Description:
A desire to more fully understand the impact of altered states of spiritual health on the general health of patients has been a focus of recent research activity. Studies have explored the meaning of spirituality held by patients and nurses, the spiritual needs of patients, and methods of providing spiritual care in nursing. However, few studies have investigated nurses’ own spiritual health and the significance this may have on the provision of holistic nursing care. The aim of this study, therefore, was to inform nursing regarding the spiritual health of nurses and the influence that nurses’ own spiritual health has on their ability to provide holistic nursing care to their patients. The study was conducted in two phases using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Phase one consisted of a survey of Division 1 nurses currently employed in the Grampians region of Victoria to describe key dimensions of their spiritual health. This survey provided biographical data and, through the use of the “Shalom Measure of Spiritual Health”, discovered the ideal of spiritual health held by nurses as well as the nurses’ perception of patient needs pertaining to the achievement of spiritual health. Phase two utilised Naturalistic Inquiry to further explore the meaning of spirituality and spiritual health held by nurses, and the methods of achieving these for nurses and patients. The findings revealed that although nurses perceive the spiritual dimension of patient care to be important, they feel ill-equipped to provide this aspect of care. In addition, the major support for nurses, who themselves experience spiritual distress whilst at work, comes from colleagues. Further, prevailing health care systems in place do not always lend themselves to holistic approaches to care. This study identifies the need for nurse education to redress the clearly inadequate preparation nurses are given for this aspect of their role. Health care policy-makers and administrators also have a responsibility to consider all dimensions of care when designing and implementing health care guidelines and systems.
Description:
A desire to more fully understand the impact of altered states of spiritual health on the general health of patients has been a focus of recent research activity. Studies have explored the meaning of spirituality held by patients and nurses, the spiritual needs of patients, and methods of providing spiritual care in nursing. However, few studies have investigated nurses’ own spiritual health and the significance this may have on the provision of holistic nursing care. The aim of this study, therefore, was to inform nursing regarding the spiritual health of nurses and the influence that nurses’ own spiritual health has on their ability to provide holistic nursing care to their patients. The study was conducted in two phases using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Phase one consisted of a survey of Division 1 nurses currently employed in the Grampians region of Victoria to describe key dimensions of their spiritual health. This survey provided biographical data and, through the use of the “Shalom Measure of Spiritual Health”, discovered the ideal of spiritual health held by nurses as well as the nurses’ perception of patient needs pertaining to the achievement of spiritual health. Phase two utilised Naturalistic Inquiry to further explore the meaning of spirituality and spiritual health held by nurses, and the methods of achieving these for nurses and patients. The findings revealed that although nurses perceive the spiritual dimension of patient care to be important, they feel ill-equipped to provide this aspect of care. In addition, the major support for nurses, who themselves experience spiritual distress whilst at work, comes from colleagues. Further, prevailing health care systems in place do not always lend themselves to holistic approaches to care. This study identifies the need for nurse education to redress the clearly inadequate preparation nurses are given for this aspect of their role. Health care policy-makers and administrators also have a responsibility to consider all dimensions of care when designing and implementing health care guidelines and systems.
Description:
It is an interesting contrast. On the one hand society has never been so aware and conscious of child sexual abuse and sexual violence against women and children, but despite this awareness the degree of denial, victim blaming, prejudice and ignorance around sexual abuse continues to pose challenges for those affected by such violence and those who work and research in this field (Taylor, 2002). This paper is concerned with identifying and articulating some of these ongoing challenges within a rural domain. Given both the author’s grass-roots involvement, activism and professional work in the field of sexual assault against women and children, this paper draws on relevant research literature concerned with sexual violence and rural communities, before utilising a case study and vignettes obtained either directly from victim/ survivors1 or from the author’s research in issues of sexual assault. It is my intention to bring together a small sample of experiences relating to sexual violence within rural domains to elucidate the very real and ongoing challenges that face those victim/survivors.
