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Given that the number of children and young people needing care keeps rising and fewer people are becoming foster carers, efforts to support carers and workers in foster caring are essential. This paper considers the experiences of carers and foster care agency workers involved in Australia's piloting of the Mockingbird Family. With a view understanding experience, data were collected via focus groups with carers and agency workers (n = 20) involved in piloting, implementation and evaluation. Deductive analysis applied the theory of experience to generate understanding of experience, as both intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions to capture strengths in the Mockingbird Family's foster caring networks. These dimensions of experience included collective passions of carers and workers; experiential change over time; collective experiences as a moving force; and experiences as transformational. Understanding of experience associated with the perceived strengths of the Mockingbird Family, including strategies to promote strong professional relationships between carers and workers, is an important element in strengthening environments of children and young people in care. Safe and stable environments are crucial for wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the experiences of teaching undergraduate psychology students in an Australian context. The degree course the students take has no community or critical units, but it is one of very few in Australia that has a compulsory standalone unit in qualitative methods. While qualitative methods are by no means necessarily inherently critical or community focused, it has presented an opportunity to the teachers of the unit (the authors of this paper). The authors of this paper, who employ community critical methodologies in their research, aim to design teaching which is also grounded in such theory, wherever possible and despite significant limitations. Such teaching is informed by: challenging taken for granted assumptions; deconstruction and problem posing; making things uncomfortable; and relating differently. The paper describes a design of teaching where all the students undertake research projects exploring the research question: "what does psychology offer community?" Following a description of the methodologies and teaching practices, the authors reflect subjectively on their experiences working with the students, on opportunities which arose and on structural boundaries which appear to make community critical methodologies in university teaching very difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As treatment improves, people living with HIV (PLWHIV) can now expect to live longer, which means that the foci of HIV‐related care for them and their medical practitioners continue to change. With an increasingly older cohort of patients with HIV infection, practitioners’ key considerations are shifting from issues of acute treatment and patient survival to multiple comorbidities, toxicities associated with chronic therapy, and ongoing health maintenance. Within this context, this paper explores the current standard of practice for the management of HIV infection in Australia. We surveyed 56 Australian practitioners currently involved in managing HIV infection: ‘HIV section 100’ (HIV therapy‐prescribing) general practitioners (s100 GPs; n = 26), sexual health physicians (SHPs; n = 24) and hospital‐based physicians (HBPs; n = 6). Survey results for practice approaches and challenges were broadly consistent across the three practitioner specialties, apart from a few key areas. s100 GPs reported less prophylaxis use among patients whom they deemed at risk of HIV infection in comparison with SHPs, which may reflect differences in patient populations. Further, a higher proportion of s100 GPs nominated older HIV treatment regimens as their preferred therapy choices compared with the other specialties. In contrast with SHPs, s100 GPs were less likely to switch HIV therapies to simplify the treatment protocol, and to immediately initiate treatment upon patient request in those newly diagnosed with HIV infection. Considerably lower levels of satisfaction with current HIV practice guidelines were also reported by s100 GPs. It appears that greater support for s100 GPs may be needed to address these identified challenges and enhance approaches to HIV practice. Across all specialties, increasing access to mental health services for patients with HIV infection was reported as a key management issue. A renewed focus on providing improved mental health and wellbeing supports is recommended, particularly in the face of an ageing HIV‐infected population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia the movement toward evidence based practice was supported by the first National Mental Health Strategy. For mental health clinicians the shift from evaluating process to outcome measurement also brought greater focus on specific disorders and targeted interventions, raising questions about the efficacy and effectiveness of treatment. The gap between research and practice is well documented, and has engendered much debate particularly in regard to empirically supported treatments ( ESTs) and the technologies to widely disseminate practice whilst supporting treatment adherence. In this paper we first, describe the Attachment Based Family Therapy ( ABFT) model before giving consideration to the criticisms of ESTs, and reviewing the dissemination of ABFT in Australia, and the perspectives of Australian clinicians in respect to the model and its relevance to their practice. Finally, we turn to the mission of this Special Issue which is to increase the awareness of ABFT primarily amongst practicing clinicians as we introduce the selected papers that demonstrate the application of the model to a variety of clinical presentations, and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the period 1930-46, drought and wind erosion turned parts of the US and Australia into dust bowls. While the US events are well studied, historical research on similar processes in Australia is less abundant. The first part of the paper focusses on the transnational transfer of soil conservation policy and science from the US to Australia, claiming it stimulated the diffusion of an ecological conservationist's conscience within the wider Australian society. The dust storm years were therefore a key period for the evolution of ecological thought and environmental ethics in Australia. Taking the example of four key figures of Australia's conservation movement of