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Background: No research to date has examined cross-cultural differences in the pathways to internet gaming disorder (IGD). The current study aimed to address this limitation by examining the relationships between nationality (Singaporeans vs. Australians), culture orientation, gaming motivations, and IGD., Methods: Participants were 101 Singaporeans (55.4% males) and 98 Australians (52.0% males). They completed the Culture Orientation Scale, the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire, and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form., Results: A series of mediational analyses showed that Singaporeans tend to be more collectivistic (both horizontally and vertically). In turn, this culture orientation motivates them to play games for social reasons, increasing the risk for IGD. In contrast, Australians tend to be more individualistic (vertically only). In turn, this culture orientation motivates them to play games for competitive reasons, increasing the risk for IGD., Conclusion: Limitations include the use of samples from two countries only, precluding a generalization of the results. Future research directions include examining the role of game genres as a mediator in the nationality-IGD relationship., (© 2024 The Author(s). Asia‐Pacific Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Although children's school success is a parental goal in most cultures, there is wide cultural variation in the qualities that parents most wish their children to develop for that purpose. A questionnaire contained forty-one child qualities was administered to 757 parents in seven cultural communities in Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted separately within each sample and results revealed both similarities and differences across the seven samples. The factor structures showed considerable similarity: four domains of characteristics (Cognitive Qualities, Social Qualities, Negative temperament, and Good Characters) were identified in each sample as strongly influencing children's success in school. However, parents differed across the seven cultural communities in the importance they attributed to these factors. The results also reveal some culturally unique patterns in parents' concepts of the successful schoolchild; the seven samples were differentiated by distinctive associations of individual qualities around the four common domains. These results offer new insights for incorporating perspectives from other cultures into our own concepts of what qualities are most important for children's success in school, and how educators can be cognizant of differing cultural perspectives represented by the families whose children are their students., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Antonovsky's concept "sense of coherence" (SOC) and the related measurement instrument "The Orientation to Life Questionnaire" (OLQ) has been widely applied in studies on health and well-being. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the cultural differences in factor structures and psychometric properties as well as mean scores of the 13-item form of Antonovsky's OLQ among Australian (n = 201), Finnish (n = 203), and Turkish (n = 152) students. Three models of factor structure were studied by using confirmatory factor analysis: single-factor model, first-order correlated-three-factor model, and the second-order three-factor model. Results obtained in all three countries suggest that the first- and second-order three-factor models fitted the data better that the single-factor model. Hence, the OLQ scoring based on comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness scales was supported. Scale reliabilities and inter-correlations were in line with those reported in earlier studies. Two-way analyses of variance (gender × nationality) with age as a covariate showed no cultural differences in SOC scale scores. Women got higher scores on the meaningfulness scale than men, and age was positively related to all SOC scale scores indicating that SOC increases in early adulthood. The results support the three-factor model of OLQ which thus should be used in Australia, Finland, and Turkey instead of a single-factor model. Need for cross-cultural studies taking into account cultural correlates of SOC and its relation to health and well-being indicators as well as studies on gender differences in the OLQ are emphasized.

This study examined future-oriented behavior in children (3-6 years; N = 193) from three diverse societies-one industrialized Western city and two small, geographically isolated communities. Children had the opportunity to prepare for two alternative versions of an immediate future event over six trials. Some 3-year-olds from all cultures demonstrated competence, and a majority of the oldest children from each culture prepared for both future possibilities on every trial. Although there were some cultural differences in the youngest age groups that approached ceiling performance, the overall results indicate that children across these communities become able to prepare for alternative futures during early childhood. This acquisition period is therefore not contingent on Western upbringing, and may instead indicate normal cognitive maturation., (© 2018 Society for Research in Child Development.)

Objective: This study compared health-related quality of life and its associated factors among 305 women in Vietnam and 175 women in Australia aged 60-71. Descriptive analyses, Chi square, independent t-tests, and General Linear Models were used for data analysis., Results: After controlling for socio-demographics, lifestyles, and chronic diseases, older women in Vietnam had lower levels of physical health but similar levels of mental health to those in Australia. In both populations, chronic disease and diet were associated with physical health; physical activity was related to mental health. In Australia, physical activity, exercise, and Body Mass Index were also associated with physical health; age, alcohol consumption, and sleep were also linked with mental health. In Vietnam, age and marital status were also related to physical health; chronic diseases and diet were also correlated with mental health. These findings suggested that interventions developed in Australia targeting the management of diet and physical activity, may be useful for older women in Vietnam. However, future interventions in Vietnam need to be tailored to account for different age groups, marital status, and the number of chronic diseases experienced. Further investigation into the contributions of cultural factors to health-related quality of life is recommended.

