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Abstract Mental health apps are efficacious, yet they may pose risks in some. This review (CRD42024506486) examined adverse events (AEs) from mental health apps. We searched (May 2024) the Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases to identify clinical trials of mental health apps. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Only 55 of 171 identified clinical trials reported AEs. AEs were more likely to be reported in trials sampling schizophrenia and delivering apps with symptom monitoring technology. The meta-analytic deterioration rate from 13 app conditions was 6.7% (95% CI = 4.3, 10.1, I 2 = 75%). Deterioration rates did not differ between app and control groups (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.62–1.01, I 2 = 0%). Reporting of AEs was heterogeneous, in terms of assessments used, events recorded, and detail provided. Overall, few clinical trials of mental health apps report AEs. Those that do often provide insufficient information to properly judge risks related to app use.

Abstract We assessed the bi-directional relationships between upward appearance comparisons on social media with body dissatisfaction (BD) and disordered eating (DE) in women’s daily lives and the potential moderating effect of trait self-objectification on these relationships. Women (N = 315) completed a baseline measure of trait self-objectification, then reported momentary experiences of social media-based appearance comparisons (upward, lateral, downward), body satisfaction, and DE urges (restrict food intake, exercise, overeat) for seven days. We hypothesized that upward (relative to no) comparisons would predict lower body satisfaction and higher DE urges, while lateral and downward (relative to no) comparisons would predict higher body satisfaction and lower DE urges. We expected these relationships to be bi-directional and moderated by trait self-objectification. Multilevel modelling results revealed complex bi-directional relationships. Upward comparisons predicted lower body satisfaction and increased urges to restrict food intake, which in turn predicted increased upward comparisons. Unexpectedly, urges to restrict food intake predicted all comparison types. We observed somewhat unanticipated bi-directional relationships between lateral comparisons and exercise urges, and between downward comparisons and body satisfaction. Uni-directional relationships emerged between upward comparisons and the urge to overeat. Trait self-objectification moderated very few of these relationships. These findings support the non-uniform impact of appearance comparisons on body image and eating concerns and highlight the complexity of daily social media-body image dynamics. Future research using refined measures over extended periods is needed to elucidate these relationships further and inform targeted interventions.

Abstract Background Difficulties with inhibitory control have been identified in eating disorders (EDs) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs; including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder), and there appear to be parallels between the expression of these impairments. It is theorised that impairments in inhibitory control within NDs may represent a unique vulnerability for eating disorders (EDs), and this same mechanism may contribute to poorer treatment outcomes. This review seeks to determine the state of the literature concerning the role of inhibitory control in the overlap of EDs and neurodivergence. Method A scoping review was conducted to summarise extant research, and to identify gaps in the existing knowledge base. Scopus, Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, and ProQuest were systematically searched. Studies were included if the study measured traits of ADHD or autism, and symptoms of ED, and required participants to complete a performance task measure of inhibitory control. Where studies included a cohort with both an ND and ED, these results had to be reported separately from cohorts with a singular diagnosis. Studies were required to be published in English, within the last 10 years. Results No studies explored the relationship between autism and EDs using behavioural measures of inhibitory control. Four studies exploring the relationship between ADHD and EDs using behavioural measures of inhibitory control met selection criteria. These studies showed a multifaceted relationship between these conditions, with differences emerging between domains of inhibitory control. ADHD symptoms predicted poorer performance on measures of response inhibition in a non-clinical sample; this was not replicated in clinical samples, nor was there a significant association with EDs. Both ADHD and ED symptoms are associated with poor performance on attentional control measures; where these diagnoses were combined, performance was worse than for those with a singular diagnosis of ADHD. This was not replicated when compared to those with only ED diagnoses. Conclusion Impairments in attentional control may represent a unique vulnerability for the development of an ED and contribute to poor treatment outcomes. Further research is needed to explore the role of inhibitory control in EDs, ADHD and autism, including the use of both self-report and behavioural measures to capture the domains of inhibitory control.

