Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Integrated Mental Health Atlas Of Western Sydney, Luis Salvador-Carulla, Ana Fernandez, Cailin Mass, Jennifer Smith-Merry, James Gillespie, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Australians living with serious and continuing ill-health face bewilderingly complex health and social care systems. Even experienced health professionals have trouble navigating this health care maze. The mental health service system poses some of the greatest navigation challenges. The recovery of individuals living with mental health issues, requires a smooth link between acute and domiciliary health care, housing and other social care agencies. The need for simple rules of navigation is strong, but fragmentation and gaps in services remain great, confounding attempts to understand and organise appropriate care and support. The need for deeper knowledge about the mental health system …

A 6-Month Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating Effects Of Mediterranean-Style Diet And Fish Oil Supplementation On Dietary Behaviour Change, Mental And Cardiometabolic Health And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Adults With Depression (Helfimed): Study Protocol, Dorota M. Zarnowiecki, Jihyun Cho, Amy Wilson, Svetlana Bogomolova, Anthony Villani, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Theo Niyonsenga, Kerin O'Dea, Sarah Blunden, Barbara J. Meyer, Leonie Segal, Natalie Parletta

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background: Modern diets, characterised by excess consumption of processed foods, are accompanied by an epidemic of chronic diseases. Cardiovascular disease and depression carry a large burden of disease and often occur together. Poor dietary patterns have been identified as an independent risk factor for depression while healthy diets with minimally processed food are protective. Traditional Mediterranean diets have been shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease; however there is a need for clinical trials in people with depression. This paper reports the study protocol of a Mediterranean-style diet intervention conducted in adults with self-reported depression. Methods/design: HELFIMED is a parallel …

A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial Of Values-Based Training To Promote Autonomously Held Recovery Values In Mental Health Workers, Virginia Williams, Frank P. Deane, Lindsay G. Oades, Trevor P. Crowe, Joseph Ciarrochi, Retta Andresen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background The implementation and use of evidence-based practices is a key priority for recovery-oriented mental health service provision. Training and development programmes for employees continue to be a key method of knowledge and skill development, despite acknowledged difficulties with uptake and maintenance of behaviour change. Self-determination theory suggests that autonomy, or a sense that behaviour is self-generated, is a key motivator to sustained behaviour change, in this case practices in mental health services. This study examined the utility of values-focused staff intervention as a specific, reproducible method of autonomy support. Methods Mental health workers (n = 146) were assigned via …

Large-Scale Investment In Green Space As An Intervention For Physical Activity, Mental And Cardiometabolic Health: Study Protocol For A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation Of A Natural Experiment, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng, Gregory Kolt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction 'Green spaces' such as public parks are regarded as determinants of health, but evidence from tends to be based on cross-sectional designs. This protocol describes a study that will evaluate a large-scale investment in approximately 5280 hectares of green space stretching 27 km north to south in Western Sydney, Australia. Methods and analysis A Geographic Information System was used to identify 7272 participants in the 45 and Up Study baseline data (2006-2008) living within 5 km of the Western Sydney Parklands and some of the features that have been constructed since 2009, such as public access points, advertising billboards, …

The Political Birth Of Gay Affirmative Social Services, José A. HernáNdez.

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This thesis reports on the preliminary oral history findings collected for a larger national study directed by David S. Byers and Stephen Vider. The findings reported here focus on the experiences of clinicians and social service providers in Los Angeles, California. Another student, Dexter Rose, conducted similar field research in Seattle, Washington. Both projects were under the supervision of the principal investigators. This investigative oral history study examines the perspective of clinicians and social services workers who provided affirmative services to gay and lesbian communities in the years 1960-1987. These years are of great importance because they mark the beginning …

The Association Of Internalized Stigmas, Culture-Specific Coping, And Depression In Gay And Bisexual Black Men, Duane Glen Khan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Gay and bisexual Black men experience higher lifetime depression rates than both White and Black heterosexual men. Some social stress researchers argued that this rate may be due to having two stigmatized minority identities and therefore being at greater risk. However, gay and bisexual Black men also experience lifetime depression rates significantly below White LGB people, suggesting resilience to depression for those with these intersecting identities, race and sexuality. This study attempted to address the debate between greater risk versus resilience in gay and bisexual Black men.

