Ruth Beatson - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ruth Beatson

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding community bushfire safety issues from social psychological perspectives – a discussion paper

Research paper thumbnail of Early Intervention and Prevention of Anxiety and Depression

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: Steering the Cultural Dynamics

An organization’s success is influenced by its performance and one way of enhancing organizationa... more An organization’s success is influenced by its performance and one way of enhancing organizational performace is by improving the workers’ rate of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB). In this regard, most research on OCB has beeb done in the West and there has been litte research on Indonesian spe cific OCB, even though Organ, Podsakoff, & MacKenzi (2006) have stated the frailness of OCB theory in the face of cultural differences. Consequently, Team 9 compiled a set of Indonesian specific dimensions if OCB in 2009 from both the Western (Podsakoff, Ma cKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) and Eastern dimens ions (Farh, Earley, & Lin, 1997; Farh, Zhong, & Organ, 2004) of OCB. The objective of this research was to examine the relat ionship between OCB and leader-member exchange (LMX) the importance of the leader’s relationship with the workers, by using the newly composed OCB Questionnaire. The sample consisted of 235 permanent staff who work ed at financial institutions in Jakarta, ...

Research paper thumbnail of Systematic review: Effects of sustained nurse home visiting programs for disadvantaged mothers and children

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2020

This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has... more This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Research paper thumbnail of Systematic review: An exploration of core componentry characterizing effective sustained nurse home visiting programs

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2021

AIMS To identify the core components or potential 'active ingredients' of sustained nurse... more AIMS To identify the core components or potential 'active ingredients' of sustained nurse home visiting (SNHV) programs that have demonstrated positive effects on maternal or child health, psychosocial development, or self-sufficiency outcomes among disadvantaged families in high-income countries. DESIGN Systematic review with narrative summary. DATA SOURCES Programs were identified from searches of several reputable evidence clearing houses and the following bibliographic databases: Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Year of publication was originally restricted from 2008 -2018, with additional searches conducted up to 2019. REVIEW METHODS This review of SNHV program componentry builds on a previous evaluation of program effectiveness. Programs were selected for inclusion if they had been tested in a randomized or cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT/CRCT). Componentry characteristics related to program delivery, nurse provider, and outcome-specific intervention content were then extracted. RESULTS Comparison of the seven eligible programs showed seven common core components: antenatal commencement, support to child age 2 years, at least 19 scheduled visits and experienced or highly qualified nurses with program-specific training, caseloads of approximately 25 families, regular supervision, and multidisciplinary supports. Outcome-specific program content was generally not well reported. CONCLUSION The findings from this review have utility in guiding the development of minimum standard benchmarks and best-practice recommendations for SNHV programs and call for more detailed publication of core content componentry in the SNHV literature. IMPACT Identification of the core componentry underpinning program effectiveness should inform policy decisions on program selection, adaptation for specific populations, and quality control. Such evidence-based decision-making should in turn lead to better maternal and child outcomes among disadvantaged families in high-income countries, reducing societal and economic burdens of inequity.

Research paper thumbnail of Cost-effectiveness of preventing child internalising problems: Results from the translational trial of Cool Little Kids at school entry

Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2020

A translational trial evaluated the effectiveness of screening for inhibited childhood temperamen... more A translational trial evaluated the effectiveness of screening for inhibited childhood temperament, followed by a preventive parenting program-Cool Little Kids. This study determined the cost-effectiveness from societal and health sector perspectives using trial data. Method: Resources to deliver the screening and parenting sessions were determined from study records. Parents completed a questionnaire reporting resources used at one-year follow-up. Standard Australian unit costs were applied. Clinical outcomes for children and parental quality adjusted life-years (QALYs) were used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results: Total societal costs were lower, but non-significant for the intervention compared to the control group (mean difference-$500 p = 0.937). Total health sector costs were significantly greater (mean difference $1,956; p = 0.015). The intervention led to significantly fewer internalising symptoms (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)-emotional difficulties adjusted mean difference −0.5; p = 0.006), fewer children with SDQ-emotional symptoms in the abnormal range (24.2 % vs. 33.0 % p = .014) and fewer with diagnosed anxiety (44.2 % vs. 50.2 % p = 0.427).

