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"Australia: Shadow and Cultural Complex in the Antipodes" examines Australia's penal colony history in which eighteenth-century convicts and settlers survived the trauma of migration and imprisonment by stoic repression. As such, a society developed that fears the unconscious and its shadow content, thus preventing the individuation process from being part of the cultural norm. These qualities—of repression and stoicism—are now respected cultural traits and evidence of an authentic Australian identity. The metaphysical culture of the Aboriginal has been disrespected by the dominant non-indigenous population. The psychic split between the two cultures mirrors the psychospiritual split within the individuals of the non-indigenous culture, in which self-awareness, self-reflection, and exploration of the unconscious are seen as weakness, or defects of character. Healing the split in the culture between the indigenous and non-indigenous peoples would require answers: education in the alchemical and genetic natures of both cultures and awareness of the history of human migration out of Africa. The DNA of the Cosmic Serpent supplies a psychic foundation to the education of the non-indigenous and indigenous peoples. This is vital to understanding that both cultures were nurtured by and sprang from a common taproot, the alchemical rhizome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:With a longitudinal prospective design, we examined the impact of floods on the mental and physical health of older adults and explored risk and protective factors. Method:Two hundred and seventy four older adults (age ≥60) completed surveys before and after a flood event. Both the surveys included measures of anxiety, depression, self-reported health, and satisfaction with life; the post-flood survey also included questionnaires on flood experience, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stoicism, and psychological coping with floods. Results:Compared to those not personally affected (78.8%), personally affected individuals (21.2%) reported significantly higher PTSD symptoms, with about one in six reporting PTSD symptoms that might require clinical attention. Personally affected individuals also reported a greater increase in anxiety post-flood, but changes in their depressive symptoms and self-reported health were not significantly different from those not personally affected. Greater flood exposure and the lack of social support were the risk factors for poorer mental and physical health. Higher stoicism was associated with higher post-flood depression and poorer self-reported mental health. The use of maladaptive coping, such as venting and distraction, was associated with greater deterioration in mental health after floods, whilst emotion-focused coping such as acceptance, positive reframing, and humour, was protective against such deterioration. Conclusion:Floods had adverse psychological impacts on some older adults who were personally affected. Despite the evidence of resilience, a small proportion of older adults experienced significant difficulties after the floods. The findings in this study help understand older adults’ psychological responses to disasters and have practical implications for service planning and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Australian legislation and military doctrine stipulate that soldiers 'subjugate their will' to government, and fight in any war the government declares. Neither legislation nor doctrine enables the conscience of soldiers. Together, provisions of legislation and doctrine seem to take soldiers for granted. And, rather than strengthening the military instrument, the convention of legislation and doctrine seems to weaken the democratic foundations upon which the military may be shaped as a force for justice. Denied liberty of their conscience, soldiers are denied the foundational right of democratic citizenship and construed as utensils of the State. This article critiques the idea of moral agency in Australian legislation and military doctrine and is concerned with the obligation of the State to safeguard the moral integrity of individual soldiers, so soldiers might serve with a fully formed moral assurance to advance justice in the world. Beyond its explicit focus on the convention of Australian thought, this article raises questions of far-reaching relevance. The provisos of Australian legislation and doctrine are an analogue of western thinking. Thus, this discussion challenges many assumptions concerning military duty and effectiveness. Discussion will additionally provoke some reassessment of the expectations democratic societies hold of their soldiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rural and remote Australia has long been recognised as an area with reduced help-seeking for mental health concerns and an increased suicide mortality. The current study aimed to investigate the differences between help-seeking intentions and predictors between different locations across Australia to better understand the barriers to seeking help for rural residents., Methods: An anonymous online survey measuring attitudes, stoicism, help-seeking intentions and demographics was conducted through various channels across Australia. Differences between locations and relationships between variables of interest were analysed using multiple regression and mediation analysis., Results: In total, 471 participants were included in the analysis, the majority residing in outer regional areas (37.4%), followed by inner regional areas (29.9%), major cities (18.3%), remote areas (12.3%) and very remote areas (2.1%). Location, along with attitudes and stoicism, were predictors of help-seeking. A novel mediation model revealed that attitudes partially mediated the association between stoicism and lower help-seeking intentions for both rural and urban participants., Conclusion: Findings from this study extend knowledge of what differentiates people who are willing from those who are not willing to seek help for a mental health concern or suicidal ideation, by their living location. The findings also suggest practical implications for clinical intervention and community prevention that could assist improving help-seeking for rural Australians in the future.