Description:
This is the first pilot study to examine the Australian adaptation of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP), a manualised family intervention recommended internationally in evidence reviews to improve family functioning and child mental health. The study compared two versions (8 vs. 14-session) and longitudinally evaluated outcomes for child emotional and behavioural difficulties, and parental psychological distress. Fifty-eight families from disadvantaged primary schools in regional Victoria with children 8-12-years (80.6% of initially enrolled families, 62 parents and 74 children) completed the program and evaluation measures. Measures were repeated at pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up and included the Kessler 6, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and subscales adapted from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and Communities that Care Youth Survey. The program showed significant reductions in child difficulties and parental psychological distress from pre- to post-measurements that were sustained at follow-up. Reductions in parental psychological distress were significantly associated with reductions in child difficulties at follow-up. The 8- and 14-session formats were not found to be significantly different in reducing child difficulties or parental psychological distress. Effect sizes for the Australian version were similar to those reported in previous U.S. trials. Findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of an Australian adaptation of the SFP. The current study is unique in identifying similar outcomes for shorter and longer versions of the intervention. It is recommended that the 8-session Australian version is examined in a larger randomised controlled trial where children present with behavioural and emotional problems.
Description:
Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has placed huge strain on hospital staff around the world. The aim of the current longitudinal study was to investigate the resilience, stress and burnout of hospital staff located at a large, regional hospital in Victoria, Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic over time via cross-sectional surveys. The surveys were disseminated six times from August 2020 to March 2021, with the first three data collection points distributed during a state-wide lockdown. A total of 558 responses from various professional roles within the hospital over the survey period were included in the sample. Analysis of variance indicated significant main effects for the psychological variables across time, age, and workload. Hospital staff reported an increase in burnout levels throughout the eight-months. Significant negative relationships were observed between resilience and burnout, and between resilience and stress. A backward regression highlighted the contribution of resilience, stress, age, and nursing roles on burnout. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that resilience contributed to the stress-burnout relationship. This study strengthens the evidence between resilience and burnout among healthcare workers and hospital staff and highlights the need for psychological wellbeing programs to be implemented for hospital staff impacted by a prolonged worldwide pandemic.
Description:
Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has placed huge strain on hospital staff around the world. The aim of the current longitudinal study was to investigate the resilience, stress and burnout of hospital staff located at a large, regional hospital in Victoria, Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic over time via cross-sectional surveys. The surveys were disseminated six times from August 2020 to March 2021, with the first three data collection points distributed during a state-wide lockdown. A total of 558 responses from various professional roles within the hospital over the survey period were included in the sample. Analysis of variance indicated significant main effects for the psychological variables across time, age, and workload. Hospital staff reported an increase in burnout levels throughout the eight-months. Significant negative relationships were observed between resilience and burnout, and between resilience and stress. A backward regression highlighted the contribution of resilience, stress, age, and nursing roles on burnout. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that resilience contributed to the stress-burnout relationship. This study strengthens the evidence between resilience and burnout among healthcare workers and hospital staff and highlights the need for psychological wellbeing programs to be implemented for hospital staff impacted by a prolonged worldwide pandemic.
Description:
This paper describes an interactive software environment designed as a social interaction simulator with embedded comprehensive recording and flexible assessment facilities. Using schematized visual sketches similar to cross-cultural facial universals (Ekman, 1999), Mimics (Shmelyov & Aidman, 1997) employs a computer-game-like scenario that requires the subject to identify with an avatar and navigate it through a playing field inhabited by hosts who display a range of facial expressions. From these expressions (which are highly consequential), the player has to anticipate the hosts' reactions to the avatar (which may vary from friendly to obstructing or aggressive) and choose between negotiating with a host (by altering the avatar's facial expression), attacking it, or searching for an escape route. Comprehensive recording of player moves and interactions has enabled computation of several fine-grained indices of interactive behavior, such as aggressive response styles, efficiency and motivation in conflict/cooperation contexts. Initial validation data and potential applications of the method in the assessment of personality and social behavior are discussed.