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Temperamentally Inhibited Young Children’s Clinical-Level Anxiety and Internalizing Problems from Parenting and Parent Wellbeing: a Population Study

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2018

The aim of this study was to explore how some temperamentally inhibited young children and not ot... more The aim of this study was to explore how some temperamentally inhibited young children and not others in the general population develop internalizing problems, with a focus on the family. A brief screening tool for inhibition was universally distributed to parents of children in their year before starting school across eight socioeconomically diverse government areas in Melbourne, Australia (307 preschool services). Screening identified 11% of all children as inhibited. We invited all parents of inhibited children to participate in a longitudinal prevention study. Participants were 545 parents of inhibited pre-schoolers (78% uptake) of whom 489 (90%) completed assessment one year later and 463 (85%) two years later. Parents completed questionnaires to assess parenting practices, parent wellbeing, and clinical level child internalizing problems. Parents also engaged in structured diagnostic interviews to assess child anxiety disorders. During the follow up period close to half of the inhibited young children had anxiety disorders and one in seven had broader (anxious/depressive) clinical internalizing problems. The family variables significantly predicted inhibited children's anxiety disorders and broader internalizing problems. For child anxiety disorders, overinvolved/protective parenting as well as parental anxiety and depression were important. For child anxious/depressive problems, parental anxiety, depression and stress as well as harsh discipline parenting were important. These etiological findings support early intervention for temperamentally inhibited young children that focuses on the family environment to prevent the development of mental health problems.

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological differences between south-eastern Australian householders' who intend to leave if threatened by a wildfire and those who intend to stay and defend

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015

Disastrous wildfires have occurred often in southeastern Australia. Following multifatality wildf... more Disastrous wildfires have occurred often in southeastern Australia. Following multifatality wildfires in Victoria on 7 February 2009 the national approach to community wildfire safety, 'Prepare, stay and defend or leave early', came under intense critical scrutiny. The approach was revised subsequently so as to emphasise leaving as the safest option in the event of a wildfire warning. This study reports findings from a survey of 584 residents of at-risk locations. The majority (47%) reported that they intended to leave if warned of a bushfire threat. However, a substantial minority (24%) reported that they intended to stay and defend their home. A further 29% reported that they intended to wait and see what developed before making a final decision. Those intending to leave differed from those intending to stay and defend in several ways. Those intending to leave were characterised generally by being more concerned about the danger posed by bushfires, they viewed themselves as more vulnerable to bushfire threat and they were worried about their house being destroyed in their absence. Those intending to stay and defend were motivated, mostly, to protect their valued property and they believed that their efforts would be successful. They did not perceive themselves to be risk takers. Those intending to leave generally reported rather low levels of preparations for leaving safely. An appreciable percentage of those intending to stay and defend reported levels of preparations for safe defence which were probably inadequate for safe and effective defence.

Research paper thumbnail of Translational delivery of Cool Little Kids to prevent child internalising problems: Randomised controlled trial

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2017

Objective: To determine whether a population-delivered parenting programme assists in preventing ... more Objective: To determine whether a population-delivered parenting programme assists in preventing internalising problems at school entry for preschool children at-risk with temperamental inhibition. Methods: Design: a randomised controlled trial was used. Setting: the setting was 307 preschool services across eight socioeconomically diverse government areas in Melbourne, Australia. Participants: a total of 545 parents of inhibited 4-year-old children: 498 retained at 1-year follow up. Early intervention: Cool Little Kids parenting group programme was implemented. Primary outcomes: the primary outcomes were child DSM-IV anxiety disorders (assessor blind) and internalising problems. Secondary outcomes: the secondary outcomes were parenting practices and parent mental health. Results: At 1-year follow up (mean (standard deviation) age = 5.8 (0.4) years), there was little difference in anxiety disorders between the intervention and control arms (44.2% vs 50.2%; adjusted odds ratio = 0.86...

