- I am a theoretical psychologist who specialises in evolutionary models of the human brain and depression, including m... moreI am a theoretical psychologist who specialises in evolutionary models of the human brain and depression, including mood disorders. More broadly, I have an interest in youth mental health, and identifying prevention, early intervention and treatment approaches that optimise outcomes for young people experiencing mental ill-health.edit
Research Interests:
Objective: Depression and suicidal ideation are closely intertwined. Yet, among young people with depression, the specific factors that contribute to changes in suicidal ideation over time are uncertain. Factors other than depressive... more
Objective: Depression and suicidal ideation are closely intertwined. Yet, among young people with depression, the specific factors that contribute to changes in suicidal ideation over time are uncertain. Factors other than depressive symptom severity, such as comorbid psychopathology and personality traits, might be important contributors. Our aim was to identify contributors to fluctuations in suicidal ideation severity over a 12-week period in young people with major depressive disorder receiving cognitive behavioural therapy. Methods: Data were drawn from two 12-week randomised, placebo-controlled treatment trials. Participants ( N = 283) were 15–25 years old, with moderate to severe major depressive disorder. The primary outcome measure was the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, administered at baseline and weeks 4, 8 and 12. A series of linear mixed models was conducted to examine the relationship between Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire score and demographic characteristics, como...
Research Interests:
Evaluating suicidal ideation in young people seeking mental health treatment is an important component of clinical assessment and treatment planning. To reduce the burden of youth suicide, we need to improve our understanding of suicidal... more
Evaluating suicidal ideation in young people seeking mental health treatment is an important component of clinical assessment and treatment planning. To reduce the burden of youth suicide, we need to improve our understanding of suicidal ideation, its underlying constructs, and how ideation translates into suicidal behaviour. Using exploratory factor analysis, we investigated the dimensionality of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ) among 273 participants aged 15–25 with Major Depressive Disorder. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis was used to explore associations between latent factors and actual suicidal behaviour. Findings suggested that the SIQ assesses multiple factors underlying suicidal ideation. AUROC analyses demonstrated that latent factors relating to both active and passive suicidal ideation predicted past-month suicidal behaviour and suicide attempt. These findings contribute to an improved understanding of the complexities of ...
Research Interests:
Objective: Depression is one of the most prevalent and disabling mental health conditions among young people worldwide. The health and economic burdens associated with depressive illness are substantial. Suicide and depression are closely... more
Objective: Depression is one of the most prevalent and disabling mental health conditions among young people worldwide. The health and economic burdens associated with depressive illness are substantial. Suicide and depression are closely intertwined, yet a diagnosis of depression itself lacks predictive specificity for suicidal behaviour. To better inform suicide prevention and early intervention strategies for young people, improved identification of modifiable intervention targets is needed. The objective of this review was to identify clinical, psychosocial and biological correlates of suicidality in young people diagnosed with a broad range of unipolar and bipolar depressive disorders. Method: Systematic searches were conducted across MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO to identify studies of young people aged 15–25 years diagnosed with unipolar or bipolar depressive disorders. An assessment of suicidality was required for inclusion. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items fo...