Young People's Help-Seeking For Mental Health Problems., Debra Rickwood, Frank P. Deane, Coralie J. Wilson, Joseph V. Ciarrochi

joseph Ciarrochi

This paper summarises an ambitious research agenda aiming to uncover the factors that affect help-seeking among young people for mental health problems. The research set out to consider why young people, and particularly young males, do not seek help when they are in psychological distress or suicidal; how professional services be made more accessible and attractive to young people; the factors that inhibit and facilitate help-seeking; and how community gatekeepers can support young people to access services to help with personal and emotional problems. A range of studies was undertaken in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, using both …

Identifying And Describing Feelings And Psychological Flexibility Predict Mental Health In Men With Hiv, Jodie Landstra, Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane, R Hillman

joseph Ciarrochi

Early detection screening programmes have been well established for a variety of cancer types. More recently, anal cytological screening for anal cancer has been recommended (New York State Department of Public Health AIDS Institute, 2007). Population rates of anal cancer are 1.6 per 100,000 (Darragh & Winkler, 2011). However, men who have sex with men (MSM) and are HIV infected have considerably higher rates, estimated at between 42 and 137 per 100,000 (Darragh & Winkler, 2011). The psychological impact of cancer screening has been demonstrated in many different programmes and typically includes increased anxiety, reduced quality of life (QOL) and …

Improving Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practice In Mental Health Service Delivery: Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Quasi-Experimental Investigation Of Staff-Focused Values Interventions, Virginia Williams, Lindsay G. Oades, Frank P. Deane, Trevor P. Crowe, Joseph Ciarrochi, Retta Andresen

joseph Ciarrochi

Background There is growing acceptance that optimal service provision for individuals with severe and recurrent mental illness requires a complementary focus on medical recovery (i.e., symptom management and general functioning) and personal recovery (i.e., having a 'life worth living'). Despite significant research attention and policy-level support, the translation of this vision of healthcare into changed workplace practice continues to elude. Over the past decade, evidence-based training interventions that seek to enhance the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of staff working in the mental health field have been implemented as a primary redress strategy. However, a large body of multi-disciplinary research indicates …

When Simplifying Life Is Not So Bad: The Link Between Rigidity, Stressful Life Events, And Mental Health In An Undergraduate Population, Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane, Terry Said

joseph Ciarrochi

Decades of research have generally shown that being more rigid is associated with poorer mental health. We investigated whether all aspects of what has been termed “rigidity” are harmful. In particular, we hypothesized that the desire for simple structure (DSS) will not be associated with poor mental health, and in some cases might be associated with better mental health. In contrast, the intolerance of uncertainty (IU) was hypothesized to be associated with a wide range of indices of poor mental health. We also hypothesized that people high in IU would be less resilient in the face of stressful life events. …

Disadvantages Of Being An Individualist In An Individualistic Culture: Idiocentrism, Emotional Competence, Stress, And Mental Health, Gregory Scott, Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane

joseph Ciarrochi

Based on past cross-cultural research, it was hypothesised that people who had strong individualistic values and beliefs within an individualistic culture would have smaller social support networks, lower emotional competence, lower intentions to seek help from a variety of sources, and poorer mental health. A total of 276 first-year students attending an Australian university completed an anonymous survey assessing individual differences in individualism (i.e., idiocentrism), social support, emotional competence, hopelessness, depression, and suicide ideation. As expected, idiocentrism was associated with smaller and less satisfying social support networks, less skill in managing both self and others' emotions, lower intentions to seek …

