title: Mental healthcare needs and experiences of LGBT+ individuals in Malaysia: Utility, enablers, and barriers

authors: Ho, Sheau Huey

subjects: LGBT

abstract: Access to mental healthcare is undoubtedly of major importance for LGBT+ people worldwide, given the high prevalence of mental health difficulties due to minority stress exposures. This study drew mixed-method survey data from the community-based KAMI Survey (n = 696) to examine the enablers, barriers, and unmet needs experiences of LGBT+ individuals in accessing mental healthcare services in Malaysia. First, we present findings from a series of descriptive analyses for sociodemographic differences in unmet needs for mental healthcare, barriers, and satisfaction levels with different types of mental healthcare. Next, we conducted an inductive thematic analysis of open-text comments (n = 273), with relevance drawn to Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Healthcare. More than a quarter (29.5%) reported an unmet need for mental healthcare, and some groups (younger, asexual or queer, or participants living in non-major cities) reported higher unmet needs. More than three-fifths (60.5%) reported not knowing where to find culturally safe mental health professionals. The thematic analysis uncovered key contextual (e.g., mental health practitioners’ stance, stigma, collaborative client-care) and individual (e.g., positive expectation of mental health services and anticipated stigma) attributes that influence healthcare experiences. Participants also identified resources that facilitate healthcare utilisation, such as affordability, availability of suitable professionals, and geographical considerations. The implications of our findings for the mental healthcare practices in Malaysia were outlined.

text: Mental healthcare needs and experiences of LGBT+ individuals in Malaysia: Utility, enablers, and barriers Access to mental healthcare is undoubtedly of major importance for LGBT+ people worldwide, given the high prevalence of mental health difficulties due to minority stress exposures. This study drew mixed-method survey data from the community-based KAMI Survey (n = 696) to examine the enablers, barriers, and unmet needs experiences of LGBT+ individuals in accessing mental healthcare services in Malaysia. First, we present findings from a series of descriptive analyses for sociodemographic differences in unmet needs for mental healthcare, barriers, and satisfaction levels with different types of mental healthcare. Next, we conducted an inductive thematic analysis of open-text comments (n = 273), with relevance drawn to Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Healthcare. More than a quarter (29.5%) reported an unmet need for mental healthcare, and some groups (younger, asexual or queer, or participants living in non-major cities) reported higher unmet needs. More than three-fifths (60.5%) reported not knowing where to find culturally safe mental health professionals. The thematic analysis uncovered key contextual (e.g., mental health practitioners’ stance, stigma, collaborative client-care) and individual (e.g., positive expectation of mental health services and anticipated stigma) attributes that influence healthcare experiences. Participants also identified resources that facilitate healthcare utilisation, such as affordability, availability of suitable professionals, and geographical considerations. The implications of our findings for the mental healthcare practices in Malaysia were outlined.

year: 2024-05-13

title: The Further Analysis of Catania's Concept of the Operant

authors: Zhang, Yi

subjects: Catania

abstract: Catania’s theory of the operant incorporated the continuous characteristic of behaviour, where the response distribution follows a normal distribution. That is, most responses fall within the reinforced range, a few responses persisted outside of the reinforced range. Three roosters and three hens were used as the subjects. A continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedule was implemented throughout both experiments of the study. In Experiment 1, the screen was divided into four quadrants. Only one quadrant was active in each condition and the active area shifted to a different quadrant across conditions. Each peck within the active quadrant was considered as a correct response, which results in reinforcement. Each peck outside the active quadrant was considered as an incorrect response, which results in extinction. In Experiment 2, the screen was divided into vertical strips. During Conditions 1 to 8, the consequences for the correct and incorrect responses are the same as Experiment 1. In Condition 9, the consequence for the incorrect responses changed from extinction to punishment (delay to reinforcement). That is, a 3 second red screen was followed with each occurrence of an incorrect response. It was found that the incorrect responses persisted during each condition of the two experiments for most birds. It was also found that most of the hens’ responses were correct responses by the end of each condition in Experiment 2. However, for all birds in Experiment 1 and the roosters in Experiment 2, most responses were not correct by the end of each condition. The findings of Experiment 2 also indicated that the changes in condition length, active area’s size, and consequence of the incorrect responses might have had some influence on the number of incorrect responses. Overall, the findings demonstrated behavioral continuity through exploring the distribution of response proportion when reinforcement was placed on the correct responses, and when extinction or punishment was placed on the incorrect responses. Thus, the study provided some empirical support towards Catania’s concept of the operant.

