Employment arrangements and mental health in a cohort of working Australians : are transitions from permanent to temporary employment associated with changes in mental health?

We investigated whether being in temporary employment, as compared with permanent employment, was associated with a difference in Short Form 36 mental health and whether transitions from permanent employment to temporary employment were associated with mental health changes. We used fixed-effects regression in a nationally representative Australian sample with 10 waves of data collection (2001–2010). Interactions by age and sex were tested. Two forms of temporary employment were studied: “casual” (no paid leave entitlements or fixed hours) and “fixed-term contract” (a defined employment period plus paid leave). There were no significant mental health differences between temporary employment and permanent employment in standard fixed-effects analyses and no significant interactions by sex or age. For all age groups combined, there were no significant changes in mental health following transitions from stable permanent employment to temporary employment, but there was a significant interaction with age (P = 0.03) for the stable-permanent-to-casual employment transition, because of a small transition-associated improvement in mental health for workers aged 55–64 years (β = 1.61, 95% confidence interval: 0.34, 2.87; 16% of the standard deviation of mental health scores). Our analyses suggest that temporary employment is not harmful to mental health in the Australian context and that it may be beneficial for 55- to 64-year-olds transitioning from stable permanent employment to casual employment.

Intersections between disability, type of impairment, gender and socio-economic disadvantage in a nationally representative sample of 33,101 working aged Australians

Background:People with disabilities are socio-economically disadvantaged and have poorer health than people without disabilities; however, little is known about the way in which disadvantage is patterned by gender and type of impairment.Objectives:1. To describe whether socio-economic circumstances vary according to type of impairment (sensory and speech, intellectual, physical, psychological and acquired brain injury) 2. To compare levels of socio-economic disadvantage for women and men with the same impairment typeMethods:We used a large population-based disability-focused survey of Australians, analysing data from 33,101 participants aged 25 to 64. Indicators of socio-economic disadvantage included education, income, employment, housing vulnerability, and multiple disadvantage. Stratified by impairment type, we estimated: the population weighted prevalence of socio-economic disadvantage; the relative odds of disadvantage compared to people without disabilities; and the relative odds of disadvantage between women and men.Results:With few exceptions, people with disabilities fared worse for every indicator compared to people without disability; those with intellectual and psychological impairments and acquired brain injuries were most disadvantaged. While overall women with disabilities were more disadvantaged than men, the magnitude of the relative differences was lower than the same comparisons between women and men without disabilities, and there were few differences between women and men with the same impairment types.Conclusions:Crude comparisons between people with and without disabilities obscure how disadvantage is patterned according to impairment type and gender. The results emphasise the need to unpack how gender and disability intersect to shape socio-economic disadvantage.

Choreography, or framed kinaesthetics

This catalogue essay defines, for a visual art audience, the notion of choreography in dance with an emphasis on modern dance. Intersections with and differences between historical approached to dance-making and approaches in the visual arts are discussed.

Exploring children’s work involvement and school attendance in rural Cambodia

This thesis is entitled: Exploring children’s work involvement and school attendance in rural Cambodia. The author identified that children’s participation in education is heavily influenced by family financial strain, limited school and community engagement, risks of school dropout for unskilled work opportunities and the failure of education leading to employment.

Reasoned versus reactive prediction of behaviour: a meta-analysis of the prototype willingness model

The prototype willingness model (PWM) was designed to extend expectancy-value models of health behaviour by also including a heuristic, or social reactive pathway, to better explain health-risk behaviours in adolescents and young adults. The pathway includes prototype, i.e., images of a typical person who engages in a behaviour, and willingness to engage in behaviour. The current study describes a meta-analysis of predictive research using the PWM and explores the role of the heuristic pathway and intentions in predicting behaviour. Eighty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, the PWM was supported and explained 20.5% of the variance in behaviour. Willingness explained 4.9% of the variance in behaviour over and above intention, although intention tended to be more strongly related to behaviour than was willingness. The strength of the PWM relationships tended to vary according to the behaviour being tested, with alcohol consumption being the behaviour best explained. Age was also an important moderator, and, as expected, PWM behaviour was best accounted for within adolescent samples. Results were heterogeneous even after moderators were taken into consideration. This meta-analysis provides support for the PWM and may be used to inform future interventions that can be tailored for at-risk populations.