Abstract Purpose Evidence shows that dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) is efficacious for eating disorders (ED), yet few people have access to specialized treatments like DBT. Translating key DBT skills for delivery via a smartphone application may broaden the dissemination of evidence-based interventions. However, prior to developing a DBT-based app, it is crucial to gather information on target-user needs and preferences. Assessing overall acceptance and identifying predictors of acceptance, informed by the UTAUT framework, is also important. This process ensures not only a demand for such an app, but also that users receive content and features tailored to their needs. Method This study aimed to understand target-user preferences of DBT-based apps for EDs by assessing willingness to engage, overall acceptance levels, and preferred functionality/content delivery modes (n = 326 symptomatic participants). Results Eighty-eight percent indicated they would be willing to use a DBT-based ED app if it were available. Acceptance levels of a DBT app were high (64%), which was uniquely predicted by performance expectancy (perceptions of how beneficial an intervention is) and facilitating conditions (expectations of technological infrastructure and support in interventions) in path analysis. Content perceived as important to contain were emotion regulation techniques, tailored intervention strategies, and psychoeducation. Conclusion Findings generate important information about target-user preferences of a DBT-based app for EDs, highlighting necessary design principles for apps of this kind. Level of evidence Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES:. To describe the utilization of early ketamine use among patients mechanically ventilated for COVID-19, and examine associations with in-hospital mortality and other clinical outcomes. DESIGN:. Retrospective cohort study. SETTING:. Six hundred ten hospitals contributing data to the Premier Healthcare Database between April 2020 and June 2021. PATIENTS:. Adults with COVID-19 and greater than or equal to 2 consecutive days of mechanical ventilation within 5 days of hospitalization. INTERVENTION:. The exposures were early ketamine use initiated within 2 days of intubation and continued for greater than 1 day. MEASUREMENTS:. Primary was hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS) in the hospital and ICUs, ventilator days, vasopressor days, renal replacement therapy (RRT), and total hospital cost. The propensity score matching analysis was used to adjust for confounders. MAIN RESULTS:. Among 42,954 patients, 1,423 (3.3%) were exposed to early ketamine use. After propensity score matching including 1,390 patients in each group, recipients of ketamine infusions were associated with higher hospital mortality (52.5% vs. 45.9%, risk ratio: 1.14, [1.06–1.23]), longer median ICU stay (13 vs. 12 d, mean ratio [MR]: 1.15 [1.08–1.23]), and longer ventilator days (12 vs. 11 d, MR: 1.19 [1.12–1.27]). There were no associations for hospital LOS (17 [10–27] vs. 17 [9–28], MR: 1.05 [0.99–1.12]), vasopressor days (4 vs. 4, MR: 1.04 [0.95–1.14]), and RRT (22.9% vs. 21.7%, RR: 1.05 [0.92–1.21]). Total hospital cost was higher (median $72,481 vs. $65,584, MR: 1.11 [1.05–1.19]). CONCLUSIONS:. In a diverse sample of U.S. hospitals, about one in 30 patients mechanically ventilated with COVID-19 received ketamine infusions. Early ketamine may have an association with higher hospital mortality, increased total cost, ICU stay, and ventilator days, but no associations for hospital LOS, vasopressor days, and RRT. However, confounding by the severity of illness might occur due to higher extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and RRT use in the ketamine group. Further randomized trials are needed to better understand the role of ketamine infusions in the management of critically ill patients.

BackgroundImpairments in empathy are well established in anorexia nervosa (AN). It is unclear, however, whether these deficits only occur in the acute phases of AN due to neurocognitive impacts of starvation (often referred to as context-dependent, or state-like), or if deficits remain once remission has been achieved (trait-like). This debate is commonly referred to as the ‘state vs trait’ debate.ObjectiveThis systematic review aims to summarise existing literature regarding empathy in AN, and to investigate whether empathy deficits in AN are state- or trait-based.MethodA total of 1014 articles were identified, and seven articles remained after the screening process. These seven articles, comparing empathy across three groups (acute AN, remission of AN, and non-clinical controls), were evaluated and summarised in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Articles were required to have included all three groups and report on either cognitive empathy and/or emotional empathy.ResultsThe majority of studies were of satisfactory quality. The results identified were inconsistent, with few articles lending some support to the ‘state’ hypothesis and others producing nonsignificant results.ConclusionsThere is minimal literature comparing empathy in acute and remission phases of AN. While there were some inconsistencies in included articles, some data indicate that there may be slight improvements to emotional and cognitive empathy following recovery of AN. Further research is needed to better enrich knowledge regarding the role of state vs trait with regard to neurocognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with AN.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=335669, identifier CRD42022335669.

Abstract Background This study evaluated the role of overlapping traits and characteristics related to autism spectrum disorder (autism) and anorexia nervosa (AN) in the general population, and the impact of these traits on mentalising ability. Methods A sample of young adults (N = 306), aged 18–25 years, was recruited to complete an online study that consisted of 4 measures: the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Mentalization Scale, and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. Results Higher levels of autistic traits, particularly difficulty with attention switching, were associated with increased eating disorder psychopathology. Overall, autistic traits and eating disorder psychopathology were related among females, but not males. Difficulty with attention switching, however, was related to eating disorder psychopathology among both females and males. Autistic traits also appear to have a greater role in mentalising ability than does eating disorder psychopathology. Conclusion The role of attention switching in overlapping traits of autism and eating disorder psychopathology needs to be more comprehensively evaluated by future research, as does the role of biological sex. Expanded knowledge in this field will help to better understand and evaluate symptoms at presentation, leading to clearer diagnoses and potentially better treatment outcomes.

