Background Depression and other forms of psychological distress are common among Vietnamese adolescents and increase the risk of mental health problems in adulthood. As anger coping is a robust predictor of adolescent mental health... more
Background Depression and other forms of psychological distress are common among Vietnamese adolescents and increase the risk of mental health problems in adulthood. As anger coping is a robust predictor of adolescent mental health difficulties, and there appear to be cultural variations in anger coping, a measure of adolescent anger coping styles that has been validated using a non-Western adolescent sample is required to inform and support early intervention to prevent or treat mental health difficulties in Vietnamese adolescents. This study examined the construct validity (structural and external) of the Behavioral Anger Response Questionnaire for Children in Vietnam (BARQC-V). Methods Baseline data sourced from a recent randomised control trial conducted with Grade 10 Vietnamese adolescents aged 14 to 16 (N = 1084) were used to examine multiple aspects of construct validity: factorial structure (evaluated using factor analysis); internal consistency (tested using Cronbach’s alph...
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Binge drinking is an intrinsic part of Australia’s youth culture. Almost 50% of young Australians drink at hazardous levels at least monthly, with 23% binge drinking at least weekly. While an increasing number of apps targeting alcohol... more
Binge drinking is an intrinsic part of Australia’s youth culture. Almost 50% of young Australians drink at hazardous levels at least monthly, with 23% binge drinking at least weekly. While an increasing number of apps targeting alcohol use have been developed, the majority track alcohol use and estimate blood-alcohol level concentrations (BACs). In this study young people were involved in iterative design research of two rounds of participatory design workshops to conceptualise and test an app that could be used to target risky drinking in young people. The research explored young people’s experience of alcohol consumption, using experience mapping, concept and content development, visual interface and interaction design. Following an iterative development cycle, the resulting app – Ray’s Night Out – was created to promote harm minimization and controlled drinking strategies, while also to increase safe drinking behaviours and awareness of alcohol use limits among young people. In e...
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The Recovery Assessment Scale‐Domains and Stages (RAS‐DS) is a 38‐item self‐report instrument measuring recovery from serious mental illness. We explored the suitability of the RAS‐DS for individuals with anxiety disorders. A parsimonious... more
The Recovery Assessment Scale‐Domains and Stages (RAS‐DS) is a 38‐item self‐report instrument measuring recovery from serious mental illness. We explored the suitability of the RAS‐DS for individuals with anxiety disorders. A parsimonious short form of the scale was developed. Participants with anxiety disorder symptoms (N = 295) completed the RAS‐DS, DASS‐21 and GAD‐7. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the expected four‐factor structure. Associations with related scales exhibited the expected pattern supporting construct validity in this population. The Recovery Assessment Scale‐Short Form (RAS‐SF) was derived by inspection of factor loadings and modification indices, yielding a 20‐item scale with five items per subscale. Strong correlations between subscales confirmed the total score represented a valid overarching measure of recovery. The present study indicates that recovery is pertinent to individuals with anxiety disorders. Development of the short‐form RAS‐SF affords opp...
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ABSTRACTMaternal mental disorders can significantly impact on children's psychosocial and psychological development, incurring substantial ongoing economic and personal costs. A key mediating mechanism is mother–infant relationship... more
ABSTRACTMaternal mental disorders can significantly impact on children's psychosocial and psychological development, incurring substantial ongoing economic and personal costs. A key mediating mechanism is mother–infant relationship quality (MIRQ). Research studies and perinatal mental health screening initiatives have predominantly focused on depressive symptoms and perinatal depression as predictors of MIRQ. While maternal depression is associated with suboptimal MIRQ, the findings have not been consistent. Personality characteristics are associated with parenting and proneness to depression, presenting a potential addition to prenatal mental health assessment. We conducted a systematic review of studies that have examined the link between prenatal depressive symptoms and/or personality characteristics with postnatal MIRQ. Our findings suggest that both maternal personality traits and depressive symptoms measured in early pregnancy are associated with postnatal MIRQ. A measure ...
