PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Hector W H Tsang

Publications and source records attributed to Hector W H Tsang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Chinese version of the Assessment of Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills.

The study consisted of three phases. In the first phase, we translated the Assessment of Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills (AIPSS) from English to Chinese (CAIPSS), studied the Chinese version's cultural relevance and re-edited the film. A qualified translator translated the package from English to Chinese. Another independent qualified translator backward-translated the materials. An expert panel with 14 experienced clinicians was formed to assess the cultural relevancy of the package. All of them stated that the Chinese version was more culturally relevant. Given the preceding, a culturally relevant CAIPSS was finally developed for use by Hong Kong clinicians. The second phase was to evaluate the reliability of the CAIPSS. Some 30 participants (16 males, 14 females) with schizophrenia were recruited for this study. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability were studied. Results indicated good to excellent internal consistency, excellent inter-rater reliability, and good test-retest reliability. The third phase was the study of convergent validity with another group of 30 participants (13 males, 17 females) with schizophrenia. Results show that CAIPSS had good convergent validity with scales measuring similar constructs. To conclude, this assessment package is user-friendly with good psychometric properties. Local clinicians should feel comfortable using it as an integral part of their daily practice to examine their client's social skills.

Adult↗

Effect of a qigong exercise programme on elderly with depression.

OBJECTIVES: This report released findings of a randomized controlled trial conducted in Hong Kong to further our understanding of the psychosocial effects of qigong on elderly persons with depression. DESIGN: Eighty-two participants with a diagnosis of depression or obvious features of depression were recruited and randomly assigned into the intervention and comparison group. The intervention group was given a 16-week period of Qigong practice while the comparison group participated in a newspaper reading group with same duration and frequency. RESULTS: After eight weeks of qigong practice, the intervention group participants outstripped themselves in improvement in mood, self-efficacy and personal well being, and physical and social domains of self-concept when compared with comparison subjects. After 16 weeks of practice, the improvement generalized to the daily task domain of the self-concept. CONCLUSIONS: This report shows that regular qigong practice could relieve depression, improve self-efficacy and personal well being among elderly persons with chronic physical illness and depression.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Job termination among individuals with severe mental illness participating in a supported employment program.

This study, which explored job terminations among 60 individuals with severe mental illness participating in a supported employment program in Hong Kong, used the Chinese Job Termination Interview that was validated and translated from the Job Termination Interview (JTI; Becker, Drake, Bond et al., 1988). More than half of the job terminations (53%) were unsatisfactory which included dissatisfaction with job (44%) and lack of interest (22%). Modification of work schedules and provision of adequate supervision and coaching at the workplace were identified as necessary job accommodations. Similarities and differences of findings were compared with overseas studies. Possible improvement of current supported employment program was discussed.

Adolescent↗

Factor structure of essential social skills to be salespersons in retail market: implications for psychiatric rehabilitation.

This study continued the effort to apply social skills training to increase vocational outcomes of people with severe mental illness. We planned to identify factor structure of essential social skills necessary for mental health consumers who have a vocational preference to work as salesperson in retail market. Exploratory factor analysis of the results of a 26-item questionnaire survey suggested a five-factor solution: social skills when interacting with customers, problem-solving skills, knowledge and attitudes, flexibility, and skills for conflict prevention, which accounted for 65.1% of the total variance. With the factor solution, we developed a job-specific social skills training program (JSST) to help consumers who want to be salespersons. The structure and session design followed the basic format of a typical social skills training program. The way this JSST is to be used with the work-related social skills training model previously developed by the corresponding author to produce better vocational outcomes of consumers is suggested.

Adult↗

Reliability of the Chinese version of the perceived family burden scale.

The study examined reliability of the 24-item Chinese version of the perceived family burden scale (CPFBS), which is a measure of behaviors associated with Chinese people with schizophrenia and the impacts of these behaviors on caregivers and relatives. Many patients with mental illness are returning to the community and living with families. Unfortunately, family members who have to live with the patients experience a sense of burden. The CPFBS is able to measure the perceived burden of the family, which enables therapists to formulate the most appropriate family intervention for them. The CPFBS was translated and culturally adapted from the English version. Some 21 main caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia were asked to rate the items on the scale by a competent administrator through a telephone interview (this was carried out twice, with 1 day between each interview). The results showed that CPFBS had high internal consistency (alpha=0.85) and acceptable test-retest reliability (r=0.86). We suggest that the CPFBS is ready to be used by clinicians and researchers in the study on family burden of individuals with schizophrenia in Hong Kong and in Chinese communities in other countries.

Adolescent↗

Development and validation of the Chinese Version of Indiana Job Satisfaction Scale (CV-IJSS) for people with mental illness.

