Impact on help-seeking behaviours of a campaign perceived to decrease stigma and increase openness around mental health.

Issue Addressed: There is considerable evidence that public stigma around mental illness inhibits help-seeking for mental health problems. Hence there have been many interventions and campaigns designed to reduce stigma around mental illness. However, as far as could be ascertained, none of these stigma reduction interventions has reported any substantial impact of reducing stigma on people's mental health help-seeking behaviours.

Impact of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign on mental health help-seeking behaviour.

Issue Addressed: Despite the high prevalence of mental ill-health amongst Australians, many people do not seek help for their mental ill-health. A delay in help-seeking is associated with poorer outcomes. This study investigated the extent to which the Act-Belong-Commit mental health promotion campaign prompted people to seek information or professional help for mental ill-health.

Modern urbanization has reshaped the bacterial microbiome profiles of house dust in domestic environments.

Background: The prevalence of allergy and other common chronic diseases is higher in developed than developing countries, and higher in urban than rural regions. Urbanization through its modification of environmental microbiomes may play a predominant role in the development of these conditions. However, no studies have been conducted to compare the microbiome in house dust among areas with different urbanization levels.

Trends in Australian adolescents' sun-protection behaviours: implications for health campaigns.

Objective: Protecting the skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is critical during adolescence to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer later in life, but adolescents tend to be less likely to engage in sun-protective behaviours than adults. The present study examined changes and trends (2001/02-2011/12) in sun-protection behaviours among adolescents living in Western Australia - a region with high levels of UV radiation.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted during 10 summers between 2001/02 and 2011/12 to investigate how often adolescents engaged in various sun-protection behaviours, including outdoor protective measures (wearing a hat, wearing protective clothing, using sunscreen, wearing sunglasses, seeking shade) and avoidance of UV radiation by staying inside.

Predictors of sun protection behaviours and sunburn among Australian adolescents.

Background: Excessive sun exposure and sunburn increase individuals' risk of skin cancer. It is especially important to prevent sunburn in childhood due to the higher relative risk of skin cancer across the life span compared to risk associated with sunburn episodes experienced later in life. This study examined demographic and attitudinal factors associated with engagement in a range of sun protection behaviours (wearing a hat, wearing protective clothing, staying in the shade, and staying indoors during the middle of the day) and the frequency of sunburn among Western Australian adolescents to provide insights of relevance for future sun protection campaigns.