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Obstetrics, Personality, Mental Health, and 10 moreParenting, Infant Mental Health, Parent Child Relationships, Medicine, Maternal Mental Health, Perinatal mental health, Parent-Infant Interaction, Mental Health and Psychiatry Nursing, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, and Developmental and Educational Psychology
Research Interests: Psychology, Personality, Mental Health, Parenting, Infant Mental Health, and 11 moreParent Child Relationships, Medicine, Child, Postpartum Depression, Prenatal, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ALSPAC, Longitudinal Study, Perinatal mental health, Parent-Infant Interaction, and Mental Health and Psychiatry Nursing
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BACKGROUND Emotion dysregulation increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Music can help regulate emotions, and mobile phones provide constant access to it. The Music eScape mobile app teaches young people... more
BACKGROUND Emotion dysregulation increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Music can help regulate emotions, and mobile phones provide constant access to it. The Music eScape mobile app teaches young people how to identify and manage emotions using music. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the effects of using Music eScape on emotion regulation, distress, and well-being at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months. Moderators of outcomes and user ratings of app quality were also examined. METHODS A randomized controlled trial compared immediate versus 1-month delayed access to Music eScape in 169 young people (aged 16 to 25 years) with at least mild levels of mental distress (Kessler 10 score>17). RESULTS No significant differences between immediate and delayed groups on emotion regulation, distress, or well-being were found at 1 month. Both groups achieved significant improvements in 5 of the 6 emotion regulation skills, mental distress, and well-being at 2, 3, and ...
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Commenting on the news is one of the most common forms of participation in news use and one of the most prevalent forms of citizen engagement online. However, very little research has focused on the characteristics of those who contribute... more
Commenting on the news is one of the most common forms of participation in news use and one of the most prevalent forms of citizen engagement online. However, very little research has focused on the characteristics of those who contribute to news websites and how this influences their commenting behaviour. Drawing on the Big Five Inventory of personality traits, this exploratory study examines how personality impacts upon the frequency of commenting and motivations for commenting on news websites. Overall, we find that less agreeable and more open to new experiences individuals commented more. Those individuals who demonstrate high levels of neuroticism were more likely to comment on stories which impacted them emotionally. Those who were disagreeable were more likely to comment on a story when they disagreed with the journalist. Those with lower levels of conscientiousness were more likely to comment if they disagreed with other commenters. Finally, disorganised and disagreeable in...
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Mobile apps provide a highly accessible way of reducing alcohol use in young people. This paper determines the 1-month efficacy and 2, 3 and 6month outcomes of the Ray's Night Out app, which aims to increase alcohol knowledge and... more
Mobile apps provide a highly accessible way of reducing alcohol use in young people. This paper determines the 1-month efficacy and 2, 3 and 6month outcomes of the Ray's Night Out app, which aims to increase alcohol knowledge and reduce alcohol use in young people. User-experience design and agile development processes, informed by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills model and evidence-based motivational interviewing treatment approaches guided app development. A randomized controlled trial comparing immediate versus 1-month delayed access to the app was conducted in 197 young people (16 to 25years) who drank alcohol in the previous month. Participants were assessed at baseline, 1, 2, 3 and 6months. Alcohol knowledge, alcohol use and related harms and the severity of problematic drinking were assessed. App quality was evaluated after 1-month of app use. Participants in the immediate access group achieved a significantly greater increase in alcohol knowledge than the del...
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Taiwanese migrants who have settled in Brisbane, Australia ( N = 271) completed a questionnaire battery available in both Mandarin and English. A series of multiple and hierarchical regression analyses were used to investigate the factors... more
Taiwanese migrants who have settled in Brisbane, Australia ( N = 271) completed a questionnaire battery available in both Mandarin and English. A series of multiple and hierarchical regression analyses were used to investigate the factors associated with these migrants’ acculturation and indicators of psychological wellbeing. Results indicated that various personal factors (age, English language proficiency, and duration of stay) were associated with acculturation and indicators of psychological wellbeing. Acculturation was not associated with wellbeing. Social support was associated with the indicators of the participants’ wellbeing. The outcome indicated that although associated with similar personal and environmental factors, acculturation and psychological wellbeing occurred separately. The study highlights the significance of certain personal resources and social support.