Research Interests:
OBJECTIVE The objective of this review is to examine clinical, psychosocial, and biological factors associated with suicidality in young people diagnosed with depression. This review will describe risk and protective factors, focusing on... more
OBJECTIVE The objective of this review is to examine clinical, psychosocial, and biological factors associated with suicidality in young people diagnosed with depression. This review will describe risk and protective factors, focusing on modifiable attributes, in order to inform suicide prevention and early intervention strategies. INTRODUCTION Suicide is the world's second leading cause of death among young people. Depression is closely associated with suicide; however, it lacks specificity as a predictor of suicidal behavior. There is a clear need to improve our understanding of both risk and protective factors associated with the full spectrum of suicidality in young people, across a range of depressive disorders. INCLUSION CRITERIA Studies that include young people 15 to 25 years of age with a diagnosis of depression made in accordance with a diagnostic classification standard will be considered. Diagnosis must be made using a structured clinical interview or be received through standard clinical practice. Analytical cross-sectional studies, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and case-control studies will be included. Studies must include an assessment of suicidality made using standardized or non-standardized tools. A broad range of inpatient and outpatient settings will be considered. METHODS MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO will be searched for studies published in English, with no date limitation. Two independent reviewers will conduct study screening, assess methodological quality, and extract data using standardized tools. If there is sufficient homogeneity across studies, meta-analyses using a random-effects model will be conducted. If quantitative meta-analysis is not possible, a narrative synthesis will be undertaken. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER PROSPERO CRD42020151612.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
BACKGROUND Suicidal ideation (SI) is a common feature of depression and is closely associated with suicidal behaviour. Social support is implicated as an important determinant of suicide, but it is unclear how different social support... more
BACKGROUND Suicidal ideation (SI) is a common feature of depression and is closely associated with suicidal behaviour. Social support is implicated as an important determinant of suicide, but it is unclear how different social support dimensions influence SI in young people with depression. This study examines relationships between social support dimensions and SI in young people with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS 283 Australians aged 15-25, diagnosed with MDD, were recruited from two clinical trials conducted in youth-specific outpatient mental health services. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used to evaluate perceived support from Family, Friends, and a Significant Other. Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). Hierarchical regression was used to explore associations between social support and SI, controlling for demographics and depression severity. RESULTS A hierarchical regression model predicted 9% of the variability in SI, with depression severity being the most significant predictor. Family Support was inversely related to SI and uniquely contributed 2% of the variance; β = -0.15 (95% CI -0.27 - -0.02) p < .05. Demographics and support from Friends or a Significant Other were not significantly associated with SI. LIMITATIONS Findings are correlational; it cannot be determined that increasing family support would decrease SI severity. CONCLUSION Perceived Family Support was negatively associated with SI in young people with MDD. This suggests that family members might play important roles in suicide prevention efforts. More work is needed exploring ways to empower families to develop adaptive family functioning and support.
Research Interests:
The free energy principle (FEP) is a formulation of the adaptive, belief-driven behaviour of self-organizing systems that gained prominence in the early 2000s as a unified model of the brain [...]
Research Interests:
This paper proposes an integrative perspective on evolutionary, cultural and computational approaches to psychiatry. These three approaches attempt to frame mental disorders as multiscale entities and offer modes of explanations and... more
This paper proposes an integrative perspective on evolutionary, cultural and computational approaches to psychiatry. These three approaches attempt to frame mental disorders as multiscale entities and offer modes of explanations and modeling strategies that can inform clinical practice. Although each of these perspectives involves systemic thinking, each is limited in its ability to address the complex developmental trajectories and larger social systemic interactions that lead to mental disorders. Inspired by computational modeling in theoretical biology, this paper aims to integrate the modes of explanation offered by evolutionary, cultural and computational psychiatry in a multilevel systemic perspective. We apply the resulting Evolutionary, Cultural and Computational (ECC) model to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) to illustrate how this integrative approach can guide research and practice in psychiatry.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Multiscale Modelling, Cognitive Neuroscience, Multiscale computational models, and 15 moreMedicine, Theoretical biology, Multidisciplinary, Complex Adaptive Systems, Bayesian Inference, Multilevel modelling, Predictive coding, Enactive cognition, Embodied and Enactive Cognition, Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience, Physics of the Mind, Theoretical Neurobiology, Predictive Processing, Bayesian Brain, and Free Energy Principle
Psychology is a theoretically heterogeneous discipline seeking a single, cohesive framework to unite the subdisciplines. To address this issue, I propose a hierarchical metatheory of psychological science that synthesizes neo-Darwinian... more
