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Nietzsche’S Post-Human Imperative: On The “All-Too-Human” Dream Of Transhumanism, Babette Babich Nov 2012

Nietzsche’S Post-Human Imperative: On The “All-Too-Human” Dream Of Transhumanism, Babette Babich

Babette Babich

No abstract provided.


Enhancing Patient Adherence: Outcomes Of Medication Alliance Training On Therapeutic Alliance, Insight, Adherence, And Psychopathology With Mental Health Patients, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane Nov 2012

Enhancing Patient Adherence: Outcomes Of Medication Alliance Training On Therapeutic Alliance, Insight, Adherence, And Psychopathology With Mental Health Patients, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane

Mitchell K Byrne

The results of interventions to enhance patient adherence to medication have been inconsistent. This research investigated the utility of an enhanced adherence training programme to ascertain its effectiveness and the possible mechanisms of that effect. Forty-six clinicians were trained in 'medication alliance', and data were collected from 51 patients matched to the clinician. Data on clinician changes in skills, knowledge, and attitudes, in relation to enhancing patient adherence and patient changes in adherence, insight, and psychopathology were collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. The quality of the therapeutic relationship between the clinician and the patient was also …


Nurse's Beliefs And Knowledge About Medications Are Associated With Their Difficulties Using Patient Treatment Adherence Strategies, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane, Tim Coombs Nov 2012

Nurse's Beliefs And Knowledge About Medications Are Associated With Their Difficulties Using Patient Treatment Adherence Strategies, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane, Tim Coombs

Mitchell K Byrne

Background: The attitudes and beliefs of patients toward their treatment have been found to be an important factor in treatment outcome, particularly as it relates to treatment adherence. There are also suggestions that knowledge, attitudes and beliefs held by nurses about treatments may also be important influences on treatment outcome but there has been little research relating these to specific clinical behaviour. Aims: This study explored the knowledge and beliefs of nurses toward neuroleptic medications in the treatment of severe mental ill health with the view to identifying specific nurse training needs. Method: A convenience sample of 64 nurses was …


Can Volunteer Counsellors Help Prevent Psychological Trauma? A Preliminary Communication On Volunteers Skills Using The 'Orienting Approach' To Trauma, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane, Andrew Phipps Nov 2012

Can Volunteer Counsellors Help Prevent Psychological Trauma? A Preliminary Communication On Volunteers Skills Using The 'Orienting Approach' To Trauma, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane, Andrew Phipps

Mitchell K Byrne

The capacity of 73 volunteer telephone counsellors to administer a brief and early intervention for secondary trauma was assessed. The counsellors participated in a 1-day training programme in the ‘Orienting Approach’ to Trauma Counselling (Phipps & Byrne, 2003). Volunteer counsellors showed significant improvements in both knowledge and skills from pre- to post-training. The potential benefits of this intervention to the community and professional health services are discussed.


Enhancing Medication Adherence: Clinician Outcomes From The Medication Alliance Training Program, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane, William Lambert, Timothy Coombs Nov 2012

Enhancing Medication Adherence: Clinician Outcomes From The Medication Alliance Training Program, Mitchell Byrne, Frank Deane, William Lambert, Timothy Coombs

Mitchell K Byrne

OBJECTIVE: Patient nonadherence to psychiatric medication is a key cause of relapse but clinicians do not appear to possess specific adherence skills. We sought to demonstrate that a brief training program on medication adherence strategies could improve the adherence skills, attitudes and knowledge of mental health clinicians. METHODS: Twenty-three Tasmanian mental health workers were provided a 3 day training workshop on strategies to enhance patient adherence to medications (Medication Alliance). Pre- and post-training measures were taken of clinician knowledge about adherence strategies, ability to identify predictors of nonadherence, attitudes toward working with nonadherent patients, and optimism about treatment outcomes for …


Mental Health Clinicians' Beliefs About Medicines, Attitudes, And Expectations Of Improved Medication Adherence In Patients, Mitchell Byrne, Peter Caputi, Frank Deane Nov 2012

Mental Health Clinicians' Beliefs About Medicines, Attitudes, And Expectations Of Improved Medication Adherence In Patients, Mitchell Byrne, Peter Caputi, Frank Deane

Mitchell K Byrne

Nonadherence to antipsychotic medications remains a major factor in poor clinical outcomes. This study sought to identify clinician beliefs about patients who do not adhere to treatment, the clinicians' own beliefs about medicines, and the impact of beliefs on efforts to enhance patient adherence. In total, 292 clinicians responded to an anonymous questionnaire that included questions about their beliefs and their efforts to enhance adherence. Results indicated that clinicians' beliefs about their own adequacy to enhance adherence significantly predicted actual efforts to enhance adherence. Both pessimism about outcomes and empathy for the patient predicted outcome expectancy. It was concluded that …