Suicide data relating to 1979-2014 were obtained from three East Asian jurisdictions (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan) and two 'Western' countries (Australia, New Zealand). Rates and age patterns of suicide have changed markedly since 1979. Graphs of these patterns largely remained either upward-sloping, bimodal or flat (uniform) over the 36 years, male commonly differing from female, and East Asian patterns more like each other than those of the Western countries. Japan's male middle-aged suicide rate reached a peak in 1999-2003, which, like increased rates among working age males in Hong Kong and Taiwan, has been attributed largely to consequences of Asian financial crises. Male to female ratios of suicide rates have remained higher in the Western countries, but late life suicide rates have decreased to varying extents in all five jurisdictions. Identifying reasons for differences between jurisdictions in their suicide rates and patterns at particular times, and over time, is likely to point to factors (period, cohort, psychosocial or cultural) that protect against or foster suicidal ideation. This avenue of research may assist in identifying ways of preventing suicide., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) is a commonly-used tool for measuring schizotypal personality traits and due to its wide application, its cross-cultural validity is of interest. Previous studies suggest that the SPQ-B either has a three- or four-factor structure, but the majority of studies have been conducted in Western contexts and little is known about the psychometric properties of the scale in other populations. In this study factorial invariance testing across three cultural contexts-Australia, China and Chile was conducted. In total, 729 young adults (Mean age = 23.99 years, SD = 9.87 years) participated. Invariance testing did not support the four-factor model across three countries. Confirmatory Factor Analyses revealed that neither the four- nor three-factor model had strong fit in any of the settings. However, in comparison with other competing models, the four-factor model showed the best for the Australian sample, while the three-factor model was the most reasonable for both Chinese and Chilean samples. The reliability of the SPQ-B scores, estimated with Omega, ranged from 0.86 to 0.91. These findings suggest that the SPQ-B factors are not consistent across different cultural groups. We suggest that these differences could be attributed to potential confounding cultural and translation issues., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this research is to quantitatively compare everyday situational experience around the world. Local collaborators recruited 5,447 members of college communities in 20 countries, who provided data via a Web site in 14 languages. Using the 89 items of the Riverside Situational Q-sort (RSQ), participants described the situation they experienced the previous evening at 7:00 p.m. Correlations among the average situational profiles of each country ranged from r = .73 to r = .95; the typical situation was described as largely pleasant. Most similar were the United States/Canada; least similar were South Korea/Denmark. Japan had the most homogenous situational experience; South Korea, the least. The 15 RSQ items varying the most across countries described relatively negative aspects of situational experience; the 15 least varying items were more positive. Further analyses correlated RSQ items with national scores on six value dimensions, the Big Five traits, economic output, and population. Individualism, Neuroticism, Openness, and Gross Domestic Product yielded more significant correlations than expected by chance. Psychological research traditionally has paid more attention to the assessment of persons than of situations, a discrepancy that extends to cross-cultural psychology. The present study demonstrates how cultures vary in situational experience in psychologically meaningful ways., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This study explored how overimitation and collaboration interact in 3- to 6-year-old children in Westernized (N = 48 in Experiment 1; N = 26 in Experiment 2) and Indigenous Australian communities (N = 26 in Experiment 2). Whether working in pairs or on their own rates of overimitation did not differ. However, when the causal functions of modeled actions were unclear, the Indigenous Australian children collaborated at enhanced rates compared to the Western children. When the causal role of witnessed actions was identifiable, collaboration rates were correlated with production of causally unnecessary actions, but in the Indigenous Australian children only. This study highlights how children employ imitation and collaboration when acquiring new skills and how the latter can be influenced by task structure and cultural background., (© 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.)

Background: Little is known about the intergenerational and cross-cultural differences in emotional wellbeing and acceptability of psychological treatments for Arab Australians., Aim: To contribute to the emerging data about the mental health status and needs of Arab Australians., Method: An Internet survey examined psychological distress and functional impairment as measured by the Kessler 10 Item scale (K-10) and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) among Arab Australians. Additional questions enquired about their help-seeking behaviours, barriers to accessing psychological treatments and preferences for delivery of psychological treatments. A total of 252 participants were recruited through public talks, media and online promotions., Results: Forty-three percent of the respondents reported moderate-to-severe functional impairment (M = 9.5; standard deviation (SD) = 1.8), 32% reported high psychological distress (M = 28.5; SD = 5.4) and 30% were born overseas. First-generation Arab Australians experiencing high psychological distress (i.e. K-10 ≥ 22), reported a greater preference for Internet-delivered treatment when compared to their second-generation counterparts. Only 18% of the sample reported seeking help from a mental health professional in the past year. The significant barriers reported by respondents with high psychological distress were poor mental health literacy, lack of time and stigma. Respondents preferred face-to-face (90%) over Internet-delivered treatment (55%). Finally, Arab Australians experienced higher psychological distress and underutilised mental health services when compared to the Australian population., Conclusion: Targeted public health campaigns that make culturally relevant interventions such as modifying existing Internet-delivered treatment for Arab Australians may reduce barriers and increase treatment options for this population., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

