One of the most common perceptions of people diagnosed with schizophrenia is that they tend to be violent. But how much of that is true and how much do we really understand about what it means to live with a serious mental health disorder? For this episode of Mind Matters, and in conjunction with World Schizophrenia Day, coming up on May 24th, we want to shed some light on this less spoken about mental health disorder and how we can better support people living with schizophrenia in the community. We speak to Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin, Consultant Psychiatrist at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, Lynnette Chai, Licensed & Registered Counsellor, and Missy, who is living with schizophrenia. Dr Amer and Lynnette are also both part of the Care Warriors Association. 

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When you’re walking down the supermarket aisle, what drives you to decide what to buy? Are you ticking items off a list or being tempted by what’s on offer? Do you think about what is a healthier or a cheaper option? Understanding how people make these decisions matters in a society where we’re seeing rising rates of non-communicable diseases, which are partially driven by people’s eating and grocery habits. Here to dive into that is Dr Eric Finkelstein, health economist and Professor of Health Services and Systems Research at the Duke-NUS Medical School.

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How much salt do you consume every day, and how much of that do you think comes from meals that you order or tah pau from coffeeshops and restaurants? And can food vendors change their menus to reflect lower salt usage? To commemorate World Salt Awareness Week from 12-18 May, we speak to Prof Dr Chia Yook Chin, President of the Malaysian Society for World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (MyWASSH), to find out more about an initiative to introduce salt reduction across the Sunway University campus.

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Everything related to healthcare is becoming more expensive today, including medicines, hospital and clinic visits, and insurance premiums. What role do community pharmacies play in helping people get affordable and effective care for their health problems, and are there potential cost savings to the government and other payors in our health system? We speak to Sarah Abdullah, President of the Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild.

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From badminton to swimming or lifting weights in the gym, most exercises require good shoulder strength and mobility. So what happens if you lose that full range of motion? We find out from consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harjeet Singh and consultant sports medicine physician Dr Kamaljeet Singh.

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Many problems in our personal and work relationships stem from conflict and disagreements that have been left unsaid. Licensed counsellor Heeran Kaur joins us to walk you through what happens when conflict is not addressed or resolved, and how to start those conversations with people around you.  

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As part of Dr Siti Laura Mazalan’s job as a congenital and paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, she touches a tiny infant’s beating heart, handling the delicate arteries, veins and valves, in order to treat congenital and acquired heart and chest diseases in children. We speak to Dr Siti Laura about why this vital field in medicine urgently needs to be pursued by young doctors and medical students. 

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Being obese increases your risk for various health complications, and that’s especially true - and more dangerous - when you’re pregnant and overweight. We speak to consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist Dr Vicky Ho to find out how obesity affects women who are trying to start a family as well as the risk that comes with it throughout pregnancy - including on the unborn baby. 

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Once upon a time, growing old meant being surrounded by family members in a multigenerational home. Today, that family has shrunk, and growing old might mean an older person needing long-term institutional or home-based care. While we have a dependable healthcare system that takes care of older adults, our aged care system is less so, with access depending largely on what people can afford. On the Public Health show, we speak to Assoc Prof Dr Rahimah Ibrahim, Director of MyAgeing at Universiti Putra Malaysia, and Dr Ramnan Jeyasingam, CEO and Director of Health Services at Pacific Senior Living, to explore the complexities of financing aged care in Malaysia. 

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For some people, exercising may not lead to obvious results - at least not in the short-term and depending on how you’re working out. This means that some might turn to supplements or performance-enhancing drugs, which may help you achieve the results you want to see but at what cost? We find out why these products can be dangerous and how people can see a difference without resorting to these products from consultant sports medicine physician Dr Arvin Raj. 

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