Eight Is Enough?: The Ethics Of The California Octuplets Case, Scott Paeth Oct 2012

Eight Is Enough?: The Ethics Of The California Octuplets Case, Scott Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

The recent California octuplets case raises a number of important issues that need to be addressed in the context of the increasingly widespread practice of in vitro fertilization. This paper explores some of those issues as looked at from the perspective of protestant theological ethics and public theology, examining the moral responsibilities of the various participants in the process, both before and after the octuplets’ birth, including the mother, her doctors, the health care bureaucracy, the wider society, and the media. Each of these participants failed in significant respects to consider the ethical implications of the births in this complicated …


A Link Between Chronic Sleep Restriction And Obesity: Methodological Considerations, Christopher Magee, Donald Iverson, Xu-Feng Huang, Peter Caputi Sep 2012

A Link Between Chronic Sleep Restriction And Obesity: Methodological Considerations, Christopher Magee, Donald Iverson, Xu-Feng Huang, Peter Caputi

Xu-Feng Huang

Emerging evidence suggests that chronicsleeprestriction contributes to obesity. Targeting short sleep duration may therefore offer a novel and effective method of preventing and treating obesity. However, this area of research is only in its infancy, and a complete understanding of how chronicsleeprestriction and obesity are linked is currently lacking. The aim of this paper is to briefly review epidemiological evidence for an association between chronicsleeprestriction and obesity in adults, and outline the key methodological limitations of these studies. Particular attention is paid to the methods used to measure sleep and obesity, as well as the need to control for potential …


Dietary Fat And Carbohydrate Composition: Metabolic Disease, Marc Brown, Len Storlien, Xu-Feng Huang, Linda Tapsell, Paul Else, Janine Higgins, Ian Brown Sep 2012

Dietary Fat And Carbohydrate Composition: Metabolic Disease, Marc Brown, Len Storlien, Xu-Feng Huang, Linda Tapsell, Paul Else, Janine Higgins, Ian Brown

Xu-Feng Huang

No abstract provided.


Effects Of Diets High In Whey, Soy, Red Meat And Milk Protein On Body Weight Maintenance In Diet-Induced Obesity In Mice, Xu-Feng Huang, Y Liu, Gita Rahardjo, Peter Mclennan, Linda Tapsell, William Buttemer Sep 2012

Effects Of Diets High In Whey, Soy, Red Meat And Milk Protein On Body Weight Maintenance In Diet-Induced Obesity In Mice, Xu-Feng Huang, Y Liu, Gita Rahardjo, Peter Mclennan, Linda Tapsell, William Buttemer

Xu-Feng Huang

This study examined the effects of different food sources of protein on energy intake, body weight maintenance, and on the responses of plasma leptin, insulin and adiponectin in chronic high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Obesity was induced in 47 mice with a high-fat diet for 20 weeks. They were divided into five diet groups to test the effects of a higher protein proportion (30% energy), achieved at the expense of carbohydrate. For the next eight weeks, four of the groups were fed diets of chow formulated with whey, soy, red meat or milk while the control group continued on their high-fat …


Relationships Between Clinical Data And Baseline Eating Behaviours In A Sample Of Overweight Volunteers For A Dietary Intervention Trial, Lynette Mackey De Paiva, Lynda Gillen, Linda Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Rachel Cavanagh, Meredith Kennedy Sep 2012

Relationships Between Clinical Data And Baseline Eating Behaviours In A Sample Of Overweight Volunteers For A Dietary Intervention Trial, Lynette Mackey De Paiva, Lynda Gillen, Linda Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Rachel Cavanagh, Meredith Kennedy

Xu-Feng Huang

No abstract provided.


Dietary And Clinical Risk Profiles Of A Sample Of Healthy Overweight Adults Provide Targets For Dietary Advice In An Intervention Trial, Lynda Gillen, Linda Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Rachel Cavanagh, Meredith Kennedy Sep 2012

Dietary And Clinical Risk Profiles Of A Sample Of Healthy Overweight Adults Provide Targets For Dietary Advice In An Intervention Trial, Lynda Gillen, Linda Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Rachel Cavanagh, Meredith Kennedy

Xu-Feng Huang

No abstract provided.