Abstract Background Opioid use has come under increasing scrutiny, driven in part by the opioid crisis and growing concerns that up to 6% of opioid-naïve patients may become chronic opioid users. This has resulted in a revaluation of perioperative practice. For this reason, we implemented a multidisciplinary pathway to reduce perioperative opioid usage through education and standardization of practice. Methods A single-centre retrospective evaluation was performed after 1 year, comparing the outcomes to those of the 2 years prior to pathway implementation. Comparisons were made between pre- vs. post pathway change by 2:1 propensity matching between cohorts. Univariate linear regression models were created using demographic variables with those that were p

ObjectivesThe current study aimed to investigate the impact of oxytocin on emotion recognition, trust, body image, affect, and anxiety and whether eating disorder (ED) symptoms moderated any of these relationships.MethodParticipants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73). Participants were asked to complete an experimental measure of emotion recognition and an investor task aimed to assess trust.ResultsThe oxytocin group exhibited better overall performance on the emotion recognition task (especially with recognising positive emotions), and a decline in state positive affect than the control group at post-intervention. However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity, nor were effects found for state anxiety, negative affect, body image and recognising negative emotions in the emotion recognition task.ConclusionThe current findings contribute to the growing literature on oxytocin, emotion recognition and positive affect and suggest that ED pathology does not moderate these relationships. Future research would benefit from examining the efficacy of an oxytocin intervention using a within-subjects, cross-over design, in those with sub-clinical and clinical EDs, as well as healthy controls.

IntroductionStudies in transdiagnostic eating disorder (ED) samples suggest supported online self-help programs (eTherapies) are effective and may improve access to treatment; however, their evaluation in those with binge-eating disorder (BED) is limited. Given BED’s high prevalence and low levels of treatment uptake, further eTherapy evaluation is needed to broaden access to effective, evidence-based treatment options. The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of a supported eTherapy for those with BED or subthreshold BED, and to examine symptom change across the duration of therapy.MethodNineteen women with BED completed a supported, 10-session Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based eTherapy in an uncontrolled, pre-post, and 3 months follow up intervention study. Key outcomes were assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): objective binge episode (OBE) frequency and ED psychopathology. Feasibility was evaluated via program adherence and dropout, whilst acceptability was assessed through participant feedback post-treatment. Weekly symptom change (ED psychopathology) during treatment was assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS).ResultsGeneralised estimating equations showed statistically and clinically significant reductions in OBEs and ED psychopathology (large effects) post-treatment, with these decreases maintained at follow up. Across weekly assessment, a marked slowing in the rate of change in ED psychopathology was observed after four sessions of the program. Program feasibility was high (i.e., 84% of content completed), as was program acceptability (i.e., 93% of participants expressed high levels of satisfaction).DiscussionThese results support the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of a supported eTherapy program for those with BED and suggest the variability of symptom change across the duration of therapy. Future research should further investigate findings in an adequately powered randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundAccessible, cost-effective, and scalable mental health interventions are limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where disparities between mental health needs and services are greatest. Microinterventions (ie, brief, stand-alone, or digital approaches) aim to provide immediate reprieve and enhancements in mental health states and offer a novel and scalable framework for embedding evidence-based mental health promotion techniques into digital environments. Body image is a global public health issue that increases young peoples’ risk of developing more severe mental and physical health issues. Embedding body image microinterventions into digital environments is one avenue for providing young people with immediate and short-term reprieve and protection from the negative exposure effects associated with social media. ObjectiveThis 2-armed, fully remote, and preregistered randomized controlled trial assessed the impact of a body image chatbot containing microinterventions on Brazilian adolescents’ state and trait body image and associated well-being outcomes. MethodsGeographically diverse Brazilian adolescents aged 13-18 years (901/1715, 52.54% girls) were randomized into the chatbot or an assessment-only control condition and completed web-based self-assessments at baseline, immediately after the intervention time frame, and at 1-week and 1-month follow-ups. The primary outcomes were mean change in state (at chatbot entry and at the completion of a microintervention technique) and trait body image (before and after the intervention), with the secondary outcomes being mean change in affect (state and trait) and body image self-efficacy between the assessment time points. ResultsMost participants who entered the chatbot (258/327, 78.9%) completed ≥1 microintervention technique, with participants completing an average of 5 techniques over the 72-hour intervention period. Chatbot users experienced small significant improvements in primary (state: P

The Novel Virus, COVID-19, has changed many aspects of current lifestyles including school closures, remote learning, and shuttered businesses (Fegert et al, 2020). Data generated from this study focused on how current policy regarding the COVID-19 response for the university provided the supports needed for students. University response included mask mandates, remote learning, and limitations on all social activities. First year freshman students, who attended a 4-year institute in Southeast US, spent a year presenting their lived experiences of college life to researchers. Participants discussed the struggles and stress that the pandemic placed on their college experiences. Key results found that despite the many obstacles that the pandemic has caused, and limitations placed by safety policies, these students were demonstrating resilience to these obstacles and forging forward in their educational career. Implications of this research provided data to university leaders on the effects of their pandemic response as they move into the endemic.

