Dissertations / Theses: 'Mental illness Australia'

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Sia, Lavina Si Xuan. "Suboptimal sleep among persons with a mental illness in Australia." Thesis, Sia, Lavina Si Xuan (2019) Suboptimal sleep among persons with a mental illness in Australia. Masters by Coursework thesis, Murdoch University, 2019. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/60869/.

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Background: Persons with a mental illness commonly report experiencing suboptimal sleep and several sociodemographic factors have been shown to be associated with suboptimal sleep. However, there is a lack of research exploring these in a representative sample of Australian adults, especially those with a mental illness. The present study aimed to (i) describe the prevalence of suboptimal sleep in a representative sample of Australian adults, categorised according to recently published sleep duration and quality guidelines (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015; Ohayon et al., 2017), and whether prevalence rates varied between persons with and without a mental illness; and (ii) examine associations between suboptimal sleep and sociodemographic factors and explore variations in such, according to mental health status. Method: A cross-sectional study was done using data from the National Social Survey (n = 1265) with a representative sample of Australian adults. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations between various sociodemographic factors and suboptimal sleep parameters. Results: Findings showed that suboptimal sleep, in both duration and quality, affects a considerable proportion of Australian adults (5%-20%), and a significantly higher proportion of those with a mental illness (6%-39%). Consistent with previous research, sociodemographic characteristics associated with a greater likelihood of suboptimal sleep in persons without a mental illness include age, gender, marital status, employment, educational attainment, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status. For persons with a mental illness, males (OR = 3.82; p < 0.001), adults aged 18 to 65 (aged 18-24: OR =12.15, p < 0.05; aged 24-65: OR = 3.00; p < 0.001), and individuals with an unpaid employment (OR = 3.75; p < 0.05), were more likely to report experiencing suboptimal sleep. Conclusion: Understanding the prevalence of suboptimal sleep and sociodemographic variables associated with suboptimal sleep in persons with a mental illness can have both broader public health and clinical implications for assessment, screening and early intervention of subgroups that are more likely to report suboptimal sleep, given the bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health. Keywords: Sleep; Prevalence rates; Mental illness; Sociodemographic characteristics

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Endrawes, Gihane, University of Western Sydney, College of Social and Health Sciences, and of Nursing Family and Community Health School. "Egyptian families caring for a relative with mental illness in Australia." THESIS_CSHS_NFC_Endrawes_G.xml, 2003. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/713.

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The meaning of caregiving for a relative with mental illness has been explored in many research studies: however, there is a lack of studies on the caregiving experience within the Egyptian culture. This study aimed at getting closer to Egyptian families caring for a relative with mental illness in Australia in order to reveal how these families live and cope with mental illness, their attitudes, their beliefs and practices and how the experience affected them. Qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology informed by the work of Heidegger was used. Seven participants from Egyptian background, caring for a relative with mental illness participated and all interviews were audio-taped. Interviews were conducted in the Arabic language and were then translated and transcribed into English. All interviews were compared and five common themes were identified. Why did it happen?: How do I protect my loved ones?: What has it done to me?: What has it done to us?: and How do I survive? Findings of the study have the potential to raise health care professionals’ awareness of the needs of Egyptian families, their beliefs, values and coping with mental illness. Strengths and limitations of the study are also presented to inform future research
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Degenhardt, Louisa Psychology Faculty of Science UNSW. "Comorbidity between substance use and mental health in Australia: Relationships of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use with other substance use and mental disorders." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Psychology, 2001. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/18247.