the 1960s and later, the second part of the paper shows intellectual continuities between these precursors and the later conservation movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Suicide among nursing home residents is a growing public health concern, currently lacking in empirical research. This study aims to describe the frequency and nature of suicide among nursing home residents in Australia.Methods: This research comprised a national population-based retrospective analysis of suicide deaths among nursing home residents in Australia reported to the Coroner between July 2000 and December 2013. Cases were identified using the National Coronial Information System, and data collected from paper-based coroners' records on individual, incident, and organizational factors, as well as details of the medico-legal death investigation. Data analysis comprised univariate and bivariate descriptive statistical techniques; ecological analysis of incidence rates using population denominators; and comparison of age and sex of suicide cases to deaths from other causes using logistic regression.Results: The study identified 141 suicides among nursing home residents, occurring at a rate of 0.02 deaths per 100 000 resident bed days. The ratio of deaths from suicide to deaths from any other cause was higher in males than females (OR = 3.56, 95%CI = 2.48-5.12, P = <0.001). Over half of the residents who died from suicide had a diagnosis of depression (n = 93, 66.0%) and had resided in the nursing home for less than 12 months (n = 71, 50.3%). Common major life stressors identified in suicide cases included the following: health deterioration (n = 112, 79.4%); isolation and loneliness (n = 60, 42.6%); and maladjustment to nursing home life (n = 42, 29.8%).Conclusions: This research provides a foundational understanding of suicide among nursing home residents in Australia and contributes important new information to the international knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe health-related quality of life of Australian children and adolescents with Down syndrome and compare it with norm-referenced data.Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with parents of 75 children and adolescents (43 males, 32 females) with Down syndrome aged 5 to 18 years (mean age 13y 2mo, SD 4y 8mo). The proxy-report KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire was administered and five dimensions of health-related quality of life were measured. Data were analysed descriptively and compared with normative data.Results: Total group mean scores for psychological well-being, autonomy and parent relation, and school environment dimensions were within normal threshold values, whereas mean scores for physical well-being, and social support and peers dimensions, were poorer. For participants with Down syndrome aged 8 to 18 years, the difference with normative data for proxy-reported physical well-being, psychological well-being, and social support and peers dimensions favoured typically developing children. Adolescents (13-18y) with Down syndrome scored poorer on all dimensions than children (5-12y) with Down syndrome.Interpretation: Our findings assist a better understanding of the lived experiences of children and adolescents with Down syndrome, as perceived by their parents, and suggest aspects of health that could be influenced to optimize their quality of life.What This Paper Adds: Proxy-reported psychological well-being and autonomy were within the normal range for children with Down syndrome. Physical well-being and social support scores were significantly lower than normative data. Proxy-reported scores for adolescents with Down syndrome were consistently poorer than for children with Down syndrome and the differences were clinically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine whether intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy improves performance and performance satisfaction in goal areas identified by patients' parents.Method: This study formed part of an ongoing multicentre national audit involving six paediatric ITB pump implant centres across Australia. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was the primary outcome measure utilized at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months after pump implants in paediatric patients receiving ITB therapy for the first time between 31st December 2009 and 31st December 2014.Results: Twenty-five children had goals identified (mean age 11y 1mo), 19 had a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and 22 were at Gross Motor Function Classification System level IV, V, or equivalent. Strong evidence for an improvement in goal performance (2.33, 95% CI 1.70, 2.96, p<0.001) and performance satisfaction scores (3.08, 95% CI 2.28, 3.88, p<0.001) were demonstrated at 6 months, compared to baseline. The differences were clinically significant and were sustained to 12 months.Interpretation: ITB therapy in paediatric patients with hypertonia results in clinically significant improvements in average performance and performance satisfaction scores.What This Paper Adds: The most commonly identified goals of parents of children treated with intrathecal (ITB) therapy were: improving ease of dressing, positioning, and transfers. ITB therapy is effective in improving performance and performance satisfaction in children with hypertonia. Score improvements are mainly evident within the first 6 months of therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify a cohort of children with cerebral palsy (CP) from hospital data; determine the proportion that participated in standardized educational testing and attained a score within the normal range; and describe the relationship between test results and motor symptoms.Method: This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from New South Wales, Australia. We linked hospital data for children younger than 16 years of age admitted between 1st July 2000 and 31st March 2014 to education data from 2009 to 2014. Hospital diagnosis codes were used to identify a cohort of children with CP (n=3944) and describe their motor symptoms. Educational outcomes in the CP cohort were compared with those among children without CP.Results: Of those with educational data (n=1770), 46% were exempt from reading assessment because of intellectual or functional disability, 7% were absent or withdrawn from testing and 47% participated in testing. About 30% of all children with educational data had test scores in the normal range. The proportion was greatest among those with hemiplegia (>40%) and lowest among those with tetraplegia (<10%).Interpretation: One-third of children with CP participated in standardized testing and achieved a result in the normal range. The proportions were lower in children with more severe motor symptoms.What This Paper Adds: From 2009 to 2014, most Australian children with cerebral palsy (CP) attended a mainstream school. The rate of disability-related exemption from standardized educational testing was almost 50%. Thirty per cent of children with CP achieved educational scores in the normal range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are common and frequently co-occur with mood and anxiety disorders. This paper provides a detailed analysis of patterns, prevalence and correlates of mood and anxiety disorders among those with a (i) pure SUD; (ii) SUD plus a mood or anxiety disorder (SUDs + 1); and (iii) SUD plus a mood and anxiety disorder (SUDs + 2).Design and Methods: Data came from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing; a nationally representative household survey of 8841 Australians aged 16-85 years.Results: The 12-month prevalence of SUDs was 5.1%. Of those with a 12-month SUD, 65% met the criteria for pure SUDs, 19% for SUDs + 1 and 16% for SUDs + 2. Major depression was the most common mood disorder in both comorbid groups. One-third of SUDs + 1 experienced social phobia, while over half of SUDs + 2 experienced generalised anxiety disorder. Compared with pure SUDs, SUDs + 1 experienced two times more and SUDs + 2 experienced over four times more days out of role in the preceding 30 days. Both comorbid groups were more likely to experience severe levels of impairment. SUDs + 2 were over 18 times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts in the same year. SUDs + 1 were over three times and SUDs + 2 were over 10 times more likely to have had one or more consultations with a health professional in the previous year.Discussions and Conclusions: These findings highlight the complexities inherent with responding to and treating multiple comorbidities among substance users and emphasise the need for coordinated, cohesive responses from drug and alcohol treatment services.[Prior K, Mills K, Ross J, Teesson M. Substance use disorders comorbid with mood and anxiety disorders in the Australian general population. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:317-324]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As uptake of cervical screening continues to decline, this systematic review synthesises the qualitative literature on women's perceptions and experiences of cervical screening in the context of an organised call-recall programme, in order to understand the barriers to informed uptake.Methods: We searched nine databases for English language peer-reviewed publications reporting on qualitative data from screening-eligible women, exploring barriers to cervical screening in countries that offer a nationally organised call-recall programme. Evidence was integrated using thematic synthesis.Results: Thirty-nine papers from the UK, Australia, Sweden and Korea were included. The majority of participants had attended screening at least once. Two broad themes were identified: (a) should I go for screening? and (b) screening is a big deal. In considering whether to attend, women discussed the personal relevance and value of screening. Women who had previously attended described how it was a big deal, physically and emotionally, and the varied threats that screening presents. Practical barriers affected whether women translated screening intentions into action.Conclusions: The variation in women's understanding and perceptions of cervical screening suggests that interventions tailored to decisional stage may be of value in increasing engagement with the invitation and uptake of screening in those who wish to take part. There is also a need for further research with women who have never attended screening, especially those who remain unaware or unengaged, as their perspectives are lacking in the existing literature. © 2016 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The limited efficacy of treatments for eating disorders has been well documented. Yet few studies have explored patients’ views about recovery or how culturally dominant ideas might be implicated in recovery or failure to recover. Aims: This paper explores how ‘self’, ‘eating disorders’ and ‘recovery’ are discursively constructed in patients’ accounts of their treatment experiences. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 participants, hospitalised, either in Britain or Australia, for anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia. Participants were asked to discuss past and present treatment experiences and their views on their recovery and future. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively using a discourse analytic methodology. Results: Participants frequently construed their eating disorder in very negative ways whilst recovery was often positively construed as, for example, entailing happiness, freedom from fear and the ability to live a fuller life. However, many, though not all, participants also talked about recovery as hard or impossible to imagine for themselves. Discussion: The paper explores how both the imagining and the seeming inability to imagine their own recovery can be understood in relation to participants’ self-constructions and to culturally dominant notions of personhood and eating disorders. The implications of the analysis for therapeutic interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of emotional labour describes the management of emotions as part of everyday work performance. Much of the research in this field has been in relation to jobs in the service sector where (mostly female) employees are required to shape their own feelings in order to make customers or clients feel at ease, comfortable or happy. There has been relatively little attention paid to the importance of emotional labour in professional occupations. This paper examines the emotional labour of magistrates in court. Magistrates must often regulate their own emotions and those of some court users, many of whom are not legally represented and who express a variety of emotions, including anger and distress, and experience social problems that may elicit emotions or emotional responses from the magistrate. The paper reports findings from interviews with over 40 magistrates throughout Australia and begins to address the significance of emotional labour for this branch of the judiciary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This discussion paper identifies and examines several tensions inherent