Abstract Objective The high co-occurrence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviours and eating disorder (ED) symptoms suggests these conditions share common aetiological processes. We assessed a new integrative model of shared factors for NSSI and ED symptoms, where affect dysregulation, impulsivity, self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between insecure attachment and maladaptive schemas and NSSI and ED symptoms. A further aim of the study was to assess whether the model behaved similarly across a clinical eating disorder (ED) and a community sample. Method 123 females with a lifetime ED diagnosis and 531 female individuals from the community completed an online survey, which included measures assessing the variables of interest. A cross-sectional single time point analysis was used. Results Invariance testing indicated that the model was structurally non-invariant (different across groups). The proposed integrative model was a good fit for the ED group, but for the community sample only a revised model reached an acceptable fit. Both attachment and maladaptive schemas, included early in the model, were implicated in the pathways leading to ED and NSSI symptoms in the ED and community groups. In the community group, impulsivity, a mediator, was a shared predictor for NSSI and bulimic symptoms. No other mediating variables were shared by NSSI and ED symptoms in the two groups. Overall, the proposed model explained slightly more variance for the ED group relative to the community group in drive for thinness (R 2 = .57 vs .51) and NSSI (R 2 = .29 vs .24) but less variance in bulimic symptoms (R 2 = .33 vs .39). Conclusion We conclude that the current model provides only limited support for explaining the comorbidity between NSSI and ED symptoms. It is vital to consider both common (e.g., attachment and maladaptive schemas) and specific factors (e.g., impulsivity) to better understand the pathways that lead to the co-occurrence of NSSI and ED symptoms. A new integrative model assessed whether emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction were mediators in the relationship between insecure attachment and maladaptive beliefs about the world and the self and subsequent eating disorder and self-harm symptoms. A further aim was to assess whether the proposed model differed between a clinical eating disorder and a community sample. All participants were female and included 123 patients with a lifetime eating disorder and 531 individuals from the community. Participating individuals completed an online survey at one timepoint, which included measures assessing the variables of interest. The findings of the current study indicated that the proposed model was a good match for the clinical eating disorder sample, but for the community sample only a revised model yielded acceptable statistical fit. Both insecure attachment and maladaptive beliefs about the world and the self, included early in the model, were indirectly related to eating disorder and self-harm symptoms for both the eating disorder and the community groups. Impulsivity, a mediator, was the only shared predictor for self-harm, and bulimic symptoms in the community group. We conclude that the current model provides only limited support for explaining the comorbidity between self-harming behaviours and disordered eating symptoms.

BackgroundTopic modeling approaches allow researchers to analyze and represent written texts. One of the commonly used approaches in psychology is latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), which is used for rapidly synthesizing patterns of text within “big data,” but outputs can be sensitive to decisions made during the analytic pipeline and may not be suitable for certain scenarios such as short texts, and we highlight resources for alternative approaches. This review focuses on the complex analytical practices specific to LDA, which existing practical guides for training LDA models have not addressed. ObjectiveThis scoping review used key analytical steps (data selection, data preprocessing, and data analysis) as a framework to understand the methodological approaches being used in psychology research using LDA. MethodsA total of 4 psychology and health databases were searched. Studies were included if they used LDA to analyze written words and focused on a psychological construct or issue. The data charting processes were constructed and employed based on common data selection, preprocessing, and data analysis steps. ResultsA total of 68 studies were included. These studies explored a range of research areas and mostly sourced their data from social media platforms. Although some studies reported on preprocessing and data analysis steps taken, most studies did not provide sufficient detail for reproducibility. Furthermore, the debate surrounding the necessity of certain preprocessing and data analysis steps is revealed. ConclusionsOur findings highlight the growing use of LDA in psychological science. However, there is a need to improve analytical reporting standards and identify comprehensive and evidence-based best practice recommendations. To work toward this, we developed an LDA Preferred Reporting Checklist that will allow for consistent documentation of LDA analytic decisions and reproducible research outcomes.

BackgroundApp-based interventions designed to prevent and treat eating disorders have considerable potential to overcome known barriers to treatment seeking. Existing apps have shown efficacy in terms of symptom reduction; however, uptake and retention issues are common. To ensure that apps meet the needs and preferences of those for whom they were designed, it is critical to understand the lived experience of potential users and involve them in the process of design, development, and delivery. However, few app-based interventions are pretested on and co-designed with end users before randomized controlled trials. ObjectiveTo address the issue, this study used a highly novel design thinking approach to provide the context and a lived experience perspective of the end user, thus allowing for a deeper level of understanding. MethodsIn total, 7 young women (mean age 25.83, SD 5.34, range 21-33 years) who self-identified as having a history of body image issues or eating disorders were recruited. Participants were interviewed about their lived experience of body image and eating disorders and reported their needs and preferences for app-based eating disorder interventions. Traditional (thematic analysis) and novel (empathy mapping; visually depicting and empathizing with the user’s personal experience) analyses were performed, providing a lived experience perspective of eating disorders and identifying the needs and preferences of this population in relation to app-based interventions for eating disorders. Key challenges and opportunities for app-based eating disorder interventions were also identified. ResultsFindings highlighted the importance of understanding and identifying problematic eating disorder symptoms for the user, helpful practices for recovery that identify personal values and goals, the role of social support in facilitating hope, and aspects of usability to promote continued engagement and recovery. ConclusionsPractical guidance and recommendations are described for those developing app-based eating disorder interventions. These findings have the potential to inform practices to enhance participant uptake and retention in the context of app-based interventions for this population.

