Engage Aotearoa

Category Archives: Research

New Ministry of Education Evidence-Base For Suicide Prevention in Schools Released

April 24, 2013 10:00 pm ⋅

In case you missed it, on the 21st of March 2013, the Ministry of Education launched a new document to support suicide prevention work in schools called  Updated evidence and guidance supporting suicide prevention activity in New Zealand Schools. This accompanies the Preventing and responding to suicide: Resource kit for schools (Ministry of Education, 2013) which is now ready to be distributed across NZ schools. The creation of the evidence-base update document was undertaken by Professor Sunny Collings to inform the revision of the school guidelines, as part of the suicide prevention research programme managed by Te Pou for the Ministry of Health.

pdficon_largeClick here to open and save a copy of Updated Evidence and Guidance Supporting Suicide Prevention Activity in New Zealand Schools 2003-2012

 

Posted in: Online Resources, Research, Suicide Prevention/Support, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Auckland Council Report on Aucklanders 50 and Over

April 23, 2013 1:53 pm ⋅

A 17 page summary analysis of the life experiences of older Aucklanders has been released by Auckland Council’s Research Investigations and Monitoring Unit: Charles Waldegrave and Peter King of the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit and Elizabeth Rowe of Elizabeth Rowe Consulting.

Please take the time to review at least the summary as the information contained within is very relevant to us all who are working with older people in the community in the Auckland region.

Follow this link to the Executive Summary of the research Aucklanders 50 and Over Executive Summary

The full report (140 pages) is available on the website below for those who wish to read more detail and graphs.

http://www.knowledgeauckland.org.nz/home/publications/publications_home.cfm?oID=0ABFCB44-14C2-3D2D-B977-72095C5425F4

Posted in: Older People and Aging, Research ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Update from the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership

April 23, 2013 1:24 pm ⋅

 From the IIMHL and IIDL Update List

IMHL AND IIDL UPDATE – 15 APRIL 2013 – Shared with permission here: Read on… 

IIMHL Features

Technique Is Not Enough (TINE) Framework

A Report from the British Psychological Society on Socially Inclusive Parenting Programmes and Child Mental Health

The BPS’s “Technique Is Not Enough (TINE) Framework” is designed to ensure known to be effective parenting programmes engage those parents most likely to benefit: those on low incomes who are marginalised and socially excluded. If all local programmes adopted this framework participation rates could increase dramatically.

Parenting programmes enhance parent-child bonding, reduce parental mental ill-health and lessen the chances of children growing up with behavioural problems or worse. Although the UN endorses 23 parenting programmes on the basis of RCTs their impact is limited by who they reach. In practice programmes recruitment and retention rates vary from a low 20% to a high of 80% in those programmes specifically adapted to reach and work with socially excluded families. The report recommends that parenting programmes should adopt psychosocial approaches to increase inclusion by involving culturally congruent parent “graduates” in the recruitment and retention of parents. When parents who have already benefited from the programme are involved in delivering the programme to others, it really helps. Parents should also be involved in adapting programmes’ content and learning styles to sensitively match participating parents’ cultural backgrounds as well as in quality control and evaluation.

The TINE framework describes how programme developers can invest in local parents and practitioners so their parenting programme can become an integral part of education and social care. Genuine co-production between programme developers and local parents, working alongside teachers, health and social care practitioners, can drive effective inclusion. TINE challenges developers to identify the essential ingredients from their current parenting programmes and to clarify what can be adapted to meet local parents’ socio-cultural needs, whilst avoiding adaptations that dilute effectiveness.

The report evolved from joint work with families and teachers from an existing programme in an alliance including community health, psychologists, family therapists, social workers and children’s rights professionals. The framework is illustrated with examples from 11 UN recommended programmes.

Following is the link to view this paper in full:

http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/images/tine.pdf

IIDL Feature

High Aspirations. An Interview with Rob Greig, Principal Author of Valuing People

This is an interesting interview canvassing Rob Greig’s opinions on the current issues facing people living with an intellectual disability

http://www.ndti.org.uk/uploads/files/Untitled009.pdf

2013 Leadership Exchange

In due course, copies of video interviews with delegates attending the Network Meeting and copies of keynote speakers’ presentations will be available on the IIMHL website, and they will forward further information to you in the 15 April Update.

You can now view the whiteboard narratives which are loaded onto the IIMHL website along with notes from the various workshops:  www.iimhl.com

IIMHL will also update you all on the formal evaluation in due course.

2014 Leadership Exchange

The 2014 Leadership Exchange will be in England in June.  IIMHL will confirm the city and date soon.

