Rafidah Bahari
Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences
Title: What is PTSD? A Research Based Approach in Developing Patient Education Material for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the Malaysian Population.
Biography
Biography: Rafidah Bahari
Abstract
About 7.4% of Malaysians involved in motor vehicle accidents (MVA) develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, these patients rarely present themselves for treatment due to stigma against mental illness and lack of knowledge about the condition. It is then necessary to educate the Malaysian public about PTSD in a way that is relevant and acceptable to them. The aim of this paper is to describe, how a patient education material for PTSD was developed for the Malaysian population. The study was done in three phases. In the first phase, a qualitative study exploring experiences, thoughts and feelings about barriers to presentation was conducted. These findings were translated into a patient leaflet about PTSD and the draft was piloted with three new patients. Feedback was used to improve the leaflet and the final draft was distributed to eight members of the public for a final testing. A total of 20 subjects were involved. Findings from the qualitative study supported the fact that while many had symptoms, they rarely attributed them to PTSD. Many were misinformed about the condition and obtained their information mainly through social media or social contacts. Drafts of the patient leaflet were discussed with patients and non-patients before the final product was obtained. The main content of the leaflet included detailed explanation about the condition and its treatment, as well as psychological, social and spiritual approaches they can use to mediate symptoms in the acute aftermath of the event. The target of this leaflet is patients presenting to emergency departments shortly following their MVA. In conclusion, through this research based process, a patient education material tailored for the Malaysian population was produced. Whether it has any impact in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life for survivors of motor vehicle accidents in Malaysia remains to be seen.
Recent Publications
1. M N A A and Bahari R (2017) The effectiveness of psycho-spiritual therapy among mentally ill patients. Journal of Depression and Anxiety; 6(2): 1-2.
2. Ismail K I, Ismail R and Bahari R (2016) Confirmatory factor analysis of the Malay post-traumatic stress disorder checklist (MPCL-C) among nurses of Kuala Krai Hospital post bah-kuning. Asian Jr. of Microbiol., Biotech. Env. Sc.; 18(4): 883-888.