Emotional Intelligence Moderates The Relationship Between Stress And Mental Health, Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane, Stephen Anderson

joseph Ciarrochi

Despite a great deal of popular interest and the development of numerous training programs in emotional intelligence (EI), some researchers have argued that there is little evidence that EI is both useful and different from other, well established constructs. We hypothesized that EI would make a unique contribution to understanding the relationship between stress and three important mental health variables, depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. University students (n=302) participated in a cross-sectional study that involved measuring life stress, objective and self-reported emotional intelligence, and mental health. Regression analyses revealed that stress was associated with: (1) greater reported depression, hopelessness, and …

A Preliminary Exploration Of The Working Allliance And 'Real Relationship' In Two Coaching Approaches With Mental Health Workers, Belinda J. Sun, Frank Deane, Trevor Crowe, Retta Andresen, Lindsay G. Oades, Joseph Ciarrochi

joseph Ciarrochi

Objectives: The coaching relationship has been described as the catalyst for change. This study explores the coaching relationship by comparing the working alliance and the 'real relationship'- the undistorted and authentic experience of the other- in participants in skills coaching and transformational coaching. Design: A 2 (coaching condition) x 2 (time) factorial design was used. Method: Staff from community psychiatric recovery services were trained in a new service delivery approach (Collaborative Recovery Model), followed by coaching from intemal coaches once per month to enhance implimentation of the training. All trained staff were invited to participate in the research. Forty coachees …

Value Congruence, Importance And Success In The Workplace: Links With Well-Being And Burnout Amongst Mental Health Practiticioners, Stephanie Veage, Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane, Retta Andresen, Lindsay G. Oades, Trevor Crowe

joseph Ciarrochi

Living according to one׳s personal values has implications for wellbeing, and incongruence between personal and workplace values has been associated with burnout. Using the SGP Card Sorting Task (Ciarrochi & Bailey, 2008), this study explored mental health practitioners׳ personal life values and personal work-related values, and their relationships with wellbeing and burnout. Congruence between life and work-related values was related to wellbeing and perceived accomplishment at work. Those whose personal values were consistent with the commonly-shared values of a caring profession experienced lower burnout and higher personal wellbeing. Successfully pursuing one׳s work values predicted lower burnout and greater wellbeing. Honesty, …

Relations Between Social And Emotional Competence And Mental Health: A Construct Validation Study, Joseph Ciarrochi, Gregory Scott, Frank Deane, Patrick Heaven

joseph Ciarrochi

Researchers working fairly independently of each other have created numerous measures of social and emotional competence (SEC). These measures tend to correlate (sometimes highly) with each other and with measures of stressful events, suggesting potential redundancy. We evaluated which, if any, SEC variables predicted unique variance in social and mental health after controlling for other SEC variables in the study and the impact of stressful events. Three-hundred and thirty-one university students participated in an anonymous, cross-sectional study. We measured stressful events, and a wide variety of SECs, including: social problem solving skill (effective problem orientation, automatic processing, and problem solving), …

Depression And Social Functioning : Examining Two Interpersonal Theories, Caroline B. Smith

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to test the specific predictions of two theories of depression and social functioning. One, the Social Navigation Hypothesis, is an adaptationist approach that predicts that depression functions to increase an individual’s ability to analyze and solve problems in their social system. The individual engages in behaviors such as feedback seeking in order to identify potential problems and develop solutions. In contrast, Interpersonal Theory predicts that depression is related to aversive social behaviors that can lead to rejection. Adult American participants (n=155) were recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. They completed an online survey …

Perfectionism, Personality, Parenting Criticism And The Unemployed, Richard Hicks, Veronica Midon

Richard Hicks

Abstract: Few studies have examined the role of perfectionism in the unemployed though extensive studies on perfectionism in the general and student populations exist. Maladaptive perfectionism, or the possession of self-imposed, unrealistic and excessively high standards, has been seen to be related to depression, anxiety and stress, to negative personality characteristics and to critical parenting styles. Would similar relationships be seen among the unemployed? Correlational and regression analyses were used to examine a sample of 100 unemployed adult jobseekers. Results indicated a strong positive correlation between maladaptive perfectionism, psychological distress, personahty factors, and an authoritarian style of parenting. In particular, …

