General practitioners in the field: A qualitative study of general practitioners' experiences in disaster healthcare.

Method: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with a purposive sample of GPs who had experienced disasters in Australia or New Zealand (NZ) between 2009 and 2016. Transcripts underwent thematic analysis.

Results: Thirty-eight GPs reported diverse and effective contributions to disaster-response efforts.

Achieving Service Change Through the Implementation of a Trauma-Informed Care Training Program Within a Mental Health Service.

As evidence continues to accumulate for the association between childhood trauma and long-term adverse outcomes, Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) approaches are emerging as fundamental to contemporary mental health services. To evaluate a workshop designed to influence mental health practitioners in TIC principles and practices. Nursing, medical and allied health professionals completed pre and post measures of confidence, awareness and attitudes towards TIC practice.

Factors relating to high psychological distress in Indigenous Australians and their contribution to Indigenous-non-Indigenous disparities.

Objective: To explore factors associated with high psychological distress among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians and their contribution to the elevated distress prevalence among Aboriginal people.

Methods: Questionnaire data from 1,631 Aboriginal and 233,405 non-Aboriginal 45 and Up Study (NSW, Australia) participants aged ≥45 years were used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios for high psychological distress (Kessler-10 score ≥22) for socio-demographic, health and disability-related factors, and to quantify contributions to differences in distress prevalence.

Results: While high-distress prevalence was increased around three-fold in Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal participants, distress-related risk factors were similar.

Psychological distress in carers of Aboriginal children in urban New South Wales: findings from SEARCH (phase one).

Objective: To examine the factors associated with psychological distress in parents and carers of Aboriginal children living in urban communities in New South Wales.

Design: Cross-sectional survey (phase one of the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health [SEARCH], November 2007 - December 2011).

Setting And Participants: Primary care; 589 parents and carers of Aboriginal children were recruited when attending one of the four Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in urban NSW that participated in SEARCH.

Correlates of a single-item Self-Rated Mental Health Question in people with schizophrenia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the correlates of a single-item Self-Rated Mental Health Question in people with schizophrenia, in order to achieve a better understanding of what it is measuring.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted exploring the responses of 71 adults with schizophrenia to a single-item Self-Rated Mental Health Question and the relationship with psychological distress, illness perception, and self-rated general health. Measures included the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and the single-item Self-Rated Health Question.

Measuring psychological distress in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Australians: a comparison of the K-10 and K-5.

Objectives: To assess the cross-cultural validity of two Kessler psychological distress scales (K-10 and K-5) by examining their measurement properties among older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and comparing them to those in non-Aboriginal individuals from NSW Australia.

Methods: Self-reported questionnaire data from the 45 and Up Study for 1,631 Aboriginal and 231,774 non-Aboriginal people were used to examine the factor structure, convergent validity, internal consistency and levels of missing data of K-10 and K-5.

Results: We found excellent agreement in classification of distress of Aboriginal participants by K-10 and K-5 (weighted kappa=0.

Coping support factors among Australians affected by terrorism: 2002 Bali bombing survivors speak.

Objectives: To examine terrorism survivors' perceptions of factors likely to promote coping and recovery, and to determine whether coping supports vary according to demographic, physical and mental health, incident-exposure and bereavement variables.

Design, Setting And Participants: Individuals directly exposed to and/or bereaved by the 2002 Bali bombings and who had participated in a New South Wales Health therapeutic support program completed cross-sectional telephone interviews during July-November 2010. Spoken passages were categorised into coping support themes.

The overall health and risk factor profile of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants from the 45 and up study.

Background: Despite large disparities in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians, detailed evidence on the health and lifestyle characteristics of older Aboriginal Australians is lacking. The aim of this study is to quantify socio-demographic and health risk factors and mental and physical health status among Aboriginal participants from the 45 and Up Study and to compare these with non-Aboriginal participants from the study.

Methods: The 45 and Up Study is a large-scale study of individuals aged 45 years and older from the general population of New South Wales, Australia responding to a baseline questionnaire distributed from 2006-2008.

