Co-morbid depression and chronic illness related to coping and physical and mental health status
- Authors: Di Benedetto, Mirella , Lindner, Helen , Aucote, Helen , Churcher, Jacqui , McKenzie, Stephen , Croning, Natalie , Jenkins, Erin
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Psychology, Health and Medicine Vol. 19, no. 3 (May 2014 2014), p. 253-262
- Full Text: false
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- Description: A partial latent structural regression analysis was used to evaluate the role of coping resources, depression, diet and exercise on mental and physical health status. The sample consisted of 113 participants (59 females and 54 males) with a mean age of 59.38 years (SD = 10.52). Coping resources, depression and exercise explained 52 and 26% of the variance in mental and physical health status, respectively. Fewer coping resources predicted higher levels of depression and both predicted worse mental health. Only higher levels of depression predicted worse physical health status. There were also significant indirect effects of coping on mental and physical health status through depression. The development of cognitive, social and emotional coping strategies is important for managing depression and supporting positive mental health. These results highlight the important role of health psychologists in the care of individuals with chronic illness. Additionally, the management of depression is important in maintaining positive physical health.
Interpretation and misinterpretation of warning signage : Perceptions of rockfalls in a naturalistic setting
- Authors: Aucote, Helen , Miner, Anthony , Dahlhaus, Peter
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Psychology, Health and Medicine Vol. 17, no. 5 (2012), p. 522-529
- Full Text: false
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- Description: The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors relating to non-adherence to warning signs about falling rocks from coastal cliff faces. Face-to-face interviews (n=62) in a naturalistic setting (in the vicinity of a high-risk rockfall area) were conducted to investigate attention to and comprehension of warning signs, as well as beliefs relating to non-adherence of the signage. It was found that, while most participants could correctly identify the danger in the area and had noticed the warning signage, less than half of the participants could correctly interpret the signage. The perception of danger did not differ significantly between the participants who had, or had not, entered the high-risk zone. Differences in knowledge and beliefs between local residents and visitors to the area were identified. It was concluded that the warning signs did not provide enough detail for people to make informed decisions about safe behaviours. Comprehension of the signage may have been hampered by a lack of prior-knowledge of the particular risk, a failure to think carefully about the situation (i.e. low-effort processing), and the pictorial representation on the signs misleading the participants as to the true danger. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
Rockfalls : Predicting high-risk behaviour from beliefs
- Authors: Aucote, Helen , Miner, Anthony , Dahlhaus, Peter
- Date: 2010
- Type: Journal article
- Relation: Disaster Prevention and Management Vol. 19, no. 1 (2010), p. 20-31
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- Description: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the public's beliefs, attitudes and knowledge regarding rockfalls, and to see whether these variables could predict whether a person is likely to enter high-risk rockfall areas. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed to measure beliefs (informed by the health belief model), knowledge, and previous behaviour in relation to rockfalls. Questions were also included to measure attitudes regarding rockfall caution signs. In total, 138 members of the general public completed the questionnaire. Findings – High-risk behaviour was more likely if the person was male and if the person had the belief that sign-posted high-risk areas were not dangerous. Further, believing that the sign-posted areas were not dangerous was more likely among people who held negative attitudes towards cautionary signs; specifically, these participants were more likely to doubt the validity of the warning signs. Research limitations/implications – The research was exploratory in nature. Further research should be conducted with a larger sample size and a more random selection of the general population. Ways of improving measurement of the variables are discussed. Practical implications – Efforts should be made to increase the public's perception of the validity of rockfall cautionary signs. Doing so may decrease injury and death as a result of rockfalls. Suggestions on ways to increase the validity of signage are made. Originality/value – It is presumed that this study is the first to attempt to gain an understanding of the beliefs and attitudes that may lead a person into engaging in high-risk behaviour in relation to rockfalls.
