Help-Seeking From Traditional Healers Among Singaporean Older Adults

The objectives were to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of older adults who visit traditional healers as well as identify medical and psychiatric conditions that are associated with visits to the traditional healer. Methods: Data from 2563 older adults who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) population-based survey was used. Sociodemographic information, details on traditional healer visits as well as medical and psychiatric conditions were collated through an adapted 10/66 protocol. Results: A total of 10.4% of older adults sought help from a traditional healer within the past three months. There were significantly more visits to traditional healers by women, those whose highest level of education was primary or secondary school, those who had stomach/intestine problems and those who had anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Traditional healers appear to be a preferred source of help among some older adult groups. Future research should focus on the impact of seeking help from these alternative healthcare providers in terms of clinical outcomes and costs. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 17 (2): July – December 2016: XX XX.

Disability in Singapore's Elderly Population

<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>

Screening for Drinking Problems in the Elderly in Singapore Using the CAGE Questionnaire

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Given that past research on drinking problems has focused primarily on younger samples, the present study sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use among the elderly in Singapore.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>Data were extracted from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study, a cross-sectional, epidemiological survey conducted among a nationally representative sample of Singapore residents (n = 2565) aged 60 years and above. Variables assessed include drinking problems, depression and anxiety symptoms, obesity, smoking status, chronic physical disorders and disability.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The weighted prevalence of drinking problems (CAGE score ≥2) in our sample was 4.2%. Male sex, Indian ethnicity, and being divorced or separated were associated with a significantly higher likelihood of drinking problems. Participants with drinking problems were also more likely to have subthreshold depression. There were no significant differences in disability among those with drinking problems, those without drinking problems and non-drinkers, after adjusting for demographic variables.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings contribute to the body of research that indicates an association between drinking problems and depressive symptoms among the elderly. Thus, screening for depressive symptoms in the elderly with drinking problems may be useful in identifying such comorbidities in order to aid treatment planning.</p>