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The relationship between mental well-being and distress in young people is unclear but important for both theoretical and practical reasons. This study tests these relationships using both dimensional and categorical measures of mental well-being and distress. Two thousand and eighty-two Australians’ (16–25 years) completed an online survey. A subsample (n = 389) completed diagnostic telephone interviews to identify 12-month DSM-IV mood, anxiety and substance use disorders. Five competing models of the relationship between mental well-being and distress were compared. Only the bifactor model fit the data, indicating both mental well-being and distress are important subcomponents of a young person’s overall level of mental health. Over 90% of young people had flourishing or moderate well-being and only 6% were languishing. Those with past year mental disorders were only 15% less likely to be flourishing and 4% more likely to be languishing. These findings highlight the well-being potential of young people living with and without mental disorders.

Violent threats are common and, in the majority of cases, innocuous expressions of emotion. However, some threats result in violence and mental illness is a predictor for threat-related violence (T...

Background The research explored parents' role constructions for themselves and other caregivers in promoting physical activity, limiting screen time, and ensuring their young child is not sedentary or restrained for extended periods. Method Using a qualitative social constructionist epistemological position, 10 mothers and 10 fathers (aged 22–49 years) from different households in South East Queensland, Australia, were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results Thirteen themes emerged in parents' descriptions of their role, aligning with three of the four key influences on parents' role constructions for involvement in their child's behaviour: beliefs about desired child outcomes, beliefs about who is responsible for the outcomes, and parental behaviours related to the beliefs and expectations. Conclusions Current findings indicate that parents commonly describe active manifestations of parent role constructions that are conducive to facilitating childhood physical activity‐related behaviours. Because many young Australian children are still not sufficiently active, future interventions should seek to target processes influencing parents' ability to fulfil their constructed roles and translate them into actions, including knowledge and skills, self‐efficacy for helping their child, and developing the ability to manage the mix of demands on their time.

To assess gender differences in the relationship between eating and weight loss attitudes (EWAs), and 30-day tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents, while controlling for potential confounds (age, country of birth, psychological distress, pubertal development, peer alcohol and tobacco use, and sexual activity).School students aged between 11 and 17 years (N = 10,273) from high schools in the State of Victoria (Australia) completed surveys in class under conditions of anonymity and confidentiality.The interaction between EWAs and gender was significant for tobacco use but not for alcohol use, indicating that the effect of EWAs on tobacco use, but not alcohol use, vary by gender.Tobacco use was related to EWAs in adolescent females but not males, and this is consistent with the possibility that females use tobacco in an instrumental fashion to control weight. Implications and Contribution: Female adolescents high in eating and weight loss attitudes were more likely to engage in tobacco use. In contrast, eating and weight loss attitudes were not related to male tobacco use. These results point to the potential importance of developing gender-specific approaches towards addressing problematic behaviors in adolescent populations.

University students are vulnerable to depression and other co‐occurring mental disorders, but few receive treatment. Male university students are at particular risk of not receiving assistance. A b...

Objective: University students have high rates of clinical and sub-clinical depression and anxiety symptoms, low rates of face-to-face help-seeking and high rates of internet use. Low-Intensity Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (LI-CBT) that incorporates e-resources has potential for increasing access to help by distressed students. Method: This paper reports the first randomised controlled trial of LI-CBT in a university context, comparing it with Self-Help information only. Results: Only 11% of distressed students agreed to participate in treatment, and only 58% of LI-CBT participants attended any sessions. Almost all of the 107 participants were female, with an average age of 23 and high average distress. Intention-to-treat analyses using mixed models regressions showed that LI-CBT participants had greater reductions in depression and anxiety than controls who received self-help information only, but only over the first 2 months. Correction for Baseline levels eliminated these effects, although differential improvements for anxiety and stress were seen if analyses were restricted to LI-CBT participants who attended sessions. LI-CBT also resulted in differential reductions in perceived connection to the university, perhaps due to greater usage of staff resources by controls. Conclusions: Results provide some support for a potential role for LI-CBT within universities, but suggest that marketing and engagement strategies may need refinement to maximise its uptake and impact. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

While the two decades since the study by Kavanagh et al. (1993) has given additional insights into effective dissemination of family interventions, the accompanying papers show that progress remain...

The estimated one million Australians with type 2 diabetes face significant risks of morbidity and premature mortality. Inadequate diabetes self-management is associated with poor glycaemic control, which is further impaired by comorbid dysphoria. Regular access to ongoing self-management and psychological support is limited, especially in rural and regional locations. Web-based interventions can provide complementary support to patients' usual care. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with two samples that comprised (a) 13 people with type 2 diabetes and (b) 12 general practitioners (GPs). Interviews explored enablers and barriers to self-care, emotional challenges, needs for support, and potential web-based programme components. Patients were asked about the potential utility of a web-based support programme, and GPs were asked about likely circumstances of patient referral to it. Thematic analysis was used to summarise responses. Most perceived facilitators and barriers to self-management were similar across the groups. Both groups highlighted the centrality of dietary self-management, valued shared decision-making with health professionals, and endorsed the idea of web-based support. Some emotional issues commonly identified by patients varied to those perceived by GPs, resulting in different attributions for impaired self-care. A web-based programme that supported self-management and psychological/emotional needs appears likely to hold promise in yielding high acceptability and perceived utility.

Haber, P., Lintzeris, N., Proude, E., & Lopatko, O. (2009). Guidelines for the treatment of alcohol problems. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing: http://www.health.gov.au/interne...

We report a case of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) triggered by influenza A (H1N1) in a 17-year-old boy with a mutation in the gene (CD46) encoding the transmembrane complement regulator membrane cofactor protein. The patient recovered completely following treatment with oseltamivir, plasma exchange, and hemodialysis. We describe the case and discuss this unusual association of diseases.