Delivering The Mental Health First Aid (Mhfa) Course Within The National Rugby League (Nrl): Evaluation Report, Jioji Ravulo

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Mental illness is a reality for many Australians. The National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, conducted in 2007 with people aged 16-85, revealed that one in five Australians, or 3.2 million people, had a 12-month mental disorder (a mental illness occurring 12 months before the survey took place) (ABS, 2007). The survey further revealed that 16 million Australians (45%) within this age bracket suffered with a mental illness at some point in their lives. While these findings are slowly becoming public knowledge, there is still a limited understanding amongst laypeople regarding the overt and more covert symptoms of mental …

Benzodiazepine Use Among Chronic Pain Patients Prescribed Opioids: Associations With Pain, Physical And Mental Health, And Health Service Utilization, Suzanne Nielsen, Nicholas Lintzeris, Raimondo Bruno, Gabrielle Campbell, Briony K. Larance, Wayne Hall, Bianca Hoban, Milton Cohen, Louisa Degenhardt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are commonly used by chronic pain patients, despite limited evidence of any long-term benefits and concerns regarding adverse events and drug interactions, particularly in older patients. This article aims to: describe patterns of BZDs use; the demographic, physical, and mental health correlates of BZD use; and examine if negative health outcomes are associated with BZD use after controlling for confounders. Subjects

A national sample of 1,220 chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) patients prescribed long-term opioids. Methods

We report on baseline data from a prospective cohort study comparing four groups based on their current BZD use patterns. General demographics, …

Flourishing, Languishing And Moderate Mental Health: Prevalence And Change In Mental Health During Recovery From Drug And Alcohol Problems, Breanna Mcgaffin, Frank P. Deane, Peter James Kelly, Joseph Ciarrochi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The aim was to explore the utility of Keyes' concept of mental health in a substance addiction context. Mental health is considered the presence of emotional wellbeing in conjunction with high levels of social and psychological functioning. Using Keyes' measure, the frequency of languishing and flourishing is compared between clients who became abstinent and those continuing to use substances following treatment. It was hypothesised that there would be a significant interaction between substance use and levels of mental health over time. Participants were 794 individuals (79.5% male) attending residential substance abuse treatment provided by The Australian Salvation Army. The current …

Investigating The Optimal Amount Of Interactive Reading For Improved Mental And Behavioural Self-Control, Elena Vasseleu, Steven J. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at The Inaugural Early Start Conference, 28-30 September 2015, Wollongong, Australia

Recovery In Mental Health In Western Sydney: Use Of The Integrated Atlas Of Care For Context Analysis And Planning, L Salvador-Carulla, A Fernandez, Thomas Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng, J Gillespie, J Smith-Merry

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 15th International Conference on Integrated Care, 25-27 March 2015, Edinburgh, Scotland

Childhood Adhd Symptoms: Association With Parental Social Networks And Mental Health Service Use During Adolescence, Regina Bussing, Johanna Meyer, Bonnie T. Zima, Dana M. Mason, Faye A. Gary, Cynthia Wilson Garvan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: This study examines the associations of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) risk status with subsequent parental social network characteristics and caregiver strain in adolescence; and examines predictors of adolescent mental health service use. Methods: Baseline ADHD screening identified children at high risk (n = 207) and low risk (n = 167) for ADHD. At eight-year follow-up, parents reported their social network characteristics, caregiver strain, adolescents' psychopathology and mental health service utilization, whereas adolescents self-reported their emotional status and ADHD stigma perceptions. Analyses were conducted using ANOVAs and nested logistic regression modeling. Results: Parents of youth with childhood ADHD reported support …

Flooding And Mental Health: A Systematic Mapping Review, Ana Fernandez, John Black, Mairwen Jones, Leigh Wilson, Luis Salvador-Carulla, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Deborah A. Black

