List of Titles

Suicide and intimate partner violence risk assessment and decision-making

- Kellie, Grant, Louisa, Whitwam, Jennifer, Martin, Jennifer, White, Terry, Haines

Authors: Kellie, Grant , Louisa, Whitwam , Jennifer, Martin , Jennifer, White , Terry, Haines
Date: 2021
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Advances in social work and welfare education Vol. 23, no. 1 (2021), p. 134-147
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Description: This research explores the question: 'How do social workers and multidisciplinary mental health professionals perceive and understand risk and how does this inform decision-making and service provision?' In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with health and mental health workers employed at a major health service based in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were employed in hospitals, community health centres, and residential care facilities including specialist mental health services. Theoretic thematic analysis was used to identify seven dominant themes reported by study participants. These were: (1) establishing risk ownership (2) a hierarchy of fears (3) self-doubt and self-blame (4) organisational incident reviews (5) blame from client, family and society (6) the protective shield and (7) evaluating safety and meaning. The study findings have implications for further research and social work education on risk assessment, decision-making and appropriate social work responses. [Author abstract]

Video chat therapist assistance in an adaptive digital intervention for anxiety and depression : reflections from participants and therapists

- Andrews, Brooke, Klein, Britt, Corboy, Denise, McLaren, Suzanne, Watson, Shaun

Authors: Andrews, Brooke , Klein, Britt , Corboy, Denise , McLaren, Suzanne , Watson, Shaun
Date: 2023
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Professional psychology, research and practice Vol. 54, no. 6 (2023), p. 418-429
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Description: The purpose of this article is to qualitatively explore participant and therapist experiences of the therapeutic alliance, perceived benefits, challenges, and areas for improvement when using video chat as a mode of therapist assistance within an adaptive digital mental health intervention. In total, 74 semistructured interviews were completed with participants and therapists who participated in an adaptive clinical trial. The participant interviews explored experiences of attending a clinical assessment via video chat and experiences of receiving low- or high-intensity therapist assistance via video chat. Interviews completed with therapists explored their experience of administrating a clinical assessment tool and delivering therapist assistance, both via video chat. Reflexive thematic analysis identified four themes: using video chat, characteristics of therapeutic relationships, task-specific experiences, and utility and adoption of video chat. Both participants and therapists were able to adapt to the modality of video chat and develop positive therapeutic alliances. They reported satisfaction with video chat for conducting clinical assessments and delivering therapist assistance. Concerns were identified by both participants and therapists with low-intensity therapist assistance. This study identified elements of task-specific experiences and human characteristics as more influential in participant and therapist experience than the modality of video chat technology. Implications for assessing suitability for the modality of video chat and low- and high-intensity models of therapist assistance are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Efficacy of a transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral intervention for eating disorder psychopathology delivered through a smartphone app: a randomized controlled trial

- Linardon, Jake, Shatte, Adrian, Rosato, John, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew

Authors: Linardon, Jake , Shatte, Adrian , Rosato, John , Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew
Date: 2022
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Psychological Medicine Vol. 52, no. 9 (2022), p. 1679-1690
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Description: Abstract Background Although effective treatments exist for diagnostic and subthreshold-level eating disorders (EDs), a significant proportion of affected individuals do not receive help. Interventions translated for delivery through smartphone apps may be one solution towards reducing this treatment gap. However, evidence for the efficacy of smartphones apps for EDs is lacking. We developed a smartphone app based on the principles and techniques of transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy for EDs and evaluated it through a pre-registered randomized controlled trial. Methods Symptomatic individuals (those who reported the presence of binge eating) were randomly assigned to the app ( n = 197) or waiting list ( n = 195). Of the total sample, 42 and 31% exhibited diagnostic-level bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder symptoms, respectively. Assessments took place at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks post-randomization. Analyses were intention-to-treat. The primary outcome was global levels of ED psychopathology. Secondary outcomes were other ED symptoms, impairment, and distress. Results Intervention participants reported greater reductions in global ED psychopathology than the control group at post-test ( d = −0.80). Significant effects were also observed for secondary outcomes ( d 's = −0.30 to −0.74), except compensatory behavior frequency. Symptom levels remained stable at follow-up. Participants were largely satisfied with the app, although the overall post-test attrition rate was 35%. Conclusion Findings highlight the potential for this app to serve as a cost-effective and easily accessible intervention for those who cannot receive standard treatment. The capacity for apps to be flexibly integrated within current models of mental health care delivery may prove vital for addressing the unmet needs of people with EDs.