Characteristics of Mentally Disordered Youth Referred to a Forensic Satellite Clinic for Violence Risk Assessment: A Case Control Study

There is a lack of appropriate services to manage youth with comorbid mental health problems and violence risks. To address this gap, we implemented a forensic satellite clinic in a youth mental health service. This paper characterises offending histories among 45 young patients referred to the clinic, and compares them with matched clinical controls (n = 45). Levels of prior risk taking and aggression were prominent among referred patients. Forensic cases and controls did not differ on demographic and clinical variables, with the exception of psychiatric inpatient admissions, which were higher among referred patients. Group differences were observed for prior offending variables (e.g., physical aggression), which were significantly higher among referred patients than controls. Findings suggest that referrals were made to the clinic based on challenging and aggressive behaviour rather than specific clinical characteristics. The role of specialist assessment, treatment and management of violence risks in youth mental health services are discussed.

The first time

'The First Time' employs performed research to investigate the 'firsts' of twelve first year teachers in Victorian schools. Based on interview data generated over the period of a year, the performance highlights 'firsts' as epiphanic or revelatory moments of professional identity transformation. The performance is crafted to reflect the fluid and unpredictable nature of teachers' professional identity. 'The First Time' uses only the words of the teachers, and is performed by teachers - including first year teachers. It reveals the destabilising effects of contextual factors on teachers' professional identity. Status and belonging are positioned within survival, liminal, and hegemonic discourses, and expressed through artefacts as symbols of belonging. The low status ascribed to contractual work underpins beginning teachers' commitment to the profession. The premier performance (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB1ED0FDEF2AA8836) was initially devised to analyse the interview data through the process of scripting, rehearsal, and performance. This version sees the addition of a concluding dance work, which reflects the results of the research. The voices of the participants from their interview recordings shape the dance work.Performed by: Melissa Learmonth, Beaux Glenn, Arna Pletes, Krystal Holzer, Ashlea Thompson, Tom Ellis, Lauren Wallis, Fiona McGrath, and Claire Hesse.

The lived experiences of third culture kids transitioning into university life in Australia

This study presents a new orienting framework to aid in the understanding of how Third Culture Kids' (TCKs) transition into university life in Australia. The framework was developed after analysis of data from a qualitative phenomenological research project using data from 12 in-depth interviews with Australian TCKs aged 18-27 years who, had spent 3-18 years living in Africa, Europe and Asia and had been in Australia for seven months to nine years. After thematic data analysis was conducted four themes emerged from the data which resulted in the development of a TCK Transition into University Model. This model includes four stages; (a) preparedness prior to transition, (b) initial experience during transition, (c) adjustment during transition and (d) stabilisation. Each of the four stages provides information about participants' practical, social and emotional experience of the transition to university life in Australia. The key findings included participants who received preparation from their school and family prior to moving, had practical support in Australia and engaged in Australian social networks and university life experienced improved emotional health and made way for a positive transition. Participants who were socially isolated and had limited practical support experienced relatively poor emotional health and transitional hardships. The findings from this research suggest that a TCKs' emotional and mental health during transition is either negatively or positively affected by the preparation they received prior to moving, the practical stressors they encountered upon arrival and the social integration into Australian social networks and universities. Further qualitative research in the area of TCK transition experiences should consider including the narratives of TCKs from various geographic backgrounds, sexualities, abilities and ethnicities to diversify and build on the evidence base around the TCK phenomenon. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Optimal fire histories for biodiversity conservation