The elaborated intrusion (EI) theory of desire (Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) attributes the motivational force of cravings to cognitive elaboration, including imagery, of apparently spontaneous thoughts that intrude into awareness. We report a questionnaire study in which respondents rated a craving for food or drink. Questionnaire items derived from EI theory formed a single factor alongside factors for anticipated reward/relief, resistance, and opportunity. In a multiple regression predicting strength of craving, the first three factors accounted for 36% of the variance. Opportunity did not enter the model. In a second study, the difference between individuals' strong and weak cravings to take part in a sporting activity was shown to be related to visual, auditory, and general imagery, and to anticipated reward or relief from engaging in the activity. Implications for treatment of craving-related disorders are discussed in the light of these results and of other research indicating that interference with imagery can reduce the strength of craving.

There is little controlled research on the impact of supervisor training on supervision. The current study examined the effects of supervision training in a sample of 46 supervisor-supervisee pairs of mental health practitioners. It compared Immediate 2-day workshop training of the pair, a wait-list control in which workshop training was delayed 3 months, and a condition in which supervisors were trained 3 months before their partners (Split). Benefits of Immediate training were restricted to supervisors reporting fully specified agreements, and to reduction of some perceived problems. Self-efficacy in providing effective supervision fell in the Split condition, relative to the other conditions. Across conditions in general there was a fall from baseline to post-test assessment in the proportion of sessions where recommended supervision strategies were used, perhaps partly because the controlled trial extended across the summer vacation period. Results are consistent with other observations of the limited impact of workshop training on practice.

Few psychologists in Australia have been trained to provide supervision to probationary psychologists. The current preliminary study investigated whether a supervision training workshop could, in the view of representative psychologists, provide effective training across a range of psychological specialties, or whether separate training was needed for different specialties. The nine Queensland Chairs of the Australian Psychological Society specialisation colleges were given a semi-structured interview to investigate the goals, content and processes of supervision within their specialty, and perceived relationships with other specialties. Results indicated considerable agreement regarding the content and process of supervision across specialties, suggesting that supervision has much in common regardless of specialty.

This paper reports on an exploration of the concept of 'supervision' as applied to allied health professionals within a large mental health service in one Australian State. A two-part methodology was used, with focus group interviews conducted with allied health professionals, and semi-structured telephone interviews with service managers. Fifty-eight allied health professionals participated in a series of seven focus groups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the Directors or Managers of mental health services in all 21 regions in the state. Allied health professionals and service managers both considered supervision to be an important mechanism for ensuring staff competence and best practice outcomes for consumers and carers. There was strong endorsement of the need for clarification and articulation of supervision policies within the organization, and the provision of appropriate resourcing to enable supervision to occur. Current practice in supervision was seen as ad hoc and of variable standard; the need for training in supervision was seen as critical. The supervision needs of newly graduated allied health professionals and those working in rural and regional areas were also seen as important. The need for a flexible and accessible model of supervision was clearly demonstrated.

Excessive consumption of alcohol is a serious public health problem. While intensive treatments are suitable for those who are physically dependent on alcohol, they are not cost-effective options for the vast majority of problem drinkers who are not dependent. There is good evidence that brief interventions are effective in reducing overall alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and health-care utilisation among nondependent problem drinkers. Psychologists are in an ideal position to opportunistically detect people who drink excessively and to offer them brief advice to reduce their drinking. In this paper we outline the process involved in providing brief opportunistic screening and intervention for problem drinkers. We also discuss methods that psychologists can employ if a client is not ready to reduce drinking, or is ambivalent about change. Depending on the client's level of motivation to change, psychologists can engage in either an education-clarification approach, a commitment-enhancement approach, or a skills-training approach. Routine engagement in opportunistic intervention is an important public-health approach to reducing alcohol-related harm in the community.

Despite the high co-occurrence of psychosis and substance abuse, there is very little research on the development of effective treatments for this problem. This paper describes a new intervention that facilitates reaching functional goals through a collaboration between therapists, participants and families. Substance Treatment Options in Psychosis (STOP) integrates pharmacological and psychological treatments for psychotic symptoms, with cognitive-behavioural approaches to substance abuse. STOP is tailored to participants' problems and abilities, and recognises that control of consumption and even engagement may take several attempts. Training in relevant skills is augmented by bibliotherapy, social support and environmental change. A case description illustrates the issues and challenges in implementation.

Cognitive-behavioural family interventions for schizophrenia have demonstrated utility in reducing relapse rates and improving functional status, but there is little information on the routine application of this work. In the current study therapists in standard health care settings were trained in delivering a cognitive-behavioural intervention to clients and families. Six months to 3 years after the family training, 45 therapists reported the number of families they had systematically treated, and the difficulties they had encountered. Sixty-nine per cent reported giving three sessions or more of the intervention to at least one family, but only 18% had used it with three or more families. Therapists reported particular difficulty integrating the family work with their other responsibilities and interests: Allowance of time to undertake the intervention, afterhours scheduling, and illness or holidays presented particular difficulties. Only 4% reported that their knowledge of behavioural techniq...

The idea that moods have a strong impact on performance has popular appeal but equivocal research support. In the present study, college students received tape-recorded instructions to recall vividly happy or sad experiences or to imagine a neutral situation. After the induction happy subjects persisted longer at an anagrams task and solved more anagrams than those who were sad. Women were also faster at reaching solutions when happy than in a sad mood. Results confirm our impression that positive moods promote persistence and ultimate success, but they raise questions about the role of self-efficacy and the sources of gender differences.