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Internationally there is a growing interest in the mental wellbeing of young people. However, it is unclear whether mental wellbeing is best conceptualized as a general wellbeing factor or a multidimensional construct. This paper... more
Internationally there is a growing interest in the mental wellbeing of young people. However, it is unclear whether mental wellbeing is best conceptualized as a general wellbeing factor or a multidimensional construct. This paper investigated whether mental wellbeing, measured by the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), is best represented by: (1) a single-factor general model; (2) a three-factor multidimensional model or (3) a combination of both (bifactor model). 2220 young Australians aged between 16 and 25 years completed an online survey including the MHC-SF and a range of other wellbeing and mental ill-health measures. Exploratory factor analysis supported a bifactor solution, comprised of a general wellbeing factor, and specific group factors of psychological, social and emotional wellbeing. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the bifactor model had a better fit than competing single and three-factor models. The MHC-SF total score was more strongly associated ...
Research Interests: Psychology, Psychiatry, Psychometrics, Mental Health, Australia, and 15 moreAdolescent, Medicine, Humans, Female, Confirmatory factor analysis, Male, Reliability, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, Mental Wellbeing, Positive Mental Health, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Bifactor, and Medical and Health Sciences
Hand hygiene is the primary measure in hospitals to reduce the spread of infections, with nurses experiencing the greatest frequency of patient contact. The '5 critical moments' of hand hygiene initiative has been implemented in... more
Hand hygiene is the primary measure in hospitals to reduce the spread of infections, with nurses experiencing the greatest frequency of patient contact. The '5 critical moments' of hand hygiene initiative has been implemented in hospitals across Australia, accompanied by awareness-raising, staff training and auditing. The aim of this study was to understand the determinants of nurses' hand hygiene decisions, using an extension of a common health decision-making model, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), to inform future health education strategies to increase compliance. Nurses from 50 Australian hospitals (n = 2378) completed standard TPB measures (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control [PBC], intention) and the extended variables of group norm, risk perceptions (susceptibility, severity) and knowledge (subjective, objective) at Time 1, while a sub-sample (n = 797) reported their hand hygiene behaviour 2 weeks later. Regression analyses identified s...
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Research Interests: Engineering, Psychology, Applied Psychology, Political Science, Theory of Planned Behavior, and 14 moreThematic Analysis, Focus Group, Attitudes, Occupational Safety and Health, Barriers, Workload, Electrical Safety, Safer sex, Human Factors and Ergonomics, Safety Science, Poison Control, Safety Compliance, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
Postnatal depression is consistently associated with couple relationship qualities. Substantial infant care requirements in early weeks may highlight differences in parenting beliefs between mother and father. We calculated difference... more
Postnatal depression is consistently associated with couple relationship qualities. Substantial infant care requirements in early weeks may highlight differences in parenting beliefs between mother and father. We calculated difference scores in parenting beliefs (disparity) in a community sample of 209 parent dyads. Contrary to previous research regarding 'disagreement' which could be interpreted as discord, independently measured disparity was not associated with maternal depressive symptoms. Coparenting interventions should promote respectful negotiation rather than resolution of differences.
Research Interests: Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry, Parenting, Culture, and 15 moreMedicine, Humans, Coparenting, Female, Male, Psychological Intervention, Infant, Parents, Adult, Postnatal Depression, Time Factors, Depressive Symptoms, Surveys and Questionnaires, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Research Interests: Business, Bioinformatics, Decision Making, Focus Groups, Citizen Journalism, and 15 moreAdoption, Faculty Development, Benchmarking, Hand Hygiene, Engagement, Extension, Biomedical Research, Focus Group, Attitudes, Grazing, Adult, Delphi method, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Guideline Adherence, and Cross Infection
Paternal postnatal depression (PND) is now recognized as a serious and prevalent problem, associated with poorer well-being and functioning of all family members. Aspects of infant temperament, sleeping and feeding perceived by parents as... more
Paternal postnatal depression (PND) is now recognized as a serious and prevalent problem, associated with poorer well-being and functioning of all family members. Aspects of infant temperament, sleeping and feeding perceived by parents as problematic are associated with maternal PND, however, less is known about paternal PND. This study investigated depressive symptoms (Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS)) in 219 fathers of infants aged from 1 to 24 weeks (median 7.0 weeks). Infant predictor variables were sleeping problems, feeding problems and both mother and father reported temperament. Control variables were partner's support, other support and life events. Rigidity of parenting beliefs regarding infant regulation was also measured as a potential moderating factor. Infant feeding difficulties were associated with paternal depressive symptoms, subsuming the variance associated with both sleep problems and temperament. This relationship was not moderated by regulation ...