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Research into the comorbidity (or co-occurrence) of mental disorders is a relatively recent phenomenon. Much of this research has been conducted in clinical samples, which are prone to a range of biases that mean that the patterns observed are not representative of the general population. Although population-level research has previously been carried out, this thesis provides the first examination of comorbidity in the Australian population. This thesis examined the comorbidity of substance use and mental disorders among Australian adults. The major empirical work involved an examination of the patterns of homotypic comorbidity (other substance use disorders) and heterotypic comorbidity (mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and psychosis) of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis in the 1997 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being (NSMHWB). These drugs were chosen as they are the most commonly used psychoactive substances in the Australian population. The NSMHWB involved a structured diagnostic interview of mental disorders with a representative sample of Australian adults. Three questions were addressed using this data: (1) What patterns of comorbidity exist between tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use, and other substance use and mental disorders?; (2) Are these patterns of comorbidity explained by common factors?; and (3) Does comorbidity affect the likelihood that mental health treatment has been sought? Similar patterns of homotypic comorbidity were observed for all three substances, and they were not explained by the other factors examined (gender, age, education, relationship status, employment and neuroticism). Cannabis dependence was the most strongly associated with other substance use disorders. Heterotypic comorbidity differed between alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use. Tobacco use predicted increased rates of all three groups of mental disorders (mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders). In the case of alcohol, only alcohol dependence was related to increased rates of all groups of mental disorders; alcohol use and abuse were not associated with heterotypic comorbidity. Any level of cannabis involvement was related to a similarly increased risk of mood and anxiety disorders. Cannabis use was linearly related to the risk of screening positively for psychosis. Common factors did not change the patterns of heterotypic comorbidity of tobacco and alcohol use. However, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use appeared to explain the higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders among cannabis users. Treatment seeking was much more likely among alcohol, tobacco and cannabis users when they had comorbid mental disorders. It was moderately increased when they had comorbid substance use disorders. The second piece of empirical work provided a more detailed examination of comorbid substance use problems among persons with psychosis. This topic was selected due to the limited epidemiological research on this issue, and the relatively large burden of disability that psychosis places upon the individual and the community. NSMHWB data were used to examine the prevalence of comorbid substance use disorders among persons who were likely to have met criteria for psychosis (as assessed by a screener used in the NSMHWB). Multiple regression analyses were used to test possible explanations for the higher rates of substance use disorders observed among persons reporting higher numbers of psychotic symptoms. The odds of alcohol dependence and regular tobacco use increased 1.5 times, and the odds of cannabis dependence increased twice, with each additional psychotic symptom reported, after adjusting for other substance use disorders, other mental disorders and demographic characteristics. Given the debate about the reasons for the association between cannabis use and psychosis, the final study used mathematical modelling to test four hypotheses about relationships between cannabis use and psychosis. Specifically, it examined trends in psychosis that would be predicted given the marked increases in the prevalence of cannabis use that have occurred in Australia over the past thirty years. The results suggested that a causal relationship - in which cannabis use caused psychosis among persons who would not otherwise have developed the disorder - is unlikely to explain the association. There was a better fit to the data provided by the other hypotheses examined, namely, that (a) cannabis use precipitates psychosis among vulnerable individuals; (b) cannabis use increases the risk of relapse among persons with psychosis; and (c) persons with psychosis are more likely to become regular cannabis users (without any effect upon the disorder). This thesis has demonstrated that in Australian adults there is significant comorbidity between alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use and other substance use and mental disorders. These patterns differ across the three substances. Some types of heterotypic comorbidity (e.g. between cannabis use and mood/anxiety disorders) are explained by common factors. The limited range of common factors tested here did not explain homotypic comorbidity. This thesis also suggested that mathematical modelling is a useful approach to consider when examining the plausibility of different relationships between risk factors and mental disorders. A number of hypotheses regarding comorbidity could not be tested using NSMHWB data, such as common genetic and other environmental factors. These can best be tested in research with samples of twins, and using longitudinal designs that assess a wide range of social and environmental factors. The findings of this thesis also have implications for treatment, because persons with comorbid disorders are more likely to seek treatment. There is an absence of validated treatments for persons with comorbid substance use and mental disorders, and more research is needed on this issue.

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Holland, Kate E., and n/a. "Conformity and resistance: Discursive struggles in the Australian mental health field." University of Canberra. Communication, 2007. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20081022.153830.

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This research explores areas of contention in the mental heath field in Australia through a qualitative analysis of voices and practices that can broadly be seen as talking with and talking back to psychiatry. The thesis is informed by key shifts in thinking that underpin postpsychiatry and analyses a set of materials through an interpretive lens of reading psychiatry against the grain (Bracken & Thomas, 2005; Lewis, 2006). In particular, it examines a failed ethics application to conduct research with people diagnosed with a mental illness, an anti-stigma campaign, the practices of some prominent mental health organisations in Australia, a conversation with two members of an emerging consumer/survivor network in Australia, and a television documentary and online discussion forum about an antidepressant medication. The research draws from discourse analytic methods and concepts from social movement framing research to identify factors shaping conformity and resistance to psychiatric doxa in the Australian mental health field. The research identifies the discursive repertoires that characterise the mental health field as a "game" in which competing perspectives vie for recognition. In relation to research ethics committees, the thesis argues that deference to clinical expertise is a potential barrier to cultural studies of psychiatry and a more inclusive agenda in mental heath research and practice. Some practices for ethics committees to consider when reviewing research that involves people who may have been diagnosed with a mental illness are proposed. The research also identifies problematic features of anti-stigma campaigns that direct their efforts toward protecting and promoting the discourse of biomedical psychiatry. A critique of this type of campaign is offered in relation to perspectives from postpsychiatry and social constructionism. On the basis of this research, it is argued that organisations that champion "mental health literacy" are limited in their ability to give voice to the goals and priorities of those who are calling for a more open, reflexive and democratic debate in mental health. The central argument of this thesis is that elevating first-person and postpsychiatry perspectives is necessary in order to interrogate and address the dominance of the medical model in psychiatry and its consequences.

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Mostafanejad, Karola. "Young adults' experience of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia: a grounded theory approach." Thesis, Curtin University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79.

