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Prevalence Of Smoking In Patients With Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder And Schizophrenia And Their Relationships With Quality Of Life, Xiao-Hong Li, Feng-Rong An, Gabor S. Ungvari, Chee H. Ng, Helen F.K. Chiu, Ping-Ping Wu, Xin Jin, Yu-Tao Xiang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Few studies have compared the prevalence of smoking between patients with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia. This study examined the prevalence of smoking and its relationships with demographic and clinical characteristics, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with these psychiatric disorders. A total of 1,102 inpatients were consecutively screened. Psychopathology and QOL were measured with standardized instruments. The prevalence of current smoking in the whole sample was 16.7%; 17.5% in bipolar disorder, 10.6% in MDD and 18.5% in schizophrenia. The rates of smoking in bipolar disorder (p = 0.004, OR = 2.5, 95%CI: 1.3–4.7) and schizophrenia …

The Psychometric Properties Of The Quick Inventory Of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (Qids-Sr) In Patients With Hbv-Related Liver Disease, Mei Liu, Yuanyuan Wang, Jing Zhao, Sujun Zheng, Gabor S. Ungvari, Chee H. Ng, Zhong-Ping Duan, Yu-Tao Xiang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Comorbid depression in Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common. Developing accurate and time efficient tools to measure depressive symptoms in HBV is important for research and clinical practice in China.

Aims: This study tested the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR) in HBV patients.

Methods: The study recruited 245 depressed patients with HBV and related liver disease. The severity of depressive symptoms was assessed with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the QIDS-SR.

Results: Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.796 for QIDS-SR. The QIDS-SR total score was significantly correlated …

Perceptions Of Cancer Of Unknown Primary Site: A National Survey Of Australian Medical Oncologists, C Karapetis, L Guccione, M Tattersall, H Gooden, C Vajdic, S Lambert, M Robotin, L Mileshkin, P Schofield

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Despite being the 6th cause of cancer death in Australia, cancer of unknown primary (CUP) site remains poorly understood.

Aims: To describe practices relating to the diagnosis, investigation, classification, communication and management of CUP amongst medical oncologists.

Methods: We invited all members of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia to participate in a national, anonymous online survey about CUP. The survey collected data regarding diagnosis acceptance, diagnostic tests, treatment protocols and communication practices around the diagnosis of CUP.

Results: 302 oncologists were invited and 86 (28%) completed the survey. Eighty respondents (93%) were directly involved in the assessment of …

Association Between Schizophrenia And Violence Among Chinese Female Offenders, Jun Wang, Xiao-Min Zhu, Si-Mei Zhang, Jian-Song Zhou, Qiguang Li, Qun Wang, Shao-Ling Zhong, Chee H. Ng, Gabor S. Ungvari, Yu-Tao Xiang, Xiao-Ping Wang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Little is known about the association between schizophrenia and violence in women in China. This study aimed to examine the association between schizophrenia and violence in Chinese female offenders. Fifty-two schizophrenia patients were identified from the female offenders who received forensic psychiatric assessments in 2011 in Hunan province, China. Using a propensity score matching method, 104 matched controls without psychiatric disorders were selected from female criminals in Hunan province. Violent offences and homicides were verified and recorded. The percentages of violent offences and homicides were significantly higher in female offenders with schizophrenia than in controls (78.8% vs. 30.8%, P < 0.001; 44.2% vs. 18.3%, P = 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that diagnosis of schizophrenia, younger age at first offence, living in rural area and a lower education level were independently and positively associated with violent offences, while having a diagnosis of schizophrenia and lower education level were associated with homicides. There appears to be an independent and positive association between schizophrenia and violent offence in Chinese female offenders. Effective preventive approaches on violence in female schizophrenia patients are warranted.

Duration Of Untreated Bipolar Disorder: A Multicenter Study, Ling Zhang, Xin Yu, Yi-Ru Fang, Gabor S. Ungvari, Chee H. Ng, Helen F.K. Chiu, Hui-Chun Li, Hai-Chen Yang, Qing-Rong Tan, Xiu-Feng Xu, Gang Wang, Yu-Tao Xiang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Little is known about the demographic and clinical differences between short and long duration of untreated bipolar disorder (DUB) in Chinese patients. This study examined the demographic and clinical features of short (≤2 years) and long DUB (>2 years) in China. A consecutively recruited sample of 555 patients with bipolar disorder (BD) was examined in 7 psychiatric hospitals and general hospital psychiatric units across China. Patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. The mean DUB was 3.2 ± 6.0 years; long DUB accounted for 31.0% of the sample. Multivariate analyses revealed …

