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Over the last few decades, medical and surgical advances have led to a growing population of individuals living with congenital heart disease. The challenges of this condition can reach beyond physical limitations to include anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. To date, these psychological outcomes have been neglected; yet, they need not be inevitable. The factors contributing to these difficulties are considered here, drawing on current evidence and neuropsychological theories including the novel application of polyvagal theory. Suggestions for developing psychologically informed medical and social care to improve mental health, wellbeing and recovery and influence policy and training are proposed (See supplemental material for video abstract). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to review the research literature on aquatic exercise for health promotion using bibliometric methods and CiteSpace software. The number of studies related to this topic are constantly expanding, with the USA, Brazil, and Australia the centers of this research. Most published papers fall within Sports Science, but the disciplines of Physiology, Psychology, and Rehabilitation were also found to be dominant domains for this literature. The seven most prolific authors were from Brazil or Spain. The most frequently cited references focused on sub-topics of physiology, biochemistry, physical fitness, psychological health, cardiovascular disease, and joint disease. New research trends have shifted to the promotion of cardiovascular health in clinical populations (stroke, overweight, hypertension, endothelium dysfunctional, obese, inflammation, antioxidant, heart failure). Overall, this review found that research hot spots and trends in this realm have focused on improving cardiovascular health with aquatic exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community mental health is growing discipline in psychology that recognizes the importance of creating a community that fosters wellness. Although universities provide many individuals a sense of community, little research has examined how community mental health interventions can be implemented into a classroom setting. Purpose: This paper provides a proof of concept of a university course that was created to give students the opportunity to interact with their campus community while receiving course credit over two semesters. Approach: In the first semester, the course provided students with content and theory as it relates to community mental health, well-being, and health promotion. The second semester implemented experiential learning, where students applied knowledge and skills to a placement related to mental health and well-being within their university. Conclusions: This university course can provide benefits to the university (e.g., cost-efficiency), the students (e.g., networking), and the community (e.g., accessible mental health services). This research presents a course framework that other post-secondary institutions can build upon and implement into their own programs. Implications: Future research should focus on implementing experiential learning courses that provide opportunities in the mental health field for undergraduate psychology students to facilitate post-graduate student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring children and young people’s own understanding of experiences with abuse and maltreatment is an important part of taking their right to participation seriously. By applying a narrative theoretical framework, this paper explores and analyzes young people’s and young adults’ stories of being the target of violence and abuse as children, and their meaning making and definition of such experiences, then and now. The overall findings show the participants’ varied and nuanced perceptions of what constitutes violence were much dependent on contextual, relational, and temporal aspects. Furthermore, many participants reported psychological and emotional abuse and neglect to be the most hurtful of their experiences of maltreatment. Finally, the analysis sheds light on how responses to abuse and maltreatment change and depend on the children and young people’s definition of their situation through time and context. The paper contributes with qualitative knowledge to the social work research and practice field, on how abuse and maltreatment unfold in and affect children and young people’s lives seen from their own points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-methods, exploratory study investigates the gambling activities of street youth in Mumbai, India. Data from surveys and brief interviews of 70 youth aged 12–24, two focus groups, and ethnographic observations offer descriptive snapshots of the gambling behavior of participants. The article includes details about games played, popular venues, initiation patterns, time spent gambling, and interactions with the police. Street youth gamble for social benefits, such as group membership and fun; it is also a leisure activity enabling time to go by quickly. Individual benefits include intermittent rewards and a high after winning or being referred to as a gambler. The inability to save, the lack of recreation options, living in groups, and the environment of the streets structure and sustain gambling. This study discusses the group and social dimension of gambling among street youth, and how this dimension makes their participation different from adolescent gambling in general and General Addictions Theory. It contributes to the literature by emphasizing that for street youth the social/group aspects of gambling predominate the psychological. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for practice, highlighting the need to develop recreational, income-saving, and educational awareness programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess depression literacy, help-seeking and help-offering to others in members of the police force in the state of Victoria, Australia. Methods: All staff in police stations involved in a cluster randomised controlled trial of an integrated workplace mental health intervention were invited to participate. Survey questions covered sociodemographic and employment information, recognition of depression in a vignette, stigma, treatment beliefs, willingness to assist co-workers with mental health problems, help-giving and help-seeking behaviours, and intentions to seek help. Using the baseline dataset associated with the trial, the paper presents a descriptive analysis of mental health literacy and helping behaviours, comparing police station leaders and lower ranks. Results: Respondents were 806 staff, comprising 618 lower-ranked staff and 188 leaders. Almost 84% of respondents were able to correctly label the problem described in the vignette. Among those who had helped someone with a mental health problem, both lower ranks and leaders most commonly reported ‘talking to the person’ although leaders were more likely to facilitate professional help. Leaders’ willingness to assist the person and confidence in doing so was very high, and over 80% of leaders appropriately rated police psychologists, general practitioners, psychologists, talking to a peer and contacting welfare as helpful. However, among both leaders and lower ranks with mental health problems, the proportion of those unlikely to seek professional help was greater than those who were likely to seek it. Conclusion: Knowledge about evidence-based interventions for depression was lower in this police sample than surveys in the general population, pointing to the need for education and training to improve mental health literacy. Such education should also aim to overcome barriers to professional help-seeking. Interventions that aim to improve mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour appear to be suitable targets for better protecting police member mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Socioeconomic trends herald what many describe as the Asian Century, whereby Asian economic, political and cultural influence is in global ascendency. Broadening relevant ties between Australia and Asia is evident and logical and may include strengthening alliances in mental health systems. Aim: We argue the importance of strengthening Asian mental health systems and some of the roles Australian mental health workers could have in promoting strengthening the Asian mental health system. Methods: This paper is a narrative review which sources data from reputable search databases. Results: A well-articulated Australian strategy to support strengthening the mental health system in Asia is lacking. While there are active initiatives operating in this space, these remain fragmented and underdeveloped. Coordinated, collaborative and culturally respectful efforts to enhance health education, research, policy, leadership and development assistance are key opportunities. Conclusion: Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals have a unique opportunity to contribute to improved mental health outcomes in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Psychiatrists may become involved in circumstances where a child is seeking termination of pregnancy. Potential roles include capacity advice and advocacy, but ethical and legal uncertainties abound. This paper uses illustrative cases, in an Australian jurisdiction, to exemplify the issues.Conclusion: Termination of pregnancy at the youthful extreme raises unique challenges for all involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The poor mental health of asylum seekers and refugees in immigration detention has consistently been reported in peer-reviewed literature internationally; however, data on the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees detained in Australian immigration has been very limited.Methods: We re-analysed mental health screening data obtained by the Human Rights Commission.Results: Longer time in detention was associated with higher self-reported depression scores, with female individuals being more vulnerable to time in detention than those of male gender. Approximately one-half of the refugee group who agreed to complete the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire had post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. On clinician-rated measures, one-third of the children, adolescents and adults suffered with clinical symptoms requiring tertiary outpatient assessment.Conclusions: This paper consolidates the findings of the 2014 Australian Human Rights Commission report and it provides an argument for public reporting of refugee data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To review and summarise the evidence about and consequences of Australia's policy of mandatory indefinite detention of children and families who arrive by boat to seek asylum.Methods: This paper will summarise the accumulated scientific evidence about the health and mental health impacts of immigration detention on children and compare methodologies and discuss the political reception of the 2004 and 2014 Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Inquiries into Immigration Detention of children.Results: The conclusions of the 2004 and 2014 Inquiries into Immigration Detention of Children are consistent with Australian and international research which demonstrates that immigration detention has harmful health, mental health and developmental consequences for children and negative impacts on parenting.Conclusion: The evidence that prolonged immigration detention causes psychological and developmental