There is significant variation in the expression of schizophrenia across ethnically different populations, and the optimal structural and diagnostic representation of schizophrenia are contested. We contrasted both lifetime frequencies of DSM-IV criterion A (the core symptom criterion of the internationally recognized DSM classification system) symptoms and types/content of delusions and hallucinations in transethnic schizophrenia populations from Australia (n = 776), India (n = 504) and Sarawak, Malaysia (n = 259), to elucidate clinical heterogeneity. Differences in both criterion A symptom composition and symptom content were apparent. Indian individuals with schizophrenia reported negative symptoms more frequently than other sites, whereas individuals from Sarawak reported disorganized symptoms more frequently. Delusions of control and thought broadcast, insertion, or withdrawal were less frequent in Sarawak than Australia. Curiously, a subgroup of 20 Indian individuals with schizophrenia reported no lifetime delusions or hallucinations. These findings potentially challenge the long-held view in psychiatry that schizophrenia is fundamentally similar across cultural groups, with differences in only the content of psychotic symptoms, but equivalence in structural form.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate and compare symptom experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and understanding of menopause and menopausal therapies in Australian and Laotian women., Methods: This was a cross-cultural, questionnaire-based study involving 108 women (56 Australian women and 52 Laotian women aged 40-65 y) attending outpatient clinics in Australia and Laos. Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis were conducted using Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test, where appropriate., Results: Psychological symptoms, depression, vasomotor symptoms, and sexual dysfunction were significantly higher in Australian women compared with Laotian women (P < 0.05). Australian women perceived the meaning of menopause as aging (57%), whereas most Laotian women reported not knowing what menopause meant to them (81%). Australian women's fears about menopause included weight gain (43%), aging (41%), and breast cancer (38%), whereas Laotian women reported not knowing about potential menopausal problems (85%). Exercise (55%), education and awareness (46%), and improving lifestyle (41%) were reported by Australian women as being effective in alleviating menopausal symptoms, with only 21% reporting not knowing what was effective compared with 83% of Laotian women. Many women reported not knowing the risks/benefits of hormonal therapies (50% of Australian women and 87% of Laotian women) and herbal therapies (79% of Australian women and 92% of Laotian women). General practitioners were the most common source of menopause information for both Australians (73%) and Laotians (67%)., Conclusions: Sociocultural factors influence women's perception of menopause. Psychological symptoms, sexual dysfunction, and vasomotor symptoms are more commonly reported by Australian women than by Laotian women. Women have a limited understanding of the risks/benefits of menopausal therapies, and culturally appropriate education is needed.

Objective: The study reported in this paper was aimed at developing understanding of schizophrenia-related knowledge and preferences surrounding professional help, medication, and treatment methods among Chinese living in Shanghai, China., Method: A multi-stage cluster sampling method in which participants were taken from six of the 20 districts in Shanghai was adopted for this study. The 522 Shanghai Chinese participants were presented with a vignette describing an individual with schizophrenia before being asked questions designed to assess both their understanding of schizophrenia and their preferences surrounding professional help, medication, and treatment methods. A comparative approach was adopted to identify similarities and differences between our findings and those of two previous studies on the mental health literacy of Chinese living in Melbourne, Australia and Hong Kong, respectively., Results: A lower percentage of Shanghai Chinese than Hong Kong Chinese and Australian Chinese could correctly identify the condition described in the vignette as a case of acute schizophrenia. Although a far lower percentage of Shanghai Chinese endorsed the use of counselling professionals, a much higher percentage of the same group endorsed Chinese medical doctors and herbal medication. A lower percentage of Shanghai Chinese endorsed 'lifestyle changes' as a strategy for dealing with schizophrenia than did Chinese subjects living in Australia and Hong Kong. On the other hand, a higher percentage of Shanghai residents endorsed psychiatric treatment and the traditional Chinese practices of 'eating nutritious food/taking supplements' than among the other two groups of Chinese., Conclusions: This study highlights the need for educating Chinese in Shanghai to improve their schizophrenia literacy. The contents of the education programmes will need to take into consideration the socially and culturally driven beliefs that may have been influencing the knowledge and preferences of Shanghai Chinese concerning professional help, medication, and treatment methods for people suffering from schizophrenia.