Research paper thumbnail of Mortality Salience and Cultural Cringe: The Australian Way of Responding to Thoughts of Death

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2014

ABSTRACT Terror Management Theory predicts that mortality salience (MS) instigates cultural world... more ABSTRACT Terror Management Theory predicts that mortality salience (MS) instigates cultural worldview defenses, especially among individuals with lower self-esteem. That MS intensifies positive evaluations of pro-U.S. essay authors, and negative evaluations of anti-U.S. essay authors have been documented as supportive evidence. However, the evidence to date may have been limited to where praising for the former and rejection of the latter authors is consistent with a shared cultural script and thus normative. In the case of Australian people, the cultural script of cringe prescribes them to evaluate their country modestly and to reject high praise of their country. We therefore predicted that MS (vs. control) should lead Australians, with low self-esteem in particular, to evaluate pro-Australia essay authors less positively while not affecting their evaluations of anti-Australia essay authors. Results from two studies were consistent with this prediction. It is important to distinguish MS effects on adherence to cultural norms from those on reaffirming collective self-esteem, and to consider relevant cultural scripts when interpreting evidence for worldview defenses.

Research paper thumbnail of Experiences of discrimination and positive treatment from health professionals: A national survey of adults with mental health problems

The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 2016

To systematically investigate the scope and nature of discrimination and positive treatment exper... more To systematically investigate the scope and nature of discrimination and positive treatment experienced by adults with mental health problems when using health services in an Australian population-based survey. Australian adults (n = 1381) who reported a mental health problem or scored high on a screening questionnaire were interviewed about their experience of discrimination and positive treatment from healthcare professionals. Descriptions of experiences were content-analysed to identify key characteristics. In all, 11.8% of respondents reported discrimination from a health professional in the past 12 months. The most common types of discrimination included being treated dismissively, being judged and not being listened to, particularly regarding personal history and treatment needs. In contrast, 40.4% reported being treated more positively by their health professional because of their mental health problem. Key types of positive treatment by health professionals were being suppor...

Research paper thumbnail of Effect of Hierarchy Legitimacy on Low Status Group Members' Attributions for Ingroup and Outgroup Failures

Psychological reports, Jan 3, 2015

-Previous research has shown that people have a tendency to explain successes and failures in way... more -Previous research has shown that people have a tendency to explain successes and failures in ways that favor their ingroups relative to outgroups. However, there has been a dearth of research examining whether social-contextual factors such as group status and hierarchy legitimacy moderate such intergroup attributions. Participants in this study were assigned to a low status group, and perceived hierarchy legitimacy was then experimentally manipulated; the extent to which ingroup versus outgroup failures were attributed to several causes was measured. When low status was considered illegitimate, ingroup failure was attributed to external causes (task difficulty, bad luck) more so than outgroup failure. Implications and directions for future research examining consequences and mediating processes are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of south-eastern Australian householders' strengths of intentions to self-evacuate if a wildfire threatens: two theoretical models

International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2014

Householder evacuation in the face of a wildfire threat is the survival option advocated by fire ... more Householder evacuation in the face of a wildfire threat is the survival option advocated by fire agencies. However, late evacuation is common and has resulted in loss of life. The primary aim of this study was to investigate potential predictors of householders’ strength of intention to leave early in response to a bushfire threat warning. A survey of 584 residents of bushfire-prone locations in south-eastern Australia was conducted. Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and protection motivation theory (PMT) were used to explore predictors of strength of householders’ intentions to leave, or to stay and defend following a bushfire warning. TPB was a useful predictor of strength of intention to leave, but PMT was not such a useful predictor of strength of intention to leave. Householder efficacy and self-characterisation were important contributors, whereas perceptions of severity and susceptibility to threat were not found to be significant contributors. Neither model performed well in...