Longitudinal Changes In Prospective Memory And Their Clinical Correlates At 1-Year Follow-Up In First-Episode Schizophrenia, Fu-Chun Zhou, Chuan-Yue Wang, Gabor S. Ungvari, Chee H. Ng, Yan Zhou, Liang Zhang, Jingjing Zhou, David H.K. Shum, David Man, Deng-Tang Liu, Jun Li, Yu-Tao Ziang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

This study aimed to investigate prospective memory (PM) and the association with clinical factors at 1-year follow-up in first-episode schizophrenia (FES). Thirty-two FES patients recruited from a university-affiliated psychiatric hospital in Beijing and 17 healthy community controls (HCs) were included. Time- and event-based PM (TBPM and EBPM) performances were measured with the Chinese version of the Cambridge Prospective Memory Test (CCAMPROMPT) at baseline and at one-year follow-up. A number of other neurocognitive tests were also administered. Remission was determined at the endpoint according to the PANSS score _ 3 for selected items. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant …

Tracking Of Vitamin D Status From Childhood To Early Adulthood And Its Association With Peak Bone Mass, Kun Zhu, Wendy Oddy, Patrick Holt, Wendy Chan She Ping-Delfos, Jennifer Mountain, Stephen Lye, Craig Pennell, Prue Hart, John Walsh

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: To our knowledge, there are few longitudinal studies of vitamin D status from childhood to early adulthood, and it is uncertain whether vitamin D predicts peak bone mass in young adults.

Objectives: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the long-term stability of vitamin D status from ages 6 to 20 y in healthy individuals and to study associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] at different developmental stages and bone mass measured at age 20 y.

Design: Participants were offspring of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) study. Serum 25(OH)D was assessed at ages 6, 14, 17, …

“Life Within The Person Comes To The Fore”: Pastoral Workers’ Practice Wisdom On Using Arts In Palliative Care, Clare O'Callaghan, Libby Byrne, Eleni Cokalis, David Glenister, Margaret Santilli, Rose Clark, Therese Mccarthy, Natasha Michael

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Pastoral care (also chaplaincy, spiritual care) assists people to find meaning, personal resources, and connection with self, others, and/or a higher power. Although essential in palliative care, there remains limited examination of what pastoral workers do. This study examined how pastoral workers use and consider the usefulness of art-based modalities.

Methods: Qualitative research was used to examine the practice wisdom (tacit practice knowledge) of pastoral workers experienced in using visual arts and music in palliative care. Two focus groups were conducted. Thematic analysis was informed by grounded theory.

Results: Six pastoral workers shared information. Three themes emerged. First, pastoral …

The Unmet Needs Of Aboriginal Australians With Musculoskeletal Pain: A Mixed Method Systematic Review, Ivan B. Lin, Samantha Bunzli, Donna Mak, Charmaine Green, Roger Goucke, Juli Coffin, Peter B. O'Sullivan

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) conditions are the biggest cause of disability and internationally, Indigenous peoples experience a higher burden. There are conflicting reports about Aboriginal Australians and MSP. We conducted a systematic review to describe the prevalence, associated factors, impacts, care access, health care experiences, and factors associated with MSP among Aboriginal Australians.

Methods: A systematic search of quantitative and qualitative scientific and grey literature (PROSPERO number: CRD42016038342). Articles were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Due to study heterogeneity a narrative synthesis was conducted.

Results: Of 536 articles identified, 18 were included (14 quantitative, 4 qualitative), of high …

What Is The Scope To Test A Smoking Cessation Intervention Aimed At Young People Admitted To Hospital?, George Tambakis, Jonathan Darby, Moyez Jiwa

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Young adults are reluctant to use evidence-based smoking cessation interventions. Subsequently, they are less successful at giving up smoking compared to older adults. This highlights the need for innovative strategies to engage young people in smoking cessation. A novel intervention using photoageing technology has been shown to be an effective trigger for smoking cessation.

Aims: To conduct a pilot study deploying photoageing care technology to trigger smoking cessation attempts in young adults admitted to hospital.

