Testing the effectiveness and acceptability of online supportive supervision for mental health practitioners in humanitarian settings: a study protocol for the caring for carers project.

Background: Local humanitarian workers in low and middle-income countries must often contend with potentially morally injurious situations, often with limited resources. This creates barriers to providing sustainable mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to displaced individuals. Clinical supervision is an often neglected part of ensuring high-quality, sustainable care.

"Feels Good to Get Wet": The Unique Affordances of Surf Therapy Among Australian Youth.

Increasing prevalence rates of mental health problems among adolescents is an issue of growing concern. Surf therapy is a novel intervention that may provide tangible benefits to address this problem. Congruent with the ecological dynamics perspective (EDP), the existing research postulates that surf therapy yields psychological benefits in part due to the unique affordances of immersion in a blue space such as the ocean.

Cross-sectional study evaluating burden and depressive symptoms in family carers of persons with age-related macular degeneration in Australia.

Objectives: We aimed to analyse the degree of carer burden and depressive symptoms in family carers of persons with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and explore the factors independently associated with carer burden and depressive symptoms.

Methods: Cross-sectional study using self-administered and interviewer-administered surveys, involving 96 family carer-care recipient pairs. Participants were identified from tertiary ophthalmology clinics in Sydney, Australia, as well as the Macular Disease Foundation of Australia database.

Ontological insecurity II: Relationship to attachment, childhood trauma, and subclinical psychotic-like experiences.

Objectives: To examine ontological insecurity as a predictor of positive psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) relative to concepts of childhood trauma, parental bonding, and adult attachment style.

Methods: A nonclinical sample (N = 298) completed the Ontological Insecurity Scale (OIS-34), a new measure of ontological insecurity, along with measures of the above concepts.

Results: The OIS-34 accounted for a significantly greater proportion of unique variance in positive PLEs than any other theoretical variable.

Ontological insecurity I: Psychometric development of a new measure and relationship to subclinical psychotic-like experiences.

Objectives: The present study sought to develop a new psychometrically sound measure of ontological insecurity, the OIS-34 and, determine its relationship with subclinical psychotic-like experiences (PLEs).

Methods: A nonclinical sample (N = 600) completed an initial 60-item version of the new scale along with measures of PLEs, psychosis proneness, and mental health history.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis indicated a single factor, ontological insecurity, with 34 items loading positively and above a criterion of 0.

Pain Catastrophizing and Negative Mood States After Spinal Cord Injury: Transitioning From Inpatient Rehabilitation Into the Community.

Unlabelled: Chronic pain is prevalent in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). We investigated how chronic pain intensity and catastrophizing varies in adults with SCI during inpatient rehabilitation up to 12 months postinjury after transitioning into the community. Eighty-eight participants with SCI were assessed for pain intensity and catastrophizing, depressive mood states, and cognitive performance.

Psychological interventions for psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: A meta-analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate and synthesize the available evidence from the previous 20 years regarding the utility of psychological interventions in the management of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).

Method: Studies were retrieved from MEDLINE via OvidSP and PsychINFO. Selection criteria included controlled and before-after non-controlled studies including case series, using seizure frequency as an outcome measurement.

Resilience following spinal cord injury: A prospective controlled study investigating the influence of the provision of group cognitive behavior therapy during inpatient rehabilitation.

Purpose: To examine change in resilience in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) when group cognitive behavior therapy (GCBT) was added to routine psychosocial rehabilitation (RPR).

Research Method/design: A prospective repeated-measures cohort design was used to determine the efficacy of the addition of GCBT (n = 50). The control group consisted of individuals receiving RPR, which included access to individual CBT (ICBT) when required (n = 38).

Towards a new model of attentional biases in the development, maintenance, and management of pain.

Individuals with chronic pain demonstrate attentional biases (ABs) towards pain-related stimuli. However, the clinical importance of these biases is yet to be determined and a sound theoretical model for explaining the role of ABs in the development and maintenance of pain is lacking. Within this article, we (1) systematically review prospective and experimental research exploring ABs and pain outcomes in light of current theoretical models and (2) propose a theoretical framework for understanding AB in pain.

The Pain Course: a randomised controlled trial examining an internet-delivered pain management program when provided with different levels of clinician support.

The present study evaluated an internet-delivered pain management program, the Pain Course, when provided with different levels of clinician support. Participants (n = 490) were randomised to 1 of 4 groups: (1) Regular Contact (n = 143), (2) Optional Contact (n = 141), (3) No Contact (n = 131), and (4) a treatment-as-usual Waitlist Control Group (n = 75). The treatment program was based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy and comprised 5 internet-delivered lessons provided over 8 weeks.

Adjustment following chronic spinal cord injury: Determining factors that contribute to social participation.

Objectives: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic event that may result in diminished physical, social, and mental health. The main objective of this research was to establish inpatient factors that contribute to social participation following discharge into the community.