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Cognitive behaviour therapy for older adults experiencing insomnia and depression in a community mental health setting: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

- Sadler, Paul, McLaren, Suzanne, Klein, Britt, Jenkins, Megan, Harvey, Jack

Authors: Sadler, Paul , McLaren, Suzanne , Klein, Britt , Jenkins, Megan , Harvey, Jack
Date: 2015
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Trials Vol. 16, no. 1 (2015), p.1-12
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Description: Background: Cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a well-established treatment; however, the evidence is largely limited to homogenous samples. Although emerging research has indicated that CBT-I is also effective for comorbid insomnia, CBT-I has not been tested among a complex sample of older adults with comorbid insomnia and depression. Furthermore, no study has explored whether modifying CBT-I to target associated depressive symptoms could potentially enhance sleep and mood outcomes. Therefore, this study aims to report a protocol designed to test whether an advanced form of CBT for insomnia and depression (CBT-I-D) is more effective at reducing insomnia and depressive symptoms compared to a standard CBT-I and psychoeducation control group (PCG) for older adults in a community mental health setting. Methods/Design: We aim to recruit 150 older adults with comorbid insomnia who have presented to community mental health services for depression. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated via block/cluster randomisation to one of three group therapy conditions: CBT-I, CBT-I-D, or PCG. Participants who receive CBT-I will only practice strategies designed to improve their sleep, whereas participants who receive CBT-I-D will practice additional strategies designed to also improve their mood. This trial will implement a mixed-methods design involving quantitative outcome measures and qualitative focus groups. The primary outcome measures are insomnia and depression severity, and secondary outcomes are anxiety, hopelessness, beliefs about sleep, comorbid sleep conditions, and health. Outcomes will be assessed at pre-intervention (week 0), post-intervention (week 8), and 3-month follow-up (week 20). Discussion: This CBT study protocol has been designed to address comorbid insomnia and depression for older adults receiving community mental health services. The proposed trial will determine whether CBT-I is more effective for older adults with comorbid insomnia and depression compared to a PCG. It will also establish whether an advanced form of CBT-I-D generates greater reductions in insomnia and depression severity compared to standard CBT-I. The results from the proposed trial are anticipated to have important clinical implications for older adults, researchers, therapists, and community mental health services. Trial registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN: 12615000067572 , Date Registered 12 December 2014. Â© 2015 Sadler et al.

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Culturally and linguistically diverse community access and utilisation of the mental health service : an explanation using andersen’s behavioural model

- Radhamony, Reshmy, Cross, Wendy, Townsin, Louise, Banik, Biswajit

Authors: Radhamony, Reshmy , Cross, Wendy , Townsin, Louise , Banik, Biswajit
Date: 2024
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Issues in Mental Health Nursing Vol. 45, no. 7 (2024), p. 758-765
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Description: Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Health Service Use (ABMHSU) is a multilevel model that helps understand the factors influencing health service access and utilisation. This framework is a widely used model for health service use in general, as well as in immigrant populations and vulnerable populations. ABMHSU, in this project, provided a framework to explain how the mental health nurses’ cultural competence can influence the Victorian CALD community members’ mental health care access and utilisation. A unique model of ABMHSU in the current multiple-method project provided a theoretical framework for examining the factors associated with people from the CALD community accessing mental health services in an Australian context to answer the research questions. The key findings of the research were discussed with reference to the extant literature and with triangulation of research results with the ABMHSU in the context of Victoria. The researchers argue that even though predisposing, enabling, and need factors are necessary to determine whether a person is selected for expert care for mental health issues, these factors alone are insufficient. Ongoing research is essential to ascertain the potential of mental health nurses’ cultural competence education and cultural responsiveness in addressing the mental health service access and utilisation of the heterogeneous CALD communities. Additional research is advocated to identify the supplementary factors, as there is a dearth of research exploring the potential of ABMHSU worldwide. © 2024 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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