Method: A randomised controlled trial was designed. Thirty participants were recruited from a regional hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were allocated to the intervention …

Designing An Accounting Analytics Course Using Experiential Learning Approach, Gary Pan, Venky Shankararaman, Poh Sun Seow, Gan Hup Tan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This paper describes an undergraduate accounting analytics course which was delivered based on an experiential learning approach. This accounting analytics course is timely as, with the proliferation of Big Data, several accounting professional bodies have highlighted the importance of developing analytical skills among accounting graduates. The experiential learning approach was adopted because there is a need to equip students with future work skills so as to tackle increasingly complex problems. The professors collaborate with external partners to design a course which combines theory with experiential learning through heavy use of projects involving real world problems. Students rated the course favourably. …

The Contribution Of Eu Funds To Wellbeing And Sustainable Development In Central European Countries, Mirjana Kranjac, Uros Sikimic, Srdan Tomic, Jelena Vapa-Tankosic

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The European strategic goals are good standard of living, social and economic wellbeing and sustainability of the Planet Earth. Some of these requirements are contradictory. Often times, a successful economy exhausts nature well beyond its limits. Europe is achieving its goals by giving funds to many programs, thus enabling the elaboration of projects. The programs' and projects' goals and results must justify the global vision of European Union (EU) future, precisely defined in the document Europa 2020: to achieve a sustainable future. This paper is dealing with effects of the use of EU funds in Central European (CEE) countries. The …

Is Saying “Sorry” Enough? Examining The Effects Of Apology Typologies By Organization On Consumer Responses, May O. Lwin, Augustine Pang, Jun-Qi Loh, Marilyn Hui-Ying Peh, Sarah Ann Rodriguez, Nur Hanisah Binte Zelani

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Apology has been found to be the most effective strategy in times of crises. However, there is a dearth of research on the kinds of apology used and how primary stakeholders, in particular consumers, received them. This study aims to examine consumer responses to the types of apologies offered post crises against the levels of attribution of responsibility. We also assess the potential mediating role of ethical concerns by developing the Perception-Behavioral Model of Crisis Response. An experiment was conducted to ascertain consumers’ impression of the organization post-apology. The results showed that the attribution of crisis responsibility significantly influences complaining, …

Advancing The Scientific Understanding Of Trust In The Contexts Of Negotiations And Repeated Bargaining, Dejun Tony Kong, Robert B. Lount, Mara Olekalnsc, Donald L. Ferrin

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

More than half a century ago, Deutsch (1949, 1958) recognised the critical role that trust plays in negotiations and related forms of social interactions. Despite this very early recognition, and rapidly expanding research on trust in several fields, only in recent decades have negotiation researchers begun a systematic exploration of trust in the contexts of negotiations and repeated bargaining. In the last two decades, researchers have increasingly focused their attention on the role of trust in negotiations.

Be Well: A Systems-Based Wellness Intervention Using Mindfulness In The Workplace – A Case Study, Kate M. Levett, Sharyn Coughlan, Sharon Longridge, Violet Roumeliotis, Jon Adams

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Healthy work environments are essential in determining improved well-being of Australians. Job stress has been identified as a significant factor in psychological distress. This study evaluated the effect of introducing a systems-based workplace wellness programme using mindfulness in the workplace.

Methods: The programme ‘Be Well’ was introduced as part of a systems-based approach to workplace health promotion, and evaluated using sick leave as a proxy for workplace stress, and the stress satisfaction offset score to determine the degree of change in stress and satisfaction.

Results: There was significant reduction in sick leave (2014 vs. 2012) (p<.001), and significant improvement in stress satisfaction offset score (p<.05). Logistic regression analysis identified the programme components most predictive of reduced stress and higher job satisfaction.

Conclusion: The impacts …

Perceptions Of Recent Medical Graduates And Their Workplace Supervisors Towards A Medical School Clinical Audit Program, Stephanie Davis, Ilse O'Ferrall, Samuel Hoare, Caroline Bulsara, Donna B. Mak

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: This study explores how medical graduates and their workplace supervisors perceive the value of a structured clinical audit program (CAP) undertaken during medical school.

Methods: Medical students at the University of Notre Dame Fremantle complete a structured clinical audit program in their final year of medical school. Semi-structured inter-views were conducted with 12 Notre Dame graduates (who had all completed the CAP), and seven workplace supervisors (quality and safety staff and clinical supervisors). Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants and data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Both graduates and workplace supervisors perceived the CAP to be valuable. …

Experiences Of Overseas Trained Teachers Seeking Public School Positions In Western Australia And South Australia, S Datta-Roy, S Lavery