While marriage rates are relatively stable among better-educated men and women, they are rapidly declining among those with low educational attainment. This development has been recognized in the US as a new socioeconomic pattern of marriage. This article uses census data to show that socioeconomic marriage differentials are also increasing in Australia and New Zealand. These differentials have previously been noted independently of each other and of the international picture. In synthesizing the antipodean data, the article documents the new socioeconomic marriage pattern as an international phenomenon. This article further considers the extent to which the available explanations for the new marriage pattern fit the antipodean setting. In general, the factors identified as important in the North American setting are applicable to both Australia and New Zealand. In particular, the poor marriage prospects of men with low educational attainment appear to be common to these post-industrial economies with minimalist welfare states.

Background: Depression is a major public health problem in both China and Australia. To improve services, we need to ensure health professionals have an appropriate understanding of depression and its treatments. This study compares the level of awareness of depression between Chinese and Australian medical students., Methods: The International Depression Literacy Survey assessing the public health impact, recognition and treatment of depression was completed by pre-psychiatric training medical students in China (n = 220) and Australia (n = 177)., Results: Chinese students were far less likely to consider mental health conditions and depression as major public health problems (P < 0.001). Depression symptom recognition was similar with four of the top five symptoms of depression the same in both groups of students. Chinese students were more likely to consider some psychological symptoms such as "thinking life is not worth living", but less likely to consider somatic features such as "sleep disturbance" as typical for people with depression. Chinese students were more likely to claim that they would seek help from mental health professionals if experiencing depression whilst Australian students were more likely to seek help from a general or family doctor., Conclusions: Chinese medical students recognise depression similarly to Australian students but do not consider it a major public health problem. These results challenge the stereotype that depression is characterised by somatic symptoms in China. Increasing awareness of the public health impact of depression should be incorporated into the medical curriculum in China.

The current study compared the prevalence of substance use and DSM-IV dependence in the USA and Australia. Participants aged 18-54 were selected from two cross-sectional nationally representative Australian (National Survey on Mental Health and Well-Being - NSMHWB, 1997, n=7570) and American (National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions - NESARC, 2001-2002, n=29,673) household surveys. The NSMHWB utilised the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, whereas the NESARC used the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule. The 12-month prevalence of alcohol use was lower in the USA (56.5%) than in Australia (77.2%), although the rates of alcohol dependence were similar in both countries. The USA had higher rates of alcohol dependence conditional on use (9.0%) compared to Australia (6.8%). Australians had higher levels of drug use, dependence, and conditional dependence than Americans (except for sedatives and opioids). The absence of significant interactions between country of interview and the common correlates of substance use disorders indicated that the influence of these factors was similar in the USA and Australia. In conclusion, the current investigation revealed striking differences in the rates of conditional drug dependence between Australia and the USA. The cross-national generalizability of the relationships between the common correlates and prevalence of substance use and dependence indicates that a similar process of vulnerability to dependence may be operating in the USA and Australia. In the future, these cross-national differences could be used to help better understand the factors that influence drug use and the development of dependence.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to address (1) the existence of an association between menopausal status and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Australian and Japanese women and (2) the relative contributions of menopausal status, modifiable lifestyle risk factors, health, and sociodemographic factors on HRQOL., Design: The Australian and Japanese Midlife Women's Health Study (AJMWHS) was a multisite, population-based study conducted in 2001 to 2002. Measures were conducted on data collected from a survey questionnaire used for a sample of women from Australia and Japan. HRQOL was assessed with seven subscales from the Short Form-36., Results: The differences seen in physical functioning, general health, and vitality are significant. The results support an effect of country of residence on physical functioning and general health. The impact of menopausal status on HRQOL was significantly associated with bodily pain and role-emotional. The country of residence did have a modifying effect on the relationship between menopausal status and physical functioning. After control for confounders, there was a significant difference between Australian and Japanese women for HRQOL. Menopausal status was not associated with HRQOL in the areas of general health and physical functioning. Modifiable lifestyle risk factors contributed more highly to HRQOL for the Australian women than for the Japanese women. If the women had a lowered body mass index, undertook physical activity, consumed dietary phytoestrogens, and used alcohol, their physical functioning seemed to be better. Differences were seen in the contributions to HRQOL in these areas, with lower body mass index in the Australian women and physical activity in the Japanese women being the highest predictors. Somatic and psychological symptoms seem to negatively affect both Japanese and Australian women's physical functioning, contributing more than sociodemographic factors, menopausal status, and behavioral determinants combined to general health and physical functioning., Conclusions: It is important that that consideration be given to incorporating the same tool within the cross-cultural design of studies so that comparisons between cultures and patterns of healthy aging can be made. The research suggests that there seems to be variations across Australian and Japanese midlife women in some areas of HRQOL and some factors that contribute to these areas.

