslim-majority countries, considering the influence of Islam and unique socio-cultural factors. Conducted from January to December 2022, it covered 46 countries, collecting data on suicide rates, income, Human Development Index (HDI), poverty rate, life expectancy, literacy rate, and political system. Suicide rates in Muslim-majority countries could be predicted based on HDI, poverty rates, life expectancy, and literacy rates. Frequency of suicide rates varied across continents, with the highest rates in Africa. Culturally sensitive suicide prevention programs are crucial for Muslim-majority countries.Item Relationship between childhood sexual abuse and suicidal behaviour in South Asian countries: A scoping review(Elsevier, 2022) Shoib, S.; Amanda, T.W.; Saeed, F.; Armiya’u, A.Y.; Patel, V.; Chandradasa, M.; de Berardis, D.Background: Sexual abuse is a global issue and happens in every culture and country. It is a risk factor for developing several mental disorders and suicide. While there are many studies on the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and suicide, there are no reviews on this association from South Asia. Aims: A scoping review to explore the association between CSA and suicidal behaviour in South Asian countries. Method: A literature search was conducted with Databases PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, and Scopus from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2020 for articles related to child sexual abuse and suicidal behaviour. Studies from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were included in the search. Results: Among 356 articles found, 45 publications were further evaluated based on exclusion and inclusion criteria, and 12 papers that reported quantitative outcomes of the association between CSA and suicidal experiences were included in the review. There were no eligible studies from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, and the Maldives. Due to the limited number of publications and the heterogeneity of the studies, a meta-analysis was not conducted. Most studies indicated that CSA is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour or suicide later in life. Further, cultural barriers prevent the disclosure of CSA in Asian communities. Conclusions: There is an association between CSA and suicidal behaviour in South Asian countries. Future studies should target socio-cultural aspects to develop preventive programs for CSA and later suicide.Item Academic psychiatry journals in South Asian countries: most from India, none from Afghanistan, Bhutan and the Maldives(Global Psychiatric Association, 2022) Arafat, S.M.Y.; Ali, S.A.Z.; Saleem, T.; Banerjee, D.; Singh, R.; Baminiwatta, A.; Shoib, S.Objective: As journals play a crucial role in the dissemination of knowledge, reviewing the psychiatry journals would illustrate the current status of mental health research. Aims: We aimed to identify and assess the academic journals within South Asia that focus on psychiatry. Methods: We searched on Google to identify the currently functioning psychiatry journals from South Asian countries. We used “psychiatry journals in South Asia” and “mental health journals in South Asia” as search terms. We also searched by individual country names (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). Results: A total of 20 psychiatry journals were identified and reviewed from five countries; one each from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while 16 journals were from India. Only three journals (15%) are indexed in PubMed, four journals (20%) in Scopus, and one in Web of Science inclusively. Major indexation was only found in the journals from India. The Indian Journal of Psychiatry appears to be the oldest and currently leading mental health journal in the region. Conclusion: The review revealed that South Asia has a noticeable deficit in a high-quality academic research publishing system in psychiatry despite the region holding about a quarter of the global population.Item International collaboration to address the inevitable mental health burden in Sri Lanka in the context of the economic crisis(Elsevier, 2022) Shoib, S.; Rathnayake, L.; Badawy, M.M.; Swed, S.; Saeed, F.; Chandradasa, M.No abstract availableItem Mental health services in Syria: Challenges and opportunities(Elsevier, 2022) Shoib, S.; Swed, S.; Alibrahim, H.; Ezzdean, W.; Almoshantaf, M.B.; Siddiqui, M.F.; Chandradasa, M.No abstract availableItem Suicide in the context of infodemic during COVID-19 pandemic: A global perspective(Elsevier, 2022) Shoib, S.; Armiya'u, A.Y.; Das, N.; Hussaini, S.S.; Ahmed, E.M.S.; Chandradasa, M.Surges of technology use along with limited interpersonal interactions have led to the amplification and dissemination of false information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infodemic refers to an overabundance of information that may have increased burden of covid-19 pandemic and mental disorder. Given the rise of suicide behavior during the pandemic, infodemic has been considered as a risk of suicidal behavior. The aim of this article is to address suicide in the context of infodemic and provide some strategy to adjust the impact of infodemic on mental health.Item Suicide, stigma and COVID-19: A call for action from low and middle income countries(Frontiers Research Foundation,Lausanne, Switzerland, 2022) Shoib, S.; Chandradasa, M.; Saeed, F.; Armiya'u, A.Y.; Roza, T.H.; Ori, D.; Jakhar, J.; Rodrigues-Silva, N.; Banerjee, DSuicide is a global health issue that needs to be addressed. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased mental health burden. Stigma has obstructed efforts to prevent suicide as individuals who need urgent support do not seek appropriate help. The influence of stigma is likely to grow in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic. The stigmatization of persons with mental illnesses is widespread worldwide, and it has substantial effects on both the individual and society. Our viewpoints aim to address the probable link between stigma and suicide in the wake of the current pandemic and propose ideas for reducing suicide-related stigma.Item Mental health services in conflict areas - An experience from Libya(Elsevier, 2022) Shoib, S.; Baiou, A.; Saleem, S.M.; Chandradasa, M.; Gaffaz, R.The Libyan mental health system has long been seen as inefficient and insufficient for the demands of the country. Thousands of Libyans require mental health therapy now more than ever before. Libya's Ministry of Health has worked to improve access to mental health services. Despite international assistance, Libya continues to face issues due to stigma and a shortage of competent psychiatrists. The majority of Libyan individuals are unable to obtain private psychiatric care. This places the burden on the public sector to care for the majority's psychological pain and suffering and this needs to be addressed.