BackgroundWith the increasing frequency and magnitude of disasters internationally, there is growing research and clinical interest in the application of social media sites for disaster mental health surveillance. However, important questions remain regarding the extent to which unstructured social media data can be harnessed for clinically meaningful decision-making. ObjectiveThis comprehensive scoping review synthesizes interdisciplinary literature with a particular focus on research methods and applications. MethodsA total of 6 health and computer science databases were searched for studies published before April 20, 2021, resulting in the identification of 47 studies. Included studies were published in peer-reviewed outlets and examined mental health during disasters or crises by using social media data. ResultsApplications across 31 mental health issues were identified, which were grouped into the following three broader themes: estimating mental health burden, planning or evaluating interventions and policies, and knowledge discovery. Mental health assessments were completed by primarily using lexical dictionaries and human annotations. The analyses included a range of supervised and unsupervised machine learning, statistical modeling, and qualitative techniques. The overall reporting quality was poor, with key details such as the total number of users and data features often not being reported. Further, biases in sample selection and related limitations in generalizability were often overlooked. ConclusionsThe application of social media monitoring has considerable potential for measuring mental health impacts on populations during disasters. Studies have primarily conceptualized mental health in broad terms, such as distress or negative affect, but greater focus is required on validating mental health assessments. There was little evidence for the clinical integration of social media–based disaster mental health monitoring, such as combining surveillance with social media–based interventions or developing and testing real-world disaster management tools. To address issues with study quality, a structured set of reporting guidelines is recommended to improve the methodological quality, replicability, and clinical relevance of future research on the social media monitoring of mental health during disasters.

Parenting interventions offer an evidence-based method for the prevention and early intervention of child mental health problems, but to-date their population-level effectiveness has been limited by poor reach and engagement, particularly for fathers, working mothers, and disadvantaged families. Tailoring intervention content to parents' context offers the potential to enhance parent engagement and learning by increasing relevance of content to parents' daily experiences. However, this approach requires a detailed understanding of the common parenting situations and issues that parents face day-to-day, which is currently lacking. We sought to identify the most common parenting situations discussed by parents on parenting-specific forums of the free online discussion forum, Reddit. We aimed to understand perspectives from both mothers and fathers, and thus retrieved publicly available data from r/Daddit and r/Mommit. We used latent Dirichlet allocation to identify the 10 most common topics discussed in the Reddit posts, and completed a manual text analysis to summarize the parenting situations (defined as involving a parent and their child aged 0-18 years, and describing a potential/actual issue). We retrieved 340 (r/Daddit) and 578 (r/Mommit) original posts. A model with 31 latent Dirichlet allocation topics was best fitting, and 24 topics included posts that met our inclusion criteria for manual review. We identified 45 unique but broadly defined parenting situations. The majority of parenting situations were focused on basic childcare situations relating to eating, sleeping, routines, sickness, and toilet training; or related to how to respond to child negative emotions or difficult behavior. Most situations were discussed in relation to infant or toddler aged children, and there was high consistency in the themes raised in r/Daddit and r/Mommit. Our results offer potential to tailor parenting interventions in a meaningful way, creating opportunities to develop content and resources that are directly relevant to parents' lived experiences.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic presents significant risks to the mental health and wellbeing of Australian families. Employment and economic uncertainty, chronic stress, anxiety, and social isolation are likely to have negative impacts on parent mental health, couple and family relationships, as well as child health and development.ObjectiveThis study aims to: (1) provide timely information on the mental health impacts of the emerging COVID-19 crisis in a close to representative sample of Australian parents and children (0–18 years), (2) identify adults and families most at risk of poor mental health outcomes, and (3) identify factors to target through clinical and public health intervention to reduce risk. Specifically, this study will investigate the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with increased risk for parents’ mental health, lower well-being, loneliness, and alcohol use; parent-parent and parent-child relationships (both verbal and physical); and child and adolescent mental health problems.MethodsThe study aims to recruit a close to representative sample of at least 2,000 adults aged 18 years and over living in Australia who are parents of a child 0–4 years (early childhood, N = 400), 5–12 years (primary school N = 800), and 13–18 years (secondary school, N = 800). The design will be a longitudinal cohort study using an online recruitment methodology. Participants will be invited to complete an online baseline self-report survey (20 min) followed by a series of shorter online surveys (10 min) scheduled every 2 weeks for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., estimated to be 14 surveys over 6 months).ResultsThe study will employ post stratification weights to address differences between the final sample and the national population in geographic communities across Australia. Associations will be analyzed using multilevel modeling with time-variant and time-invariant predictors of change in trajectory over the testing period.ConclusionsThis study will provide timely information on the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on parents and children in Australia; identify communities, parents, families, and children most at risk of poor outcomes; and identify potential factors to address in clinical and public health interventions to reduce risk.

