Exploring a recently developed census population model of the diversity of the sixteen psychological types in Australia

It is important for practitioners to know about the distribution of the sixteen psychological types in the country in which they operate. For instance: Are more females with Feeling preferences found in particular occupational categories? Can you make valid distinctions on the basis of the types found in sales workers compared with other categories? What are the differences in the Australian distribution of psychological types compared with the UK and USA? Participants in this workshop will be encouraged to make connections between their own experience of the diversity of types and a recently developed Australian Census Population Type Table which for the first time approaches a national probability sample. We will explore the patterns of type distribution in Australia, and compare the data with national population Type Tables developed in the UK and the USA.

Somatic symptoms, hypochondriasis and psychological distress: a study of somatisation in Australian general practice

Objective: To measure the prevalence of somatisation (multiple somatic symptoms and hypochondriasis) among Australian general practice attendees, its recognition by general practitioners, and its relationship with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Design, setting and participants: Self-reported questionnaires completed by 10 507 consecutive patients aged ≥18 years attending 340 GPs enrolled in a 6-hour national mental health program of continuing professional development who accepted invitations to participate; audit form completed by GPs for each patient during the period March 2004 to December 2006. Main outcome measures: Somatic symptom severity (measured with the 15-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-15]); hypochondriasis (measured with the Whiteley Index [Whiteley-7]; depression and anxiety (measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress scale [K10]); prevalence of “somatisers” (defined by medium to severe somatic symptom severity and hypochondriasis); GP recognition of somatisation (determined by their responses on audit forms to questions on whether patient’s complaints were most likely to have a physical or psychological explanation). Results: 18.5% of patients were classified as somatisers and 9.5% as probable cases of depression or anxiety. While 29.6% of somatisers had high anxiety or depression scores, 57.9% of people with anxiety or depression were also somatisers. Sex and age asserted significant but weak effects on psychometric scores. GPs identified somatic complaints as “mostly explained by a psychological disturbance” in 25.1% of somatisers. Conclusions: Somatisation is common in general practice, and more prevalent than depression or anxiety. While a minority of somatisers have significant anxiety and depression, most patients with depression and anxiety have a significant degree of somatisation. Recognition of depression and anxiety can be hindered by a somatic presentation and attribution. On the other hand, managing somatisation does not just involve recognising depression and anxiety, but also dealing with the health anxieties that underpin hypochondriasis.

Training postgraduate psychology students to deliver psychological services online

Information and communication technologies are increasingly being used to remotely deliver psychological services. This delivery method confers clear advantages to both client and therapist, including the accessibility of services by otherwise unserved populations and cost-effective treatment. Remote services can be delivered in a real-time or delayed manner, providing clients with a wealth of therapy options not previously available. The proliferation of these services has outstripped the development and implementation of all but the most rudimentary of regulatory frameworks, potentially exposing clients to substandard psychological services. Integrating mandatory training on the delivery of online psychological services into accredited postgraduate psychology courses would aid in addressing this issue. The purpose of this article is to outline issues of consideration in the development and implementation of such a training programme. An online etherapy training programme developed by Swinburne University's National eTherapy Centre will be used as an example throughout.

Is diagnosis enough to guide interventions in mental health? Using case formulation in clinical practice

While diagnosis has traditionally been viewed as an essential concept in medicine, particularly when selecting treatments, we suggest that the use of diagnosis alone may be limited, particularly within mental health. The concept of clinical case formulation advocates for collaboratively working with patients to identify idiosyncratic aspects of their presentation and select interventions on this basis. Identifying individualized contributing factors, and how these could influence the person's presentation, in addition to attending to personal strengths, may allow the clinician a deeper understanding of a patient, result in a more personalized treatment approach, and potentially provide a better clinical outcome.

The impact of statins on psychological wellbeing : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background : Cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial for treating depression and improving mood. However, evidence regarding their effects remains inconsistent, with some studies reporting links to mood disturbances. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the impact of statins on psychological wellbeing of individuals with or without hypercholesterolemia.

Methods : Articles were identified using medical, health, psychiatric and social science databases, evaluated for quality, and data were synthesized and analyzed in RevMan-5 software using a random effects model.

Results : The 7 randomized controlled trials included in the analysis represented 2,105 participants. A test for overall effect demonstrated no statistically significant differences in psychological wellbeing between participants receiving statins or a placebo (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.08, 95% CI -0.29 to 0.12; P = 0.42). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to separately analyze depression (n = 5) and mood (n = 2) outcomes; statins were associated with statistically significant improvements in mood scores (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI -0.61 to -0.24).

Conclusions : Our findings refute evidence of negative effects of statins on psychological outcomes, providing some support for mood-related benefits. Future studies could examine the effects of statins in depressed populations.

Socio-demographic lifestyle and psychological predictors of benzodiazepine and z-hypnotic use patterns

Aims : Risk and demographic factors for benzodiazepine and z-hypnotic use are incompletely understood. The aim of the paper was therefore to investigate socio-demographic, lifestyle and psychological factors predicting onset and differential pattern of prescribed benzodiazepine and z-hypnotic use in a Norwegian population sample.

Methods : This retrospective cohort study obtained socio-demographic, psychological and lifestyle variables from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study. Information about benzodiazepine prescriptions from the Norwegian prescription database were linked to epidemiological questionnaire data. Benzodiazepine use was classified into single-period, intermittent and chronic use, and high dose use was defined as being prescribed a yearly average above 180 daily defined doses.

Results : Older age, sleep difficulties and smoking were positively associated with all patterns of benzodiazepine use. Male gender was related to a reduced risk of all patterns of use, whereas educational achievement was negatively associated with single-period use. Alcohol consumption, anxiety and tension were positively related to intermittent and chronic use, while exercise was negatively related to chronic use. Smoking, sleep difficulties and old age were positively associated with prescriptions of high benzodiazepine doses, while exercise was associated with lower doses.

Conclusions : Patterns of prescribed benzodiazepine use are linked to demographic, lifestyle and clinical variables. Non-pharmacological treatment for sleep difficulties and smoking cessation may reduce the risk of chronic benzodiazepine use.

Gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)-related symptoms and its association with mood and anxiety disorders and psychological symptomology: a population-based study in women

Background:
Psychopathology seems to play a role in reflux pathogenesis and vice versa, yet few population based studies have systematically investigated the association between gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and psychopathology. We thus aimed to investigate the relationship between GORD-related symptoms and psychological symptomatology, as well as clinically diagnosed mood and anxiety disorders in a randomly selected, population-based sample of adult women.