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It is estimated that one in five Australians are affected by a mental disorder, and the associated burden of living with a mental illness will become one of the greatest health care issues during the next 20 years. Since the 1960s, the care of people with mental disorders has been transferred to community settings including to rural areas of Australia through the process of deinstitutionalisation. However, research on young adults living with a mental illness in rural communities is limited, and the multidimensional experience of this group of young adults has not been previously explored. This study, guided by grounded theory methodology, explored young adults' experience of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia. This thesis presents the findings of interviews with nine participants aged between 18 and 30 and places the findings within the context of relevant scientific literature. The constant comparative method used in grounded theory analysis identified that the basic social psychological problem experienced by all participants was "being shut out". The problem of being shut out consisted of two aspects: "being excluded" and "withdrawing from society". In order to manage the problem of being shut out, participants engaged in the basic social psychological process of "seeking normality". In seeking normality participants moved from a state of being shut out to one whereby they sought to take part in ordinary social activities taken for granted by other members of society. The process of seeking normality consisted of three phases: "floundering", "taking charge", and "moving forward. Phase one of the process occurred primarily in the period prior to experiencing a turning point, which changed the participants' willingness to take control of their life and to take effective steps in reducing their isolation.Participants' experience of being shut out was not related to the duration of their illness but to their experience of seeking normality and the three conditions identified as influencing that experience. The findings, while supporting existing scientific literature, also present a new insight into young adults' experience of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia. The findings of this study highlight the importance of health professionals' understanding young adults' experience of being shut out and to incorporate the increased knowledge and understanding into their clinical practice. Finally, the findings have implications on public education, healthcare services and healthcare policy in relation to young adults living with a mental illness.

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Mostafanejad, Karola. "Young adults' experience of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia : a grounded theory approach /." Curtin University of Technology, School of Nursing and Midwifery, 2005. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=16160.

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It is estimated that one in five Australians are affected by a mental disorder, and the associated burden of living with a mental illness will become one of the greatest health care issues during the next 20 years. Since the 1960s, the care of people with mental disorders has been transferred to community settings including to rural areas of Australia through the process of deinstitutionalisation. However, research on young adults living with a mental illness in rural communities is limited, and the multidimensional experience of this group of young adults has not been previously explored. This study, guided by grounded theory methodology, explored young adults' experience of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia. This thesis presents the findings of interviews with nine participants aged between 18 and 30 and places the findings within the context of relevant scientific literature. The constant comparative method used in grounded theory analysis identified that the basic social psychological problem experienced by all participants was "being shut out". The problem of being shut out consisted of two aspects: "being excluded" and "withdrawing from society". In order to manage the problem of being shut out, participants engaged in the basic social psychological process of "seeking normality". In seeking normality participants moved from a state of being shut out to one whereby they sought to take part in ordinary social activities taken for granted by other members of society. The process of seeking normality consisted of three phases: "floundering", "taking charge", and "moving forward. Phase one of the process occurred primarily in the period prior to experiencing a turning point, which changed the participants' willingness to take control of their life and to take effective steps in reducing their isolation.
Participants' experience of being shut out was not related to the duration of their illness but to their experience of seeking normality and the three conditions identified as influencing that experience. The findings, while supporting existing scientific literature, also present a new insight into young adults' experience of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia. The findings of this study highlight the importance of health professionals' understanding young adults' experience of being shut out and to incorporate the increased knowledge and understanding into their clinical practice. Finally, the findings have implications on public education, healthcare services and healthcare policy in relation to young adults living with a mental illness.

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Ku, Tan Kan. "Culture and stigma towards mental illness : a comparison of general and psychiatric nurses of Chinese and Anglo-Australian backgrounds /." Connect to thesis, 2007. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/8400.

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A sample of 208 nurses (a response rate of 63%) participated in a study by responding to a questionnaire comprising of 170 items which examined nurses’ attitudes towards mental illness, and the association between contact, cultural values, general and practice stigma. General stigma refers to attitudes towards the mentally ill while practice stigma is informed from differential clinical practice approaches towards the care of two case vignettes describing a patient with mental illness and one with diabetes. Subjects were recruited using the snowballing technique and comprised of nurses (83 Anglo Psychiatric, 41 Anglo General, 49 Chinese Psychiatric and 35 Chinese General) currently practising in Victoria. Age ranged from 21 to 65 years. Principal components analyses were conducted on items to develop subscales related to individualism and collectivism, contact types, general and practice stigma. Analyses of variance and covariance were conducted to examine differences between nurse type and ethnicity and respectively, to account for possible differences in background, contact and in the case of practice stigma, general stigma.
The key findings revealed differences according to nurse type and ethnicity in several of the subscales. Psychiatric nurses endorsed a higher level of contact than general nurses with mentally ill people on the variables ‘Contact Through Work Situation’, ‘Patient Help Nurses’ and ‘External Socialisation with Patient’, but not on the variable ‘Relative With Mental Illness’. By virtue of more contact, psychiatric nurses also endorsed less general stigma than general nurses, assessed by results from analysing social distancing, but not by negative stereotyping of people with mental illness. With respect to practice stigma, while care and satisfaction did not differ according to patient type and nurse type, psychiatric nurses expressed less authoritarianism and negativity than general nurses towards the mental illness case than general nurses while lesser differences between nurse types were evident for the diabetes case. Chinese nurses when compared with Anglo-Australian nurses, endorsed more highly collectivist values measured by the variables ‘Ingroup Interdependence’ and ‘Ingroup Role Concern’ but there was no difference in individualist values. This may reflect acculturation towards Western values but also retention of Chinese values, interpreted in the light of other results on cultural affiliation, as a bicultural position. Chinese nurses endorsed more highly general stigma towards the mentally ill than Anglo nurses when statistically controlling for differences in background demographics and contact factors.
Nursing satisfaction did not differ in ethnicity and patient type. Chinese nurses endorsed more highly care and authoritarianism in their clinical practice approaches than Anglo-Australian nurses, although there was no significant interaction effect between ethnicity and patient type on care and authoritarianism. Chinese nurses endorsed more highly negativity than Anglo-Australian nurses for the mental illness case than the diabetes case, an effect later shown to be mediated by differences in general stigma between the two ethnic groups. Within the Chinese sample, higher contact was associated with lower differential negativity for the mental illness than the diabetes case. Several path analyses suggested Chinese values influenced differential negativity, mediated by general stigma and prior diversified contact with people having a mental illness.
It may be concluded from these results that practice stigma is related to cultural values but the relationship is mediated by general stigma and contact. What aspect of the Chinese values specifically correlates with general stigma remains a question for further research, but several possibilities are discussed.