Psychology is a theoretically heterogeneous discipline seeking a single, cohesive framework to unite the subdisciplines. To address this issue, I propose a hierarchical metatheory of psychological science that synthesizes neo-Darwinian selectionist thinking and dynamic systems theory by organizing evolutionary psychology, evolutionary developmental biology, developmental psychobiology, and the subdisciplines of psychology around four specific, interrelated levels of analysis: functional explanations for evolved, species-typical characteristics; explanations for between-groups differences arising from phylogenetic mechanisms; explanations for individual differences resulting from ontogenetic processes; and mechanistic explanations for real-time phenomena, respectively. Informational exchange between these levels advances their integration and facilitates important innovations, and the nonsubstantive metatheories of general selection and self-organization interpenetrate all four level...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of high-risk sexual behaviours, sequelae and associated factors in young people attending a youth mental health service. The study design was a cross-sectional survey of 103 young people aged... more
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of high-risk sexual behaviours, sequelae and associated factors in young people attending a youth mental health service. The study design was a cross-sectional survey of 103 young people aged between 15-25 years carried out across four specialist mental health clinics. A questionnaire on the sexual health of secondary level students was adapted for this study. Mental health symptomatology was assessed through the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The mean age was 20.9 (SD ±2.8) years, with 50.5% being female, 41.7% male and 7.7% transgender. A total of 52.4% (N = 54) attended the psychosis [EPPIC] clinic; 15.6% (N = 16) attended the ultra-high risk for psychosis [PACE] clinic; 19.4% (N = 20) attended the personality disorders [HYPE] clinic; and 12.6% (N = 13) attended the mood clinic [YMC]. The mean BPRS score was 47.7 (SD ±12.2). A total of 77.7% of young people had previously been sexually active and of these, 37.5% did not use con...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper addresses the challenges faced by multiscale formulations of the variational (free energy) approach to dynamics that obtain for large-scale ensembles. We review a framework for modelling complex adaptive control systems for... more
This paper addresses the challenges faced by multiscale formulations of the variational (free energy) approach to dynamics that obtain for large-scale ensembles. We review a framework for modelling complex adaptive control systems for multiscale free energy bounding organism-niche dynamics, thereby integrating the modelling strategies and heuristics of variational neuroethology with a broader perspective on the ecological nestedness of biotic systems. We extend the multiscale variational formulation beyond the action-perception loops of individual organisms by appealing to the variational approach to niche construction to explain the dynamics of coupled systems constituted by organisms and their ecological niche. We suggest that the statistical robustness of living systems is inherited, in part, from their eco-niches, as niches help coordinate dynamical patterns across larger spatiotemporal scales. We call this approach variational ecology. We argue that, when applied to cultural an...
Research Interests:
Interpersonal difficulties are often implicated in the onset of depressive disorders, and typically exacerbate depressive symptoms. This is particularly true for young people, given rapid changes in, and the increased importance of, their... more
Interpersonal difficulties are often implicated in the onset of depressive disorders, and typically exacerbate depressive symptoms. This is particularly true for young people, given rapid changes in, and the increased importance of, their social relationships. The purpose of this narrative review was to identify empirically supported interventions that aim to prevent or treat depression in young people by facilitating improvements in their social environment. We conducted a search of controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of such interventions, published between 1980 and June 2020. Our literature search and interpretation of results was informed by consultations with clinical experts and youth consumers and advocates. A number of promising approaches were identified with respect to prevention and treatment. Preliminary evidence was identified suggesting that school- and Internet-based approaches present a viable means to prevent the worsening of depressive symptoms ...
Research Interests:
Objective: Young people affected by mental health disorders have greater sexual health needs compared to their peers. Less is known about this need across illness severity. Method: A cross-sectional survey of the sexual health of those... more
Objective: Young people affected by mental health disorders have greater sexual health needs compared to their peers. Less is known about this need across illness severity. Method: A cross-sectional survey of the sexual health of those attending outpatients or inpatients within a youth mental health service was conducted. Statistical differences between groups were explored. Results: One hundred and seven young people (18–25 years) participated and of these, 37.7% were inpatients who had more severe psychiatric symptoms than outpatients. While inpatients were as likely to be sexually active as outpatients, they were significantly less likely to have a regular sexual partner (25% vs 64.5%). Additionally, they used amphetamines more frequently during sex (28.6% vs 5.8%). Sexual dysfunction was experienced by 55.6% of inpatients and 37.9% of outpatients. Conclusions: High-risk sexual behaviours and sexual dysfunction were highly prevalent in both groups. For some behaviours and dysfunc...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Cognitive Gadgets offers a new, convincing perspective on the origins of our distinctive cognitive faculties, coupled with a clear, innovative research program. Although we broadly endorse Heyes’ ideas, we raise some concerns about her... more
Cognitive Gadgets offers a new, convincing perspective on the origins of our distinctive cognitive faculties, coupled with a clear, innovative research program. Although we broadly endorse Heyes’ ideas, we raise some concerns about her characterisation of evolutionary psychology and the relationship between biology and culture, before discussing the potential fruits of examining cognitive gadgets through the lens of active inference.
