A comparative mental health literacy survey of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in Singapore

Objective: The objectives of this study are, first, to replicate and extend an Australian approach to assessing mental health literacy by studying a sample of Singapore mental health professionals, and to focus on differences between judgements made by the psychiatrists in comparison with the other mental health professionals. Second, to compare the psychiatrists' judgements with those of Australian psychiatrists. Method: The Australian questionnaire, assessing responses in relation to vignettes of major depression and to schizophrenia was extended by adding a third vignette of mania, and by the addition of several region-specific response options. Nearly 500 questionnaires were distributed to representative staff (psychiatrists, nurses and allied health) of a large psychiatric institution in Singapore, with a response rate of 81%. Psychiatrists' judgements were compared with all other hospital staff, and with Australian psychiatrists' judgements. Results: The two principal contrast groups (Singapore psychiatrists and other Singapore mental health professionals) differed slightly in terms of diagnostic accuracy. The psychiatrists differed in favouring a more professionally focused model of intervention, while both professional groups viewed traditional healers and their practices as distinctly unhelpful. Direct comparison of psychiatrist ratings generated in Singapore and in Australia revealed quite similar response profiles. Conclusions: In addition to generating data of some intrinsic importance, comparison with Australian survey data allows the potential impact of regional and cultural differences, as well as of varying psychiatric practices, to be identified. Responses identified more similarities than differences in the judgements of the psychiatrists from the two countries.

A qualitative study of Australian GPs' attitudes and practices in the diagnosis and management of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Background. The importance of general practice involvement in the care of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasing due to the rising numbers of patients who present with the disorder. It has been suggested by consensus bodies that GPs should be identifying and referring patients at the severe end of the ADHD spectrum and managing those with less severe symptoms. However, GPs' views of their role in ADHD care are unknown. Objective. Our aim was to explore the attitudes and practices of Australian GPs towards the diagnosis and management of ADHD. Methods. We conducted a series of focus groups to explore GPs' beliefs regarding the causes of ADHD, their perceived role in ADHD diagnosis and management and their views on the role of behaviour therapies and pharmacotherapies in ADHD management. The subjects were 28 GPs in six focus groups. Results. GPs in this study did not want to be the primary providers of care for patients with ADHD. Participants indicated a preference to refer the patient to medical specialists for diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, and expressed low levels of interest in becoming highly involved in ADHD care. Concerns about overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of the disorder, diagnostic complexity, time constraints, insufficient education and training about the disorder, and concerns regarding misuse and diversion of stimulant medications were the reasons cited for their lack of willingness. Conclusions. The Australian GPs in this study identify a role for themselves in ADHD care which is largely supportive in nature, and involves close liaison with specialist services.

The ambivalent practices of reflexivity

Reflexivity involves turning one's reflexive gaze oil discourse-turning language back on itself to see the Work it does in constituting the world. The subject/researcher sees simultaneously the object of her or his gaze and the means by which the object (which may include oneself as subject) is being constituted. The consciousness of self that reflexive writing sometimes entails may be seen to slip inadvertently into constituting the very (real) self that seems to contradict a focus on the constitutive power of discourse. This article explores this site of slippage and of ambivalence. In a collective biography oil the topic of reflexivity, the authors tell and write stories about reflexivity and in a doubled reflexive arc, examine themselves at work during the workshop. Examining their own memories and reflexive practices, they explore this place of slippage and provide theoretical and practical insight into what is going on in reflexive research and writing.

The Australian Universities Teaching Committee project in 'Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Psychology'

The Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC) funds projects intended to improve the quality of teaching and learning in specific disciplinary areas. The project brief for 'Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Psychology' for 2004/2005 was to 'produce an evaluative overview of courses ... with a focus on the specification and assessment of learning outcomes and ... identify strategic directions for universities to enhance teaching and learning'. This project was awarded to a consortium from The University of Queensland, University of Tasmania, and Southern Cross University. The starting point for this project is an analysis of the scientist-practitioner model and its role in curriculum design, a review of current challenges at a conceptual level, and consideration of the implications of recent changes to universities relating to such things as intemationalisation of programs and technological advances. The project will seek to bring together stakeholders from around the country in order to survey the widest possible range of perspectives on the project brief requirements. It is hoped also to establish mechanisms for fiiture scholarly discussion of these issues, including the establishment of an Australian Society for the Teaching of Psychology and an annual conference.

HISTORIOGRAPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY IN BRAZIL: Pioneer Works, Recent Developments

The evolution of the historiography of psychology in Brazil is surveyed, to describe how the field has evolved from the seminal works of the pioneer, mostly self-taught, psychologists, to the now professional historians working from a variety of theoretical models and methods of inquiry. The first accounts of the history of psychology written by Brazilians and by foreigners are surveyed, as well as the recent works made by researchers linked to the Work Group on the History of Psychology of the Brazilian Association of Research and Graduate Education in Psychology and published in periodicals such as Memorandum and Mnemosine. The present historiography focuses mainly the relationship of psychological knowledge to specific social and cultural conditions, emphasizing themes such as women`s participation in the construction of the field, the development of psychology as a science and as a profession in education and health, and the development of psychology as an expression of Brazilian culture and of the experience of resistance of local communities to domination. To reveal this process of identity construction, a cultural historiography is an important tool, coupled with methodological pluralism.