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Watson, Robert. "Generalist telephone counselling and referral call data as a social indicator : a lifeline to social support?" Thesis, University of Ballarat, 2006. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/32838.

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The aim of this Australian Research Council Linkage doctoral project with industry partners UnitingCare-Lifeline Ballarat and Lifeline Australia was to investigate whether calls to Lifeline – a generalist telephone counselling and referral service – could be used as valid and reliable social indicators of health. The Lifeline Australia service receives approximately 1,000 calls a day and key details of each call are recorded on its Client Services Management Information System (CSMIS). A number of research questions directed this study: (1) What are the characteristics or attributes of callers to Lifeline?; (2) How do the patterns of calls to Lifeline vary spatially?; and (3) What is the statistical relationship between calls to Lifeline and other measures of community health? This thesis presents a detailed descriptive summary and analysis of Lifeline’s national CSMIS call data (N = 90,128 cases) from 01-04-2003 to 29-06-2003. It explores this and other sources of call data, such as the Telstra Exchange data, for their potential to be used as social indicators. The project created a model of generalist telephone counselling and referral use (MGTCRU). The MGTCRU was used as a theoretical base to a call rate indicator, named the Lifeline Indicator of Social Need (LISN), which reflects the community’s capacity to provide social support to its most socially isolated residents. The LISN was found to have useful attributes and a potential for use as a social indicator of community strength. The call rate indicator showed a statistically significant relationship with the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia, measures of socio-economic disadvantage, and suicide rates. However, the CSMIS database was found to have certain limitations. The thesis presents recommendations for this situation to be addressed. While acknowledging that there are limitations to telephone counselling call data it is clear that these call data can be used to create cost effective, rapid, reliable, and potentially valid social indicators. This thesis has made a number of significant empirical and theoretical contributions to knowledge on telephone counselling and referral. The descriptive summary of the CSMIS data provided in this thesis might be used in innovative ways by social researchers. The LISN could be used on its own or included in other social indices. The MGTCRU provides a theoretical framework for understanding telephone counselling and referral services use and may assist these services to organise their operations and meet the needs of their callers. This project may have particular application to a current upgrade of Lifeline Australia’s telephony and call data systems.
Doctor of Philosophy

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Watson, Robert. "Generalist telephone counselling and referral call data as a social indicator : a lifeline to social support?" University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/15563.

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Abstract:

The aim of this Australian Research Council Linkage doctoral project with industry partners UnitingCare-Lifeline Ballarat and Lifeline Australia was to investigate whether calls to Lifeline – a generalist telephone counselling and referral service – could be used as valid and reliable social indicators of health. The Lifeline Australia service receives approximately 1,000 calls a day and key details of each call are recorded on its Client Services Management Information System (CSMIS). A number of research questions directed this study: (1) What are the characteristics or attributes of callers to Lifeline?; (2) How do the patterns of calls to Lifeline vary spatially?; and (3) What is the statistical relationship between calls to Lifeline and other measures of community health? This thesis presents a detailed descriptive summary and analysis of Lifeline’s national CSMIS call data (N = 90,128 cases) from 01-04-2003 to 29-06-2003. It explores this and other sources of call data, such as the Telstra Exchange data, for their potential to be used as social indicators. The project created a model of generalist telephone counselling and referral use (MGTCRU). The MGTCRU was used as a theoretical base to a call rate indicator, named the Lifeline Indicator of Social Need (LISN), which reflects the community’s capacity to provide social support to its most socially isolated residents. The LISN was found to have useful attributes and a potential for use as a social indicator of community strength. The call rate indicator showed a statistically significant relationship with the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia, measures of socio-economic disadvantage, and suicide rates. However, the CSMIS database was found to have certain limitations. The thesis presents recommendations for this situation to be addressed. While acknowledging that there are limitations to telephone counselling call data it is clear that these call data can be used to create cost effective, rapid, reliable, and potentially valid social indicators. This thesis has made a number of significant empirical and theoretical contributions to knowledge on telephone counselling and referral. The descriptive summary of the CSMIS data provided in this thesis might be used in innovative ways by social researchers. The LISN could be used on its own or included in other social indices. The MGTCRU provides a theoretical framework for understanding telephone counselling and referral services use and may assist these services to organise their operations and meet the needs of their callers. This project may have particular application to a current upgrade of Lifeline Australia’s telephony and call data systems.
Doctor of Philosophy

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Turner, Jayne University of Ballarat. "Mental health of older adults : the development and testing of a model." University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/12778.