Description:
Postural control impairment is a key target for rehabilitation of older adults with high fall risk. To investigate whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over primary motor cortex (M1) or cerebellum can enhance the positive effects of postural training on balance and postural stability in older adults with high fall risk. In this randomised, double-blinded sham-controlled study, 65 participants were randomly assigned into five groups M1 a-tDCS with postural training, bilateral cerebellar a-tDCS with postural training, sham a-tDCS with postural training, postural training alone and cerebellar a-tDCS alone. Participants in the first two a-tDCS groups received 2 mA stimulation for 20 min concurrently with postural training. Postural training was conducted for three sessions of 20 min per week for two weeks. The Berg Balance Score (BBS) and the stability indices at both static and dynamic levels of the Biodex Balance System were evaluated before and after intervention. A general linear model repeated measure ANOVA was used to assess the effects of variables among groups. Simultaneous postural training with M1 or bilateral cerebellar a-tDCS significantly improved postural stability indices (p < 0.05) and BBS scores (p < 0.05). Besides, the effects of bilateral cerebellar a-tDCS were significantly higher than that of M1 stimulation on these indices (p < 0.05). Moreover, two weeks postural training alone or cerebellar a-tDCS alone is not an adequate intervention to improve the postural stability indices (p > 0.05). Postural training with M1 or bilateral cerebellar a-tDCS, especially bilateral cerebellar a-tDCS, can significantly improve postural control or balance in older adults with high fall risk, while two weeks of postural training alone or two weeks cerebellar a-tDCS alone is not a sufficient intervention. [Display omitted] •Balance did not improve after two weeks of postural training alone in older adults.•Balance did not improve after two weeks of cerebellar a-tDCS alone in older adults.•M1 or cerebellar a-tDCS can enhance the positive effects of postural training on balance in older adults.•Cerebellar more than M1 a-tDCS modulates dynamic balance in older adults with high fall risk.
Description:
The main aim of the current study was to investigate formal and informal psychosocial support use among a sample of men with cancer living in rural and regional Australia, and to examine how use of psychosocial support is related to psychological, physical and social wellbeing.
Description:
Master of Applied Science (Psychology)
Description:
The main aim of the current study was to investigate formal and informal psychosocial support use among a sample of men with cancer living in rural and regional Australia, and to examine how use of psychosocial support is related to psychological, physical and social wellbeing.
Description:
Master of Applied Science (Psychology)
Description:
•Maternal depression in pregnancy was not predictive of postpartum maternal emotional availability (EA).•Maternal depression in pregnancy was not associated with perceived social support.•Depressive symptoms negatively predict maternal EA when partner support is low.•Depressive symptoms negatively predict maternal EA when family support is low.•Support from friends is not a moderator between depressive symptoms and maternal EA. Social support theory suggests that parental social support may influence the nature of early parenting behaviours and specifically the mother-infant relationship. This study examines whether support from a partner, friends or family is associated with differences in quality of mother-infant interactions in the context of maternal depression. 210 women were followed from early pregnancy to six months postpartum within Australian pregnancy cohort, the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS). Mother-infant interactions within a standardised observation at six months postpartum were measured by the Emotional Availability (EA) Scales using total scores of the parental scales. In early and late pregnancy and at six months postpartum, mothers rated perceived maternal social support from a partner, family and friends using subscales of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Depression was measured in early pregnancy and at six months postpartum using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV-TR, with repeated measurement of depressive symptoms by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Data was analysed using structural equation models. There were significant interactions between depressive symptoms in early pregnancy and perceived maternal support from a partner (B = .18, 95% CI = 03, .31) and separately from family (B = .12, 95% CI = .03, .32) in predicting maternal emotional availability. No such interaction was found for support from friends. While partner and family support moderated the association between early depressive symptoms and emotional availability, there were no direct associations between maternal depressive disorder in early pregnancy and perceived support, and further, maternal depression was not a significant predictor of emotional availability. Future studies should consider extending measurement of the mother-infant relationship beyond the EA Scales, inclusion of a measure of maternal childhood trauma, and replicating our findings. Maternal perception of partner and family support in the postpartum is a predictor of the association between early pregnancy depressive symptoms and maternal emotional availability.