ObjectivesTo assess whether maladaptive perfectionism (parental and intrapersonal), mediated by self-esteem and internalized shame, lead to depressive symptoms, and to identify whether this model was invariant (i.e., structurally unchanged) across groups of Australian domestic and Asian international students.MethodsA total of 624 (308 Australian domestic and 316 Asian international undergraduate university students) completed a questionnaire on the variables of interest.ResultsAustralian domestic and Asian international students did not significantly differ in reported levels of study variables apart from parental maladaptive perfectionism, on which Australian domestic students scored significantly higher. The proposed path-model differed across student groups, with findings indicating that intrapersonal maladaptive perfectionism impacted indirectly on depressive symptoms through internalized shame in both groups, however, indirectly through self-esteem in only the Asian international student group.ConclusionIntrapersonal maladaptive perfectionism may be a culturally independent process, capable of predisposing all university students to develop depressive symptoms, but that self-esteem may be a particularly relevant mediator of this relationship among Asian international students.

Abstract Background Participant retention strategies that minimise attrition in longitudinal cohort studies have evolved considerably in recent years. This study aimed to assess, via systematic review and meta-analysis, the effectiveness of both traditional strategies and contemporary innovations for retention adopted by longitudinal cohort studies in the past decade. Methods Health research databases were searched for retention strategies used within longitudinal cohort studies published in the 10-years prior, with 143 eligible longitudinal cohort studies identified (141 articles; sample size range: 30 to 61,895). Details on retention strategies and rates, research designs, and participant demographics were extracted. Meta-analyses of retained proportions were performed to examine the association between cohort retention rate and individual and thematically grouped retention strategies. Results Results identified 95 retention strategies, broadly classed as either: barrier-reduction, community-building, follow-up/reminder, or tracing strategies. Forty-four of these strategies had not been identified in previous reviews. Meta-regressions indicated that studies using barrier-reduction strategies retained 10% more of their sample (95%CI [0.13 to 1.08]; p = .01); however, studies using follow-up/reminder strategies lost an additional 10% of their sample (95%CI [− 1.19 to − 0.21]; p = .02). The overall number of strategies employed was not associated with retention. Conclusions Employing a larger number of retention strategies may not be associated with improved retention in longitudinal cohort studies, contrary to earlier narrative reviews. Results suggest that strategies that aim to reduce participant burden (e.g., flexibility in data collection methods) might be most effective in maximising cohort retention.

BackgroundPenalised regression methods are a useful atheoretical approach for both developing predictive models and selecting key indicators within an often substantially larger pool of available indicators. In comparison to traditional methods, penalised regression models improve prediction in new data by shrinking the size of coefficients and retaining those with coefficients greater than zero. However, the performance and selection of indicators depends on the specific algorithm implemented. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive performance and feature (i.e., indicator) selection capability of common penalised logistic regression methods (LASSO, adaptive LASSO, and elastic-net), compared with traditional logistic regression and forward selection methods.DesignData were drawn from the Australian Temperament Project, a multigenerational longitudinal study established in 1983. The analytic sample consisted of 1,292 (707 women) participants. A total of 102 adolescent psychosocial and contextual indicators were available to predict young adult daily smoking.FindingsPenalised logistic regression methods showed small improvements in predictive performance over logistic regression and forward selection. However, no single penalised logistic regression model outperformed the others. Elastic-net models selected more indicators than either LASSO or adaptive LASSO. Additionally, more regularised models included fewer indicators, yet had comparable predictive performance. Forward selection methods dismissed many indicators identified as important in the penalised logistic regression models.ConclusionsAlthough overall predictive accuracy was only marginally better with penalised logistic regression methods, benefits were most clear in their capacity to select a manageable subset of indicators. Preference to competing penalised logistic regression methods may therefore be guided by feature selection capability, and thus interpretative considerations, rather than predictive performance alone.

Introduction Sleep problems are a characteristic feature of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with 40% to 80% of children experiencing sleep difficulties. Sleep problems have been found to have a pervasive impact on a child’s socio-emotional functioning, as well as on parents’ psychological functioning. The Sleeping Sound ASD project aims to evaluate the efficacy of a brief behavioural sleep intervention in reducing ASD children’s sleep problems in a fully powered randomised controlled trial (RCT). Intervention impact on child and family functioning is also assessed.Methods and analysis The RCT aims to recruit 234 children with a diagnosis of ASD, aged 5–13 years, who experience moderate to severe sleep problems. Participants are recruited from paediatrician clinics in Victoria, Australia, and via social media. Families interested in the study are screened for eligibility via phone, and then asked to complete a baseline survey online, assessing child sleep problems, and child and family functioning. Participants are then randomised to the intervention group or treatment as usual comparator group. Families in the intervention group attend two face-to-face sessions and a follow-up phone call with a trained clinician, where families are provided with individually tailored behavioural sleep strategies to help manage the child’s sleep problems. Teacher reports of sleep, behavioural and social functioning are collected, and cognitive ability assessed to provide measures blind to treatment group. The primary outcome is children’s sleep problems as measured by the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire at 3 months post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes include parent and child quality of life; child social, emotional, behavioural and cognitive functioning; and parenting stress and parent mental health. Cost-effectiveness of the intervention is also evaluated.Ethics and dissemination Findings from this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at national and international conferences, local networks and online.Trial registration number ISRCTN14077107 (ISRCTN registry dated on 3 March 2017).

