Search

International students undertaking a higher degree by research may experience a range of difficulties and challenges while studying in their host country. Some of these challenges, including language and cultural difficulties, limited peer relationships and challenges in forming relationships with supervisors, have been outlined in the literature but there is less research that has considered both the experiences of international students and supervisors together to provide a cohesive overview of the issues that international higher-degree-by-research students may face. Using a qualitative interview design, this research therefore sought to examine this issue within one faculty in a single university in Australia. International higher-degree-by-research students were found to be diverse in their expectations and desires of their new host country and university. Thus, it should not be assumed that all students will have similar priorities. The article provides some suggestions for universities when developing or refining their programmes to better support international higher-degree-by-research students in settling into their new country and programme of study.

The term "non-traditional students" is commonly used in higher education research and yet its definition has been unclear. This study systematically reviewed 45 definitions of "non-traditional student" in mental health research conducted within the higher education context using a standardised data extraction and appraisal tool. Findings suggested a wide range of variations on how this term was defined. Thirteen different categories of meaning have been used, including age, multiple roles, mode of study, gap in studies, commuter status, being demographically "different" from the norm, sex, admission pathway, enrolment in "non-traditional" programs, being "disadvantaged", disability and trauma, ethnicity, and having a previous degree. Different combinations of categories were mentioned in the reviewed definitions and wide variations existed within each category of meaning. The term "non-traditional student" does not currently represent a functional category in communicating a distinct concept. Future research should improve the clarity and consistency in which it is defined.

The proliferation of misinformation in contemporary information environments contributes to increasing polarization and decreasing trust in institutions and experts, both of which encourage further proliferation of misinformation. Increasing attention has been brought to the role of news media in the spread and uptake of misinformation, and to the role of journalists and news organizations in combatting this spread. Constructive journalism is a relatively new approach to reporting which, among other aims, looks to increase audience engagement, reduce polarization, and provide a more accurate view of events. In early 2020, we interviewed 16 journalism professionals from Europe (UK inclusive), Australia, Africa, and North America across a range formats to explore their perceptions of the use 'constructive' reporting strategies to address the spread of misinformation. We used thematic analysis to produce three themes and six subthemes in journalists' responses, 'apathy against the machine', with subthemes 'journalism as a moderator', and 'news and mental health'; 'standards as shared reality', with subthemes, 'pluralism not postmodernism', and 'this means information war'; and 'truth, trust, and the turn to transparency', with subthemes, 'facts necessary but not sufficient', and 'principles not particulars'. Constructive journalism was thought to address misinformation by increasing engagement with news and institutions, reducing polarization, providing a sense of shared reality amidst increasingly diverse perspectives, increasing trust, and reducing misperceptions encouraged by selection and reporting strategies. Constructive journalism may be a promising approach to addressing the spread and consequences of misinformation, however, empirical work is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of news media in the perpetuation of misinformation has faced increasing scrutiny. Concerns have been raised about news media's negative influence on mental health, increasing news avoidance, and decreasing trust in news. Constructive journalism is proposed to increase engagement with and trust in news media, reduce the mental health impact of news consumption, and provide a more accurate view of the world. However, constructive journalism studies primarily investigate the inclusion of solutions and positive emotions in news stories, to the exclusion of other techniques. Additionally, few studies have investigated constructive journalism's effects on trust and comprehension. We used a randomised-controlled repeated-measures experimental design to investigate the effects of a comprehensive set of constructive journalism techniques on mood, comprehension, and trust among 238 Australian participants. Participants who read constructive articles reported higher positive emotion, and lower negative emotion, compared to participants who read the same articles without constructive features. However, participants in the constructive condition demonstrated worse comprehension than participants in the control, an effect partially mediated by negative emotion but not effort. No significant differences in trust in journalism as an institution or in article content were present between groups. However, when accounting for interest, constructive journalism demonstrated a significant negative effect on trust in the information, though positive where it increased mood. Further research is needed to calibrate techniques which balance the positive effects of constructive journalism with its ability to convey information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Farmers are faced with many stressors, along with numerous barriers to accessing traditional forms of mental health support. The ifarmwell online intervention was co-designed with farmers and is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to equip farmers with transferable coping strategies, particularly to help them cope with circumstances beyond their control. We aimed to evaluate the effect of ifarmwell on farmers' short- and long-term distress and mental wellbeing. Methods: Australian farmers (21–73 years) who registered on completed measures at the commencement of module 1 (N = 228), the end of the intervention (N = 77) and 6-months post-intervention (N = 61). Primary outcomes included distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale) and mental wellbeing (Mental Health Continuum – Short Form). We also examined the relationship between distress, mental wellbeing, neuroticism (Quickscales-R) and ACT-based psychological mechanisms; psychological inflexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II), cognitive fusion (Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire), believability of automatic thoughts (Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-B), coping via acceptance (4 items from the situational COPE) and mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form). Secondary outcomes of acceptability (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8) and usability (System Usability Scale) were also explored. Results: Pre- to post-intervention, farmers' distress decreased and mental wellbeing increased. These effects were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Changes in these outcomes were greatest for participants who entered the intervention with high baseline distress ( β ˆ = −0.59, 95%CI =[−0.70, −0.47]) and low mental wellbeing ( β ˆ = −0.33, 95%CI = [−0.47, −0.19]). Decreases in distress and increases in mental wellbeing were associated with decreases in psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and believability of thoughts, and increases in coping via acceptance and mindfulness. Levels of satisfaction (M = 26.92/32) and usability (M = 84.70/100) were high, and 94.6% of participants said they would recommend ifarmwell to a friend in need of similar advice and tools. Conclusions: ifarmwell is an effective and usable intervention that is likely to help farmers reduce their levels of distress and improve their mental wellbeing, by improving their psychological flexibility, ability to focus on the present and accept things beyond their control, as well as by reducing the extent to which they believe unhelpful thoughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent and course of psychological distress were examined in a representative sample of patients attending a primary health care practice in metropolitan Adelaide where general practitioner (GP) and clinical psychologist services are co-located. Scores for psychological distress were similar to national norms. Approximately one in six patients expressed a wish to discuss their feelings with a GP and/or psychologist, but the association between distress scores and wish to discuss feelings was only moderate. At follow-up 5 months later, average distress scores had fallen. Half of those who had expressed a wish for discussion had done so, and they had significantly lower scores for anxiety and stress. The results provide a context within which subsequent national mental health initiatives can be interpreted. (Contains 3 tables.)

A survey of 163 senior medical students attending a South Australian medical school found that rural students were more likely than urban students to experience stress; be concerned about getting a provider number (license); feel that consultants had little time for them; have made the decision to study medicine without pressure from others; and have financial problems. (TD)