Description:
Research in the past decade has found that certain ways of responding to domestic partner abusers, particularly psycho-educational approaches, can be effective in modifying abusive behaviours. The study described in this paper sought to classify male domestic partner abusers by certain identified characteristics and determine whether they responded differently to a Men's Behaviour Change Program conducted by community agencies in regional Victoria. It was found that some types of male abusers appeared to derive greater benefits from the standard 12-week program than others. Those with antisocial personality disorders tended not to respond favourably. Further research work is now required to identify interventions that will be successful with abusers who have significant antisocial personalities.
Description:
Research in the past decade has found that certain ways of responding to domestic partner abusers, particularly psycho-educational approaches, can be effective in modifying abusive behaviours. The study described in this paper sought to classify male domestic partner abusers by certain identified characteristics and determine whether they responded differently to a Men's Behaviour Change Program conducted by community agencies in regional Victoria. It was found that some types of male abusers appeared to derive greater benefits from the standard 12-week program than others. Those with antisocial personality disorders tended not to respond favourably. Further research work is now required to identify interventions that will be successful with abusers who have significant antisocial personalities.
The psychological aftermath of prostate cancer treatment choices : A comparison of depression, anxiety and quality of life outcomes over the 12 months following diagnosis
Description:
Objective: To assess the psychological impact of the different treatments for localised prostate cancer (PCA). Design, participants and setting: Observational, prospective study of consecutive patients with PCA attending clinics in public hospitals and private practices in metropolitan Melbourne between 1 April 2001 and 30 December 2005. Data were collected at initial diagnosis of histologically confirmed localised PCA, and close to the commencement of definitive treatment (Time 1), and 12 months later (Time 2). Patients were stratified according to treatment type (radical prostatectomy [RP], hormone therapy [HT] or other early treatment including radiation therapies [OET]). Patients who elected to undergo active surveillance/ watchful waiting (WW) rather than active treatment were treated as a naturalistic control group. Main outcome measures: Levels of depression and anxiety were assessed by the Brief Symptom Inventory, and physical and psychosocial aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were assessed by the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Results: 211 patients with PCA were recruited; 193 completed the Time 1 questionnaires (38 RP, 56 HT, 38 OET and 61 WW); and 172 completed the Time 2 questionnaires (33 RP, 51 HT, 33 OET and 55 WW). At Time 1, the three active treatment groups all reported greater dysfunction in work role and daily activities compared with the WW group. The RP group also reported worse social and emotional role functioning, while the HT and OET groups reported poorer vitality levels. The HT group reported significantly higher depression scores. At Time 2, the RP and OET groups did not differ from the WW group on either HRQOL or psychological status. By contrast, the HT group reported significantly worse HRQOL (physical functioning, role-physical and vitality domains) and greater psychological distress compared with the WW group. Conclusions: Compared with the other active treatments for localised PCA, HT appears to be associated with poorer HRQOL and greater psychological distress 12 months after commencing treatment.