Education Papers and Journal Articles

Many overseas trained teachers migrate to Australia in search of different lifestyles. In their endeavour to find suitable teaching positions in public secondary schools, overseas trained teachers often confront multiple challenges. This study explored the different issues that 12 overseas trained teachers experienced before obtaining a teaching position in a public secondary school in either Western Australia or South Australia. Data were collected through using twelve in-depth semi-structured interviews and researcher generated field notes. The results indicate that participants experienced the following challenges: apparent lack of information on post immigration life in Australia; danger of misinformation; registration delays; inconsistency in …

Reflections About Grasshoppers And Inchworms In The Information And Communication Technologies Era, Boris Handal, H Gonzales

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This article presents a multifaceted reflection on the different prevailing strategies to obtain knowledge in the educational system. In an effort to illustrate this complex process, the paradox of the grasshoppers and caterpillars are brought in their applications to the education system. This paradox has great relevance in the contemporary educational system because it points to a process that will alter the foundations of teaching and learning particularly in this age where ICT have achieved highly sophisticated levels. Grasshoppers’ dispositions — intuitive oriented, non-lineal and proactive—and those from the caterpillars — structured, predictive and reactive — have a profound and …

Patient Evaluation Of Emotional Comfort Experienced (Peece): Developing And Testing A Measurement Instrument, A Williams, L Lester, C Bulsara, A Petterson, K Bennett, E Allen, D Joske

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: The Patient Evaluation of Emotional Comfort Experienced (PEECE) is a 12-item questionnaire which measures the mental well-being state of emotional comfort in patients. The instrument was developed using previous qualitative work and published literature.

Design: Instrument development.

Setting: Acute Care Public Hospital, Western Australia.

Participants: Sample of 374 patients.

Interventions: A multidisciplinary expert panel assessed the face and content validity of the instrument and following a pilot study, the psychometric properties of the instrument were explored.

Main outcome measures: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis assessed the underlying dimensions of the PEECE instrument; Cronbach’s α was used to determine the …

Eeg Neurofeedback For Executive Functions In Children With Neurodevelopmental Challenges, Jasmin K. Landes, Corinne L. Reid, Martijn Arns, Nicholas A. Badcock, Tomas Ros, Stefanie Enriquez-Geppert, Max K. Bulsara, Stefano Brini, Sheida Rabipour, Mimma Mason, Neils Birbaumer, Bethanie Gouldthorp, Mike Anderson

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows:

To assess the effectiveness of EEG neurofeedback as treatment for inhibition and updating problems in children facing neurodevelopmental challenges.

Birth Experience Of Fathers In The Setting Of Teenage Pregnancy: Are They Prepared?, Simeon Ngweso, Rodney W. Petersen, Julie Quinlivan

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To explore the birth experiences of teenage fathers and determine the extent to which they are prepared for childbirth.

Methods: A mixed methods observational study was undertaken comparing the birth experience of 50 fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy (teenage) compared to a group of 50 older fathers. Fathers were recruited in the antenatal period and completed structured questionnaires following the birth of their child. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was undertaken.

Results: Teenage fathers were younger, less educated and less likely to attend prenatal childbirth education classes (P < 0.0001). During birth, they were less prepared and consulted by attending staff (both P < 0.05). They reported limited roles in intrapartum decision-making (< 20%). In multivariate analysis being a father in the setting of teenage pregnancy remained significantly associated with feeling unprepared for birth. The major themes in qualitative analysis were feeling unprepared, shock, fear, a sense of detachment, happiness, pride, love of the baby and satisfaction with fertility.

Conclusion: Teenage fathers are less prepared for the …

Holistic Self-Care: Tai Chi, Qigong Training For Caregivers At An Alzheimer Disease Assisted Living Facility, Sunny Alperson, Christianne Fowler

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

With the growing number of older persons with chronic illnesses, the demand for professionals who can provide complex care is increasing as well. However, evidence shows that health professionals’ burnout rate has been consistently increasing for the last 3 decades. In an effort to alleviate some of the issues associated with caregiver burnout, we conducted mind-body training of self-compassion for professional caregivers at an Alzheimer disease (AD) specialty center for 5 weeks. The intervention combined seven simple centering movements of tai chi and qigong in a context of mettā (loving kindness meditation) language mindfulness. Data showed significant improvements in caregiver …

Do Belugas (Delphinapterus Leucas), Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), & Pacific White-Sided Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus Obliquidens) Display Lateralized Eye Preference When Presented With Familiar Or Novel Objects?, Deirdre Yeater, Sara Guarino, Steve Lacy, Tricia Dees, Healther Hill

