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BackgroundThe demand for orthopedic specialist consultations for patients with osteoarthritis in public hospitals is high and continues to grow. Lengthy waiting times are increasingly affecting patients from low socioeconomic and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are more likely to rely on public health care. ObjectiveThis study aimed to co-design a digital health intervention for patients with OA who are waiting for an orthopedic specialist consultation at a public health service, which is located in local government areas (LGAs) of identified social and economic disadvantage. MethodsThe stakeholders involved in the co-design process included the research team; end users (patients); clinicians; academic experts; senior hospital staff; and a research, design, and development agency. The iterative co-design process comprised several key phases, including the collation and refinement of evidence-based information by the research team, with assistance from academic experts. Structured interviews with 16 clinicians (female: n=10, 63%; male: n=6, 38%) and 11 end users (age: mean 64.3, SD 7.2 y; female: n=7, 64%; male: n=4, 36%) of 1-hour duration were completed to understand the requirements for the intervention. Weekly workshops were held with key stakeholders throughout development. A different cohort of 15 end users (age: mean 61.5, SD 9.7 y; female: n=12, 80%; male: n=3, 20%) examined the feasibility of the study during a 2-week testing period. The System Usability Scale was used as the primary measure of intervention feasibility. ResultsOverall, 7 content modules were developed and refined over several iterations. Key themes highlighted in the clinician and end user interviews were the diverse characteristics of patients, the hierarchical structure with which patients view health practitioners, the importance of delivering information in multiple formats (written, audio, and visual), and access to patient-centered information as early as possible in the health care journey. All content was translated into Vietnamese, the most widely spoken language following English in the local government areas included in this study. Patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds tested the feasibility of the intervention. A mean System Usability Scale score of 82.7 (SD 16) was recorded for the intervention, placing its usability in the excellent category. ConclusionsThrough the co-design process, we developed an evidence-based, holistic, and patient-centered digital health intervention. The intervention was specifically designed to be used by patients from diverse backgrounds, including those with low health, digital, and written literacy levels. The effectiveness of the intervention in improving the physical and mental health of patients will be determined by a high-quality randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Objective Workers of the Australian entertainment industry exhibit disproportionately high rates of impaired psychological wellbeing and suicidal behaviors, with such rates being exacerbated by the negative impact of working long and odd hours (Work Scheduling Impact; WSI). Nonetheless, stable and secure social support networks may buffer the risks associated with such systemic difficulties. Methods The responses of 1302 Australian entertainment industry workers (50.3% females, Mage 38.39 years) on the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Short Form Health Survey, WSI, and suicidal behaviors questions were examined via moderation analyses. Results Higher social support and lower WSI appeared to reduce the suicidal ideation of those experiencing poorer mental health, while lower WSI further enhanced social support’s positive effect. Conclusions Findings highlight the likely detrimental effect of WSI regarding the suicidal ideation reported by vulnerable Australian entertainment industry workers and stress the importance of the social support they experience. Public health implications Interventions attempting to increase social support could improve inherent conditions associated with the Australian entertainment industry. Similarly, the negative effect of working long and odd hours on workers’ mental health and suicidal behaviors indicates the need to regulate the industry appropriately.

BackgroundThe unprecedented changes and isolation measures to contain COVID-19 have had multiple psychological and social impacts, with implications for professional and personal functioning. Evidence-informed interventions that can be rapidly implemented under pandemic conditions to support mental health during such times are urgently needed. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of a daily online mental health promotion program for tertiary education staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsThe “Victoria University (VU) Elevenses” program was delivered as an uncontrolled intervention at Victoria University (VU) in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia. In April 2020, an email invitation was sent to all academic and professional staff inviting them to: (1) participate in the program and (2) opt-in to the research component. The “VU Elevenses” program provided 10-15–minute microinterventions comprising lifestyle and well-being strategies to promote mental health via an online meeting platform at 11 AM each weekday. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the program, combining structured questionnaires with semistructured interviews to investigate the experiences of staff who participated in the program. ResultsBetween 16 and 90 participants provided weekly program feedback. A total of 106 university staff opted into the longitudinal research component and 10 staff participated in the interviews. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with sessions and perceived benefits for mental health. Approximately one quarter of participants reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress at baseline, with significant reductions in these symptoms in the first 7 weeks of the program, corresponding with easing in mandatory isolation (“lockdown”) restrictions. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress all increased when lockdown measures were reintroduced, but not to the same levels as found during the initial lockdown period. Overall changes in depression and anxiety from baseline to the end of the program were explained by changes in COVID-19–related distress, whereas changes in self-compassion explained changes in stress. ConclusionsWe show that it is feasible and acceptable to develop and deliver a program of brief interventions in a timely manner, using a simple and accessible online platform. Although participation in the program was initially associated with reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, participants’ mental health worsened with the reintroduction of a “lockdown” period. However, as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress did not return to levels observed at the start of the VU Elevenses program, participation in the uncontrolled intervention may have offered a protective benefit against the impact of the second significant lockdown period.

The 6th International Conference on Community Psychology was held in the city of Durban in South Africa in 2016. The conference theme ‘Global Dialogues on Critical Knowledges, Liberation and Community’ reflected the country’s current political struggle for transformation and the connection to issues of social and economic inequality internationally. Guided by storytelling as a methodology, this paper draws on individual reflections of delegates from NAME University to explore the implications of the conference for us individually and collective in terms of teaching, research and action. We organise our collective reflections on our conference experience around two themes: the constraints and challenges of psychology teaching and training, and the value and challenges associated with critical and contextualised approaches to community psychologies. Drawing on these reflections, the implications for teaching, research and practice is discussed as well as the importance of forging spaces for networking, support for contextualised approaches to community psychology.