Measuring mental health in Indigenous young people: a review of the literature from 1998-2008.

Background: Indigenous young people are disproportionately exposed to risk factors for poor mental health. Methodologically rigorous research will be critical in the development and evaluation of prevention and treatment programs. Research examining the mental health of Indigenous young people may have been undermined by poor measurement.

Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder in temporary settlement residents 1 year after the Sichuan earthquake.

The authors sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors for major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors living in temporary accommodation in the Yongxing settlement in Mianyang city 1 year after the Sichuan earthquake for further interventions. They interviewed 182 residents, using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders and a self-report questionnaire. The 12-month prevalence of depressive disorder and PTSD were 48.

Long-term health and wellbeing of people affected by the 2002 Bali bombing.

Objective: To examine the physical and mental health status of individuals directly affected by the 2002 Bali bombing, 8 years after the incident.

Design, Setting And Participants: Cross-sectional study of people directly exposed to and/or bereaved by the 2002 Bali bombing who had participated in a New South Wales Health therapeutic support program. Telephone interviews were conducted during July - November 2010.

Perceived coping & concern predict terrorism preparedness in Australia.

Background: In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats.

Crying wolf? Impact of the H1N1 2009 influenza pandemic on anticipated public response to a future pandemic.

Objective: To determine changes in public threat perception and anticipated compliance with health-protective behaviours in response to a future pandemic; using data collected before and after the H1N1 2009 influenza pandemic.

Design, Setting And Participants: Repeat cross-sectional computer-assisted telephone surveys with representative samples of the general New South Wales population in 2007 (2081 participants) and 2010 (2038 participants).

Main Outcome Measures: Perceived likelihood of a future pandemic in Australia; concern that respondents or their families would be affected; degree of change made to life because of the possibility of a pandemic; and willingness to comply with health-protective behaviours (to be vaccinated, to be isolated if necessary, and to wear a face mask).

Measures of psychophysiological arousal among resettled traumatized Iraqi refugees seeking psychological treatment.

Resettled refugees living in Western countries frequently report high levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. This study sought to measure levels of physiological arousal in a group of resettled Iraqi refugees in Australia receiving psychological treatment. A continuous recording of electrocardiogram (ECG) data was used to examine baseline heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in refugees (n = 25) and healthy age- and sex-matched controls (n = 23).

Trajectories of long-term outcomes for postnatally depressed mothers treated with group interpersonal psychotherapy.

There is evidence that psychological treatments for postnatal depression are effective in the short-term; however, whether the effects are enduring over time remains an important empirical question. The aim of this study was to investigate the depressive symptoms and interpersonal functioning of participants in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) at 2 years posttreatment. The study also examined long-term trajectories, such as whether participants maintained their recovery status, achieved later recovery, recurrence or persistent symptoms.

The development and content of an interpersonal psychotherapy group for postnatal depression.

Postnatal depression (PND) usually causes distressing symptoms for sufferers and significant impairments in relationships. Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G) provides the experienced therapist with a brief, focused, and manualized approach to helping women recover from the debilitating effects of PND. This paper describes the background and development of IPT-G for PND.

Alert but less alarmed: a pooled analysis of terrorism threat perception in Australia.

Background: Previous Australian research has highlighted disparities in community perceptions of the threat posed by terrorism. A study with a large sample size is needed to examine reported concerns and anticipated responses of community sub-groups and to determine their consistency with existing Australian and international findings.

Methods: Representative samples of New South Wales (NSW) adults completed terrorism perception questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2007 (N = 2081) and 2010 (N = 2038).

Neither the internist nor the Internet: use of and trust in health information sources by people with schizophrenia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore health information sources accessed by people with schizophrenia and the level of trust invested in them.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was performed comparing the responses of 71 adults with schizophrenia (recruited from both community and inpatient settings) with 238 general practice attendees on their use of television, radio, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, family and friends, and doctor to obtain information on health matters, and their levels of trust in these sources.

Results: People with schizophrenia most commonly reported using a doctor, family and friends, and television to obtain information on health matters.