Description:
Anxiety disorders are common, and effective treatments exist, however, many people with anxiety disorders do not access these treatments due to numerous barriers. The current study aimed to examine treatment barriers that are specific to anxiety disorders and to examine the utility of the Health Belief Model (HBM) variables in predicting intention to seek psychological help in relation to anxiety disorders. The study employed a cross-sectional design and participants were a convenience sample comprising first year psychology students and other individuals who were interested in participating. A total of 278 individuals voluntarily participated in the current study by completing a battery of online self-report measures. Of these participants, there was an 89% completion rate and 243 met inclusion criteria (81% female Mean age 25.58, SD = 10.69). The most commonly reported barriers in this population included "I would not be able to afford treatment" (52%), followed by "I think I can/should work out my own problems rather than talking to a psychologist" (49%). Regression analyses indicated that 51% of the variance in intention to seek psychological help can be accounted for by the HBM variables. Perceived treatment benefits were the strongest predictor of help-seeking intention. The study highlights that individuals must interpret psychological treatment as potentially helpful in order to seek help for anxiety disorders. In order to improve help-seeking for anxiety disorders it is essential that professional bodies use targeted marketing strategies to increase the perceived helpfulness of seeing a mental health professional.
Description:
While recent research has indicated that personalised motor imagery (MI) interventions are beneficial to skill performance, little research has investigated the influence of personalised MI on performance of complex weightlifting movements. In addition, this research has rarely compared the efficacy of personalised scripts with instructor-generated scripts and has focused mainly on performance outcomes as opposed to examining the performance processes. A total of 16 individuals novice in the power clean were randomly allocated to one of two conditions: personalised MI, or instructor-generated MI. Participants engaged in a 6-week training intervention, completing three power clean sessions per week. Scripts were listened to five times each week. Results indicated no significant between-condition differences for total forward displacement at 1RM and 90% 1RM (both p = 0.27), but there was a significant difference at 80% of 1RM for total forward displacement between conditions (p = 0.04, g = −0.94). Differences between conditions for rearward displacement were not significant at any intensities (p = 0.54). No significant (p = 0.16-0.97) between-condition differences in kinetic variables were detected at any intensity over the 6-week training period. Findings indicate that the differences in script content do not influence the development of complex weightlifting movements. A large degree of variation was evident when observing the SD's of technical variables for each group which may have contributed to the present results. Future research should seek analysis techniques that allows for further investigation of movement variability and how this impacts the efficacy of personalised MI.
Description:
BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer treatment often results in significant psycho-sexual challenges for men following treatment; however, many men report difficulty in accessing appropriate care. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was undertaken to assess the efficacy of a 10-week self-guided online psychological intervention called My Road Ahead (MRA) for men with localized prostate cancer in improving sexual satisfaction. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 conditions MRA alone or MRA plus online forum, or forum access alone. Pre, post, and follow-up assessments of overall sexual satisfaction were conducted. Mixed models and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: One hundred forty-two men (mean age 61 y; SD = 7) participated. The majority of participants had undergone radical prostatectomy (88%) and all men had received treatment for localized prostate cancer. Significant differences were obtained for the 3 groups (P = .026) and a significant improvement in total sexual satisfaction was observed only for participants who were allocated to MRA + forum with a large effect size (P = .004, partial eta2 = 0.256). Structural equation modeling indicated that increases in sexual function, masculine self-esteem, and sexual confidence contributed significantly to overall sexual satisfaction for the MRA + forum plus forum condition. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first, to our knowledge, that has evaluated a self-guided online psychological intervention tailored to the specific needs of men with prostate cancer. The findings indicate the potential for MRA to deliver support that men may not otherwise receive and also highlight the importance of psychological intervention to facilitate improved sexual outcomes.