Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools (ACUADS), 2020
The potential for Australian universities to fortify their students' wellbeing cannot be over... more The potential for Australian universities to fortify their students' wellbeing cannot be overlooked. As mental health difficulties increase within the Australian population, now is the time for universities to proactively support and sustain their students' resilience in preparation for study and work challenges. However, in the visual arts, there is still limited consideration of student opinions on this matter. In 2018 and 2019, the Visual Arts Wellbeing (VAW) research project explored the wellbeing needs of visual art students in Australian universities. This research gathered student perspectives on how university life influences their ability to thrive, and how universities can enhance visual art students' resilience and mental health while they are enrolled in their university degree. The recommendations that emerged from these research findings presented clear strategies to improve art students' wellbeing, including ways for art students, educators, and industry members to foster inclusivity and nurture a sense of belonging. This paper provides a general overview of the VAW research findings, with a focus on digital strategies to enhance visual art students' connectedness with their fellow artists
The aim of this paper is to present an integrated review exploring the theme of self-sabotage in ... more The aim of this paper is to present an integrated review exploring the theme of self-sabotage in romantic relationships. Self-sabotage or self-handicapping is a cognitive strategy employed by individuals as self-protection; primarily aimed at preserving self-esteem and self-image. When faced with failure, the individual can justify the outcome as due to the handicap itself (i.e., an external cause), whereas, if faced with success, the individual can emphasise their ability to withstand the barriers of handicap (i.e., an internal cause). The hypothesis is that the self-handicapper creates obstacles which impede success or withdrawal effort to maintain self-esteem and competent public and private self-image. Most of the research undertaken regarding the practice of self-handicapping has been conducted in the context of education, work, and sporting activities. However, in other contexts this phenomenon is less explored and loosely defined. With regards to romantic relationships, there...
There is a distinct lack of knowledge to explain why some people, having successfully initiated a... more There is a distinct lack of knowledge to explain why some people, having successfully initiated a relationship, embark upon a path to certain dissolution of that engagement. Research looking at self-sabotage provides some answers. However, no measure exists to test self-sabotage in romantic relationships. This study investigated key self-sabotaging behaviours implemented in romantic relationships towards developing the Relationship Self-Sabotage Scale.
This report grew out of the recognition that while suicide is an outcome the circumstances and co... more This report grew out of the recognition that while suicide is an outcome the circumstances and contributing factors to suicide are variable from one part of Australia to another due to regional differences and contexts. Drought, flood, unemployment, financial strain, family relationship breakdown, and commonly depression and other mental health conditions are all circumstances that are known to increase risk, as does being born into an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander family. The Northern region centred on Townsville (pop. Est. 200000) includes rural and somewhat isolated communities (e.g., Paluma with 30 residents) ranging from a few hundred residents (e.g., Ravenswood, 349), to Ayr and Home Hill in the Burdekin with about 18 to 20000 residents, and Charters Towers (est. 8300) a large proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents, Palm island (est. 5000), and a military presence (including families est. >45000). This somewhat unique mix makes for greater comp...
The aim of this study was to; investigate the impact of work type (day vs. shift work) while cont... more The aim of this study was to; investigate the impact of work type (day vs. shift work) while controlling for Sense of coherence (SOC). on physiological (cardiovascular and digestive symptoms) and psychological (psychological distress, perceived stress, cognitive and somatic anxiety) well-being. Ninety-nine workers (age M=47) from two correctional centres participated in this study. Participants completed a modified version of the Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) that also included measures to assess Sense of coherence and perceived stress. A MANCOVA (covariate: SOC) indicated that Dayworkers had significantly more cardiovascular symptoms in comparison to Shiftworkers. No other well-being measures were found to be significantly different across work type. Workers' self-reports showed a high frequency of prisoner interactions as a primary source of stress, and non-prisoner contact work as the least stressful aspect of work. A second MANCOVA (covariates: Length of service and SOC) ac...