An Investigation Of The Dimensionality Of The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index In Australian Adults, Christopher Magee, Peter Caputi, Donald Iverson, Xu-Feng Huang Sep 2012

An Investigation Of The Dimensionality Of The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index In Australian Adults, Christopher Magee, Peter Caputi, Donald Iverson, Xu-Feng Huang

Xu-Feng Huang

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is widely used to assess subjective sleep quality in clinical and non-clinical settings. Although the PSQI is routinely scored to provide a single sleep quality factor, two recent studies suggest that multiple factor scoring methods could be more appropriate. As a consequence, the present study investigated for the dimensionality and factor structure of the PSQI in 364 Australian adults aged 18 to 59 years. The results demonstrate that two factor and three factor scoring models were favored statistically over the single factor model. These results add to recent findings and suggest that scoring the …


Alterations To Melanocortinergic, Gabaergic And Cannabinoid Neurotransmission Associated With Olanzapine-Induced Weight Gain, Katrina Weston-Green, Xu-Feng Huang, Chao Deng Sep 2012

Alterations To Melanocortinergic, Gabaergic And Cannabinoid Neurotransmission Associated With Olanzapine-Induced Weight Gain, Katrina Weston-Green, Xu-Feng Huang, Chao Deng

Xu-Feng Huang

Background/Aim: Second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are used to treat schizophrenia but can cause serious metabolic side-effects, such as obesity and diabetes. This study examined the effects of low to high doses of olanzapine on appetite/ metabolic regulatory signals in the hypothalamus and brainstem to elucidate the mechanisms underlying olanzapineinduced obesity. Methodology/Results: Levels of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65, enzyme for GABA synthesis) mRNA expression, and cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) binding density (using [3H]SR- 141716A) were examined in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) and dorsal vagal complex (DVC) of female Sprague Dawley rats following 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 …


Does Hero Always Help? Differences In Nutrient Intake Among Obese Subjects With And Without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Prior To Dietary Intervention, Sze Yen Tan, Lynda Gillen, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Cassandra Quick, Yasmine Probst, Serina Faraji, Linda Tapsell Sep 2012

Does Hero Always Help? Differences In Nutrient Intake Among Obese Subjects With And Without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Prior To Dietary Intervention, Sze Yen Tan, Lynda Gillen, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Cassandra Quick, Yasmine Probst, Serina Faraji, Linda Tapsell

Xu-Feng Huang

No abstract provided.


Transmembrane Domain Nrg1 Mutant Mice Show Altered Susceptibility To The Neurobehavioural Actions Of Repeated Thc Exposure In Adolescence, Leonora Long, Rose Chesworth, Xu-Feng Huang, Iain Mcgregor, Jonathon Arnold, Tim Karl Sep 2012

Transmembrane Domain Nrg1 Mutant Mice Show Altered Susceptibility To The Neurobehavioural Actions Of Repeated Thc Exposure In Adolescence, Leonora Long, Rose Chesworth, Xu-Feng Huang, Iain Mcgregor, Jonathon Arnold, Tim Karl

Xu-Feng Huang

Heavy cannabis abuse increases the risk of developing schizophrenia. Adolescents appear particularly vulnerable to the development of psychosis-like symptoms after cannabis use. To test whether the schizophrenia candidate gene neuregulin 1 (NRG1) modulates the effects of cannabinoids in adolescence, we tested male adolescent heterozygous transmembrane domain Nrg1 mutant (Nrg1 TM HET) mice and wild type-like littermates (WT) for their neurobehavioural response to repeated Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 10 mg/kg i.p. for 21 d starting on post-natal day 31). During treatment and 48 h after treatment withdrawal, we assessed several behavioural parameters relevant to schizophrenia. After behavioural testing we measured autoradiographic …


A Healthy Mania For The Macabre, Stephen Asma Aug 2012

A Healthy Mania For The Macabre, Stephen Asma

Stephen T Asma

The article discusses the fascination with death in art in response to several exhibits which display preserved human bodies, such as the "Body Worlds" traveling exhibit which features human bodies preserved with silicon after an acetone bath, a technique discovered by medical scientist Gunther von Hagens. The author looks at human curiosity with morbidity and artists such as Damien Hirst that use it as the focus of their work. Topics include comments by Richard Harris, creator of "Morbid Curiosity" exhibition in Chicago, Illinois, art historian Paul Koudounaris, and the beauty of death and morbidity according to New York artist and …


Spirituality And The Treatment Of Substance Use Disorders: An Exploration Of Forgiveness, Resentment And Purpose In Life, Geoffrey Lyons, Frank Deane, Peter Caputi, Peter Kelly Jul 2012