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Emotional intelligence, Depression, Australia, Culture, and 15 moreFathers, Medicine, Humans, Female, Male, Infant feeding, Interpersonal Relations, Etiology, Feeding Behavior, Longitudinal Studies, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Depressive Symptoms, Infant Behavior, and Paediatrics and reproductive medicine
ABSTRACT The future on-road safety of drivers affected by Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD), the most common soft-tissue injury suffered in a traffic crash, has not been extensively explored. We obtained an anonymised file of 4280... more
ABSTRACT The future on-road safety of drivers affected by Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD), the most common soft-tissue injury suffered in a traffic crash, has not been extensively explored. We obtained an anonymised file of 4280 insurance claimants with WAD and, as controls, 1116 claimants with comparably severe soft-tissue injuries who are considered to be at no increased risk than the general population. Their demographic information, road user type and traffic crash records both prior and subsequent to the traffic incident in which the injury occurred, the index crash, were obtained. Rates of subsequent crash involvement in these two groups were then compared, adjusting for age, sex, road user type and prior crash experience. The risk of a subsequent crash in the WAD group relative to controls was 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.87–1.48). To allow for differentially altered driving exposure after index crash we distributed a brief survey asking about changes in driving habits after a traffic crash involving injury via physiotherapy clinics and online through the electronic newsletter of a local motoring organisation. The survey yielded responses from 113 drivers who had experienced WAD in a traffic crash and 53 with other soft tissue injuries. There were no differences on average between the groups in their prior driving levels or their percentage change therein at one, three or six months after injury. There was thus no evidence that drivers with WAD are at any higher safety risk than drivers with other types of relatively minor post-crash soft tissue injury.
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ABSTRACTResearch has shown that a strong relationship exists between belongingness and depressive symptoms; however, the contribution of specific types of belongingness remains unknown. Participants (N=369) completed the sense of... more
ABSTRACTResearch has shown that a strong relationship exists between belongingness and depressive symptoms; however, the contribution of specific types of belongingness remains unknown. Participants (N=369) completed the sense of belonging instrument, psychological sense of organizational membership, and the depression scale of the depression anxiety stress scales. Factor analysis demonstrated that workplace and general belongingness are distinct constructs. When regressed onto depressive symptoms, these belongingness types made independent contributions, together accounting for 45% of variance, with no moderation effects evident. Hence, general belongingness and specific workplace belongingness appear to have strong additive links to depressive symptoms. These results add support to the belongingness hypothesis and sociometer theory and have significant implication for depression prevention and treatment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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BackgroundYoung infants may have irregular sleeping and feeding patterns. Such regulation difficulties are known correlates of maternal depressive symptoms. Parental beliefs about their role in regulating infant behaviors also may play a... more
BackgroundYoung infants may have irregular sleeping and feeding patterns. Such regulation difficulties are known correlates of maternal depressive symptoms. Parental beliefs about their role in regulating infant behaviors also may play a role. We investigated the association of depressive symptoms with infant feeding/sleeping behaviors, parent regulation beliefs, and the interaction of the two.MethodIn 2006, 272 mothers of infants aged up to 24 weeks completed a questionnaire about infant behavior and regulation beliefs. Participants were recruited from general medical practices and child health clinics in Brisbane, Australia. Depressive symptomology was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Other measures were adapted from the ALSPAC study.ResultsRegression analyses were run controlling for partner support, other support, life events, and a range of demographic variables. Maternal depressive symptoms were associated with infant sleeping and feeding problems but n...
