RESUMO
<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The main aim of the study was to identify the prevalence of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in a sample of youth outpatients attending the state psychiatric hospital in Singapore and to identify the sociodemographic and psychological/clinical risk factors associated with DSH. The secondary aim of the study was to examine if different forms of DSH had distinguishing risk factors.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>A total of 400 outpatients at the Institute of Mental Health completed a self-report survey comprising sociodemographic questions, the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Parental Bonding Instrument and the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale. Logistic regression models were used to test the associations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall prevalence of DSH in our clinical population was 58.8%. Cutting/carving (25.4%) and hitting (20.4%) were the most common forms of DSH in the past 12 months. DSH acts were performed primarily for emotion regulation purposes. The risk factors for DSH in general were younger age group, female gender, abuse history and higher depression scores. Gender and age group were the factors that were differentially associated with cutting and hitting one's self.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There was a high prevalence of DSH in the psychiatric outpatient population. The risk factors identified in this study are consistent with those of international studies which point to their stability across cultures.</p>
RESUMO
<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Disability increases an individual's dependence and negatively impacts their physical, mental, and social functioning. The current study aims to establish the prevalence and risk factors of disability in Singapore's population.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>Data was extracted from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study. This cross-sectional study recruited participants aged 60 years and above (n = 2421) who were representative of Singapore's multiethnic population. We used the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 to assess the severity of disability in our sample while establishing its associations and correlations with cognitive levels, sociodemographic variables, and chronic illness.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Cognitive deficits, old age, female gender, Malay and Indian ethnicity, lack of education, retired or homemaker status, presence of chronic illness (specifically stroke, heart problems, depression, and dementia) were found to be significantly associated with disability in Singapore's elderly population. As hypothesised, participants with deficits in cognition were more likely to indicate higher WHODAS scores.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The findings highlighted specific factors associated with disability in this multiethnic population. The identification of these factors would lead the way to the development of appropriate interventions.</p>