Background: Surveys of the public in a range of Western countries have shown a predominant belief in social stressors as causes of mental disorders. However, there has been little direct cross-cultural comparison. Here we report a comparison of public beliefs about the causes of mental disorders in Japan and Australia., Methods: Surveys of the public were carried out in each country using as similar a methodology as feasible. In both countries, household interviews were carried out concerning beliefs about causes and risk factors in relation to one of four case vignettes, describing either depression, depression with suicidal thoughts, early schizophrenia or chronic schizophrenia. In Japan, the survey involved 2000 adults aged between 20 and 69 from 25 regional sites spread across the country. In Australia, the survey involved a national sample of 3998 adults aged 18 years or over., Results: In both countries, both social and personal vulnerability causes were commonly endorsed across all vignettes. The major differences in causal beliefs were that Australians were more likely to believe in infection, allergy and genetics, while Japanese were more likely to endorse "nervous person" and "weakness of character". For risk factors, Australians tended to believe that women, the young and the poor were more at risk of depression, but these were not seen as higher risk groups by Japanese., Conclusion: In both Japan and Australia, the public has a predominant belief in social causes and risk factors, with personal vulnerability factors also seen as important. However, there are also some major differences between the countries. The belief in weakness of character as a cause, which was stronger in Japan, is of particular concern because it may reduce the likelihood of seeking professional help and support from others.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the effects of country of residence on menopausal status and menopausal symptoms in Australian and Japanese women. The study objectives included exploring the impact of country of residence (Australia and Japan) and menopausal status on menopausal symptoms, and identifying whether country of residence (Australia and Japan) moderates the relationship between menopausal status and menopausal symptoms., Methods: Analyses are based on 1743 women aged between 40 and 60 years who participated in the multi-race, multi-site, cross-sectional study of mid-aged women called the Australian and Japanese Midlife Women's Health Study (AJMWHS) in 2001--2002. Study participants completed a mailed questionnaire that contained questions on a variety of health-related topics., Results: In both cultures there was a similar increase in prevalence of depression (p < 0.001), somatic symptoms (p < 0.001) and vasomotor symptoms (p < 0.001) at perimenopause. Australian women experienced more night sweats than Japanese women but the prevalence of hot flashes was not statistically different. Postmenopausal Japanese women had more somatic, psychological and sexual symptoms. The main effect for menopausal status and the interaction effect of country of residence was significant in the somatic symptoms (p < 0.001), but not in any of the other areas., Conclusions: Vasomotor, psychological and somatic symptoms decrease after menopause in Australian women, with only sexual symptoms continuing. In Japanese women, somatic, psychological and sexual symptoms remain high after menopause. It is possible that westernization may be having a significant impact on the aging of women in Japan and it is, therefore important to capture through research just what this impact may be.

In a study of eating disorders, 297 Australian and 249 Indian university students completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; Garner, Olmsted, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982) and the Goldfarb Fear of Fat Scale (GFFS; Goldfarb, Dykens, & Gerrard, 1985). Contrary to predictions, the Indian participants scored significantly higher than the Australian participants on both measures. The Indian women scored significantly higher than the Australian women on the EAT-26 but not on the GFFS. The Australian men showed significantly fewer symptoms than all other groups. The Indian men did not differ from the Australian or Indian women on either the EAT-26 or GFFS. The urban Indians did not differ from their rural counterparts on the GFFS, but the rural Indians had significantly higher EAT-26 scores than the urban Indians.

One of the most important cognitive deficits in depression is said to be the patient's inability to make decisions. A research design involving a cross-cultural comparison between Australian and Japanese normal controls (N = 309 and N = 743, respectively) and clinically depressed patients (N = 59 and N = 45, respectively) was used to examine the influence of culture on illness and decision-making behavior, and whether deficits in decision making may be related to culture. It was found that depression had a greater effect on decision making in Australian patients than in Japanese patients. While many differences were found between Australian and Japanese nondepressed students, few differences were found between Australian and Japanese depressed patients. Thus, there appears to be an important interactional effect of culture and depression on decision making. The theoretical and clinical implications of the results are discussed.