Research Interests: Psychology, Adolescent, Medicine, Birth, Humans, and 15 morePostpartum Depression, Female, Male, Infant, Mothers, Feeding Behavior, Newborn Infant, Questionnaires, Adult, Maternal Depression, Depressive Symptoms, Cross Sectional Studies, Infant Behavior, attitude to health, and Medical and Health Sciences
ABSTRACT Interpersonal factors are crucial to a deepened understanding of depression. Belongingness, also referred to as connectedness, has been established as a strong risk/protective factor for depressive symptoms. To elucidate this... more
ABSTRACT Interpersonal factors are crucial to a deepened understanding of depression. Belongingness, also referred to as connectedness, has been established as a strong risk/protective factor for depressive symptoms. To elucidate this link it may be beneficial to investigate the relative importance of specific psychosocial contexts as belongingness foci. Here we investigate the construct of workplace belongingness. Employees at a disability services organisation (N = 125) completed measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, workplace belongingness and organisational commitment. Psychometric analyses, including Horn's parallel analyses, indicate that workplace belongingness is a unitary, robust and measurable construct. Correlational data indicate a substantial relationship with depressive symptoms (r = −.54) and anxiety symptoms (r = −.39). The difference between these correlations was statistically significant, supporting the particular importance of belongingness cognitions to the etiology of depression. Multiple regression analyses support the hypothesis that workplace belongingness mediates the relationship between affective organisational commitment and depressive symptoms. It is likely that workplaces have the potential to foster environments that are intrinsically less depressogenic by facilitating workplace belongingness. From a clinical perspective, cognitions regarding the workplace psychosocial context appear to be highly salient to individual psychological health, and hence warrant substantial attention.
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Maternal mental health has enduring effects on children's life chances and is a substantial cost driver for child health, education and social services. A key linking mechanism is the quality of mother-infant interaction. A body of... more
Maternal mental health has enduring effects on children's life chances and is a substantial cost driver for child health, education and social services. A key linking mechanism is the quality of mother-infant interaction. A body of work associates maternal depressive symptoms across the antenatal and postnatal (perinatal) period with less-than-optimal mother-infant interaction. Our study aims to build on previous research in the field through exploring the association of a maternal personality trait, interpersonal sensitivity, measured in early pregnancy, with subsequent mother-infant interaction quality. We analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to examine the association between antenatal interpersonal sensitivity and postnatal mother-infant interaction quality in the context of perinatal depressive symptoms. Interpersonal sensitivity was measured during early pregnancy and depressive symptoms in the antenatal year and across the first ...
Research Interests: Interpersonal Communication, Mental Health, Depression, Interaction, Infant Mental Health, and 15 moreParent Child Relationships, Medicine, Observation, Humans, Female, Infant, ALSPAC, Mothers, Interpersonal Relations, Interpersonal, Longitudinal Studies, Adult, Longitudinal Study, Antenatal, and Mother child relations
Background: Paternal perinatal distress is receiving increasing attention. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the predominant screening tool for paternal perinatal distress. Research using the large Avon Longitudinal Study... more
Background: Paternal perinatal distress is receiving increasing attention. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the predominant screening tool for paternal perinatal distress. Research using the large Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort demonstrated that a three-factor EPDS structure is appropriate among mothers, with anhedonia, anxiety and depression factors emerging consistently across perinatal timepoints. Method: We employed confirmatory factor (CFA; n = 6170 to 9848) analysis to determine if this structure was appropriate for ALSPAC fathers, and the extent of invariance between mother and father groups. Results: At 18-weeks gestation, and 8-weeks, 8-months and 21-months postpartum, the three-factor model had consistently superior fit to other proposed models. Consistent with interpretation of a total distress score, factors were highly correlated. The model exhibited configural invariance in both the first (8-months) and second (21months) post-partum years. Metric and scalar invariance were not supported, however, non-invariance was largely attributable to item 9 canvassing "crying". Limitations: While the study employs a large cohort, the data collection in 1991 to 1992 in the United Kingdom may not account for the diverse gender roles, family structures and societal changes seen since that time. Conclusions: Interpretation of the EPDS as representing perinatal distress, reflecting anhedonia, anxiety and depression aspects, is appropriate for mothers and fathers. The experience of distress has nuanced gender-based differences. Implications for EPDS interpretation and cutoff scores among fathers are discussed.