in traditional approaches to understanding older people's suicide. Predicted future increases in the absolute number of elderly suicides are subject to careful interpretation due to the underreporting of suicides in older age groups. Furthermore, a significant number of studies of older people's death by suicide examine risk factors or a combination of risk factors in retrospect only, while current approaches to suicide prevention in the elderly place disproportionate emphasis on the identification and treatment of depression. Taken together, such tensions give rise to a monologic view of research and practice, ultimately limiting our potential for understanding older people's experience of suicide and suicidal behaviour. New approaches are necessary if we are to move beyond the current narrow focus that prevails. Fresh thinking, which draws on older people's experience of attempting to die by suicide, might offer critical insight into socially-constructed meanings attributed to suicide and suicidal behaviour by older people. Specifically, identification through research into the protective mechanisms that are relevant and available to older people who have been suicidal is urgently needed to effectively guide mental health nurses and health-care professionals in therapeutic engagement and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of primary midwife-led care ('caseload midwifery') on women's experiences of childbirth.Design: Randomised controlled trial.Setting: Tertiary care women's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.Population: A total of 2314 low-risk pregnant women.Methods: Women randomised to caseload care received antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care from a primary midwife, with some care provided by a 'back-up' midwife. Women in standard care received midwifery-led care with varying levels of continuity, junior obstetric care or community-based medical care.Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome of the study was caesarean section. This paper presents a secondary outcome, women's experience of childbirth. Women's views and experiences were sought using seven-point rating scales via postal questionnaires 2 months after the birth.Results: A total of 2314 women were randomised between September 2007 and June 2010; 1156 to caseload and 1158 to standard care. Response rates to the follow-up questionnaire were 88 and 74%, respectively. Women in the caseload group were more positive about their overall birth experience than women in the standard care group (adjusted odds ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.22-1.84). They also felt more in control during labour, were more proud of themselves, less anxious, and more likely to have a positive experience of pain.Conclusions: Compared with standard maternity care, caseload midwifery may improve women's experiences of childbirth.Tweetable Abstract: Primary midwife-led care ('caseload midwifery') improves women's experiences of childbirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and practices of Australian general practitioners (GPs) regarding infant gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) diagnosis and management.Methods: A national cross-sectional survey, involving a random sample of currently practising Australian GPs (n = 2319) was undertaken between July and September 2011. GPs attitudes and management of infant GORD were surveyed via an online and paper-based 41-item questionnaire.Results: In total, 400 responses were analysed (17.24% response rate). The majority of GPs employed empirical trials of acid-suppression medication and/or lifestyle modifications to diagnose infant GORD. GPs frequently recommended dietary modification despite the belief that they were only moderately effective at best. In addition, GPs frequently prescribed acid-suppression medication, despite concerns regarding their safety in the infant population. Other GP concerns included the lack of clinical guidelines and education for GPs about infant GORD, as well as the level of evidence available for the safety and efficacy of diagnostic tests and treatments.Conclusion: Despite the important role Australian GPs play in the diagnosis and management of infant GORD, high-level evidence-based guidelines for GPs are lacking. Consequently, GPs engage in diagnostic and management practices despite their concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Hospital Outreach Medication Review ( HOMR) service at Monash Health is a pharmacist-led service that targets patients at high risk of medication misadventure in the immediate post-discharge period. Aim To determine the views of patients and general practitioners ( GPs) who were involved with a HOMR in 2012. Method A standardised risk assessment tool was used to identify patients at high risk of medication misadventure at Monash Health. A HOMR was provided by a clinical pharmacist from the Monash Health Pharmacy Department who undertook a structured evaluation of a patient's medications and produced a report on the issues identified and recommended management strategies. This report was disseminated to the patient's GP with a feedback questionnaire. Patient perceptions were determined using an anonymous self-administered, paper-based questionnaire. Results A total of 487 home visits were conducted in 2012 (49.7% male patients, 50.3% female, mean age 72.8 ± 14.1 years). A total of 217 patients (45%) returned feedback forms. About 99% of patients who responded felt the HOMR was worthwhile (very much 88%, partly 11%) and 84% indicated they were more confident and less confused about their medications. In all, 105 (21.6%) GPs of 487 responded to the feedback form. Ninety-six percent of GP respondents indicated they agreed with the recommendations made and 92% indicated they would adopt either some (44%) or all (48%) of the recommendations. Conclusion The positive views shared by patients and their GPs are indicative of the importance of medication reviews in promoting medication safety and encouraging autonomous medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The moral importance of the 'intention-foresight' distinction has long been a matter of philosophical controversy, particularly in the context of end-of-life care. Previous empirical research in Australia has suggested that general physicians and surgeons may use analgesic or sedative infusions with ambiguous intentions, their actions sometimes approximating 'slow euthanasia'. In this paper, we report findings from a qualitative study of 18 Australian palliative care medical specialists, using in-depth interviews