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The high rates of depression and suicide among older adults have given rise to research which aims to identify factors that protect older people from mental illness. Recently, Bailey and McLaren (2005) developed and tested a model which investigated the relationships between engagement in various leisure activities performed alone or with others, sense of belonging, depression, and suicidal ideation. The present study examined an extended version of the mental health model, incorporating the additional variables of perceived freedom in leisure and physical health status. A sample of Australian males and females (N = 379) aged 65 years and over (M age = 77.23, SD = 7.48) completed the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Questionnaire, the Yale Physical Activity Survey,the Duke Health Profile, the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Scale, and the Suicide Subscale of the General Health Questionnaire. Results indicated that the model was invariant for gender, and accounted for 56% of the variance in suicidal ideation. The model indicated that physical health had direct relationships with each variable in the model. Perceived freedom in leisure predicted engagement in physical activity, sense of belonging-antecedent, and depression, whereas sense of belonging psychological state predicted depression and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that interventions aimed at improving older adults’ perceptions of freedom and personal choice with regard to their leisure experiences, maintaining optimal health, and increasing opportunities to foster feelings of belonging and relatedness with others, should protect against the development of mental ill health.
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

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Turner, Jayne. "Mental health of older adults : the development and testing of a model." Thesis, University of Ballarat, 2006. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/36289.

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The high rates of depression and suicide among older adults have given rise to research which aims to identify factors that protect older people from mental illness. Recently, Bailey and McLaren (2005) developed and tested a model which investigated the relationships between engagement in various leisure activities performed alone or with others, sense of belonging, depression, and suicidal ideation. The present study examined an extended version of the mental health model, incorporating the additional variables of perceived freedom in leisure and physical health status. A sample of Australian males and females (N = 379) aged 65 years and over (M age = 77.23, SD = 7.48) completed the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Questionnaire, the Yale Physical Activity Survey,the Duke Health Profile, the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Scale, and the Suicide Subscale of the General Health Questionnaire. Results indicated that the model was invariant for gender, and accounted for 56% of the variance in suicidal ideation. The model indicated that physical health had direct relationships with each variable in the model. Perceived freedom in leisure predicted engagement in physical activity, sense of belonging-antecedent, and depression, whereas sense of belonging psychological state predicted depression and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that interventions aimed at improving older adults’ perceptions of freedom and personal choice with regard to their leisure experiences, maintaining optimal health, and increasing opportunities to foster feelings of belonging and relatedness with others, should protect against the development of mental ill health.
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

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Turner, Jayne. "Mental health of older adults : the development and testing of a model." University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/15389.

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Abstract:

The high rates of depression and suicide among older adults have given rise to research which aims to identify factors that protect older people from mental illness. Recently, Bailey and McLaren (2005) developed and tested a model which investigated the relationships between engagement in various leisure activities performed alone or with others, sense of belonging, depression, and suicidal ideation. The present study examined an extended version of the mental health model, incorporating the additional variables of perceived freedom in leisure and physical health status. A sample of Australian males and females (N = 379) aged 65 years and over (M age = 77.23, SD = 7.48) completed the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Questionnaire, the Yale Physical Activity Survey,the Duke Health Profile, the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Scale, and the Suicide Subscale of the General Health Questionnaire. Results indicated that the model was invariant for gender, and accounted for 56% of the variance in suicidal ideation. The model indicated that physical health had direct relationships with each variable in the model. Perceived freedom in leisure predicted engagement in physical activity, sense of belonging-antecedent, and depression, whereas sense of belonging psychological state predicted depression and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that interventions aimed at improving older adults’ perceptions of freedom and personal choice with regard to their leisure experiences, maintaining optimal health, and increasing opportunities to foster feelings of belonging and relatedness with others, should protect against the development of mental ill health.
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

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Watson, Robert University of Ballarat. "Generalist telephone counselling and referral call data as a social indicator : a lifeline to social support?" University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/12788.

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Abstract:

The aim of this Australian Research Council Linkage doctoral project with industry partners UnitingCare-Lifeline Ballarat and Lifeline Australia was to investigate whether calls to Lifeline – a generalist telephone counselling and referral service – could be used as valid and reliable social indicators of health. The Lifeline Australia service receives approximately 1,000 calls a day and key details of each call are recorded on its Client Services Management Information System (CSMIS). A number of research questions directed this study: (1) What are the characteristics or attributes of callers to Lifeline?; (2) How do the patterns of calls to Lifeline vary spatially?; and (3) What is the statistical relationship between calls to Lifeline and other measures of community health? This thesis presents a detailed descriptive summary and analysis of Lifeline’s national CSMIS call data (N = 90,128 cases) from 01-04-2003 to 29-06-2003. It explores this and other sources of call data, such as the Telstra Exchange data, for their potential to be used as social indicators. The project created a model of generalist telephone counselling and referral use (MGTCRU). The MGTCRU was used as a theoretical base to a call rate indicator, named the Lifeline Indicator of Social Need (LISN), which reflects the community’s capacity to provide social support to its most socially isolated residents. The LISN was found to have useful attributes and a potential for use as a social indicator of community strength. The call rate indicator showed a statistically significant relationship with the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia, measures of socio-economic disadvantage, and suicide rates. However, the CSMIS database was found to have certain limitations. The thesis presents recommendations for this situation to be addressed. While acknowledging that there are limitations to telephone counselling call data it is clear that these call data can be used to create cost effective, rapid, reliable, and potentially valid social indicators. This thesis has made a number of significant empirical and theoretical contributions to knowledge on telephone counselling and referral. The descriptive summary of the CSMIS data provided in this thesis might be used in innovative ways by social researchers. The LISN could be used on its own or included in other social indices. The MGTCRU provides a theoretical framework for understanding telephone counselling and referral services use and may assist these services to organise their operations and meet the needs of their callers. This project may have particular application to a current upgrade of Lifeline Australia’s telephony and call data systems.
Doctor of Philosophy