Description:
Objective: To assess the psychological impact of the different treatments for localised prostate cancer (PCA). Design, participants and setting: Observational, prospective study of consecutive patients with PCA attending clinics in public hospitals and private practices in metropolitan Melbourne between 1 April 2001 and 30 December 2005. Data were collected at initial diagnosis of histologically confirmed localised PCA, and close to the commencement of definitive treatment (Time 1), and 12 months later (Time 2). Patients were stratified according to treatment type (radical prostatectomy [RP], hormone therapy [HT] or other early treatment including radiation therapies [OET]). Patients who elected to undergo active surveillance/ watchful waiting (WW) rather than active treatment were treated as a naturalistic control group. Main outcome measures: Levels of depression and anxiety were assessed by the Brief Symptom Inventory, and physical and psychosocial aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were assessed by the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Results: 211 patients with PCA were recruited; 193 completed the Time 1 questionnaires (38 RP, 56 HT, 38 OET and 61 WW); and 172 completed the Time 2 questionnaires (33 RP, 51 HT, 33 OET and 55 WW). At Time 1, the three active treatment groups all reported greater dysfunction in work role and daily activities compared with the WW group. The RP group also reported worse social and emotional role functioning, while the HT and OET groups reported poorer vitality levels. The HT group reported significantly higher depression scores. At Time 2, the RP and OET groups did not differ from the WW group on either HRQOL or psychological status. By contrast, the HT group reported significantly worse HRQOL (physical functioning, role-physical and vitality domains) and greater psychological distress compared with the WW group. Conclusions: Compared with the other active treatments for localised PCA, HT appears to be associated with poorer HRQOL and greater psychological distress 12 months after commencing treatment.
Description:
Research of clinical patients with a pre-existing psychological disorder involved in a disaster is limited. This study investigated relationships between pre-and post-earthquake psychopathology (i.e., anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress), peritraumatic distress, work and social impairment, perceived support post-earthquake, and personality dimensions in an outpatient, anxiety disorder population. Thirty-seven patients with pre-existing anxiety disorders completed standard clinical assessments pre-earthquake. They then completed a second set of questionnaires 3 months after exposure to the 2010 Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, earthquake. Bivariate correlations on the variables determined what relationships were present, and paired samples t-tests assessed differences in pre- and post-earthquake anxiety, depression, and alcohol and drug consumption as well as relationships with peritraumatic distress, posttraumatic stress, and personality variables. Significant relationships were found between pre-earthquake psychopathology, peritraumatic distress, post-earthquake psychopathology, and impairment. Paired samples t-tests demonstrated anxiety and depression scores were significantly lower post-earthquake. However, prior anxiety and depression, as well as peritraumatic distress, were significantly associated with post-earthquake psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress and impaired work and social functioning. There were no differences between pre- and post-event alcohol and drug consumption. The personality dimensions of harm avoidance, self-directedness, and persistence significantly associated with post-disaster anxiety and depression. Promisingly, post-earthquake perceived support was significantly negatively correlated with depression and posttraumatic stress. Keywords: Anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, peritraumatic distress, personality temperament, earthquake
Description:
Defendants can deny they have agency, and thus responsibility, for a crime by using a defense of mental impairment. We argue that although this strategy may help defendants evade blame, it may carry longer-term social costs, as lay people's perceptions of a person's agency might determine some of the moral rights they grant them. In this registered report protocol, we seek to expand upon preliminary findings from two pilot studies to examine how and why those using the defense of mental impairment are seen as less deserving of certain rights. The proposed study uses a hypothetical vignette design, varying the type of mental impairment, type of crime, and type of sentence. Our design for the registered study improves on various aspects of our pilot studies and aims to rigorously test the reliability and credibility of our model. The findings have implications for defendants claiming reduced agency through legal defenses, as well as for the broader study of moral rights and mind perception.
Description:
Defendants can deny they have agency, and thus responsibility, for a crime by using a defense of mental impairment. We argue that although this strategy may help defendants evade blame, it may carry longer-term social costs, as lay people's perceptions of a person's agency might determine some of the moral rights they grant them. In this registered report protocol, we seek to expand upon preliminary findings from two pilot studies to examine how and why those using the defense of mental impairment are seen as less deserving of certain rights. The proposed study uses a hypothetical vignette design, varying the type of mental impairment, type of crime, and type of sentence. Our design for the registered study improves on various aspects of our pilot studies and aims to rigorously test the reliability and credibility of our model. The findings have implications for defendants claiming reduced agency through legal defenses, as well as for the broader study of moral rights and mind perception.