Research Interests:
Forthcoming in "Evolution, Development, and Complexity: Multiscale Models in Complex Adaptive Systems", Publisher: Springer, Editors: Michael Price et al We review some of the main implications of the free-energy principle (FEP)... more
Forthcoming in "Evolution, Development, and Complexity: Multiscale Models in Complex Adaptive Systems", Publisher: Springer, Editors: Michael Price et al We review some of the main implications of the free-energy principle (FEP) for the study of the self-organization of living systems – and how the FEP can help us to understand (and model) biotic self-organization across the many temporal and spatial scales over which life exists. In order to maintain its integrity as a bounded system, any biological system-from single cells to complex organisms and societies-has to limit the disorder or dispersion (i.e., the long-run entropy) of its constituent states. We review how this can be achieved by living systems that minimize their variational free energy. Variational free energy is an information theoretic construct, originally introduced into theoretical neuroscience and biology to explain perception, action, and learning. It has since been extended to explain the evolution, de...
Research Interests:
Guiding principles are arguably central to the development of any health service. The aim of this article is to report on the outcomes of a youth mental health (YMH) community of practice (CoP), which identified a range of guiding... more
Guiding principles are arguably central to the development of any health service. The aim of this article is to report on the outcomes of a youth mental health (YMH) community of practice (CoP), which identified a range of guiding principles that provide a clear point of comparison for the only other set of principles for YMH service delivery proposed to date. A YMH CoP was established in 2010 as part of the Victorian State Government approach to improving YMH care. An initial literature search was undertaken to locate articles on YMH service delivery. A number of common themes were identified, which the YMH community of practice (YMHCoP) members then elaborated upon by drawing from their collective experience of the YMH sector. The resultant themes were then refined through subsequent group discussions to derive a definitive set of guiding principles. These principles were then augmented by a second literature search conducted in July 2015. Fifteen key themes were derived from the ...
Research Interests:
Major depression is a debilitating condition characterised by diverse neurocognitive and behavioural deficits. Nevertheless, our species-typical capacity for depressed mood implies that it serves an adaptive function. Here we apply an... more
Major depression is a debilitating condition characterised by diverse neurocognitive and behavioural deficits. Nevertheless, our species-typical capacity for depressed mood implies that it serves an adaptive function. Here we apply an interdisciplinary theory of brain function to explain depressed mood and its clinical manifestations. Combining insights from the free-energy principle (FEP) with evolutionary theorising in psychology, we argue that depression reflects an adaptive response to perceived threats of aversive social outcomes (e.g., exclusion) that minimises the likelihood of surprising interpersonal exchanges (i.e., those with unpredictable outcomes). We suggest that psychopathology typically arises from ineffectual attempts to alleviate interpersonal difficulties and/or hyper-reactive neurobiological responses to social stress (i.e., uncertainty), which often stems from early experience that social uncertainty is difficult to resolve.
This study investigated differences between the demographic characteristics, participation rates (i.e., agreeing to respond to questions about sexual behavior), and sexual behaviors of landline and mobile phone samples in Australia. A... more
This study investigated differences between the demographic characteristics, participation rates (i.e., agreeing to respond to questions about sexual behavior), and sexual behaviors of landline and mobile phone samples in Australia. A nationally representative sample of Australians aged 18 years and over was recruited via random digit dialing in December 2011 to collect data via computer-assisted telephone interviews. A total of 1012 people (370 men, 642 women) completed a landline interview and 1002 (524 men, 478 women) completed a mobile phone interview. Results revealed that telephone user status was significantly related to all demographic variables: gender, age, educational attainment, area of residence, country of birth, household composition, and current ongoing relationship status. In unadjusted analyses, telephone status was also associated with women's participation rates, participants' number of other-sex sexual partners in the previous year, and women's lifet...