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McMah, Terene. "Employment services for people with severe mental illness in a major Australian metropolitan centre : do they accord with evidence-based practice? /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2006. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe20086.pdf.

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Degenhardt, Louisa. "Comorbidity between substance abuse and mental health in Australia : relationships of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use with other substance use and mental disorders /." 2001. http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-NUN/public/adt-NUN20020823.095252/index.html.

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Bannister, Justine. "Abuse, attachment, mentalising and mental disorders in youth refuge residents." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150133.

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Kelly, Claire. "The mental health literacy of Australian adolescents." Phd thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150294.

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Hopgood, Fincina Elizabeth. "From affliction to empathy: melodrama and mental illness in recent films from Australia and New Zealand." 2006. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/2859.

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The subject matter of mental illness has fascinated artists and writers for centuries. Filmmakers have responded in diverse and innovative ways to the artistic challenge of portraying mental illness. In this thesis, I focus on the representations of mental illness in six recent films from Australia and New Zealand: Sweetie (Jane Campion, 1989), An Angel at My Table (Campion, 1990), Bad Boy Bubby (Rolf de Heer, 1993), Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson, 1994), Angel Baby (Michael Rymer, 1995) and Shine (Scott Hicks, 1996). In each film, the protagonist is diagnosed, or treated by others, as mentally ill. Mental illness is portrayed as an affliction which the protagonist struggles to overcome. I argue that these films cultivate a relationship of empathy between the mentally ill character and the spectator. Whereas the related emotion of sympathy involves feeling sorry for someone, empathy involves feeling with that person; in other words, rather than feel for these mentally ill characters, we are invited to feel like they do. (For complete abstract open document)

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Banfield, Michelle A. "Scope for research : study of consumer priorities for research on depression and bipolar disorder in Australia." Phd thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151093.

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There is growing acceptance of the importance of the consumer viewpoint in mental health research. Previous studies have identified differences in research priorities for researchers and mental health consumers in Australia defined broadly (e.g., Jorm, Griffiths, Christensen & Medway, 2002a). However, little is known about the research priorities of consumers with specific mental health conditions. The aim of the SCOPE for Research project was to inform future directions for research on depression and bipolar disorder in Australia. This was achieved through the qualitative and quantitative exploration of consumer priorities and a comparison of these priorities with published Australian research. Phase 1 comprised focus groups with consumers and individual telephone interviews with consumer advocates. Participants were asked to discuss topics, groups and settings they believed were priorities for depression or bipolar disorder research. They were also asked to describe the factors that influenced their priority-setting and to identify their sources of information on mental health research. A qualitative analysis was conducted to identify major themes and construct a survey for the second phase of the project. In Phase 2, participants were asked to rate the importance of each topic, group or setting on a 5-point scale. Phase 3 of the project consisted of a thematic analysis of Australian published research on depression and bipolar disorder from 1997-2006 and comparison of the consumer survey results with published research. The most frequently cited themes in Phase 1 included the need for research on medication, and lifestyle and psychosocial influences on depression and bipolar disorder. Participants expressed reluctance to prioritise particular subpopulation groups and favoured community-wide research in community settings. They cited personal experience as the strongest influence on their priority-setting and most commonly sourced their information on depression and bipolar disorder research from the Internet. In Phase 2, participants rated research into the topic areas management and treatment as the top priorities. The highest rated target groups for research focused on people most at risk and Phase 2 participants prioritised research conducted in outpatient health settings such as community mental health services. As in Phase 1, the majority of participants were influenced by their own personal experience when setting priorities. The most common sources of information were mental health organisations and the Internet. Most published research identified in Phase 3 concerned lifestyle and psychosocial influences, causes, and description & characteristics of depression and bipolar disorder. Many studies targeted groups based on age and research was primarily conducted in the community. The comparison of the results of the Phase 2 consumer survey with the Phase 3 literature survey revealed more differences than similarities between the priorities of consumers and the current research output. This project represents an important contribution to the process of actively involving consumers in mental health research in Australia. It provides insight into the areas of most concern to the people who are the ultimate beneficiaries of research, the mental health consumers, and the findings can be used as a guide to ensure relevant research.

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Chan, Bibiana Chi Wing Public Health &amp Community Medicine Faculty of Medicine UNSW. "Depression through Chinese eyes: a window into public mental health in multicultural Australia." 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/40521.