Description:
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shifted clinical social work (CSW) and mental health education in Australia, and indeed throughout much of the globe, onto online delivery. The disruption caused by COVID-19 presents unexpected challenges in fostering the development of skill sets among social work educators in partnership with students. This article is a reflexive collaborative autoethnography written by four educators of different international and cultural backgrounds at a regional university in Queensland. Our university has experienced a shift from primarily a face-to-face delivery to online delivery due to social distancing. This article is grounded in an ethic of love, a values-based relationship-oriented practice promoting care, collaborative dialogue and solidarity between people, using self-compassion and reflexivity. We explore how COVID-19 has forced the authors to alter their teaching practice, cope with uncertainties, and respond with loving kindness to the shifting needs of students. We draw upon our experiences as educators of diverse cultural, linguistic, gender, and sexualities from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria and reflect upon how we have simultaneously turned inward and outward through technology. We draw upon person-centered, narrative, trauma informed and anti-oppressive clinical and educational approaches when exploring self-compassion and loving approaches with the students. We discuss the need for self-compassion and love of others as we respond to the current crisis by modeling self-compassion and love for CSW students who are experiencing crises, including loss of employment, separation from family overseas and interstate, isolation from colleagues and loved ones, and healthcare issues.
Description:
Spiritual well-being is an important issue in health sciences, hence the need for validated instruments to assess this aspect of health in the Iranian population. The aim of the current study was to determine the validity of the Persian versions of 2 most common measures of spiritual health (Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire [SWBQ] or Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure [SHALOM] and Spiritual Well-Being Scale [SWBS]). This was a cross-sectional study via a convenience sampling method in Iran University of Medical Sciences with 170 participants aged above 18 years comprising students, teachers, and administrative staff and managers. The study was conducted from September 7, 2014 to September 20, 2015 in Tehran. Four questionnaires, namely the SWBQ, SWBS, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), were used. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 18 and LISREL (version 8.2). Cronbach's alpha, intra-class correlation coefficient, Pearson correlation, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha for the SWBQ and the SWBS was greater than 0.85. The repeatability of both questionnaires was between 0.88 and 0.98. The Pearson correlation for the SWBQ and the SWBS ranged from 0.33 to 0.53 and all the correlations were significant. The respondents who indicated a higher spiritual well-being also reported better general health and happiness. The Persian versions of the SWBS and the SWBQ have good reliability, repeatability, and validity to assess spiritual health in the Iranian population.
Description:
Spiritual well-being is an important issue in health sciences, hence the need for validated instruments to assess this aspect of health in the Iranian population. The aim of the current study was to determine the validity of the Persian versions of 2 most common measures of spiritual health (Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire [SWBQ] or Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure [SHALOM] and Spiritual Well-Being Scale [SWBS]). This was a cross-sectional study via a convenience sampling method in Iran University of Medical Sciences with 170 participants aged above 18 years comprising students, teachers, and administrative staff and managers. The study was conducted from September 7, 2014 to September 20, 2015 in Tehran. Four questionnaires, namely the SWBQ, SWBS, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), were used. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 18 and LISREL (version 8.2). Cronbach's alpha, intra-class correlation coefficient, Pearson correlation, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha for the SWBQ and the SWBS was greater than 0.85. The repeatability of both questionnaires was between 0.88 and 0.98. The Pearson correlation for the SWBQ and the SWBS ranged from 0.33 to 0.53 and all the correlations were significant. The respondents who indicated a higher spiritual well-being also reported better general health and happiness. The Persian versions of the SWBS and the SWBQ have good reliability, repeatability, and validity to assess spiritual health in the Iranian population.