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Floods are the most common type of global natural disaster. Floods have a negative impact on mental health. Comprehensive evaluation and review of the literature are lacking. Objective To systematically map and review available scientific evidence on mental health impacts of floods caused by extended periods of heavy rain in river catchments. Methods We performed a systematic mapping review of published scientific literature in five languages for mixed studies on floods and mental health. PUBMED and Web of Science were searched to identify all relevant articles from 1994 to May 2014 (no restrictions). Results The electronic search strategy identified …

Effects Of Mild To Moderate Stress On Mental Rotation, James Frederick Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental rotation (MR) is the ability to mentally shift one's visual perspective of any object by changing the orientation of a mental image of that object. Research into the effects of stress on MR could be used to help improve understanding of a variety of visual-spatial tasks performed in hyper-vigilance situations. However, until the present study, there has been no research on the effects of stress on MR. The Yerkes-Dodson Law predicts performance will be improved when an individual is exposed to mild to moderate stress. The purpose of this study was to answer three research questions. The questions examined …

An Examination Of Subtypes Of Inclusive Depressive Symptoms Across Female And Male Low-Income Latino And Black Adolescents, Stephanie M. Ernestus

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current study examined the developmental patterns of nine depression symptoms (including traditional, masculine, and somatic symptoms of depression) in a sample of low-income, urban African American and Hispanic youth at early (10-12) and late (16-19) adolescence, and examined differences between males and females depressive profiles at each stage. Additionally, this study identified predictors of latent class membership (ethnic group and stress) at each time point. For this secondary analysis of data, a total of 610 early adolescents were selected from the Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study (Cherlin, 1999; Cherlin et al., 2001), which reduced to 453 late …

Modeling Hedonic Processing And Anhedonia In Depression, Kevin Mercado

Honors College Theses

Depression is characterized by low positive emotion and a lack of pleasurable experiences, or anhedonia. Past studies have emphasized controlling negative affect, but there is an emerging trend in the depression literature to focus on positive emotion. The current study employed several psychophysiological tools, postauricular reflex, startle blink reflex, and event-related potential (ERP) components such as P3 and the late positive potential (LPP), to assess the dissociable components in positive emotion (consummatory and anticipatory processes). In addition, several different hypotheses of emotional dysfunction were evaluated to accurately model deficits in positive emotionality. A majority of the psychophysiological tools used supported …

Healthy Living Skills Education: A 12-Module Group Intervention For Individuals With Serious Mental Illness, Brette Marie Stephenson

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Serious mental illness often strikes during adolescence, a time of life when individuals typically prepare to navigate society as independent adults. Due to its symptoms and this crucial developmental interruption, people with serious mental illness often experience difficulties with acquiring and developing life skills. They often struggle to maintain financial independence or their physical health suffers as a result of poor diet and medication side effects. Most commonly, they struggle to develop competency in navigating the social demands of life and relationships. This project is a 12-module life skills group to provide support and group interventions regarding three life areas …

Factors Related To Depression In End-Stage Renal Disease Patients, Matthew Paul Mccurdy

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

High prevalence rates of depression have been well documented in patients with chronic kidney disease (Egede, 2007; U.S. Renal Data System, 2013). Furthermore, depression seems to play a major role in the mortality and morbidity rates of this population (Kellerman, Christensen, Baldwin, & Lawton, 2010; U.S. Renal Data System, 2013). Therefore this study aimed to discover factors that may influence depression in this population. Ten end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients’ depression scores were examined in relation to various sociodemographic measures. High depression scores had a significantly negative relationship with social functioning, overall quality of life, and age. A combined model …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Maltreated Multiracial Youth, Harpreet Kaur

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) first identified depression as a meditator of (1) dissociation and posttraumatic cognitions and (2) PTSD in maltreated children. In addition, they found that African American status weakened the mediating relationship, whereas multiracial status strengthened the mediating relationship. Multiracial youth in Lemos-Miller and Kearney's study experienced a stronger relationship between depression and PTSD than other ethnic groups.

The present study evaluated the Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) model of PTSD among a larger sample of multiracial youth. The present study sought to identify whether the Lemos-Miller and Kearney (2006) finding regarding multiracial youth could be replicated. The presented …