to address the use of sedation at the end of life. The majority of subjects were agnostic or atheistic. In contrast to their colleagues in acute medical practice, these Australian palliative care specialists were almost unanimously committed to distinguishing their actions from euthanasia. This commitment appeared to arise principally from the need to maintain a clear professional role, and not obviously from an ideological opposition to euthanasia. While some respondents acknowledged that there are difficult cases that require considered reflection upon one's intention, and where there may be some 'mental gymnastics,' the nearly unanimous view was that it is important, even in these difficult cases, to cultivate an intention that focuses exclusively on the relief of symptoms. We present four narratives of 'terminal' sedation - cases where sedation was administered in significant doses just before death, and may well have hastened death. Considerable ambiguities of intention were evident in some instances, but the discussion around these clearly exceptional cases illustrates the importance of intention to palliative care specialists in maintaining their professional roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures of self-forgiveness that merely focus on the outcome of positive self-regard risk neglecting the process through which offenders restore it. They may thus tap pseudo self-forgiveness where offenders downplay their responsibility for the wrongdoing. For genuine self-forgiveness, the process should instead involve an attenuation of the negative link between responsibility acceptance and positive self-regard. In this paper, we examine how acts of value reaffirmation facilitate genuine self-forgiveness. In Study 1, a role-play experiment (N = 90), participants either confessed their wrongdoing to the victim or not. Although responsibility acceptance was strongly negatively related to reported self-forgiveness (i.e., self-regard), this relationship was tempered when participants confessed their wrongdoing to the victim and, through this, reaffirmed the violated values. In Study 2, a longitudinal study referring to self-reported transgressions (N = 74), responsibility acceptance was negatively related to self-forgiveness measures as well as self-esteem when offenders showed little value reaffirmation, but not when they more strongly reaffirmed the violated values. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are ongoing debates both in personality psychology and social psychology on the causes and consequences of personality stability and change. Recent work on social roles suggests that as people change roles (e.g. employee to manager), different experiences and demands are internalised into one's self-concept shaping identity and personality. In this paper, the emphasis moves beyond 'roles' to other group memberships (e.g. ethnicity) in shaping one's self-view and self-rated personality (e.g. Neuroticism). The results of two experiments demonstrated that the salience of a particular group membership (as a Non-Aboriginal Australian) did significantly impact on Neuroticism. Such findings suggest that social identity processes may offer a hitherto neglected avenue for helping to explain personality (dis)continuity. Implications of these findings for both fields are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper argues for giving explicit attention to the quality of implementation of school-wide mental health promotions and examines the impact of implementation quality on academic performance in a major Australian mental health initiative. Method: Hierarchical linear modelling was used to investigate change in standardised academic performance across the 2-year implementation of a mental health initiative in 96 Australian primary (or elementary) schools that was focused on improving student social-emotional competencies. Results: After controlling for differences in socioeconomic background, a significant positive relationship existed between quality of implementation and academic performance. The difference between students in high- and low-implementing schools was equivalent to a difference in academic performance of up to 6 months of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 745-753 Support as a complement, intrusion and right - evidence from ageing and disability support service users in Sweden and Australia How service users conceptualise their personal support services is under researched, even though this understanding is important for responsive policy development and service implementation. This paper tests the proposition that service users understand formal support in three ways: support is a complement to their other arrangements, an intrusion into their personal life and a right. These three concepts were identified using discourse analysis in a Swedish study of older people wanting in-home support services. To test generalisability of these concepts, they were applied to data from an Australian study of people using disability personal support. The analysis found that the three concepts were core to people's views of their support, although the construction of the concepts differed in the two countries. Service users in Sweden asserted their right to services more forcefully than those in Australia, and they had higher expectations that their support needs would be met. These differences reflect the impact of each country's social policy environment on service users' expectations. The analysis suggests that service users and their families want to control their formal support arrangements to complement their informal care and their life preferences and to minimise the intrusive aspects of formal support. The findings imply that the three concepts have utility for theorising service users' perspectives, informing policy and developing implementation strategies which enhance peoples' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing and midwifery are demanding professions. Efforts to understand the health consequences and workforce needs of these professions are urgently needed. Using a novel electronic approach, the Nurses and Midwives e-cohort Study (NMeS) aims to investigate longitudinally Australian and New Zealand nurses' and midwives' work/life balance and health. This paper describes NMeS participation; provides key baseline demographic, workforce and health indicators; compares these baseline descriptions with external norms; and assesses the feasibility of the electronic approach. From 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008, nurses in Australia and New Zealand, and midwives