Job satisfaction has been increasingly regarded as an important outcome of vocational rehabilitation programs among people with mental illness. Chinese measures of job satisfaction for individuals with mental illness are however extremely scarce. The aim of this study was to translate the 32-item Indiana Job Satisfaction Scale to Chinese. By means of the expert panel method, the culturally relevant 28-item Chinese Version of Indiana Job Satisfaction Scale (CV-IJSS) was then finalized. A validation study among a group of 125 individuals with mental illness showed that the scale had acceptable psychometric properties. Coefficient alpha of the total score was 0.81 with subscales ranging from 0.63 to 0.87. Test re-test reliability as measured by ICC was 0.77 for the total score and ranged from 0.54 to 0.72 for the subscales. Factorial analysis yielded a four factor solution (general satisfaction, job ambiguity and stress, advancement and security, and job recognition) accounting for 44% of the total variance. The factor solution had similarities as well as differences when compared with the Indiana Job Satisfaction Scale. The differences are discussed in the light of cultural differences. Relationship between scores of CV-IJSS and work performance, quality of life and self-esteem was positive in general which may act as evidence to its concurrent validity. The Chinese Version of Indiana Job Satisfaction Scale is ready for use by rehabilitation professionals to assess vocational rehabilitation outcome for individuals with mental illness in Hong Kong and other Chinese societies. Directions for further studies are suggested.

Adult↗

Preliminary evidence for the basis of self-concept in Chinese people with mental illness.

METHOD: The Adult Source of Self-Esteem Inventory (ASSEI) (A.C. Elovson and J.S. Fleming, unpublished manuscript. California: California State University, 1989), open-ended questions on self-evaluation, and interviewing were adopted as the major procedures for identifying the sources and basis of the self-concepts of people with mental illness. One hundred and twenty three Hong Kong Chinese adults with mental illness participated in this study. RESULTS: From the results, the basis of the self-concepts of people with mental illness was explored and compared through probing, comparing, and contrasting their perceptions of different aspects of life. A hierarchical multidimensional self-concept model of the population with mental illness was thus suggested. This model includes five major self-concept factors, named as interpersonal relationship, social integrity, personal competency, personal quality, and external achievement. The self-concept of people with mental illness was also compared to that of people without mental illness. This paper discusses the implications of the findings for psychiatric rehabilitation practice for people with mental illness.

Adolescent↗

Validation of the Chinese general self-efficacy scale among individuals with schizophrenia in Hong Kong.

The concept of self-efficacy has recently produced considerable interest among mental illness researchers. Self-efficacy was found to be associated with the number of hospitalizations, social adjustment, rehabilitation outcome, and levels of positive symptoms among individuals with schizophrenia. Given its escalating importance in psychiatric rehabilitation, a scale to assess self-efficacy with established psychometric properties is urgently needed. Validated scales that measure self-efficacy of Chinese with severe mental illness are however extremely limited. The Chinese General Self-efficacy Scale (CGSS) was generic in design and had not been validated for use with people with mental illness. The purpose of this study is to examine psychometric properties of CGSS for use among persons with schizophrenia in Chinese societies. The content validity of items was endorsed by a panel of 8 rehabilitation professionals with 75% to 100% of agreement. The scale was tested in sample of 78 individuals with schizophrenia and found to have excellent internal consistency (0.92-0.93) and very good to excellent test re-test reliability (0.75-0.94). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution explaining 69.0% of variance which was different from overseas studies which showed the scale to be unidimensional. The scale was concluded to be reliable and valid to assess self-efficacy of Chinese with schizophrenia. Potential uses of this scale were suggested.

Adult↗

The effect of Qigong on general and psychosocial health of elderly with chronic physical illnesses: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Based on the model by Tsang et al. (2002) which summarized the etiological factors and consequences of depression in elderly with chronic physical illnesses, a randomized clinical trial of a special form of Qigong (The Eight Section Brocades) was conducted to assess if it improved the biopsychosocial health of participants. DESIGN: 50 geriatric patients in sub-acute stage of chronic physical illnesses were recruited and randomly assigned into the intervention and control group. The intervention group was given a 12-week period of Qigong practice while the control group was given traditional remedial rehabilitation activities. RESULTS: The intervention group participants expressed improvement in physical health, ADL, psychological health, social relationship, and health in general as reflected by scores of the Perceived Benefit Questionnaire and informal feedback. CONCLUSION: Although results are not significant in the generalization measures, it may be due to small effect size, small sample size, and short intervention period. Although not all of the hypotheses are supported, this report shows that Qigong (the Eight Section Brocades) is promising as an alternative intervention for elderly with chronic physical illness to improve their biopsychosocial health. More systematic evaluation with larger sample size and longer period of intervention is now underway in Hong Kong. Results will be reported once available.