Research Interests:
Anderson (2014) uses an impressive, consolidating review of the literature to argue for major changes in cognitive science. Arguably, however, much of what he proposes is not particularly new. He also neglects important predictive coding... more
Anderson (2014) uses an impressive, consolidating review of the literature to argue for major changes in cognitive science. Arguably, however, much of what he proposes is not particularly new. He also neglects important predictive coding approaches that call his perspective of the brain into question, and his misconstrual of evolutionary psychology devalues an influential paradigm that promises to complement his own.
Research Interests:
Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) present a substantial public health burden, and are related to modifiable sexual behaviours. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative sample of 20 094... more
Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) present a substantial public health burden, and are related to modifiable sexual behaviours. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative sample of 20 094 men and women aged 16-69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents were asked questions regarding their knowledge about, self-reported history of, and testing for STIs. STI knowledge was better in women, the young, people of higher socioeconomic status, those with a variety of indicators of being at high STI risk and those with a history of receiving sex education in school. Approximately one in six men and women reported a lifetime history of an STI. A history of STI testing in the last year was reported by ~one in six (17%) women and one in eight men (13%) and higher rates of testing in women were reported in most high-risk groups. The highest rates of STI testing (61%) and HIV testing (89%) were reported in ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Page 1. Developing generic skills through university study: a study of arts, science and engineering in Australia Paul BT Badcock Philippa E. Pattison Kerri-Lee Harris © Springer Science+Business Media BV 2010 Abstract ...
Research Interests:
In this study we evaluate the evolutionary hypothesis that depressed states are associated with more adaptive reasoning about social risks, such as defeat or rejection. A total of 78 women were administered one of two mood inductions... more
In this study we evaluate the evolutionary hypothesis that depressed states are associated with more adaptive reasoning about social risks, such as defeat or rejection. A total of 78 women were administered one of two mood inductions (depressed vs. neutral), followed by four Wason selection reasoning tasks (truth-detection, cheater-detection, and two social risk tasks addressing attachment and social competition risks). Those in the depressed mood condition gave significantly more correct responses on a task requiring participants to ...
Research Interests:
Current information about numbers of other-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours and the recent heterosexual experiences among a representative sample of Australian adults is needed. It is not known whether these... more
Current information about numbers of other-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours and the recent heterosexual experiences among a representative sample of Australian adults is needed. It is not known whether these practices have changed between 2001-02 and 2012-13. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 9963 men and 10 131 women aged 16-69 years from all states and territories. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Men reported more sexual partners than women, although the lifetime number of heterosexual partners reported by women increased significantly between 2001-02 and 2012-13. In 2012-13, 14.7% of men and 8.6% of women reported two or more sexual partners in the last year. Reporting multiple partners was significantly associated with being younger, being bisexual, living in major cities, having a lower income, having a blue-collar occupation and not being married. The proportion of respondents reporting ever having had oral sex or anal intercourse increased significantly since the last survey. At the last heterosexual encounter, 91.9% of men and 66.2% of women had an orgasm, oral sex was reported in only approximately one in four encounters and anal intercourse was uncommon. There were increases between 2001-02 and 2012-13 in partner numbers among women and in the lifetime experience of oral and anal sex. The patterns of heterosexual experience in Australia are similar to those found in studies of representative samples in other countries.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Adversity early in life can disrupt the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) and increase risk for negative health outcomes. Recent research suggests that cortisol in scalp hair represents a promising measure of... more
Adversity early in life can disrupt the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) and increase risk for negative health outcomes. Recent research suggests that cortisol in scalp hair represents a promising measure of HPAA function. However, little is known about the relationship between early exposure to traumatic events and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in childhood, a critical period of HPAA development. The current study measured HCC in scalp hair samples collected from 70 community-based children (14 males, mean age=9.50) participating in the Imaging Brain Development in the Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study (iCATS). Data were also collected on lifetime exposure to traumatic events and current depressive symptoms. Lifetime exposure to trauma was associated with elevated HCC; however, HCC was not associated with current depressive symptoms. Consistent with some prior work, males were found to have higher HCC than females, although results should b...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The idea that the human capacity for depressed mood evolved in response to specific adaptive problems is by no means new. The argument enjoys a six-decade history (McGuire &amp;amp;amp; Troisi, 1998), and has drawn contributions from... more
The idea that the human capacity for depressed mood evolved in response to specific adaptive problems is by no means new. The argument enjoys a six-decade history (McGuire &amp;amp;amp; Troisi, 1998), and has drawn contributions from a broad range of theorists (see Allen &amp;amp;amp; Badcock, 2003). Generally, explanatory frameworks that have emerged from this expanding body of literature can be meaningfully grouped into two broad categories: explanations that emphasize the inherently social nature of the selection pressures that have shaped the ...