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Under-utilisation of mental health services is widespread globally and within Australia, especially among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Improving service access is a priority, as is the need to deliver culturally competent services to the CALD communities. Having migrated to Australia in waves for approximately 150 years from China and South East Asia for various social, political and economic reasons, the Chinese population in Sydney is now the fastest growing non-English speaking ethnic group. There is a need to better understand the impact of culture on the emotional experiences of these Chinese in Australia. How do Chinese make sense of their depressive episodes? To address this question, this study explored the ways participants reach out for medical and/or non-medical help. Lay concepts of illness underpin these decisions and were thus unveiled. Mixed-method research design provided the opportunity to bring together multiple vantage points of investigation: population mental health, transcultural psychiatry and medical anthropology. A study combining quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups was undertaken in metropolitan Sydney. Narratives on symptoms, explanatory models and help-seeking strategies were articulated by focus group informants. Surveys covered demographics, symptom-recognition, previous depressive experiences and professional help sought. Depression measurement tools were cross-culturally validated. Self-ratings of ethnic identities and the Suinn-Lew Self-Identity Acculturation Scale were used to quantify Chinese participants' acculturation level. This allowed comparisons between 'low-acculturated' Chinese', highly-acculturated' Chinese and Australians. Survey results showed comparable levels of symptom-recognition in all subgroups. Focus group discussions provided rich data on informants' help-seeking strategies. Highly acculturated Chinese closely resembled the Australians in many study variables, yet qualitative data suggested cultural gaps beyond language barriers in influencing service use. Participants believed that trustful relationships could work as the bridge to link services with those in need. The implications for Australia's mental health policy include recognising the importance of rapport-building and the existence of cultural gaps. The study indicated professionals can benefit from acquiring information about the mental health beliefs both of individual clients and the wider ethnic communities in which they belong, and respecting the cultural differences between helper and helped as the first step towards cultural competency.

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Fleming, Graham. "An approach to rural suicide." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/39465.

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Suicide rates have been relatively constant in Australia for over a hundred years, albeit peaking in 1997 and since returning towards historically average levels. Suicide now represents the commonest cause of violent deaths and exceeds deaths from motor vehicle accidents and armed conflict. There have been a number of national programs following the lead of Finland in the 1980s. Modern research has clearly demonstrated many of the risk factors, but they lack specificity in terms of prediction, and therefore the numbers needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of any intervention are particularly daunting. This makes research problematic and it is probably impossible to ever get Level 1 evidence because of the large numbers and expense required. Therefore many research studies are either epidemiologically oriented or directed to crisis care and treatment algorithms. Rural suicide presents particular challenges because of the increasing numbers of young and elderly men who take their lives, the lack of services available locally and the paucity of research in rural societies, with it usually being confined to examining risk factors and comparing them with urban populations. This thesis describes an approach to rural suicide which, whilst cognisant of the broad range of risk factors, was more directed to tackling poor mental health on a community basis, utilising local resources. It used four main approaches: educating the community to enhance mental health literacy by appreciating the causes of poor mental health; building the social capital or community capacity of existing resources; emphasising early identification and intervention of problems; and the establishment of a community child and adolescent program based in the local school, but with close liaison with the local medical practitioners. The educative approach to mental health literacy was to engage the whole community as widely as possible with special programs for general practitioners, nurses, and teachers; community capacity and social capital were increased by teaching the community warning signs, techniques to engage and refer to known entry points into the system; early identification was undertaken by screening for poor mental health within the doctors’ office, the hospital and the school; and a child and adolescent program was devised to detect dysfunctional students, formulate an assessment and management plan, and then evaluate the outcome. The most important results were a statistically significant reduction of suicides from twelve in ten years to one in the following decade, as well as a statistically significant reduction in the number of suicide attempts. In addition there was the establishment of a primary mental health service within the community which was independent of specific government finance and resources.
http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1292809
Thesis(M.D.)-- School of Medicine, 2007.

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Kewley, Christopher. "How do health beliefs of African refugees influence attribution of mental illness and help-seeking behaviour following resettlement in Australia?" Thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1392682.

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Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Background: Refugees from Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, constitute a significant percentage of refugees globally that continue to settle in Australia and other western countries. The dualism of African pluralistic medicine and western scientific biomedicine is no more obvious than when comparing beliefs concerning psychiatric aetiology. Ethno-culture, religion and spirituality are recognised to heavily influence indigenous beliefs concerning mental illness. However, there is minimal research addressing how this dualism and complex interface between phenomenologically constructed African belief systems, and scientifically rationalised conventional western medicine, influence African refugees’ help-seeking behaviour on settlement in a western country. Aim: The aim of this critical ethnographic study was to gain an understanding of how the health beliefs of refugees from Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan influence attribution of mental illness and help-seeking behaviour on settlement in Australia. Method and analysis: The study used semi-structured interviewing, naturalistic participatory and non-participatory observation. Data were obtained from three sources: 1) African refugees that entered Australia via the offshore humanitarian program; 2) specialist workers in cross-cultural and refugee health; and 3) African diaspora registered health professionals practicing in Australia and native to one the aforementioned African countries. Data saturation was achieved at 35 interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to a four-step process of thematic analysis using NVivo 10 software. Internal validity was addressed through triangulation of the data and the use of a cultural informants group of community leaders who advised on issues surrounding lexical, contextual and conceptual equivalence. Findings: The study identified four main themes and a number of sub-themes. Each theme constitutes a significant intercultural tension point that acts as a barrier to therapeutic engagement between African refugees and mainstream Australian mental health services. Collectively, the tension points create an impervious barrier to the penetration of western psychoeducation within the Ethiopian, Somali, Sudanese and South Sudanese refugee communities. The four major themes are: 1.Tension between African spiritual explanatory concepts and western theories of mental illness 2.Tension between faith-based and western biopsychosocial models of treatment and recovery 3.Tension between African culture, language and belief systems on the individual’s health literacy and engagement with western mental health services 4.Tension between African cultural collective and western individualistic orientation and effect on health and mental wellbeing. Discussion: The majority of refugees from Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan were not engaging with mainstream mental health services until they are acutely unwell. Their explanatory models of mental illness were influenced by their traditional animistic and spiritual beliefs, regardless of length of residency in Australia or level of educational attainment. Traditional and faith-based treatment was the preferred option for many repatriated by family, including post-diasporic African/Australian youth, for traditional animistic and faith-based healing. Repatriation commonly resulted in violation of the individual's human rights through involuntary genital mutilation/cutting, forced marriage and other ritualistic practices.