text: The Further Analysis of Catania's Concept of the Operant Catania’s theory of the operant incorporated the continuous characteristic of behaviour, where the response distribution follows a normal distribution. That is, most responses fall within the reinforced range, a few responses persisted outside of the reinforced range. Three roosters and three hens were used as the subjects. A continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedule was implemented throughout both experiments of the study. In Experiment 1, the screen was divided into four quadrants. Only one quadrant was active in each condition and the active area shifted to a different quadrant across conditions. Each peck within the active quadrant was considered as a correct response, which results in reinforcement. Each peck outside the active quadrant was considered as an incorrect response, which results in extinction. In Experiment 2, the screen was divided into vertical strips. During Conditions 1 to 8, the consequences for the correct and incorrect responses are the same as Experiment 1. In Condition 9, the consequence for the incorrect responses changed from extinction to punishment (delay to reinforcement). That is, a 3 second red screen was followed with each occurrence of an incorrect response. It was found that the incorrect responses persisted during each condition of the two experiments for most birds. It was also found that most of the hens’ responses were correct responses by the end of each condition in Experiment 2. However, for all birds in Experiment 1 and the roosters in Experiment 2, most responses were not correct by the end of each condition. The findings of Experiment 2 also indicated that the changes in condition length, active area’s size, and consequence of the incorrect responses might have had some influence on the number of incorrect responses. Overall, the findings demonstrated behavioral continuity through exploring the distribution of response proportion when reinforcement was placed on the correct responses, and when extinction or punishment was placed on the incorrect responses. Thus, the study provided some empirical support towards Catania’s concept of the operant.

year: 2014

title: Indigenous people with disabilities: The argument for representation in human rights legislation (with specific reference to the development stage of the United Nations International Disability Convention)

authors: Hickey, Huhana

subjects: Tangata whaikaha

abstract: Until comparatively recently, human rights legislation was largely based on a universalist analysis. In treating all human beings alike, in failing to acknowledge the need for special measures to combat the marginalisation and oppression of particular groups, such as indigenous people and people with disabilities, it actually contributed to their invisibility and, hence, to their marginalisation and oppression. More recently, however, there has been a global trend towards the recognition of marginalised groups in human rights legislation. Even so, universalism, and the prejudice that so often accompanies it, is still in evidence. For example, although the United Nations is currently involved in drafting a Disabled Persons Convention, indigenous people with disabilities are not specifically represented. Their particular situation, one that involves a dual form of oppression (as indigenous people and as people with disabilities) is not acknowledged. Unless this situation is remedied, the Convention will inevitably be both less acceptable and less useful than would otherwise be the case.

text: Indigenous people with disabilities: The argument for representation in human rights legislation (with specific reference to the development stage of the United Nations International Disability Convention) Until comparatively recently, human rights legislation was largely based on a universalist analysis. In treating all human beings alike, in failing to acknowledge the need for special measures to combat the marginalisation and oppression of particular groups, such as indigenous people and people with disabilities, it actually contributed to their invisibility and, hence, to their marginalisation and oppression. More recently, however, there has been a global trend towards the recognition of marginalised groups in human rights legislation. Even so, universalism, and the prejudice that so often accompanies it, is still in evidence. For example, although the United Nations is currently involved in drafting a Disabled Persons Convention, indigenous people with disabilities are not specifically represented. Their particular situation, one that involves a dual form of oppression (as indigenous people and as people with disabilities) is not acknowledged. Unless this situation is remedied, the Convention will inevitably be both less acceptable and less useful than would otherwise be the case.

year: 2005-09