Aged↗

Sources of burdens on families of individuals with mental illness.

Families of individuals with mental illness face a range of practical and emotional stresses. Studies that have addressed the sources of these burdens are limited. Literature suggests that burdens could come from the stigmatizing attitudes towards individuals with mental illness and inadequate public resources. Nevertheless, how public attitudes and availability of public resources have affected the burden on patients' families remains to be studied. This study set out to explore the relationship between stigma, accessibility of mental health facilities and family burden through individual interviews of patients' relatives in order to understand the burden on mentally ill patients' relatives from their perspectives. Ten interviewees from two out-patient psychiatric clinics were recruited and interviewed. Each interviewee had at least one family member receiving out-patient psychiatric services. Altogether 11 mentally ill patients were involved. Data analyses showed that much of the burden was related to stigma and to lack of mental health and rehabilitation services. Consequences included social isolation of the families, difficulties experienced by the mentally ill patients when trying to obtain competitive employment and financial difficulties. Subjective burden resulting from social stigma included frustration, anxiety, low self-esteem and helplessness. Implications of the findings to social policy and development of mental health services were discussed.

Adolescent↗

Qigong as a psychosocial intervention for depressed elderly with chronic physical illnesses.

Literature uncovers that depression is common in elderly people. The problem is more serious in elderly with chronic physical illnesses. Although the relationship between physical problems and depression is well documented, the underlying mechanism is basically unknown. This article proposed after a comprehensive literature review that depression in elderly with chronic physical illnesses results from disability and a reduction in psychosocial resources. If depression is left untreated, suicide may be a consequence. In view of this, various forms of psychosocial interventions are developed based on mainstream western medicine. The authors argue that qigong, a form of Chinese therapeutics, has the effect of alleviating clinical depression and thus improves quality of life. A simple form of dynamic qigong, namely the Eight-Section Brocades, is suggested to serve the purpose. A theory which explains the psychosocial effect of qigong is hypothesized.

Aged↗

Job profiles of people with severe mental illness: implications for rehabilitation.

Employment history is known to be a consistent predictor of vocational functioning of people with mental illness. A review of the literature, however, shows that studies that describe the employment pattern of those with psychiatric disabilities are limited. This study aimed to explore the employment histories and job profiles of people with severe mental illness in the Special Administrative Region of the Chinese Mainland: Hong Kong. The participants consisted of 64 patients (46 men and 18 women) recruited from two mental hospitals. A specially designed and validated instrument (work history record sheet) was used to collect data including medical history, educational and training background and employment information of the participants for the past 5 years. Some results were consistent with previous findings. All participants had a work history and had roughly 2 years of employment in a job; most of the jobs were in low-wage and low-prestige positions. In addition, interpersonal competence was of paramount importance for getting and keeping jobs. Some findings are different from earlier studies. For instance, most of the jobs were full time. The ways that people secured their jobs were not the same as in Western studies. Possible cultural differences leading to different findings and implications for rehabilitation services are discussed.

Adult↗

Psychosocial treatment compliance scale for people with psychotic disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Psychosocial treatment compliance is essential for effective treatment outcomes. A psychometrically valid compliance scale is required for identifying possible obstacles causing treatment non-compliance and testing the effectiveness of compliance therapy. This study developed a scale to measure psychosocial treatment compliance of people with psychotic disorders and established its psychometric properties. METHOD: An initial item pool was generated by literature review and contacts with psychiatric professionals. The content validity and cultural relevancy of this scale were examined by experienced researchers, mental health professionals and mental health consumers which resulted in the 17-item Psychosocial Treatment Compliance Scale (PTCS). Some 108 adults with a DSM-IV diagnosis of psychosis verified by certified psychiatrists were recruited from mental hospitals and social service settings in Hong Kong. Self-stigma, self-esteem, self-efficacy, insight and attitudes to medication of the participants were measured by relevant assessment instruments through interviews. Case therapists then filled in the PTCS and recorded their demographic data. SPSS version 11.0 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution (participation and attendance) accounting for 70.74% of the variance. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were 0.90 and 0.96, respectively, for 'participation'; and 0.86 and 0.87, respectively, for 'attendance'. Its convergent validity was supported by the correlational relationships with measures on self-stigma, self-esteem, self-efficacy, insight and attitudes to medication. CONCLUSION: PTCS is a reliable and valid scale which may be used to measure the compliance to psychosocial treatment of people with psychotic disorders.

Adult↗