Background While diagnosis of dementias in individuals younger than 65 years is well understood, ... more Background While diagnosis of dementias in individuals younger than 65 years is well understood, recognition of the signs appears to be overlooked when the presenting individual is "young". The time lapse to diagnosis is known to be approximately five years, and assistance with daily living of up to four years, slower than for later-age onset. Aim To track the experience of individuals diagnosed with dementia before 65 years of age as well as the observations and experience of caregivers over time and to develop an information guide for General Practitioners and other health professionals to raise awareness and potentially speedier diagnosis. The study also aimed to monitor cognitive changes through assessment at least one year post diagnosis and again one year later. Method Study participants were selected from Memory Clinic files. Dyads were selected for interview in this two part study. Cognitive assessments were conducted on individuals assessed at least one year prior...
Clients in therapy are typically diagnosed with mental health difficulties such as anxiety and de... more Clients in therapy are typically diagnosed with mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression. However, recent statistics show that romantic relationship difficulties are one of the most common reasons for people to seek counselling in the first place. A series of 15 semi-structured interviews with psychologists around Australia revealed that romantic relationship difficulties are under-recognised in the counselling context and sometimes diagnosed and treated as anxiety or depression. Interviews also revealed that most psychologists prefer to use a nonevidenced-based approach in relationship counselling. Consequently, there is a major gap in the literature regarding the effect of romantic relationship breakdown on the mental health of individuals. Further, there are few evidence-based interventions for individual and couples experiencing romantic relationship difficulties. Therefore, it is important that psychologists explore the core issues the client is experiencing th...
The issue a client brings through the door is often not the issue counsellors and psychologists e... more The issue a client brings through the door is often not the issue counsellors and psychologists end up working on. Relationship break-ups are at the core of why most people seek counselling. The same is possibly true in the context of higher education. Students and staff members who seek counselling for common mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression could be in fact heart broken. A series of 15 semi-structured interviews with psychologists around Australia revealed that although relationship difficulties are one of the main reasons clients seek counselling, that is not the issue they report in the first session. The most common issues presented by clients are anxiety, depression, substance abuse, adjustment disorder, and personality disorder. Yet, a major gap in the literature exists regarding the effect of romantic relationship break-ups on the mental health of individuals. A recent meta-analysis provides evidence that both negative relationship quality and relati...
Background: Practical placements are not a component of accredited undergraduate psychology cours... more Background: Practical placements are not a component of accredited undergraduate psychology courses. This then limits the students understanding of the range of roles possible when considering future practice options. Aims of study: The pilot project aimed to (a) expose students to rural and remote contexts (b) a broad range of professional practice experiences and (c) to assess if students could address competencies prescribed by the board in a limited capacity. Methods: Fourth year Students from JCU Cairns and Townsville were selected to participate. Two Masters of Clinical Psychology students provided mentoring and two registered supervisors provided overall direction and supervision of students' activities. Students completed Pre and post interviews and questionnaires, log books, reflections on learning, and developed an e-Portfolio of experiences. Follow-up interviews at 12 months were conducted. Results: Students completed 780 hours of practice-related observation, partici...
Baltes (1997) theory of the incomplete architecture of human ontogeny suggested that there are fe... more Baltes (1997) theory of the incomplete architecture of human ontogeny suggested that there are fewer resources in the later stage of life to manage personality challenges. This would then suggest that personality traits that have more of an association with anxiety could increase the likelihood of anxiety in ageing. Interpersonal dependency is a personality trait, or style, that influences how an individual interacts with others. It is characterised by an increase in the need for guidance, support and approval from others, the perception of oneself as powerless and ineffectual compared to others, a tendency towards anxiousness and fearfulness, and a tendency to seek help, support and guidance from others (Bomstein, 1993). Physical health, loneliness and depression have all been previously found to be associated with anxiety in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution interpersonal dependency has in the relationship with these variables and anxiety. A sampl...