harm to children and families and is in breach of Australia's human rights obligations is consistent. This is now partially acknowledged by the Government. Attempts to limit public scrutiny through reduced access and potential punishment of medical witnesses arguably indicates the potency of their testimony. These harmful and unethical policies should be opposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of cognition is fundamental to psychological well being. One dimension recently explored by Sugiura, Sugiura and Tanno (2013) is the perceived ability to refrain from catastrophic thinking--a construct that could be a marker of several factors. The current paper recommends deeper consideration in terms of metacognitive theory and exemplifies this by testing the effect of a strategy that focuses on abstaining from processes (detached mindfulness) vs. transforming content (acceptance, brief exposure). Fifty-six participants (M age = 21.5 yr., range = 18-42) were randomly assigned to detached mindfulness, acceptance, exposure, or a control group before watching a stressful film that induced intrusive images. Afterwards, they engaged in their respective strategies for 5 min. and the frequency of intrusive images was rated. Detached mindfulness was the only manipulation that was associated with a statistically significant lower frequency of intrusions than the control condition. It is argued that assessment of perceived skills to refrain from thinking should be conceptualized within a metacognitive framework that distinguish process- and content-oriented strategies and address the question: When is a strategy a true refrain? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is an increasing interest in conducting research within indigenous communities among indigenous and non-indigenous researchers alike. This paper offers the critical reflections of one Native Hawaiian researcher and the process of engaging in research as both an insider-outsider.Conclusions: Community-based, participatory research (CBPR) offers one model for outsiders to work effectively with indigenous communities, but CBPR also offers valuable principles for insiders who desire to work with their own communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Conversations between anthropologists and psychiatrists have led to new theoretical trajectories, research agendas and clinical practices as social scientists and medical practitioners forged new understandings about the interaction of culture, personhood and illness. However, the demands of global mental health, coupled with health service provision requirements, mean that mental health interventions set up with the best intentions can fail to take into account the knowledge and expertise that social sciences can contribute to a programme's success. In this paper, I reflect on conversations between an anthropologist and mental health professionals in direct reference to data analysis of an AusAID mental health capacity-building programme undertaken in the Pacific region.Conclusions: Social and cultural perspectives embedded within programmes can provide richer, more contextualised interventions. In drawing on the combined expertise of anthropology and psychiatry, new taken-for-granted reference points embedding cultural approaches form the basis for delivery of global mental health programmes. These perspectives include: Locating mental health programmes within development critiques. Situating the subjects of development within contextualised settings, acknowledging and respecting local knowledge, understandings and practices. A focus on interdisciplinarity as the basis for future practice in global mental health projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The tripartite framework for principled practice was developed as part of the Wundargoodie Aboriginal Youth and Community Wellbeing Programme. The programme engages natural helpers to enhance critical health literacy. This paper examines the importance of translational research to enhancing critical health literacy for this group of de facto health workers using the work of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet as an example. Translational research provides workforce support for those who are time poor and overburdened. Connecting these concepts and natural helpers will make a positive difference to Aboriginal health outcomes.Conclusions: There is a need for the development of translational research products that enhance the critical health literacy of natural helpers. The tripartite framework for principled practice supports reflective and accountable practice in the intercultural space to build trust and confidence between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to enhance the opportunity for authentic knowledge production and transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper explores novel training opportunities that the Expanded Setting Training Program (ESTP) provides for advanced psychiatry trainees. It is a reflection of a trainee's learning experiences during a year-long posting in Aboriginal Perinatal Mental Health, working alongside the Aboriginal Family Birthing Program, coupled with reflection and supervision.Conclusions: ESTP provided a fertile area to hone an advanced trainee's skills in the niche areas of Aboriginal mental health, perinatal mental health, culture and psychiatry. In addition, it provided skills in the area of leadership, health advocacy and the establishment and maintenance of successful programs in disadvantaged, culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The ESTP Aboriginal Mental Health rotation provides a unique experience for training, and the learning opportunities are limited only by the creativity of the trainee and supervisor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]