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Bishop, Lara Marguerite. "A comparison of the mental health literacy of Australian newspaper journalists with a sample of the Australian public and the public's recall of stories about depression from the media." Phd thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150054.

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Allie, Sophia-Lorraine Noxolo. "The role of social networks and social support on mental health." Diss., 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/25162.

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Roth, David Theodore. "'DIED TODAY' The Brief Lives of Patients at Claremont Hospital for the Insane 1909-1919." Master's thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/105180.

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The Case Books of Claremont Hospital for the Insane in Perth, Western Australia, record many cryptically explained patient deaths in the early twentieth century . This thesis explores the reasons for these deaths and how patients came to harm. It examines the expectation of hospital life for the most vulnerable groups of patients, comparing mortality at Claremont with mortality at other institutions. The distinctive economic, political and social conditions in Western Australia, a frontier state, framed the ‘special path’ of the historical development of mental health care in Western Australia. I show that this special path was the overarching factor determining the comparatively brief lives of Claremont patients. While general paralysis of the insane was a major cause of death of male patients at Claremont, I suggest that ‘senile’ patients were the most vulnerable group. Overseas studies show that shortages of food caused the premature deaths of thousands of asylum patients during World War I, particularly in Britain and Germany, but the evidence indicates that average mortality rates at Australian asylums were not significantly affected during the War.

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Lamberts, Roderick Griffin. "The mental illness information survey : exploring the mental illness communication environment in the lay community." Phd thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151248.

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Goullet, Jillian. "Experiences, education and support needs of residential aged care staff caring for older adults with mental-palliative comorbidity." Thesis, 2021. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/42957/.

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Australia’s ageing population is contributing to an increased demand for residential aged care services (RACS). At the same time, these services are increasingly providing care for older adults with long-standing mental disorders (e.g., major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders) and life-limiting physical illnesses requiring palliative care. These older adults have multiple care requirements, including cognitive, behavioural and palliative care needs. However, RACS care staff are often ill- equipped to care for them. The aims of this study were to: (i) examine the experience of RACS staff caring for residents with mental-palliative comorbidity, and (ii) identify their initial and ongoing education and support needs. An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used, incorporating semi-structured interviews. A purposive sample of 12 RACS staff participated in semi-structured interviews. The study identified several strategies to enhance mental-palliative care in RACS. The overarching theme was conceptualised as Adopting a person-centred approach to care. This was supported by five main themes: Understanding each person, Complexities in assessing and managing pain, Preventing and responding to behaviours of concern, Organisational provision for staff development and wellbeing promotion and Engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration. These findings may contribute to a greater understanding of the experience of RACS staff caring for residents with mental-palliative comorbidity and highlight areas for improvement in the education and support of staff caring for this cohort.

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Parletta, Vanessa Anne. "Evaluating evidence-based supported employment implemented within an Australian disability employment service for adults with mental illness." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1308201.

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Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
According to the Australian Department of Social Services, people within Australian Disability Employment Services (DES) with mental illnesses are achieving below-average job commencements and the lowest percentage of 26-week employment milestones out of all disability types. This study evaluated an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) enhancement intervention implemented within an existing DES on the Central Coast of New South Wales involving 68 adults with mental illness. Thirty-seven participants had compulsory DES participation obligations as a condition of receiving welfare benefits. Thirty-one participants were volunteers. All were tracked for 18 months following commencement to assess progress in terms of job commencements and 13- and 26-week employment milestones. DES services enhanced by IPS achieved significantly more job commencements (67.6%) than pre-IPS DES services (56.1%) and the national average for DES providers (39.9%). Contrary to expectations, participants with compulsory participation obligations benefited from both programs as much as volunteers. IPS-enhanced services generated the most net revenue (gross revenue less direct costs of service delivery) in the current funding system when targeted to Employment Support Services (ESS) Funding Level Two participants. IPS enhanced services were more cost effective per person, and per 26 week employment milestone, when targeted to those with the most intensive assistance needs. Further financial advantages of utilising IPS enhanced interventions are expected as the Australian Government increases the emphasis on results-based funding.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mental illness Australia'

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