Abstract Maternal guilt has been a longstanding concern for mothers in the Western world. Literat... more Abstract Maternal guilt has been a longstanding concern for mothers in the Western world. Literature around mother’s experiences of maternal guilt has allowed researchers to understand maternal guilt from a mother’s perspective. In this paper the authors aimed to systematically review this literature, to declare a more unified understanding of what the experience of maternal guilt is, from a mother’s perspective, and what role the “motherhood myth” has in maternal experiences of guilt. Our thematic analysis found the following themes relating to maternal guilt experiences: the motherhood myth, breastfeeding difficulties, essentialism/responsibility, division/depletion and connection. The motherhood myth was present in all the included articles, providing an unattainable ideal of motherhood from which mothers compare themselves and their actions to, contributing to their sense of maternal guilt. Mothers experienced many difficulties in their mothering roles, including difficulty breastfeeding, feeling a great sense of responsibility to their child, feeling divided in wanting to take time for themselves and depleted in having many tasks to complete and coping with a multitude of emotions, and feeling a profound sense of connection to their child(ren), which was experienced as both positive and negative.
The term ‘self-sabotage’ is not well defined in the current literature. Self-sabotage is generall... more The term ‘self-sabotage’ is not well defined in the current literature. Self-sabotage is generally explained as a synonym of self-handicapping, which does not fully encompass intrinsic behaviours found in romantic relationships. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the theme of self-sabotage as viewed by practising psychologists. A series of 15 semistructured interviews with psychologists specialising in romantic relationships around Australia identified the main issues contributing to self-sabotage in romantic relationships and the reason why it might happen. Future studies will need to be conducted to develop a scale to empirically test self-sabotage in romantic relationships.
The current study, with a sample of 478 participants from Australia and Brazil, investigated cros... more The current study, with a sample of 478 participants from Australia and Brazil, investigated cross-cultural perceptions of suicide and the impact of suicide stigma and religiosity on the recognition of suicide risk in others. The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide was used to frame a mixed method between and within groups questionnaire based design. English and Portuguese versions of a survey were developed to assess perception of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, acquired capability for suicide, suicide stigma, religiosity, as well as demographic characteristics. A significant model was identified predicting recognition of suicide risk in Australia and Brazil. However, not all constructs contributed uniquely. Suicide stigma and religiosity were found to blind perception of suicide risk in others. Theoretical implications, as well as future directions for research are outlined.
Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools (ACUADS), 2020
The potential for Australian universities to fortify their students' wellbeing cannot be over... more The potential for Australian universities to fortify their students' wellbeing cannot be overlooked. As mental health difficulties increase within the Australian population, now is the time for universities to proactively support and sustain their students' resilience in preparation for study and work challenges. However, in the visual arts, there is still limited consideration of student opinions on this matter. In 2018 and 2019, the Visual Arts Wellbeing (VAW) research project explored the wellbeing needs of visual art students in Australian universities. This research gathered student perspectives on how university life influences their ability to thrive, and how universities can enhance visual art students' resilience and mental health while they are enrolled in their university degree. The recommendations that emerged from these research findings presented clear strategies to improve art students' wellbeing, including ways for art students, educators, and industry members to foster inclusivity and nurture a sense of belonging. This paper provides a general overview of the VAW research findings, with a focus on digital strategies to enhance visual art students' connectedness with their fellow artists
The aim of this paper is to present an integrated review exploring the theme of self-sabotage in ... more The aim of this paper is to present an integrated review exploring the theme of self-sabotage in romantic relationships. Self-sabotage or self-handicapping is a cognitive strategy employed by individuals as self-protection; primarily aimed at preserving self-esteem and self-image. When faced with failure, the individual can justify the outcome as due to the handicap itself (i.e., an external cause), whereas, if faced with success, the individual can emphasise their ability to withstand the barriers of handicap (i.e., an internal cause). The hypothesis is that the self-handicapper creates obstacles which impede success or withdrawal effort to maintain self-esteem and competent public and private self-image. Most of the research undertaken regarding the practice of self-handicapping has been conducted in the context of education, work, and sporting activities. However, in other contexts this phenomenon is less explored and loosely defined. With regards to romantic relationships, there...
There is a distinct lack of knowledge to explain why some people, having successfully initiated a... more There is a distinct lack of knowledge to explain why some people, having successfully initiated a relationship, embark upon a path to certain dissolution of that engagement. Research looking at self-sabotage provides some answers. However, no measure exists to test self-sabotage in romantic relationships. This study investigated key self-sabotaging behaviours implemented in romantic relationships towards developing the Relationship Self-Sabotage Scale.