Abstract Objective: Given the high prevalence of overweight/obesity among young people in residential out‐of‐home care (OOHC), and as their carers are in loco parentis, this research aimed: 1) to examine the healthy lifestyle cognitions and behaviours of residential carers; and 2) to describe resources needed to improve diet and/or physical activity outcomes for residents. Methods: Cross‐sectional data were collected from 243 residential carers. Measures included: demographics; knowledge of dietary/physical activity recommendations; self‐reported encouragement/importance of health behaviours; physical activity/screen time (at work); unit ‘healthiness’; and necessary resources for creating a healthy environment. Results: Staff placed importance on the residents eating well and being physically active. However, examination of carer knowledge found significant gaps in staff education. Three key priority areas were identified to help build a healthy food and activity environment in residential OOHC: funding, professional development and policy. Conclusion: Carer knowledge of healthy lifestyles can be improved and they need to be well resourced to ensure children in public care settings live in a healthy environment. Implications: These findings may inform the development of ongoing professional development to improve carers' health literacy, as well as policy to support dietary/activity guidelines for the OOHC sector.

This study investigated whether engaging in mindfulness following food consumption produced changes in affect and body satisfaction, as compared to a control distraction task. The moderating effects of eating pathology and neuroticism were also examined. A total of 110 female university students consumed food and water before engaging in either a mindfulness induction or a control distraction task. Participants completed trait measures of eating pathology and neuroticism at baseline, and measures of state affect and body satisfaction before and after food consumption, and after the induction. Results revealed that consuming food and water reduced positive affect. Unexpectedly, both the mindfulness group and distraction control group experienced similar improvements in negative affect and body satisfaction following the induction. Eating pathology and neuroticism did not moderate the observed changes. These findings suggest that both mindfulness and distraction may contribute to the effectiveness of treatments for disordered eating that incorporate both of these techniques, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate Australian healthcare practitioners’ knowledge and attitudes toward binge eating disorder (BED).Method: Participants were 175 healthcare professionals, who were randomized to one of two conditions that assessed diagnostic and treatment knowledge of either comorbid BED and obesity or only obesity via case vignette, as well as weight bias toward obese patients.Results: Results suggested that participants demonstrated a reluctance to diagnose comorbid BED and obesity, that their knowledge of physical complications associated with BED was limited, and that they indicated a narrow range of evidence-based treatment options. When compared with levels of weight bias expressed by healthcare professionals in previous international studies, Australian clinicians were significantly less biased, however, still largely endorsed ‘negative’ attitudes toward obesity.Conclusion: Findings suggest that future clinical training in eating disorders should therefore focus not only on diagnostic criteria, physical complications and treatment options, but also on practitioner attitudes toward eating and weight.

This study examined the sustained and moderating effects of a behavioural sleep intervention for autistic children in a randomised controlled trial. Autistic children (5-13 years) with sleep problems were randomised to the Sleeping Sound intervention or Treatment as Usual (TAU). At 12-month follow-up (n = 150), caregivers of children in the Sleeping Sound group reported greater reduction in child sleep problems compared to TAU (p < 0.001, effect size: - 0.4). The long-term benefits of the intervention were greater for children taking sleep medication, children of parents who were not experiencing psychological distress, and children with greater autism severity. The Sleeping Sound intervention demonstrated sustained improvements in child sleep. Identified moderators may inform treatment by indicating which subgroups may benefit from further support.

Objective: To assess differences in trait objectifying measures and eating pathology between Australian Caucasians and Asian women living in Australia and in Hong Kong with high and low levels of western cultural identification (WCI) and to see if exposure to objectifying images had an effect on state-objectification. A further aim was to assess using path analyses whether an extended version of the objectification model, including thin-ideal internalisation, differed depending on the level of WCI. Method: A total of 424 participants comprising 162 Australian Caucasians and 262 Asians (n=183 currently residing in Australia and n = 79 living in Hong Kong) took part in the study. Of the overall Asian sample, 133 individuals were classified as high-WCI and 129 participants as low-WCI. Participants were randomly allocated into one of two conditions, presenting either objectifying images of attractive and thin Asian and Caucasian female models (objectification group, n=204), or showing neutral images of objects (e.g. chairs, tables; control group, n=220). Subsequently, participants were asked to complete a series of questionnaires assessing objectification processes and eating pathology. Results: Findings revealed that the Caucasian group presented with significantly higher internalisation and body surveillance scores than either of the two Asian groups and also revealed higher scores on trait-self-objectification than the low-WCI Asian sample. As regards to the effects of objectifying images on state self-objectification, we found that ratings were higher after exposure to women than to control objects for all groups. Finally, multi-group analyses revealed that our revised objectification model functioned equally across the Caucasian and the high-WCI Asian group, but differed between the Caucasian and the low-WCI Asian group. Conclusions: Our findings outline that individuals with varying levels of WCI might respond differently to self-objectification processes. Levels of WCI should therefore be taken into consideration when working with women from different cultural backgrounds.