Background This paper describes the methods and process of the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships. A representative sample of the Australian population was contacted by landline and mobile phone modified random-digit... more
Background This paper describes the methods and process of the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships. A representative sample of the Australian population was contacted by landline and mobile phone modified random-digit dialling in 2012-13. Computer-assisted telephone interviews elicited sociodemographic and health details as well as sexual behaviour and attitudes. For analysis, the sample was weighted to reflect the study design and further weighted to reflect the location, age and sex distribution of the population at the 2011 Census. Interviews were completed with 9963 men and 10131 women aged 16-69 years from all states and territories. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2% (63.9% for landline men, 67.9% for landline women and 66.5% for mobile respondents). Accounting for the survey design and adjusting to match the 2011 Census resulted in a weighted sample of 20094 people (10056 men and 10038 women). The sample was broadly representative o...
Research Interests:
Background Attitudes towards sex and relationships influence laws about what is and is not permissible and social sanctions against behaviours considered unacceptable. They are an important focus for research given their links to sexual... more
Background Attitudes towards sex and relationships influence laws about what is and is not permissible and social sanctions against behaviours considered unacceptable. They are an important focus for research given their links to sexual behaviour. The aim of the present study was to describe attitudes towards sex and relationships, to identify correlates of scores on a scale of sexual liberalism and to examine responses to jealousy-evoking scenarios among Australian adults. Computer-assisted landline and mobile telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative sample of 20094 men and women aged 16-69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents expressed their agreement with 11 attitude statements, five of which formed a valid scale of liberalism, and also responded to a jealousy-evoking scenario. There was general agreement that premarital sex was acceptable (87%), that sex was important for wellbeing (83%) and that sex outside...
Research Interests:
Background Current information about the characteristics of Australian adults' first vaginal intercourse and contraception or precautions used on that occasion is needed, as well as whether these characteristics have changed between... more
Background Current information about the characteristics of Australian adults' first vaginal intercourse and contraception or precautions used on that occasion is needed, as well as whether these characteristics have changed between 2001-02 and 2012-13. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 20094 men and women aged 16-69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents indicated their age at first vaginal intercourse and first oral sex. Those who reported vaginal intercourse were asked the age of their partner, their relationship to their partner, the duration of this relationship, and what contraception or precautions (if any) were used. There was a significant decline in the median age of first vaginal intercourse for both men and women among those born between the 1940s and the 1960s, but no further decline since. There has also been a significant increase in the use of protection at first vaginal...
Research Interests:
Background Current information about numbers of other-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours and the recent heterosexual experiences among a representative sample of Australian adults is needed. It is not known... more
Background Current information about numbers of other-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours and the recent heterosexual experiences among a representative sample of Australian adults is needed. It is not known whether these practices have changed between 2001-02 and 2012-13. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 9963 men and 10131 women aged 16-69 years from all states and territories. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Men reported more sexual partners than women, although the lifetime number of heterosexual partners reported by women increased significantly between 2001-02 and 2012-13. In 2012-13, 14.7% of men and 8.6% of women reported two or more sexual partners in the last year. Reporting multiple partners was significantly associated with being younger, being bisexual, living in major cities, having a lower income, having a blue-collar occupation and not being married. The propo...