This report grew out of the recognition that while suicide is an outcome the circumstances and co... more This report grew out of the recognition that while suicide is an outcome the circumstances and contributing factors to suicide are variable from one part of Australia to another due to regional differences and contexts. Drought, flood, unemployment, financial strain, family relationship breakdown, and commonly depression and other mental health conditions are all circumstances that are known to increase risk, as does being born into an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander family. The Northern region centred on Townsville (pop. Est. 200000) includes rural and somewhat isolated communities (e.g., Paluma with 30 residents) ranging from a few hundred residents (e.g., Ravenswood, 349), to Ayr and Home Hill in the Burdekin with about 18 to 20000 residents, and Charters Towers (est. 8300) a large proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents, Palm island (est. 5000), and a military presence (including families est. >45000). This somewhat unique mix makes for greater comp...
The aim of this study was to; investigate the impact of work type (day vs. shift work) while cont... more The aim of this study was to; investigate the impact of work type (day vs. shift work) while controlling for Sense of coherence (SOC). on physiological (cardiovascular and digestive symptoms) and psychological (psychological distress, perceived stress, cognitive and somatic anxiety) well-being. Ninety-nine workers (age M=47) from two correctional centres participated in this study. Participants completed a modified version of the Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) that also included measures to assess Sense of coherence and perceived stress. A MANCOVA (covariate: SOC) indicated that Dayworkers had significantly more cardiovascular symptoms in comparison to Shiftworkers. No other well-being measures were found to be significantly different across work type. Workers' self-reports showed a high frequency of prisoner interactions as a primary source of stress, and non-prisoner contact work as the least stressful aspect of work. A second MANCOVA (covariates: Length of service and SOC) ac...
Background While diagnosis of dementias in individuals younger than 65 years is well understood, ... more Background While diagnosis of dementias in individuals younger than 65 years is well understood, recognition of the signs appears to be overlooked when the presenting individual is "young". The time lapse to diagnosis is known to be approximately five years, and assistance with daily living of up to four years, slower than for later-age onset. Aim To track the experience of individuals diagnosed with dementia before 65 years of age as well as the observations and experience of caregivers over time and to develop an information guide for General Practitioners and other health professionals to raise awareness and potentially speedier diagnosis. The study also aimed to monitor cognitive changes through assessment at least one year post diagnosis and again one year later. Method Study participants were selected from Memory Clinic files. Dyads were selected for interview in this two part study. Cognitive assessments were conducted on individuals assessed at least one year prior...
Clients in therapy are typically diagnosed with mental health difficulties such as anxiety and de... more Clients in therapy are typically diagnosed with mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression. However, recent statistics show that romantic relationship difficulties are one of the most common reasons for people to seek counselling in the first place. A series of 15 semi-structured interviews with psychologists around Australia revealed that romantic relationship difficulties are under-recognised in the counselling context and sometimes diagnosed and treated as anxiety or depression. Interviews also revealed that most psychologists prefer to use a nonevidenced-based approach in relationship counselling. Consequently, there is a major gap in the literature regarding the effect of romantic relationship breakdown on the mental health of individuals. Further, there are few evidence-based interventions for individual and couples experiencing romantic relationship difficulties. Therefore, it is important that psychologists explore the core issues the client is experiencing th...
The issue a client brings through the door is often not the issue counsellors and psychologists e... more The issue a client brings through the door is often not the issue counsellors and psychologists end up working on. Relationship break-ups are at the core of why most people seek counselling. The same is possibly true in the context of higher education. Students and staff members who seek counselling for common mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression could be in fact heart broken. A series of 15 semi-structured interviews with psychologists around Australia revealed that although relationship difficulties are one of the main reasons clients seek counselling, that is not the issue they report in the first session. The most common issues presented by clients are anxiety, depression, substance abuse, adjustment disorder, and personality disorder. Yet, a major gap in the literature exists regarding the effect of romantic relationship break-ups on the mental health of individuals. A recent meta-analysis provides evidence that both negative relationship quality and relati...