Spirituality And The Treatment Of Substance Use Disorders: An Exploration Of Forgiveness, Resentment And Purpose In Life, Geoffrey Lyons, Frank Deane, Peter Caputi, Peter Kelly

Peter Kelly

Faith-based treatment programs are a viable treatment option for many individuals with substance use disorders; however, the psychological mechanisms that explain the relationship between spirituality and a recovery from substance use disorders have not been established. The Spirituality, Forgiveness, and Purpose (SFP) model of recovery proposes that forgiveness and purpose in life may mediate the spirituality–recovery relationship. As a preliminary step in exploring this theory, a cross-sectional investigation of 277 clients of the Australian Salvation Army Rehabilitation Service Centres was performed. A multiple regression found that forgiveness of others, forgiveness of self, receiving forgiveness from others, and receiving forgiveness from …


Case Managers' Attitudes Toward The Use Of Homework For People Diagnosed With A Severe Psychiatric Disability, Peter Kelly, Frank Deane, Nikolaos Kazantzis, Trevor Crowe Jul 2012

Case Managers' Attitudes Toward The Use Of Homework For People Diagnosed With A Severe Psychiatric Disability, Peter Kelly, Frank Deane, Nikolaos Kazantzis, Trevor Crowe

Peter Kelly

The study examined mental health case managers' attitudes toward the use of homework and explored the relationship between clinician attitudes and systematic homework administration practices. A survey examining attitudes toward the use of homework was completed by 122 Australian mental health case managers. Case managers who held more positive attitudes reported better client responses to homework. Systematic homework administration was predicted by the degree to which case managers felt that homework enhanced client outcomes and the importance that case managers placed on the use of homework for severe psychiatric disabilities. The use of training and supervision programs to promote systematic …


Five Personality Factors And Sex: Preliminary Findings, Patrick Heaven, Jean Fitzpatrick, Fiona Craig, Peter Kelly, Gareth Sebar Jul 2012

Five Personality Factors And Sex: Preliminary Findings, Patrick Heaven, Jean Fitzpatrick, Fiona Craig, Peter Kelly, Gareth Sebar

Peter Kelly

This study assessed the relationships between the Big Five personality domains, attitudes to sex, and three specific sexual behaviours. Respondents were 123 undergraduate students (51 males; 72 females). Men were found to score significantly higher than women on measures of sexual curiosity and sexual excitement, while women were higher on sexual satisfaction. Neuroticism (N) and Extraversion (E) appeared to be the most important predictors of attitudes to sex, although Conscientiousness (C) and Openness to experience (O) were also implicated. N, C, and Agreeableness (A) were implicated in sexual behaviours. Some suggestions for future research are made.


Exploring Outcomes Of Employing A Multiple Complex Needs Nurse In A Residential Aod Therapeutic Community Treatment Setting, Jo Lunn, Peter Kelly Jul 2012

Exploring Outcomes Of Employing A Multiple Complex Needs Nurse In A Residential Aod Therapeutic Community Treatment Setting, Jo Lunn, Peter Kelly

Peter Kelly

No abstract provided.


Examining Cancer And Cardiovascular Risk Behaviours In People Attending Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Peter Kelly, A Baker, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Frank Deane, Billie Bonevski Jul 2012

Examining Cancer And Cardiovascular Risk Behaviours In People Attending Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Peter Kelly, A Baker, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Frank Deane, Billie Bonevski

Peter Kelly

No abstract provided.


Do Spirituality And Religiosity Help In The Management Of Cravings In Substance Abuse Treatment?, Sarah Mason, Frank Deane, Peter Kelly, Trevor Crowe Jul 2012

Do Spirituality And Religiosity Help In The Management Of Cravings In Substance Abuse Treatment?, Sarah Mason, Frank Deane, Peter Kelly, Trevor Crowe

Peter Kelly

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of spirituality, religiosity and self-efficacy with drug and/or alcohol cravings. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 77 male participants at an Australian Salvation Army residential rehabilitation service in 2007. The survey included questions relating to the participants’ drug and/or alcohol use and also measures for spirituality, religiosity, cravings, and self-efficacy. The sample included participants aged between 19 and 74 years, with more than 57% reporting a diagnosis for a mental disorder and 78% reporting polysubstance misuse with alcohol most frequently endorsed as the primary drug of concern (71%). Seventy-five percent …


Forgiveness And Purpose In Life As Spiritual Mechanisms Of Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Geoffrey Lyons, Frank Deane, Peter Kelly Jul 2012