in Australia were invited to participate. Potential participants were directed to a purpose-built NMeS Internet site, where study information was provided and consent sought. Once obtained, a range of standardized tools combined into one comprehensive electronic questionnaire was elicited. Overall, 7633 (2.3%) eligible nurses and midwives participated (6308 from Australia and 1325 from New Zealand) from a total pool of 334 400. Age, gender, occupational and health profiles were similar between countries and to national figures. However, some differences were noted; for instance, Queensland participants were over-represented, while Victorian and South Australian participants were under-represented, and 28.2% of Australians were in high strain positions compared with 18.8% of New Zealanders. Using an internationally novel web-based approach, a large cohort, which appears generally similar to population norms, has been established. Provided participant retention is adequate, the NMeS will provide insight into understanding the drivers of nurses' and midwives' workforce retention and work-related factors associated with their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores fear-arousing content in Australian former Prime Minister John Howard's political rhetoric about terrorism. We coded 27 speeches delivered between September 2001 and November 2007 for the presence of statements promoting fear-consistent appraisals ( Smith & Lazarus, 1993 ). Fear-arousing content was present in 24 of these speeches, but the amount of fear-arousing content varied markedly. In particular, rhetoric that raised doubts about the capacity of Australia and its allies to cope with terrorism was most strongly present in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq and at times of declining support for government policies. Textual analysis of three key speeches confirmed a marked difference between Howard's speech given immediately after the attacks on September 11, 2001, and the second and third speeches presented prior to and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. These findings indicate that Howard has not consistently employed fear-inducing rhetoric in his speeches about terrorism, but that particular speeches appear to take this form, raising the possibility that fear-arousing rhetoric may have been selectively deployed to support his political purposes at those times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child-to-mother violence is an area of family violence that has received limited attention over the past 20 years but is a problem for many families. It is poorly understood in the community and this lack of understanding creates a basis for families and service providers to minimize the abused mothers' experience. This paper is drawn from a larger study that aimed to explore child-to-mother violence in a high-risk geographical area and describes a qualitative theme developed from 185 participating women's narratives, ‘Living in the red zone’: the experience of child-to-mother violence. The red zone refers to danger and was an element throughout women's narratives. It is clear from the reflections of these women that child-to-mother violence is a significant and complex issue. Mothers were predominantly struggling in silence with their experiences of a child or children whose behaviour was threatening and/or abusive. Their experiences were most often minimized and/or devalued by family and community members, which may prevent affected women from seeking support. Mothers generally had limited concepts of the possibilities open to them to improve their situation, or limited access to appropriate and empathic individuals or services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A website developed by the National Heart Foundation (WA Division) and Edith Cowan University, with the help of an Australian Research Council–Linkage grant, provides insight into the sense of isolation experienced by many heart patients which prompts them to engage in a relentless search to answer the fundamental question: why me? Objective: To discover whether an online community for people with heart conditions may help instil a sense of sharing a journey with others, and to assess the impact of this shared experience. Methods: The qualitative data constituted 50 in-depth interviews with heart patients using the HeartNET website. This website, with its 600+ membership, also provides Discussion Board data to add depth to the analysis. Results: Patients describe how their unsatisfactory search for information in one ‘place’ (the Internet) led them to discover a new ‘place’ (an online community) where they could ‘ask difficult questions’, and ‘gain support and wisdom’ from others. Conclusion: This paper suggests that, when anxious patients seek health-related information, for example in a library, they may benefit from being given contact points to communicate with others who find themselves in similar situations. Internet-based social software (Web 2.0) can provide this kind of communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western Australia's Acts Amendment (Lesbian and Gay Law Reform) Bill 2001 delivered a measure of legal equality in such areas as property transfer, superannuation, inheritance and discrimination, and more controversially, adoption, lesbian access to IVF, lowering the age of consent for sex between men from 21 to 16, and incorporating information on homosexuality into high school sex education classes. This paper examines the use of various moral principles within parliamentary speeches supporting or opposing the legislation, and the extent to which they were treated by members as beyond question, or 'rhetorically self-sufficient'. The resources of 'equality', 'human rights', 'democracy', 'the interests of the majority' and 'the interests of children' were given a kind of beyondquestion, self-sufficient status, but their use was able to be undermined in a number of ways, relating to members' management of what the Bill was 'about', and the flexibility of these social constructs. It is argued that rather than pitting one set of resources against another, members on both sides of the debate faced a rhetorical pressure to adopt and mobilize all of the same self-sufficient moral resources, due to the flexible, constructed and non-hierarchical, yet often rhetorically self-sufficient nature of common-sense moral principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the strategic processes associated with responding to group criticism. In Experiment 1, Australians received criticism of their country from either an in-group