Please note: IIMHL try to find articles, new policies, research that has been released or opinion pieces we think are interesting to reflect on.  Sometimes those who receive these may feel  is not accurate either for its use of data or not aligned with their views. IIMHL does not endorse any article it sends out as we try to rapidly share information.

General enquiries about this update or for other IIMHL information please contact Erin Geaney at erin@iimhl.com.

Posted in: Online Resources, Research, Service-User Movement ⋅ Tagged: ,

New Therapy for Hearing Voices and other Auditory Hallucinations?

March 22, 2013 9:10 pm ⋅

Avatar therapy for persecutory auditory hallucinations: What is it and how does it work?
Julian Leff, Geoffrey Williams, Mark Huckvale, Maurice Arbuthnot & Alex P. Leff
Psychosis, 2013, DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2013.773457

From the abstract:  “[Avatar Therapy is] a novel therapy based on a computer program, which enables the patient to create an avatar of the entity, human or non-human, which they believe is persecuting them. … The therapy was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial with a partial crossover design. … There was a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of the voices and in their omnipotence and malevolence. Several individuals had a dramatic response, their voices ceasing completely after a few sessions of the therapy. …”

Posted in: News, Online Resources, Parents and Parenting, Research ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , ,

Research Project: What does it mean to love someone in absence, after loving them in presence?

March 22, 2013 8:55 pm ⋅
  • Are you interested in participating in the following research project?
  • What does it mean to love someone in absence, after loving them in presence?

Sarah Penwarden is a counsellor whose doctoral research study brings together two of her interests. As a counsellor, Sarah has met with clients who have told her of how they continue to experience the presence of a loved family member after death. Sarah is also interested in poetry. She uses poetry in counselling, including writing poetry for clients. These two areas come together in Sarah’s doctoral research with the University of Waikato, in a study titled, “Conversations about absence and presence: Remembering a lost partner in poetic form.”

In her research, Sarah will focus on how a person’s relationship with a loved one is transformed and changed after death. She is interested in the ways people remember their lost loved one, through noticing again a loved one’s participation in their life, whether this is through dreams, memories, or through living out their legacy.

This year, Sarah will interview about ten people for this qualitative study, in individual interviews that will focus on remembering the person and their contribution. Sarah will then write a series of poems based exactly on the participant’s words, which she will send to them. These poems will be a record of the research conversation, and will capture some of the stories the person shared at the interview. A second round of interviews will focus on the participants’ experiences of and thoughts about the poetry.

The criteria for being a participant is that a person has lost a spouse or partner at least two years previously, and that they wish to tell their story at this time and remember the person. If you are interested in being a participant in this project, please contact Sarah by email: sarah.penwarden.research@gmail.com

Posted in: Research ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

New Open-Access Psychology Research Journal Launched: BMC Psychology

March 22, 2013 7:53 pm ⋅

The launch of a new psychology research journal was announced by Biomed Central on the 20th of March.

BMC Psychology is the first dedicated open access journal of its kind in the field of psychological research and considers manuscripts on all aspects of psychology and human behavior, including developmental, clinical, cognitive, experimental, social, evolutionary, and educational psychology, as well as personality and individual differences.

The journal has a policy of accepting negative studies, aiming to reduce the impact of publication bias that may currently exist within the field of psychology.

Editors include Irismar Reis de Oliveira, Gordon Harold, Kwang-Kuo Hwang, Scott Barry Kaufman, Johanna Kissler, Keith R Laws, Frank Padberg

You can read all current articles online.

Posted in: Online Resources, Research ⋅ Tagged: ,

Guide Provides Operational Advice to Councils on Early Intervention

March 2, 2013 2:47 pm ⋅

Five steps for investing in early intervention in order to prevent mental ill health among children and adolescents

Early and improved interventions for children and adolescents are among the most important investments in our future! Mental health among children and adolescents is a synchronisation project under SKL (the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions). They have developed a guide that aims to provide tangible, operational support to municipalities and county councils that want to invest systematically in early intervention for children and adolescents.

The guide is intended primarily for executives at municipal or county administrative level, such as the county council procurement director; the municipal social services director or director of education, as well as for civil servants who work in project management, analysis and drafting of management information in this area.