Forgiveness And Purpose In Life As Spiritual Mechanisms Of Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Geoffrey Lyons, Frank Deane, Peter Kelly

Peter Kelly

Spirituality has often been associated with recovery from substance use disorders through its emphasis in faith-based rehabilitation programs. The purpose of this article is to describe some psychological dynamics that may explain how spirituality aids in the treatment of substance abuse and dependence. Forgiveness and purpose in life are proposed as ‘‘spiritual mechanisms’’ that partially mediate a spiritually directed recovery. Recent empirical studies on spirituality and recovery from substance use disorders are discussed in relation to 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and Christian principles in order to describe how forgiveness and purpose in life interact with spiritual development in substance use …


Quality Of Systematic Therapeutic Homework Administration Procedures Facilitates Homework Completion In Patients With Severe And Persistent Mental Disorders, Peter Kelly, Frank Deane Jul 2012

Quality Of Systematic Therapeutic Homework Administration Procedures Facilitates Homework Completion In Patients With Severe And Persistent Mental Disorders, Peter Kelly, Frank Deane

Peter Kelly

Most clinicians who work with individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders requiring long term treatment indicate that they use therapeutic homework regularly in treatment. However, research indicates that only 15% of clinicians consistently use a systematic approach to homework administration that involves specifying details such as where, when, how long and how often the assignment should be completed. It has been theorised that systematic implementation of homework leads to improved homework performance. Systematic homework administration procedures were part of a study evaluating the effects of the Collaborative Recovery training program. Clinicians who completed the training implemented the methods they had learned …


Therapeutic Homework To Support Recovery From Severe Mental Illness, Peter Kelly, Frank Deane Jul 2012

Therapeutic Homework To Support Recovery From Severe Mental Illness, Peter Kelly, Frank Deane

Peter Kelly

Therapeutic homework refers to activities that clients complete between their visits with mental health workers. The aim of such homework is to facilitate progress toward h'eatment goals. There is an increasing body of research indicating that homework completion is associated with improved outcomes of psychotherapy across a wide range of clinical disorders (such as depression and anxiety). However, there is limited research into the role of homework in mental health case management for people with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.


Review And Critique Of The Quality Of Exercise Recommendations For Cancer Patients And Survivors, Nancy Humpel, Donald Iverson Jun 2012

Review And Critique Of The Quality Of Exercise Recommendations For Cancer Patients And Survivors, Nancy Humpel, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

The benefit of exercise for cancer patients is starting to become recognized. The purposes of this paper were to review the literature to examine whether research findings are being converted into guidelines for patients and survivors and to examine the quality of evidence on which they were based. A computer search of major health databases was conducted for peer-reviewed literature and books on exercise and cancer, and an Internet search was conducted for cancer websites reporting any exercise guidelines/recommendations for cancer patients. Seven peer-reviewed articles, eight books and eight cancer websites were identified that suggested exercise guidelines for cancer patients …


Analysis Of The Costs Of A Large Prevention Trial, Nicole Urban, Steven Self, Larry Kessler, Ross Prentice, Maureen Henderson, Donald Iverson, Donovan Thompson, David Byar, William Insull, Sherwood Gorbach, C Clifford, Susan Goldman Jun 2012

Analysis Of The Costs Of A Large Prevention Trial, Nicole Urban, Steven Self, Larry Kessler, Ross Prentice, Maureen Henderson, Donald Iverson, Donovan Thompson, David Byar, William Insull, Sherwood Gorbach, C Clifford, Susan Goldman

Don C. Iverson

Total direct costs of the Women's Health Trial (WHT), alarge multicenter preventiontrial, were reduced by more than 50% by means of research costanalysis conducted during the trial design phase. The unit costs of specific trial activities were estimated so that total direct costs of the trial could be predicted from design parameters. The relative costs of screening, treatment, and follow-up, and the fixed costs associated with each clinical center in a multicenter preventiontrial were taken into account. Direct costs of the WHT were reduced from $195 million to $95 million by refinement of the trial protocol, selection of an efficient …


Research In School Health Education: A Needs Assessment, Lloyd Kolbe, Donald Iverson Jun 2012

Research In School Health Education: A Needs Assessment, Lloyd Kolbe, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

No abstract provided.


Federal Data Bases For Health Education Research, Ronald Wilson, Donald Iverson Jun 2012

Federal Data Bases For Health Education Research, Ronald Wilson, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Described are some of the national health related databases which are useful in conducting health education research. Among areas covered by the projects are hypertension, myocardial infarction, neighborhood health centers, alcoholism, and over the counter drugs.