Correlates of depressive symptoms in a representative sample of young Australian women

This paper presents a descriptive analysis of the prevalence of depressive symptoms among a national cohort of young Australian women, and the characteristics of those who experience them. It explores the associations between demographic and health-related variables and depressive symptoms in a representative sample of 9333 Australian women aged 22-27 years, from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Approximately 30% of these young women indicated that they were experiencing depressive symptoms, as indicated by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). After adjusting for age and rurality of residence, depressive symptoms were related to the following demographic variables: low income, low educational qualifications, a history of unemployment, not being in a relationship, and living arrangements other than living with a partner. Those health-related variables that were significantly associated with depressive symptoms included frequent visits to doctors and medical specialists, and a higher number of physical symptoms experienced and diagnoses made. More illicit drug use, higher use of cigarettes and alcohol, and lower exercise status were also significantly associated with depressive symptoms. This analysis supports the view that depression is one aspect of a multifactorial cluster of negative conditions across several domains of functioning, including physical ill-health, risky behaviours, and marginal social status. The complex interactions between these conditions, of which depression is only one, underscore the difficulties that arise in the treatment of depression and support the value of preventive interventions as an important public health strategy.

Archaeology, diaspora and decolonization

Archaeologists in settler societies need to find theoretically well-founded ways of understanding the sociopolitical milieux in which they work if they are to deal sensibly and sensitively with the colonizers as well as the colonized in their communities. This article explores one avenue that the author has found helpful in a number of contexts. He advances the proposition that, with certain qualifications, the social conditions of settler nations might usefully be approached as the products of a single social condition - diaspora - in a manifestation that is unique to such societies because it positions indigenous peoples as well as settlers as diasporic.

Towards a profitable and sustainable future for grain growers: A professional development model for farm partners

Many Australian grain growers need to change their management approach to ensure their continued viability, but do not have the required knowledge and skills. Uptake of relevant education and training is poor, despite the positive correlation between learning, change and farm viability. As men are generally occupied with the operational aspects of the farm, much of the management role has been taken on by their partners, despite their lack of relevant formal qualifications. Professional development of farm partners therefore has the potential to improve the viability of grain growers. A model combining learning circles and action learning projects is proposed.

Professional doctoral training in psychology: International comparison and commentary

The level of training required for the practice of professional psychology varies across countries, and usually evolves from a combination of input from local and national regulatory bodies, legislative requirements, academic institutions and relevant professional bodies. Here we explore the North American and Australian historical developments and future directions in levels of training required and aspired to for professional psychologists, along with a brief comparison to training for psychologists in Central and South America, Europe and Asia. The recent proliferation of professional doctorate degrees in Australian universities has added another layer to the suite of available qualifications for professional psychologists and to some degree reflects international trends in the profession. The important role of professional organisations in establishing the educational requirements for entry into professional practice is highlighted.

Career counselling in Australia

Historically, perhaps because of its matching process traditions, career counselling has tended to be viewed more simplistically than other fields of counselling. However, in the latter part of the 20th century the career development industry witnessed rapid growth and seems set for a promising future. Such growth has corresponded with irreversible change in the world of work, the emergence of lifelong learning as integral to people's careers, and broader and more holistic definitions of career and career development that have gained widespread acceptance. With the increased influence of constructivism, career counselling has emerged from its vocational guidance origins as a profession in its own right. Increasingly, policymakers are recognizing the importance of career guidance and counselling in assisting to achieve policy goals related to lifelong learning, employment, and social equity. Thus, closer links have been created between policymakers and practitioner associations such as the Australian Association of Career Counsellors (AACC). Such intense focus on career guidance and counselling has also resulted in closer scrutiny of its professional standards and qualifications. Consequently, at the same time as there being increased demand for and interest in career counselling, practitioner associations are faced with issues related to redefining their roles with members, the community, and policymakers. This article will describe the changed context of career counselling, current issues such as standards and accreditation, and redefinition of the profession. The AACC's response to these challenges will be the focus of this article.

Issues in training in clinical psychology in Australia: Interplay between training goals and legal standards of practice

Training models in clinical psychology vary across regions, as do the laws that regulate professional practice in psychology. Standards for practice and for entry into professional practice may endure past the point of utility in the face of changing health-care systems and evolving international considerations. Herein the authors review aspects of the Australian 4-year training model, including qualifications for entry to the profession, supervision, and the influence of the profession and the universities in maintaining and in changing to a new training model. Aspects of training in clinical psychology in Australia are also discussed, and the Australian and New Zealand accreditation models are contrasted. Suggestions on ways to move forward are offered.

La Mettrie and charlatanism: The dynamics of recognition and denunciation

This paper contributes to a genealogy of charlatanism by tracing two figures which eventually come to overlap: the street charlatan or operator, known for his eloquence and deceptive skill, and the comically incompetent doctor, represented classically in France in the theatre of Molière. The paper argues that eighteenth-century France gives the term 'charlatan' new moral weight while extending it to fields outside medicine, most notably to philosophy. Some examples of the denunciation of charlatans are examined, and it is suggested that denunciation was usually both extensible and reversible. La Mettrie appears in this regard as the very type of the denouncer denounced. He was a doctor-philosopher who vigorously decried the Paris Faculty of Medicine as a group of charlatans, even though his own medical qualifications were anything but impressive, and he was in turn reviled by Diderot as the most charlatanic and unworthy of philosophers.

Middle Schooling Teacher Education: Where are we at in Australia?

Commonwealth and State bodies have made substantial investments into curriculum initiatives, research, and reform with a focus on middle schooling. To a considerable degree, the success of middle schooling is dependent upon teachers' preparedness to enact and embrace initiatives and research. Research has shown that the success of school improvement and reform initiatives hinges, in large part, on the qualifications and effectiveness of teachers (Killion, 1999; Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001). While some research and professional development in Australia has targeted the school site, pre-service teacher education is clearly a vital yet under-researched area due to its relatively recent introduction. Recent research that includes middle years teacher education (MYTE) (Killion, 1999; Mertens & Flowers, 2004; NCES 2001; NMSA, 2003) and reports from a system that has been working with middle schooling for some time indicates that teachers need specific teacher preparation before they enter the middle level classroom and continuous professional development as they pursue their careers. In Turning Points 2000, one of the seven recommendations is to staff middle grades schools with teachers who are expert at teaching young people in their middle years, and engage teachers in ongoing, targeted professional development opportunities (Jackson & Davis, 2000). Given there are now two dedicated programs towards MYTE (Edith Cowan University and The University of Queensland), other institutions containing elements of MYTE, and others considering MYTE this symposium will summarise current initiatives and research in MYTE, critique the state and place of MYTE in Australia and begin discussions towards teacher education programs that improve the efficacy of middle schooling.