Design: Prospective longitudinal design with measures taken three times, soon after admission to rehabilitation (N = 88), at discharge from the inpatient phase (N = 81) and 6 months following discharge (N = 71).

Prospective study of the occurrence of psychological disorders and comorbidities after spinal cord injury.

Objective: To conduct a prospective study of the occurrence of psychological disorders and comorbidities after spinal cord injury (SCI), determine psychotropic medication usage, and establish predictors of psychological disorders after transition to the community.

Design: Longitudinal design with multiple measures.

Setting: Assessment occurred in SCI units and the community.

Anxiety in epilepsy: a neglected disorder.

Objective: Anxiety disorders and symptoms are highly prevalent and problematic comorbidities in people with epilepsy (PWE), yet they remain poorly understood and often go undetected. This research aimed to further our understanding about anxiety in PWE.

Methods: Study 1 assessed the effectiveness of the commonly utilised yet unvalidated measure (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale; HADS-A) to identify DSM-IV anxiety disorders in 147 adult epilepsy outpatients.

Instrumental support to facilitate hepatitis C treatment adherence: working around shortfalls in shared-care.

Adherence to treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the successful eradication of infection. However, patients often have difficulty adhering to HCV treatment because of factors such as the psychiatric side effects of regimens and social disadvantage. Commonly, health professionals including specialist physicians, nurses, social workers and psychologists work together under a multidisciplinary model of shared-care to support patients' adherence to HCV treatment.

Cognitive behaviour therapy to improve mood in people with epilepsy: a randomised controlled trial.

This study compared a 9-week individualised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) programme for people with epilepsy (PWE), with a wait-list control. Fifty-nine PWE were randomised and 45 (75%) completed post-treatment outcomes. People with lower quality of life (QoL), particularly for cognitive functioning, were more likely to drop out.

Cognitive behavior therapy for depression in people with epilepsy: a systematic review.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a recommended treatment for depression in people with epilepsy (PWE); however, a recent Cochrane review found that there was insufficient evidence that any psychological therapy is effective. This conclusion provides little help to clinicians who provide interventions for depressed PWE. The aim of this review was to systematically and qualitatively review the literature on the efficacy of CBT for depression in PWE based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and case series.

The Pain Course: a randomised controlled trial of a clinician-guided Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy program for managing chronic pain and emotional well-being.

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a clinician-guided Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) program, the Pain Course, to reduce disability, anxiety, and depression associated with chronic pain. Sixty-three adults with chronic pain were randomised to either a Treatment Group or waitlist Control Group. Treatment consisted of 5 iCBT-based lessons, homework tasks, additional resources, weekly e-mail or telephone contact from a Clinical Psychologist, and automated e-mails.

Pain, pain anxiety and emotional and behavioural problems in children with cerebral palsy.

Purpose: Pain is commonly experienced in those with cerebral palsy (CP), and previous research suggests an increase in behavioural and emotional problems in children experiencing pain and pain anxiety. Therefore, it was hypothesised that pain intensity and pain anxiety would predict behavioural and emotional problems in children with CP.

Method: Parents or guardians of 61 children (38 boys, 23 girls) with CP, aged 5-15 years completed an online questionnaire on pain intensity, pain anxiety and behavioural and emotional problems.

Psychological, lifestyle and social predictors of hepatitis C treatment response: a systematic review.

Background: To increase cure rates for Hepatitis C, barriers to treatment adherence and completion must be identified and overcome.

Aims: This study systematically reviewed evidence on the psychological, lifestyle and social determinants of achieving viral eradication with antiviral therapy.

Methods: An electronic search strategy was used to identify relevant studies that examined psychological, lifestyle and social factors related to achieving a sustained virological response (SVR).

Is there a potential role for attention bias modification in pain patients? Results of 2 randomised, controlled trials.

Potential applications of attention bias modification (ABM) for acute and chronic pain patients are investigated. In study 1, 54 acute back pain patients (46 of whom completed the study) were recruited at their initial physiotherapy session and randomised to receive 1 session of ABM or placebo. Patients were followed up 3 months later.

Psychosocial predictors of depression and anxiety in patients with epilepsy: a systematic review.

Background: People with epilepsy (PWE) have a high chance of experiencing depression and anxiety disorders over their lifetime. However, those most at risk are unknown. Psychosocial variables have been suggested as potentially important risk factors.

Comparison of a pain management program with usual care in a pain management center for people with spinal cord injury-related chronic pain.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a specifically modified group-based, multidisciplinary cognitive-behavioral pain management program (PMP) in comparison to usual care in a clinical sample of people with spinal cord injury (SCI)-related chronic pain.

Method: Changes over time on a range of measures, including usual pain intensity, pain catastrophizing and self-efficacy, mood, SCI acceptance and self-efficacy, and interference due to pain were examined in 2 groups with SCI-related chronic pain after a multidisciplinary pain assessment. One group (n=19) attended the PMP, and the other (n=17) received standard care on an individualized basis in a pain management center.