School of Psychology and Speech pathology

To describe associations between respiratory illness and its potential predictors in children and young adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Cross-sectional survey of self- and caregiver-reported respiratory symptoms for individuals aged up to 26 years with CP. Respiratory illness was indicated by 2 outcomes: (1) ≥1 respiratory hospitalizations in the past year; and (2) ≥2 courses of antibiotics for respiratory symptoms in the past year. ORs were calculated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. There were 551 participants, aged 1-26 years, distributed across all gross motor function classification scale (GMFCS) levels. In univariate analyses, factors significantly associated with respiratory hospitalizations were weekly respiratory symptoms (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.78-3.00), respiratory symptoms during meals (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.50-5.80), gastroesophageal reflux (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.71-5.31), coughing or choking on saliva (OR 4.36, 95% CI 2.38-8.01), current asthma (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.97-6.42), age (0-3 years) (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.19-8.80, compared with 13-17 years), seizures (OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.96-6.08), and scoliosis (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.16-3.97). Nonambulatory individuals (GMFCS IV-V) were at significantly increased risk of hospitalizations only if they had food modifications and/or nasogastric or gastrostomy tube feeds (OR 5.36, 95% CI 2.89-9.96, compared with GMFCS I-III with no food modifications and no tube). All factors, except seizures and scoliosis, were significantly associated with multiple courses of antibiotics in univariate analyses. Oromotor dysfunction is strongly associated with respiratory illness in patients with CP.

Determining public expectations of grief is an important contributor to the debate differentiating normal from pathological grief. An international sample of 348 participants was randomly allocated to 1 of 12 conditions comprising a bereavement vignette and self-report items measuring grief expectations and social distance. Participants expected grief to decrease steadily between 2 weeks and 6 months then stabilize; however, time did not affect social distance. Gender of the bereaved and circumstances of death did not influence expectations, but did interact to influence social distance. These factors must be accounted for in determining a deviation from the norm in diagnostic nosology.

This study identifies and describes the profiles of bereavement risk and support needs of a community sample in Australia and tests the fit of the data with the three-tiered public health model for bereavement support. Family members who were bereaved 6-24 months prior to the survey and who were clients of four funeral providers participated (May-July 2013). A postal survey was used to collect information about bereaved people's experience of caring and perceived satisfaction with any bereavement support provided. The questionnaire included a validated risk assessment screening measure for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PG-13). A total of 678 bereaved people responded. The model predicted that 60% of the sample would be low risk, 30% moderate risk, and 10% high risk. Actual figures were very close at 58.4%, 35.2% and 6.4% respectively. The analysis of the demographic characteristics, experience and impact of caring and bereavement, and satisfaction with support received from a variet...

When not managed effectively, high levels of workplace stress can lead to several negative personal and performance outcomes. Some professional groups work in highly stressful settings and are therefore particularly at risk of conditions such as anxiety, depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. However, some individuals are less affected by workplace stress and the associated negative outcomes. Such individuals have been described as "resilient." A number of studies have found relationships between levels of individual resilience and specific negative outcomes such as burnout and compassion fatigue. However, because psychological resilience is a multi-dimensional construct it is necessary to more clearly delineate it from other related and overlapping constructs. The creation of a testable theoretical model of individual workforce resilience, which includes both stable traits (e.g., neuroticism) as well as more malleable intrapersonal factors (e.g., coping styl...

This study identifies and describes the profiles of bereavement risk and support needs of a community sample in Australia and tests the fit of the data with the three-tiered public health model for bereavement support. Family members who were bereaved 6-24 months prior to the survey and who were clients of four funeral providers participated (May-July 2013). A postal survey was used to collect information about bereaved people's experience of caring and perceived satisfaction with any bereavement support provided. The questionnaire included a validated risk assessment screening measure for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PG-13). A total of 678 bereaved people responded. The model predicted that 60% of the sample would be low risk, 30% moderate risk, and 10% high risk. Actual figures were very close at 58.4%, 35.2% and 6.4% respectively. The analysis of the demographic characteristics, experience and impact of caring and bereavement, and satisfaction with support received from a variet...

Australian community psychology (CP) has a shared history as well as regional variations, resulting in an eclectic mix of ideas, methodologies, and practices. In this chapter, we review the emergence of CP in Australia from within the dominant paradigm to its official recognition as a ...

An outcome evaluation of the Peer Mentoring Program (PMP) during semester 1, 2000 was conducted to determine whether or not the program was successful in reducing student stress and its associated attrition rates for the unit PSY1101 Introduction to Psychology. Second and third year ...

The original impetus for peer mentoring in Australian universities was to reduce attrition rates in the first-year cohort. Now, peer mentoring programs have evolved such that they are designed to promote academic and social outcomes for both mentors and their mentees. In order to understand peer mentoring programs, it is important to be aware of the historical and contextual nature of the Australian educational system and how the system has underpinned the way in which peer mentoring programs have developed throughout many Australian universities. In this chapter, we provide an overview or the Australian educational system, the purpose of peer mentoring, and brief examples of Australian peer mentoring programs. Finally, we provide a detailed exploration of the development of the School of Psychology Peer mentoring Program at Edith Cowan University (ECU), which arose out of our desire to reduce Ihe attrition rate of psychology students, and now utilises a learning community approach ...