Mental Health and Aging
Our Mental Health and Aging research focuses on the wellbeing, cognitive health, and quality of life of aging populations in Sri Lanka. These publications explore mental health, dementia, depression, healthy aging, caregiving, and social determinants of health to support evidence-based approaches that improve the lives of older adults and their communities.
Abstracts
1. Perera, B., Fernando, N., Wickramarachchi, B., Perera, R., Ostbye, T. and Maselko, J. (2014a). Correlates of cognitive impairment among the Sri Lankan elderly. 12th Global Conference on Aging.
2. Perera, B., Fernando, N., Wickramarachchi, B., Perera, R., Ostbye, T. and Maselko, J. (2014b). Prevalence of and factors associated with non-communicable diseases in the elderly in Sri Lanka. 12th Global Conference on Aging.
3. Perera, B., Watt, M., Ostbye, T., Rajapakse, H., Ranabahu, S. and Maselko, J. (2013). Perceptions of Successful Ageing in Sri Lankan Older People: a Qualitative Study. International Union for Health Promotion and Education.
4. Perera, B. and Ostbye, T. (2012). Motivators and De-motivators of Smoking Behavior among Sri Lankans. 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health.
5. Perera, B., Ranabahu, S., Wickramarachchi, B., Ostbye, T. and Maselko, J. (2012). Perceived Social support, distress and suicidal ideation among elders in Sri Lanka. International Congress on gerontology and Geriatric Medicine.
6. Rajapakse, H. (2012). Perceptions and beliefs of elders and caregivers surrounding depression in the elderly in Southern Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan College of Psychiatrists Annual Academic Sessions.
7. Melissa, H.W., Perera, B., Ostbye, T., Rajapakse, H., Ranabahu, S. and Maselko, J. (2012). Care-giving expectations and challenges among elders and their adult children in Southern Sri Lanka. APHA 2012 Annual Meeting, San Francisco.
8. Lombardo, S., Beaudry, L., Grad, J., Perera, B., Maselko, J. and Østbye, T. (2011). Use of and Attitudes Toward Tobacco and Alcohol Among Adults in Southern Sri Lanka. Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC), 2011 Global Health Conference: Advancing Health in the 21st Century.
Manuscripts
Perera, B., Watt, M., Ostbye, T., Rajapakse, H., Ranabahu, S., & Maselko, J. (2015). Perceptions of successful ageing in Sri Lankan older people: A qualitative study. Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Press. https://doi.org/10.17615/tjfk-4y98
Landry, Michel D1,2,; Raman, Sudha R3; Harris, Elise1; Madison, Layla1; Parekh, Meera1; Banks, Cecile1; Bhatti, Huda1; Wijesinghe, Champa4. Exploring the factors that influence the perceptions of disability: a qualitative study of mothers of children with disabilities at a community-based rehabilitation centre in Sri Lanka. WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health 4(2):p 150-158, Jul–Dec 2015. | DOI: 10.4103/2224-3151.206684
Wijesinghe, C.J., Cunningham, N., Fonseka, P., Hewage, C.G. and Østbye, T., 2015. Factors associated with caregiver burden among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Sri Lanka. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(1), pp.85-95. DOI: 10.1177/1010539514548756.
Maselko, J., Sebranek, M., Mun, M.H., Perera, B., Ahs, J. and Østbye, T. , 2014. Contribution of generative leisure activities to cognitive function in elderly Sri Lankan adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(9), pp.1707-1713. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12985.
Ukegbu, U., Maselko, J., Malhotra, R., Perera, B. and Østbye, T., 2014. Correlates of hand grip strength and activities of daily living in elderly Sri Lankans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(9), p.1800. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.13000.
Pamela J. Buck, Truls Østbye, Clive J. Robins, Bilesha Perera, Joanna Maselko., 2014. Association of Frequency of Religious Activities, Self-Rated Physical and Mental Health: Findings from a Population-based Study in Sri Lanka. Religion and Health.
Watt Mh, Perera B, Østbye T, Ranabahu S, Rajapakse H, Maselko J. Care-giving expectations and challenges among elders and their adult children in Southern Sri Lanka. Ageing and Society. 2014;34(5):838-858. doi:10.1017/S0144686X12001365
Lombardo, S., Perera, B., Beaudry, L., Grad, J., Maselko, J., & Ostbye, T. (2013). Use of and attitudes toward tobacco and alcohol among adults in southern Sri Lanka. The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health, 44(5), 880–899. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4169263/
Fernando, N., Perera, B., Fernando, N., Gunawardana, M. and Østbye, T., 2009. Factors associated with sexual behavior among Sri Lankan adolescents. Galle Medical Journal, 14(1). DOI: 10.4038/gmj.v14i1.1172
Perera, B., Østbye, T., & Jayawardana, C. (2009). Neighborhood Environment and Self-Rated Health among Adults in Southern Sri Lanka. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 6(8), 2102-2112. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph6082102
Perera, B., Østbye, T., Ariyananda, P.L. and Lelwala, E.,2009. Prevalence and correlates of physical and emotional abuse among late adolescents. Ceylon medical journal, 54(1). DOI: 10.4038/cmj.v54i1.466
Perera,, Bilesha and Østbye,, Truls. "Prevalence and correlates of sexual abuse reported by late adolescent school children in Sri Lanka" International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 203-212. https://doi.org/10.1515/IJAMH.2009.21.2.203
Perera, B., Østbye, T., Fernando, N., Abeygunawardena, V., Ariyananda, P.L. and Woods, C.,2009. Health and health behaviour among late adolescents in Southern Sri Lanka. Galle Medical Journal,12(1). DOI: 10.4038/gmj.v12i1.1079
Østbye, MD, PhD, Truls, et al. “The Impact of the Tsunami on Hospitalzations at the Tertiary Care Hospital in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, vol. 3, no. 3, May 2008, pp. 147-55, doi:10.5055/ajdm.2008.0020.