To review the article please click on the following link:

http://www.iimhl.com/iimhlupdates/swedish_document_specupdate_200213.pdf

 From the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership Update List

Contact: David Robinson david@iimhl.com

Posted in: News, Politics and Policy, Professional Development, Research, Service-User Movement, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , ,

New Research out from BMC Psychiatry in Feb 2013

March 2, 2013 2:35 pm ⋅

Research article
 Childhood clumsiness and peer victimization: a case–control study of psychiatric patients
Bejerot S, Humble MB
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:68 (25 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

Research article
 A case-linkage study of crime victimisation in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders over a period of deinstitutionalisation
Short TB, Thomas S, Luebbers S, Mullen P, Ogloff JR
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:66 (20 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

* This study reports an increase in crime victimisation by people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders since services were moved to the community. It is the opinion of Engage Aotearoa that violence by people who are unwell is often due to a lack of responsive services and appropriate supports, rather than the mental-health condition itself. Stressed out family members and friends are not always the most appropriate supporters when things have reached crisis point. Voluntary respite services are highly restricted in accessibility. The current NZ system requires that someone has become a risk to themselves or others before acute services are provided. Crisis Team response times are renowned for being too long. This all creates space for escalation and victimisation before treatment and support can be accessed. This is a complex issue that extends well beyond mental-health problems themselves and reaches into the core of how we as a society support those who are experiencing a mental-health crisis.   

Research article
 Antipsychotic medications and cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder: moderating effects of COMT Val108/158 Met genotype
Arts B, Simons CJ, Drukker M, van Os J
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:63 (19 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

*Note: The results of this gene-environment study, if replicated, may partly explain why people with the same diagnosis can respond very differently to the same antipsychotic medication.

Research article
A 6-month randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a lifestyle intervention for weight gain management in schizophrenia
Attux C, Martini LC, Elkis H, Tamai S, Freirias A, Camargo Md, Mateus MD, Mari Jd, Reis AF, Bressan RA
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:60 (18 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

*Note: Weight management strategies are important interventions for addressing a common side-effect of many anti-psychotic and some antidepressant medications. However, in the opinion of Engage Aotearoa, this article de-emphasises the role of medications in the weight-gain of people with schizophrenia diagnoses and incorrectly implies it is a direct consequence of the mental-health problem itself, when it is not. 

Research article
Perception of depressive symptoms by the Sardinian public: results of a population study
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:57 (16 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

*Note: These results show that the public sees a difference between depression as a response to loss (‘a normal response’) and clinical depression requiring professional attention.  In the opinion of Engage Aotearoa, the public (and the authors) appear to assume that diagnosable mental-health problems are ‘not normal responses’. This is an attitude that likely contributes to stigma about depression. Unfortunately this article does not acknowledge that clinical depression is indeed a normal response that can usually also be traced to previous difficult experiences. 

Research article
Substance use among inmates at the Eldoret prison in Western Kenya
Kinyanjui DW, Atwoli L
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:53 (13 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

Research article
Is virtual reality always an effective stressors for exposure treatments? Some insights from a controlled trial
Pallavicini F, Cipresso P, Raspelli S, Grassi A, Serino S, Vigna C, Triberti S, Villamira M, Gaggioli A, Riva G
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:52 (11 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

Research article
Residual symptoms and functioning in depression: does the type of residual symptom matter? a post-hoc analysis
Romera I, Pérez V, Ciudad A, Caballero L, Roca M, Polavieja P, Gilaberte I
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:51 (11 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

Research article
CBT for depression: a pilot RCT comparing mobile phone vs. computer
Watts S, Mackenzie A, Thomas C, Griskaitis A, Mewton L, Williams A, Andrews G
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:49 (7 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

Research article
Influence of personal and environmental factors on mental health in a sample of Austrian survivors of World War II with regard to PTSD: is it resilience?
Tran US, Glück TM, Lueger-Schuster B
BMC Psychiatry 2013, 13:47 (4 February 2013)
[Provisional PDF]

*Note: This research suggests a humorous and challenge-focused attitude to stress and trauma is associated with resilience to PTSD. Environmental elements showed associations with resilience to PTSD symptoms. The authors conclude the socio-environmental factors are simply consequences of PTSD symptoms. However, it is also possible that these factors are directly contributing to the symptoms and that resolving them would improve resilience to PTSD. 

Posted in: Online Resources, Psychiatric Medication, Research ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

John Read Interviewed on Take It From Us

February 26, 2013 11:41 am ⋅

On Take It From Us on Tuesday 26th, is guest Professor John Read, of the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland, sharing some of the highlights of his time in New Zealand before returning to the United Kingdom. Take it From Us will canvass his views on the strengths and weakness of our mental health system, what are the priorities for the future, and what’s important to achieve recovery.

Listen live on 104.6FM at 12.30pm or online www.planetaudio.org.nz

If you miss the live broadcast, listen for the next seven days @ www.planetaudio.org.nz/takeitfromus 

or Catch up on the last four shows online
www.likeminds.org.nz 

And don’t forget the Facebook page www.facebook.com/takeitfromus

Posted in: Families/Whanau, Online Resources, Parents and Parenting, Research, Service-User Movement, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,