Ecological thought emphasises the interplay of part-whole relations, those of parts, for instance a plant, a species, operating in a non-unified whole. Ecologies are wholes that are never complete. ey emerge out of the interactions of a multitude of processes and entities and operate and are acted in at multiple scales..

In ‘The Coming Age of Calm Technology’, Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown are clear in their assertions, what really ‘matters’ about technology is not technology in itself, rather, its capacity to continuously recreate our relationship with the world at large (Brown and Weiser 1996). Even though they promote such an idea under the banner of ‘calm technology’, what is central to their thesis is the mutational capacities brought into the world by the spillage of computation out from its customary boxes. What their work tends to occlude is that in setting the sinking of technology almost imperceptibly, but deeply into the ‘everyday’ as a target for ubiquitous computing, other possibilities are masked, for instance, those of greater hackability or interrogability of such technologies. Our contention is that making ubicomp seamless (MacColl et al, 2002) tends to obfuscate the potential of computation in reworking computational subjects, including societies, modes of life, and inter-relations with the dynamics of thought and the composition of experience and understanding.

Work readiness is a relatively new concept which has emerged in the literature as a selection criterion for predicting graduate potential. Its definition and validity however, is contentious. To address this issue, the current study aimed to identify the attributes and characteristics that comprise work readiness and develop a scale to assess graduate work readiness. A qualitative study was conducted to assist in generating a representative pool of items for quantitative measurement. The resultant 167 item Work Readiness Scale (WRS) which we developed was validated in a sample of 251 graduates across a range of disciplines. Item analysis assisted in refining the scale. Exploratory factor analyses supported a 4-factor solution, with the final WRS consisting of 64 items. The four factors explained 44.7% of the variance, demonstrated excellent reliability and were labelled personal characteristics, organisational acumen, work competence, and social intelligence. The findings indicate that work readiness is a multidimensional construct and initial evidence is provided for the construct validity of the WRS.

Faulty Theory proposes a few means by which theory may be operative in media ecology, providing capacities for inducing and experimenting with a range of media dynamics. The article develops accounts of the work of Alfred Jarry and Charles Fort, alongside a discussion of a certain current of thought experiment carried out in cybernetics through the development of robots and other devices by Gordon Pask, Grey Walter and W. Ross Ashby. The article proposes possible resonances between theoretical exploration of the construction of media and Nietzsche’s discussion of perspectivalism in thought in order to recognise theory’s tendencies as a creative, partial and faulty form of mediatic life.

Aspergillus nidulans is a well-established nonpathogenic laboratory model for the opportunistic mycopathogen, A. fumigatus. Some recent studies have focused on possible functional roles of glycosphingolipids (GSLs) in these fungi. It has been demonstrated that biosynthesis of glycosylinositol phosphorylceramides (GIPCs) is required for normal cell cycle progression and polarized growth in A. nidulans (Cheng, J., T.-S. Park, A. S. Fischl, and X. S. Ye. 2001. Mol. Cell Biol. 21: 6198–6209); however, the structures of A. nidulans GIPCs were not addressed in that study, nor were the functional significance of individual structural variants and the downstream steps in their biosynthesis. To initiate such studies, acidic GSL components (designated An-2, -3, and -5) were isolated from A. nidulans and subjected to structural characterization by a combination of one-dimensional (1-D) and 2-D NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), ESI-MS/collision-induced decomposition-MS (MS/CID-MS), ESI-pseudo-[CID-MS]2, and gas chromatography-MS methods.All three were determined to be GIPCs, with mannose as the only monosaccharide present in the headgroup glycans; An-2 and An-3 were identified as di- and trimannosyl inositol phosphorylceramides (IPCs) with the structures Manα1→3Manα1→2Ins1-P-1Cer and Manα1→3(Manα1→6)Manα1→2Ins1-P-1Cer, respectively (where Ins = myo-inositol, P = phosphodiester, and Cer = ceramide). An-5 was partially characterized, and is proposed to be a pentamannosyl IPC, based on the trimannosyl core structure of An-3.

According to Bandura's theory of reciprocal determinism, self-efficacy and academic achievement can have a mutual influence over one another. While empirical research generally supports this position, little focus has been given to within- and between-person factors that may moderate this relationship. The present study explored how initial performance and task difficulty impact learners' performance and self-efficacy trajectory over subsequent tasks. A diverse university sample of 261 students; 118 females aged 18-67 and 143 males, aged 18-64, was used. Significant positive pathways were found in the achievement-self-efficacy direction, but not for pathways in the self-efficacy-performance direction, failing to support the reciprocal hypothesis. Repeated measures ANOVA also revealed a moderating influence of initial task performance on the interaction between task difficulty and achievement over time. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing academic performance through scaffolded mastery, particularly for those with initial low performance outcomes, to build self-efficacy for learnt skills.