Research Interests:
Background The aim of this study was to describe important characteristics of Australian adults' heterosexual regular sexual relationships and examine how these characteristics have changed since 2002. Computer-assisted landline and... more
Background The aim of this study was to describe important characteristics of Australian adults' heterosexual regular sexual relationships and examine how these characteristics have changed since 2002. Computer-assisted landline and mobile telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 20 094 Australian residents aged 16-69 years. The participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Data were collected on respondents' social and demographic characteristics, relationship status and duration, cohabitation status, partner's age, contraception use, expectations about sexual exclusivity, sexual partners in the previous year, actual and ideal frequencies of sex and levels of physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction in their relationships. Most sexually active respondents 89%; 74% of all respondents, were in a heterosexual regular relationship. Most (97%) expected sexual exclusivity in their relationships, with 3% reporting extradyadic sex in the previ...
Research Interests:
Background The aim of this study is to describe homosexual experience and characteristics of recent homosexual encounters among Australian adults and identify changes between 2001-02 and 2012-13. Computer-assisted telephone interviews... more
Background The aim of this study is to describe homosexual experience and characteristics of recent homosexual encounters among Australian adults and identify changes between 2001-02 and 2012-13. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 20094 men and women aged 16-69 years and the participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents indicated the number of same-sex partners they had had in their lifetime and in the last 12 months. Those who reported any homosexual experience were asked the age at which this first occurred and about characteristics of the first and most recent homosexual encounter. Reporting ever having same-sex experience was more common in women (13.5%) than in men (6.5%, P<0.001). Among these people, men reported more lifetime and recent same-sex partners than women (P<0.001). Same-sex experience was associated with some but not all indices of higher socioeconomic status. In men, it was associated with li...
Research Interests:
Background This study describes the prevalence of (solo) masturbation, paying for sex and a range of other sexual practices among Australians. A representative sample of 20094 men and women aged 16-69 years (participation rate among... more
Background This study describes the prevalence of (solo) masturbation, paying for sex and a range of other sexual practices among Australians. A representative sample of 20094 men and women aged 16-69 years (participation rate among eligible people, 66.2%) were recruited by landline and mobile phone random-digit dialling and computer-assisted telephone interviews in 2012-13. Many respondents (men, 72%; women, 42%) had masturbated in the past year. Half (51%) of the men and 24% of women had masturbated in the past 4 weeks. In the past year, more than two-fifths of respondents (men, 63%; women, 20%) had looked at pornography in any medium. Approximately 15% of men and 21% of women had used a sex toy. Digital-anal stimulation with a partner was practised by 19% of men and 15% of women, and oral-anal stimulation by 7% of men and 4% of women. Sexual role playing or dressing up were engaged in by 7-8%. Online sex, swinging, group sex, BDSM (bondage and discipline, 'sadomasochism' ...
Research Interests:
Background It is important to have current reliable estimates of the prevalence, correlates and consequences of sexual coercion among a representative sample of Australian adults and to identify changes over time in prevalence and... more
Background It is important to have current reliable estimates of the prevalence, correlates and consequences of sexual coercion among a representative sample of Australian adults and to identify changes over time in prevalence and consequences. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 20094 Australian men and women aged 16-69 years. The participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Sexual coercion (i.e. being forced or frightened into sexual activity) was reported by 4.2% of men and 22.4% of women. Sexual coercion when aged ≤16 years was reported by 2.0% of men and 11.5% of women. Correlates of sexual coercion were similar for men and women. Those who had been coerced reported greater psychosocial distress, were more likely to smoke, were more anxious about sex and more likely to have acquired a sexually transmissible infection. Few people had talked to others about their experiences of sexual coercion and fewer had talked to a profes...
Research Interests:
Background Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) present a substantial public health burden, and are related to modifiable sexual behaviours. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative sample... more
Background Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) present a substantial public health burden, and are related to modifiable sexual behaviours. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a population-representative sample of 20 094 men and women aged 16-69 years. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Respondents were asked questions regarding their knowledge about, self-reported history of, and testing for STIs. STI knowledge was better in women, the young, people of higher socioeconomic status, those with a variety of indicators of being at high STI risk and those with a history of receiving sex education in school. Approximately one in six men and women reported a lifetime history of an STI. A history of STI testing in the last year was reported by ~one in six (17%) women and one in eight men (13%) and higher rates of testing in women were reported in most high-risk groups. The highest rates of STI testing (61%) and HIV testing (89%) were r...