Description:
Understanding if maternal depression is a predictor of infant-parent attachment classification is important to furthering knowledge about the early pathways and predictors of socio-emotional development. Yet few studies that have utilised the Strange Situation Procedure, the gold standard for measurement of infant-parent attachment, have examined antenatal depression as a predictor of attachment, and none has also included a measure of maternal trauma. This study uses data on 224 women recruited in early pregnancy and followed up until 12 months postpartum. Maternal depression was measured in pregnancy using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM and repeat Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as well as Stressful Life Events scale across pregnancy and postpartum including items on domestic violence. A past history of trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Attachment was measured using the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) at 12 months postpartum. We found that maternal depression was not associated with insecure or disorganized attachment. However, a maternal history of childhood trauma and current domestic violence both predicted insecure-avoidant attachment at 12 months, whereas increased number of stressful life events prior to conception and in pregnancy was associated with insecure-resistant attachment. Neither trauma, past or current, nor depression predicted disorganized attachment. In the first study to have included measures of antenatal depression, maternal childhood trauma, and current stressful events as predictors of infant attachment measured using the SSP, we found maternal experiences of past and current trauma but not depression were significant predictors of infant-parent attachment security.
Description:
•Lower emotional availability at 6 months is associated with mothers more likely using a pacifier.•Women with depression were no more likely to use a pacifier during the interaction.•Women with childhood trauma history were no more likely to use a pacifier during the interaction. The prevalence of pacifier use is high but when it occurs outside of the recommended sleep context, it becomes more controversial. Using 211 mother-infant dyads recorded as part of the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study, we examined the maternal psychosocial predictors of pacifier use within an interaction task (i.e., ten minutes face-to-face followed by 30-minutes unstructured play). Predictors included maternal emotional availability measured with the Emotional Availability Scales depression measured by the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV-TR Clinician Version and maternal history of childhood trauma measured by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. An unadjusted odds ratio demonstrated that women classified as non-emotionally available to their infants were three-and-a-half-times more likely to use a pacifier. Multivariate logistic regression including all maternal psychosocial predictors demonstrated that even when adjusting for cessation of breastfeeding, maternal emotional availability remained the only significant predictor of pacifier use. This is the first time that predictors of pacifier use have been examined with a sample of clinically depressed women, as well as women with childhood trauma history. The results provide preliminary evidence that women who are not emotionally available might be more likely to rely on a pacifier during mother-infant interaction.
Description:
Field education placements permit social work students to gain practical experience employing the knowledge and skills they acquired in the classroom. Access to field education placements is dependent upon placement interviews during which candidates have to display their professional and personal suitability. Placement interviews are challenging for all students. For international students, they are particularly challenging as they represent a litmus test as to whether they have achieved a sufficient degree of cultural adaptation. To date, little attention has been paid to the way placement interviews are experienced by international students. This article addresses this gap. The article is based on a qualitative study involving semi-structured, in-depth interviews with five international students focusing on the way placement interviews were experienced, how students felt prepared for them, and the degree to which language proficiency, cultural difference, social connectedness, discrimination, and Australian workplace culture represented a challenge. The findings suggest that international students need be to better informed about opportunities associated with field placement and the often implicit requirements and expectations associated with it. The authors argue that they would benefit from targeted educational resources ranging from English language tuition to interview role play.
Description:
Field education placements permit social work students to gain practical experience employing the knowledge and skills they acquired in the classroom. Access to field education placements is dependent upon placement interviews during which candidates have to display their professional and personal suitability. Placement interviews are challenging for all students. For international students, they are particularly challenging as they represent a litmus test as to whether they have achieved a sufficient degree of cultural adaptation. To date, little attention has been paid to the way placement interviews are experienced by international students. This article addresses this gap. The article is based on a qualitative study involving semi-structured, in-depth interviews with five international students focusing on the way placement interviews were experienced, how students felt prepared for them, and the degree to which language proficiency, cultural difference, social connectedness, discrimination, and Australian workplace culture represented a challenge. The findings suggest that international students need be to better informed about opportunities associated with field placement and the often implicit requirements and expectations associated with it. The authors argue that they would benefit from targeted educational resources ranging from English language tuition to interview role play.