Fire is used as a management tool for biodiversity conservation worldwide. A common objective is to avoid population extinctions due to inappropriate fire regimes. However, in many ecosystems, it is unclear what mix of fire histories will achieve this goal. We determined the optimal fire history of a given area for biological conservation with a method that links tools from 3 fields of research: species distribution modeling, composite indices of biodiversity, and decision science. We based our case study on extensive field surveys of birds, reptiles, and mammals in fire-prone semi-arid Australia. First, we developed statistical models of species' responses to fire history. Second, we determined the optimal allocation of successional states in a given area, based on the geometric mean of species relative abundance. Finally, we showed how conservation targets based on this index can be incorporated into a decision-making framework for fire management. Pyrodiversity per se did not necessarily promote vertebrate biodiversity. Maximizing pyrodiversity by having an even allocation of successional states did not maximize the geometric mean abundance of bird species. Older vegetation was disproportionately important for the conservation of birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Because our method defines fire management objectives based on the habitat requirements of multiple species in the community, it could be used widely to maximize biodiversity in fire-prone ecosystems. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Testing the feasibility of a mobile technology intervention promoting healthy gestational weight gain in pregnant women (txt4two) - study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Overweight, obesity and excess gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with negative health outcomes for mother and child in pregnancy and across the life course. Interventions promoting GWG within guidelines report mixed results. Most are time and cost intensive, which limits scalability. Mobile technologies (mHealth) offer low cost, ready access and individually-tailored support. We aim to test the feasibility of an mHealth intervention promoting healthy nutrition, physical activity and GWG in women who begin pregnancy overweight or obese. METHODS/DESIGN: txt4two is a parallel randomised control trial pilot recruiting women with a singleton, live gestation between 10(+0) and 17(+6) weeks at the first hospital antenatal clinic visit. Inclusion criteria are pre-pregnancy BMI > 25 kg/m(2) and mobile phone ownership. One hundred consenting women will be randomised to intervention or control groups at a 1:1 ratio. All participants will receive standard antenatal care. In addition, the txt4two intervention will be delivered from baseline to 36 weeks gestation and consists of a tailored suite of theoretically-grounded, evidence-based intervention strategies focusing on healthy nutrition, physical activity and GWG. This includes: mobile phone interactive text messages promoting positive health behaviours, goal setting and self-monitoring; video messages; an information website; and a private moderated Facebook® chat forum. The primary outcome is the feasibility of the intervention. Secondary outcomes include GWG and participants' knowledge and behaviour regarding diet and physical activity during pregnancy. DISCUSSION: Findings will inform the development of larger-scale mHealth programmes to improve the delivery of healthy pregnancy nutrition, physical activity and GWG, that could be widely translated and disseminated. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRNU111111544397 . Date of registration: 19 March 2014.

Patient participation in pulmonary interventions to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications following cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Clinical interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications necessitate patient engagement and participation in care. Patients' ability and willingness to participate in care to reduce postoperative complications is unclear. Further, nurses' facilitation of patient participation in pulmonary interventions has not been explored. OBJECTIVE: To explore patients' ability and willingness to participate in pulmonary interventions and nurses' facilitation of pulmonary interventions. DESIGN: Single institution, case study design. Multiple methods of data collection were used including preadmission (n=130) and pre-discharge (n=98) patient interviews, naturalistic observations (n=48) and nursing focus group interviews (n=2). SETTING: A cardiac surgical ward of a major metropolitan, tertiary referral hospital in Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and thirty patients admitted for cardiac surgery via the preadmission clinic during a 1-year period and 40 registered nurses who were part of the permanent workforce on the cardiac surgical ward. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients' understanding of their role in pulmonary interventions and patients' preference for and reported involvement in pulmonary management. Nurses' facilitation of patients to participate in pulmonary interventions. RESULTS: Patients displayed a greater understanding of their role in pulmonary interventions after their surgical admission than they did at preadmission. While 55% of patients preferred to make decisions about deep breathing and coughing exercises, three-quarters of patients (75%) reported they made decisions about deep breathing and coughing during their surgical admission. Nurses missed opportunities to engage patients in this aspect of pulmonary management. CONCLUSIONS: Patients appear willing to take responsibility for pulmonary management in the postoperative period. Nurses could enhance patient participation in pulmonary interventions by ensuring adequate information and education is provided. Facilitation of patients' participation in their recovery is a fundamental aspect of care delivery in this context.