Psychology Faculty Publications

Lateralization of behaviors and information processing are common across species. Hypothesized to be crucial for more efficient responding to environmental stimuli, lateralization has been investigated for a number of topics. Cetaceans are proposed to be hemispheric specialists, given a small corpus callosum, complete decussation of the optic nerve, and the ability to respond to a different visual stimulus presented to each eye simultaneously. Research with cetaceans has shown strong biases in a number of behaviors, including swimming, foraging, social interactions, and responses to myriad visual stimuli. Given similar evolutionary pressures, different species of cetaceans should display similar lateralized preferences. Previous …

Implementing Integrated Care In Family Medicine: Description And Outcomes In An Underserved Population, Zach Radcliff

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Family physicians provide access to medical and behavioral healthcare for many underserved populations. Integrating behavioral health clinicians into primary care practices has been proposed as one of the most effective ways to increase access to necessary behavioral health services for many Americans. Integrated behavioral healthcare (IBHC) has begun to be implemented in family medicine practices but there is limited research examining the impact for patients and clinic staff. This study begins to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effects of implementing integrated behavioral healthcare in an urban family medicine clinic in a medically underserved area.

Objective: …

Pathways Linking Clinician Demographics To Mental Health Diagnostic Accuracy: An International Perspective, Julia Brechbiel

Theses and Dissertations

Significant research efforts have focused on examining the effect of patient factors on providing diagnoses across clinical settings; however, the influence of clinician demographics have received less attention. This study aimed to understand the impact of nonclinical factors such as clinician characteristics and response time on diagnostic accuracy. The study used data from a WHO field study of the ICD-11 development (n = 1822) that required clinicians to diagnose two case vignettes. Clinicians’ slower response times had a significant positive impact on their rates of diagnostic accuracy. However, there was no evidence that clinicians’ demographic features were directly related to …

Developing Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency In Algebra For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Andrew J. Wojcik

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching students with Intellectual Disability (ID) is a relatively new endeavor. Beginning in 2001 with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, the general education curriculum integrated algebra across the K-12 curriculum (Kendall, 2011; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010), and expansion of the curriculum included five intertwined skills (productive disposition, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and conceptual understanding) (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001). Researchers are just beginning to explore the potential of students with ID with algebra (Browder, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Harris & Wakeman, 2008; Creech-Galloway, Collins, Knight, …

What's The 411 On Sex In The African American Church? A Qualitative Exploration Of African American Girls' Exposure To Sex Communication In The Church., Brittany Berry

Theses and Dissertations

WHAT’S THE 411 ON SEX IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH? A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS’ EXPOSURE TO SEX COMMUNICATION IN THE CHURCH

By: Brittany M. Berry, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017.

Major Director: Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave, Professor, Psychology

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore sex communication with African American girls in the African American Church. This research was guided by two objectives: (1) to explore African American adolescent girls’ exposure to sex communication in …

Synergy: Game Design + Qur'an Memorization, Sultana Jesmine Moulana

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of digital technology has transformed nearly every part of our daily lives, including the way we learn and memorize. Such transformations raise interesting questions for one of the most long-standing and demanding memorization tasks in the world: the memorization of the Islamic holy book, The Qur’an. For Muslims, The Qur’an is a timeless, sacred text, cradling within its covers many profound images, stories, and parables. Despite rigorous research in the fields of game design and memorization techniques, very little work has been done in combining these two areas of research to create a game-based memorization experience of The …

Non-Medical Use Of Prescription Drugs, Stress, Cultural Orientation, Utilization Of Healthcare, And Protective Factors Among College Students In China, Cheuk Chi Tam

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) refers to the use of prescription drugs which are traditionally utilized to manage pain or treat psychiatric problems but without a doctor’s prescription. In 2010, an investigation by the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revealed that 5.3% of young adults (18 to 25-year-olds) in the United States reported past-month NMUPD. NMUPD has become a growing concern owing to associations with consequences such as college dropout, poor academic achievement, and health jeopardizing behaviors. College students' NMUPD has been well documented in the United States. Limited studies, however, have been conducted among …

Examining Health Behaviors In College Students With And Without Chronic Conditions, Duc-Thi J. Barsell

Theses and Dissertations

Many college students are in a developmental period in which they are transitioning from pediatric to adult health care. This time period can be challenging for all college students and especially for students with a chronic condition. The current study investigated the association between various health-related factors (health locus of control [HLOC], health literacy, health self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) and health behaviors in college students, as well as the moderating effect of having a chronic condition on those associations. These health behaviors were further operationalized as healthy lifestyle behaviors (preventative and wellness behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity) …