or an out-group member. When participants believed their evaluations of the criticisms were private, they reported being more defensive when criticized by an outgroup relative to an in-group member. However, this intergroup sensitivity effect disappeared on some measures when participants were led to believe their evaluations of the criticisms could be seen by an in-group audience. In Experiment 2, which focused on participants' identity as social science students, the attenuation of the intergroup sensitivity effect emerged only when the in-group audience was relatively high-status. Furthermore, in both experiments, increased reports of defensiveness in public only occurred in response to an in-group critic and not to an out-group critic. Theoretical and practical implications for intergroup and intragroup communication are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer victimization, especially appearance-related bullying, is a highly stressful experience for a young person and is associated with significant negative outcomes. Perhaps, the most common consequence of peer victimization in adolescence is lowered self-esteem. Evidence supports the role of low self-esteem as a non-specific risk factor and high self-esteem as a protective factor in the development of mental disorders and social problems in adolescence. Moreover, the literature indicates a robust negative relationship between avoidant coping (i.e. distracting oneself, wishing the situation would go away) and psychological well-being. In this paper, we test a mediational model of the associations between appearance-related victimization, avoidance coping and self-esteem in young Australian adolescents. Boys (N = 194) and girls (N = 185) with a mean age of 11 years completed measures assessing self-esteem, appearance-related victimization and styles of coping. The results showed that avoidant coping partially mediates the association between appearance-related bullying problems and self-esteem among young adolescents. This finding provides a specific target for psychosocial interventions in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the disorders of the mind at the turn of the twentieth century offered useful knowledge about the psyche and the First World War (FWW) provided an avalanche of case studies. Prior to the war the mentally ill were treated with disdain and the social distrust of individuals who did not present as ‘normal’ was high. The level of diagnostic expertise of psychiatric illness by doctors and nurses was low and as a consequence medicine and nursing was ill-equipped to deal with the phenomenon initially referred to as ‘shell shock’. However, the soldiers of the FWW who endured the varied and seemingly unrelated symptoms of shell-shock were respected men – occasional heroes – who were reduced to the status of ‘mentals’. There is evidence that civilian trained health professionals altered their views about mental illness during the FWW but initially, the military imperatives inherent in a global conflict perpetuated the notion that mental illness was linked with defective morality. This paper provides an historical account of changes in attitude toward the mentally ill as a consequence of the FWW. The interregnum (1918–39) was a period of advancement in the field of mental health within the civilian sector. However, the imperatives of war negated these developments and there is evidence that the management of soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders in the Second World War did not benefit from the lessons learnt in the FWW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the development of social psychology in Australia from its early beginnings, through post- World War II, to the current situation. Social psychology became an integral part of the psychology curriculum after the Second World War, with a strong emphasis at the University of Melbourne. It received an impetus in the 1960s with the creation of Flinders, Macquarie, and La Trobe universities. Currently, teaching and research in social psychology is widespread, with major centres at the Universities of Queensland and New South Wales, and at the Australian National University, but with universities such as Flinders, Macquarie, and Melbourne continuing to contribute. In general, social psychologists in Australia have not deliberately set out to develop a distinctive local identity. Instead, they have a strong international focus and are eclectic in their interests, drawing on theories and methodologies from major centres in North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. They have made distinctive contributions in many areas, including research on acculturation, achievement motivation, the psychological impact of unemployment, values, expectancy-value theory, role theory, social identity and self-categorization theory, deservingness, gender studies and household work, close relationships, decision-making, social cognition, ostracism, and the effects of mood. Uniquely, Australian topics include research on tall poppies or high achievers, and on the cultural cringe. Social psychologists in Australia have also been active in industrial/organizational research and in cross-cultural research, but there is little social psychological research involving the indigenous Australian population. Australian contributions to social psychology are not always recognized, partly because of Australia's distance from the major centres. However, social psychologists in Australia now have their own association, the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP), offer symposia and special academic appointments that draw international visitors, and compensate for the tyranny of distance by travelling widely and using the internet. Social psychology is now one of the strongest areas of Australian psychology internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThis paper reports on a teaching strategy designed to support first year undergraduate medical students from non-English speaking backgrounds in a behavioural science course taught at an Australian university. MethodThe strategy is described, as is the language profile of students from two successive cohorts who participated in the teaching programme. The effectiveness of the intervention in improving students’ academic performance is explored, as gauged by summative assessment and student perceptions. ConclusionsFindings suggest that students disadvantaged by difficulties with language and/or knowledge of Australian culture were able to perform at least as well as other students on a number of summative criteria. Non-English