Measuring the psychological consequences of breast cancer screening : A confirmatory factor analysis of the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire
- Authors: Cooper, Andrew , Aucote, Helen
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Quality of Life Research Vol. 18, no. 5 (2009), p. 597-604
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- Description: Objectives: To use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the proposed factor structure of the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire (PCQ), a measure of the psychological impact of breast cancer screening. A further aim was to examine the robustness of the proposed factor structure across key demographic and clinical variables. Method: Following visits to breast cancer screening clinics, women who received a false-positive diagnosis and a matched sample of women who had received all-clear diagnoses were sent a questionnaire package containing the PCQ and a demographics measure. A total of 220 women returned completed questionnaires. CFA was used to test the factor structure and multiple indicator-multiple cause (MIMIC) models were used to test the robustness of the factor structure across the test result group, age, and family history of breast cancer diagnosis. Results: The CFA results suggested support for both a three- and a one-factor model; a one-factor model was preferred, however, due to the very high covariance between the three latent factors in the three-factor model. A CFA MIMIC model suggested that the test result impacted on the latent factor: women who initially received a false-positive diagnosis showed significantly higher levels of psychological dysfunction after screening. Conclusions: The PCQ appears to be a promising tool for assessing psychological dysfunction after breast cancer screening; however, a one-factor model received more support than the initially proposed three-factor model. There was little evidence of differential item functioning across key demographic and clinical variables for the PCQ. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Relationships between body fatness, small-screen sedentary activity and regionality among schoolchildren in Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Aucote, Helen , Cooper, Andrew
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Rural Health Vol. 17, no. 3 (2009), p. 141-146
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Objective: To examine the difference in body fatness and engagement in small-screen activities across children living in different degrees of regionality, and to examine the relationship between child body fatness and small-screen activities. Design: Cross-sectional study design. Participants: Grade 5-6 schoolchildren (n = 393) from central and metropolitan Victoria, and a parent/guardian of each child (n = 393). Main outcome measures: Parents completed a questionnaire on their child's engagement in television (TV) viewing and video game playing (VGP). Children's weight and height were measured by a researcher. Body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) was calculated and adjusted for age and sex. Regionality (metropolitan, population > 100000; regional, 100000 > population < 20000; and rural, population < 10000) and socioeconomic status (socioeconomic indexes for areas: index of disadvantage) were assigned according to school attended. Results: BMI did not differ across regionality or sex. Boys engaged in more VGP than girls, and metropolitan children engaged in more VGP than rural and regional children. TV viewing did not differ across sex or regionality. VGP did not predict BMI, and TV viewing did not predict girls' BMI. Three to four per cent of the variance in boys' BMI was predicted by TV viewing. Conclusions: Boys and metropolitan children engage in more VGP. Boys', but not girls', BMI is related to TV viewing. Interventions designed to decrease engagement in TV viewing should be targeting boys. © 2009 The Author Journal compilation © 2009 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.
Changing perception of average person's risk does not suffice to change perception of comparative risk
- Authors: Aucote, Helen , Gold, Ron
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Psychology, Health and Medicine Vol. 13, no. 4 (2008), p. 461-470
- Full Text: false
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- Description: The direct method of assessing "unrealistic optimisim" employs a question of the form, "Compared with the average person, what is the chance that event X will occur to you?" It has been proposed that when individuals construct their responses to this question (direct-estimates) they focus much more strongly on estimates of their own risk (self-estimates) than on estimates of the average person's risk (other-estimates). A challenge to this proposal comes from findings that interventions that alter other-estimates also change direct-estimates. Employing a novel intervention technique, we tested the possibility that such interventions may indirectly also change self-estimates and that this is what accounts for their effect on dierct-estimates. Study 1 (n = 58) showed that an intervention which was designed to (and did) affect other-estimates also affected self-estimates, while Study 2 (n = 101) showed that it affected direct-estimates. Study 3 (n = 79) confirmed that we could modify the intervention so as to maintain the effect on other-estimates, but eliminate that on self-estimates. Study 4 (n = 112) demonstrated that when this was done, there was no longer any effect on direct-estimates. The findings are consistent with the proposal that dierct-estimates are constructed largely just out of self-estimates. Implications for health education programs are discussed.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003006767
The behavioural inhibition system and behavioural approach system (BIS/BAS) scales : Measurement and structural invariance across adults and adolescents
- Authors: Cooper, Andrew , Gomez, Rapson , Aucote, Helen
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 43, no. 2 (2007), p. 295-305
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Confirmatory factor analytic procedures were used to examine the factor structure of Carver and White's BIS/BAS Scales, and also its invariance across adults and adolescents. This measure, developed originally for adult use, has four scales: one for the Behavioural Inhibition System, and three for the Behavioural Approach System. To accomplish the aims, 631 adults and 300 adolescents completed the measure. The findings provided good support for the 4-factor structure, and for between-group invariance for the measurement (configural and metric) and structural (factor variances and covariances) models. These results mean that data obtained on the BIS/BAS Scales from early adolescents are directly comparable to scores from adults. © 2006 Elsevier.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003005420
The influence of unrealistic optimism on event anxiety
- Authors: Aucote, Helen
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Psychology Vol. 39, no. 5-6 (Oct-Dec 2004), p. 378-378
- Full Text: false
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- Description: C1