An archaeobotanical perspective on Holocene plant-use practices in lowland northern New Guinea

Existing archaeobotanical and palynological records of plant use in the northern New Guinea lowlands are reviewed in light of recent work at Kuk and theoretical refocusing on plant use practice. A practice-based approach is supported as the most useful way of investigating the highly problematical area of tropical plant food production. The existing direct record of past plant use in lowland New Guinea is considered woefully inadequate to achieve this task, as is that in Near Oceania and Island Southeast Asia. Archaeobotanical methods exist to fill the void, but full implementation requires a change in general archaeological and palaeoecological practice.

Can we start to think about consensus-oriented clinical practices?

Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute

Investigation on Brazilian Clinical Practices in Rheumatoid Arthritis The Brazilian Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Practices Investigation-BRACTICE

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease causing significant social, medical, and economic impact. Several therapeutic regimens are available within the medical arsenal. The rational and reasoned use of various medications approved for their treatment is imperative. This study aimed to evaluate how Brazilian rheumatologists use the drugs available to combat the disease. For this, 128 Brazilian rheumatologists from public and private health services responded to an 18-item questionnaire, sent over the Internet, about different situations of drug treatment of RA. The answers helped to confirm the trends among Brazilian rheumatologists in the drug treatment of RA. The study results have shown that most Brazilian rheumatologists follow the guidelines and consensus established by the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for the treatment of RA. A small proportion, however, start the biologic therapy in early stages of the disease, including the very early stage, as the first treatment option. Most experts use corticosteroids in low doses early in the treatment. Conclusions: This study confirms that the majority but not all Brazilian rheumatologists follow, in their daily practice, established guidelines and consensus for the treatment of RA. However, it also shows that some few rheumatologists start with anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in very early arthritis independently of disease severity or prognostic factors.

Labour flexibility and gender in the service sector: A study of employment practices in law and accounting firms

In seeking to increase the flexibility of their use of employee time, employers can pursue strategies based on the employment of casual and part-time workers (numerical flexibility) or strategies based on ad hoc variation of the working hours of permanent employees (working time flexibility). Patterns of flexibility strategies and their implications are examined in the context of a highly feminised sector of work-clerical and administrative employment in law and accounting firms. We consider whether, as is often assumed, working time flexibility strategies are generally better for employees because they avoid the substitution of core, high quality jobs with the peripheral, relatively insecure employment often associated with casualisation. Analysing data drawn from a survey of law and accounting firms, we argue that there are three distinct flexibility strategies adopted by employers, and that the choice of strategy is influenced by the size of the firm and the extent of feminisation. The quality of employment conditions associated with each strategy is investigated through an analysis of the determinants of training provision for clerical and administrative workers. Rather than an expected simple linear relationship between increasing casualisation and decreasing training provision, we find that firm size and feminisation are implicated. Larger firms that tend to employ at least some men and use a combination of working time and numerical flexibility strategies tend to provide more training than the small, more fully feminised firms that tend to opt for either casualisation or working time flexibility strategies. This suggests that, from an employee perspective, working time flexibility may not be as benevolent as is often thought.

Survey of countertrade practices in Australia

This empirical exploratory study is part of a larger comprehensive study of countertrade practices in the Asia-Pacific region. A mail survey of 600 Australian international trading firms reveals that a positive attitude toward countertrade exists among both countertraders and non-countertraders in Australia. Further the study reveals the major motivating factors, the benefits derived difficulties faced and reasons for not countertrading by Australian firms. In addition, the study identifies the forms of countertrade used, the countries sewed, and the product and service categories countertraded. The results are compared to earlier studies of UK and Canadian firms, and the implications for international marketing managers are discussed. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1997.

Self-Directed Behavioral Family Intervention for Parents of Oppositional Children in Rural and Remote Areas

Twenty-four parents of oppositional preschoolers were randomly assigned to either a self-directed behavioral family intervention condition (SD) or to a waitlist control group (WL). The self-directed parent training program based on self-regulation principles, consisted of a written information package and weekly telephone consultations for 10 weeks. At posttest, in comparison to the WL group, children in the SD group had lower levels of behavior problems on parent report measures of child behavior. At posttreatment, parents in the SD condition reported increased levels of parenting competence and lower levels of dysfunctional parenting practices as compared to parents in the WL condition. In addition, mothers reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress as compared to mothers in the WL condition at posttreatment. Using mother's reports, gains in child behavior and parenting practices achieved at posttreatment were maintained at 4-month follow-up.