speaking background students perceived the behavioural science course to be difficult, and indicated that they found the teaching support offered to them to be useful. The methodological difficulties and limitations involved in the evaluation of a teaching programme such as this are discussed and the conclusions that can be validly drawn are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a brief account of the Australian Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research. Issues discussed include Australia's contribution to world research in psychological science, research funding, the age and qualifications of researchers, the social and economic benefits arising from the applications of research outcomes, multidisciplinary issues, the role of psychology in industry, links between the discipline and the profession of psychology, professional training, cross-cultural issues, and educational issues. Priorities for development of research and postgraduate training are identified, and include human factors and other areas related to technological change, clinical psychology with particular attention to health psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and neuroscience and physiological psychology. Cet article est un expose succinct de la ≪Revue strategique australienne de la psychologie en tant que discipline et domaine de recherche≫. Parmi les questions abordees se trouvent la contribution australienne a la recherche mondiale en psychologie, le financement de cette recherche, l'age et les qualifications des chercheurs, les benefices sociaux et economiques qui resultent de l'application des resultats de recherche, les aspects multidisciplinaires, le role de la psychologie dans l'industrie, les liens entre la discipline et la profession, la formation professionelle, les dimensions multiculturelles, et les problemes relies a l'enseignement. Les priorites dans le developpement de la recherche et da la formation postgradues sont identifies, parmi lesquelles sont incluses l'ergonomie et autres domaines associes aux changements technologiques, la psychologie clinique (surtout la psychologie de la sante), la psychologie industrielle et organisationelle, les neurosciences et la psychophysiologie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychology in Australia can be studied in many ways, but for the most part it can be described in terms of the adoption of orientations to the discipline illustrated by ‘functional’, ‘objective’ and ‘quantitative’ prescriptions of science. It is important to recognize, however, that these dimensions fit within the broad cultural traditions of thinking that characterize Australia as a settlement society. In this paper, research in Australia is used to illustrate a number of cultural factors at work, detailed consideration being given to the study of hypnosis and the role of context. Cross-cultural analysis of theorizing about the role of context in hypnosis indicates clear differences in conceptualization of the issues, but also an encouraging degree of convergence on common concerns. The point of view is illustrated that the diversity of the discipline and its tools of inquiry, evidenced across different cultural contexts, is one of Psychology's major strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Indicators suggest an escalation in opioid use globally, with recent HIV outbreaks linked to non-medical pharmaceutical opioid (NMPO) use. Little is known about how young Australians engage in NMPO use.Design and Methods: During 2015, we conducted qualitative interviews with young people (16-29 years) who reported oral NMPO use at least twice in the past 90 days. The study included a sample of injecting (n = 14) and oral (n = 22) users. This paper focuses on the oral user group.Results: Most participants grew up in affluent areas of Sydney, reported few health problems, rarely accessed health or welfare services and had limited contact with police. NMPO use was part of a repertoire of drug use involving: (i) use to come down from stimulants; (ii) use in conjunction with cannabis and alcohol; and (iii) use by itself. Participants reported limiting their use in order to avoid stigma and dependence.Discussion and Conclusions: Results suggest culture of self-limiting NMPO use characterised by stable housing, disposable income and intimate friendship networks. Despite the adverse health outcomes observed in other settings, our data suggest that the patterns and meanings of NMPO use observed in this small sample may help explain the limited nature of problematic use among young Australians to date. Findings indicate a need for epidemiological data, including longitudinal data, to assess possible demographic shifts in NMPO use in Australia, and to address risk factors for dependence and transitions to injecting and heroin use in this population. [Dertadian GC, Dixon TC, Iversen J, Maher L. Self-limiting non-medical pharmaceutical opioid use among young people in Sydney, Australia: An exploratory study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part One and Part Two of this article present the Australian and New Zealand Society of Jungian Analysts' 2006 model of training. The authors describe the process and thinking behind ANZSJA's recent revision of training. The influences on the development of analytical psychology and analytic training in ANZSJA are traced in the first paper. The training review undertaken indicated the desire for ANZSJA to continue to train Jungian analysts by exploring new ways of conceptualizing training. The images, metaphors and thinking, which underlie this innovative training model, are explored. The challenge involved in providing and developing training across a large geographic region with widely distributed and slender resources was embraced. ANZSJA have acknowledged the traditional practices of Australian and New Zealand indigenous peoples. The motif of journey and movement is at the core of the ANZJSA model. The ANZJSA training is not held or contained in a building or buildings but rather held at ‘meeting sites’ across the landscape of these two countries. Accountability and transparency are central to this training model. In Part Two of the article the structure and documentation developed for this model are contextualized, outlined and linked to the ethos underpinning the current thrust of analytical training in Australia and New Zealand. The focus is the practical mechanisms and processes, which we have evolved to deliver our new training model. The process of engaging analysts in the new model is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]