Background: Practical placements are not a component of accredited undergraduate psychology cours... more Background: Practical placements are not a component of accredited undergraduate psychology courses. This then limits the students understanding of the range of roles possible when considering future practice options. Aims of study: The pilot project aimed to (a) expose students to rural and remote contexts (b) a broad range of professional practice experiences and (c) to assess if students could address competencies prescribed by the board in a limited capacity. Methods: Fourth year Students from JCU Cairns and Townsville were selected to participate. Two Masters of Clinical Psychology students provided mentoring and two registered supervisors provided overall direction and supervision of students' activities. Students completed Pre and post interviews and questionnaires, log books, reflections on learning, and developed an e-Portfolio of experiences. Follow-up interviews at 12 months were conducted. Results: Students completed 780 hours of practice-related observation, partici...
Baltes (1997) theory of the incomplete architecture of human ontogeny suggested that there are fe... more Baltes (1997) theory of the incomplete architecture of human ontogeny suggested that there are fewer resources in the later stage of life to manage personality challenges. This would then suggest that personality traits that have more of an association with anxiety could increase the likelihood of anxiety in ageing. Interpersonal dependency is a personality trait, or style, that influences how an individual interacts with others. It is characterised by an increase in the need for guidance, support and approval from others, the perception of oneself as powerless and ineffectual compared to others, a tendency towards anxiousness and fearfulness, and a tendency to seek help, support and guidance from others (Bomstein, 1993). Physical health, loneliness and depression have all been previously found to be associated with anxiety in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution interpersonal dependency has in the relationship with these variables and anxiety. A sampl...
Abstract Maternal guilt has been a longstanding concern for mothers in the Western world. Literat... more Abstract Maternal guilt has been a longstanding concern for mothers in the Western world. Literature around mother’s experiences of maternal guilt has allowed researchers to understand maternal guilt from a mother’s perspective. In this paper the authors aimed to systematically review this literature, to declare a more unified understanding of what the experience of maternal guilt is, from a mother’s perspective, and what role the “motherhood myth” has in maternal experiences of guilt. Our thematic analysis found the following themes relating to maternal guilt experiences: the motherhood myth, breastfeeding difficulties, essentialism/responsibility, division/depletion and connection. The motherhood myth was present in all the included articles, providing an unattainable ideal of motherhood from which mothers compare themselves and their actions to, contributing to their sense of maternal guilt. Mothers experienced many difficulties in their mothering roles, including difficulty breastfeeding, feeling a great sense of responsibility to their child, feeling divided in wanting to take time for themselves and depleted in having many tasks to complete and coping with a multitude of emotions, and feeling a profound sense of connection to their child(ren), which was experienced as both positive and negative.
The term ‘self-sabotage’ is not well defined in the current literature. Self-sabotage is generall... more The term ‘self-sabotage’ is not well defined in the current literature. Self-sabotage is generally explained as a synonym of self-handicapping, which does not fully encompass intrinsic behaviours found in romantic relationships. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the theme of self-sabotage as viewed by practising psychologists. A series of 15 semistructured interviews with psychologists specialising in romantic relationships around Australia identified the main issues contributing to self-sabotage in romantic relationships and the reason why it might happen. Future studies will need to be conducted to develop a scale to empirically test self-sabotage in romantic relationships.
The current study, with a sample of 478 participants from Australia and Brazil, investigated cros... more The current study, with a sample of 478 participants from Australia and Brazil, investigated cross-cultural perceptions of suicide and the impact of suicide stigma and religiosity on the recognition of suicide risk in others. The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide was used to frame a mixed method between and within groups questionnaire based design. English and Portuguese versions of a survey were developed to assess perception of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, acquired capability for suicide, suicide stigma, religiosity, as well as demographic characteristics. A significant model was identified predicting recognition of suicide risk in Australia and Brazil. However, not all constructs contributed uniquely. Suicide stigma and religiosity were found to blind perception of suicide risk in others. Theoretical implications, as well as future directions for research are outlined.
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