Research paper thumbnail of Volunteer firefighting: A suitable job for a woman?

This paper reports findings from four studies which examined issues impacting on the recruitment ... more This paper reports findings from four studies which examined issues impacting on the recruitment and retention of women volunteer firefighters. Two studies involved surveying current volunteers; one involved a survey of members of rural communities; one ...

Research paper thumbnail of Factors Impacting on Recruiting and Retaining Australia's Volunteer Firefighters: Some Research Evidence

Australian Journal on …, 2007

Findings from four studies that examined issues impacting on the recruitment and retention of wom... more Findings from four studies that examined issues impacting on the recruitment and retention of women volunteer firefighters are described. Two studies involved surveying current volunteers; one involved a survey of members of rural communities who were not ...

Research paper thumbnail of Attitudes toward Animals: The Effect of Priming Thoughts of Human-Animal Similarities and Mortality Salience on the Evaluation of Companion Animals

Society & Animals, 2009

Human attitudes toward nonhuman animals are complex and quite contradictory. They can range betwe... more Human attitudes toward nonhuman animals are complex and quite contradictory. They can range between extremely negative (animal cruelty) to positive (treating companion animals like human surrogates). Attitudes toward animals are especially negative when people think about human creatureliness and personal mortality. This paper investigates people's attitudes toward highly valued animals (companion animals). The research presented here tested whether companion-animal caregivers would respond to reminders of human creatureliness and mortality salience (MS) with more negative attitudes toward pets. Participants completed an online survey in which MS and human-creatureliness conditions were manipulated. Results showed that, under MS, even pet owners responded to reminders of human creatureliness with less positive attitudes toward the average pet. Thus, the effects observed in previous research extend to more popular animals, even among people with presumably positive attitudes towa...

Research paper thumbnail of Whose Fault Is it Anyway? Political Orientation, Attributions of Responsibility, and Support for the War in Iraq

Social Justice Research, 2009

Political orientation has been shown to be a strong predictor of attitudes toward war. Specifical... more Political orientation has been shown to be a strong predictor of attitudes toward war. Specifically, political conservatism has been associated with increased support for war and with decreased attribution of responsibility for war to one's own government. The present research aims to test whether the relationship between political orientation and support for the war in Iraq is mediated by attributions of government responsibility. In Study 1, survey data showed that the relationship between political orientation and support for the Iraq war was mediated by beliefs about the US government's motivations for the war. Study 2 provided a conceptual replication of the proposed mediation model and extended the findings from beliefs about US government motivations to perceived threat from the prewar Iraqi government. Study 3 used an experimental paradigm to manipulate perceived threat to show that such beliefs directly affected support for the war. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Confirmatory processes in attitude transmission: The role of shared reality

Social Influence, 2010

In social communication, do message senders' expectations about message recipien... more In social communication, do message senders' expectations about message recipients play any role in the construction of social stereotypes? In particular, can senders' expectations about recipients' attitudes toward social groups initiate a confirmatory process whereby ...

Research paper thumbnail of Community Screening for Preschool Child Inhibition to Offer the ‘Cool Little Kids’ Anxiety Prevention Programme

Infant and Child Development, 2014

and Wyndham who took part in this research. We also thank Joyce Cleary (Victorian Department of E... more and Wyndham who took part in this research. We also thank Joyce Cleary (Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) for her invaluable support in contacting preschool services.

Research paper thumbnail of An 8-week peer-led parenting intervention reduces parent-reported behavioural problems in socially disadvantaged children

Evidence-Based Mental Health, 2012

ED FROM Day C, Michelson D, Thomson S, et al. Evaluation of a peer led parenting intervention for... more ED FROM Day C, Michelson D, Thomson S, et al. Evaluation of a peer led parenting intervention for disruptive behaviour problems in children: community based randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2012;344:e1107. Correspondence to: Daniel Michelson, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London SE5 8AF, UK; daniel.m.d.michelson@kcl.ac.uk Sources of funding Guys and St Thomas’ Charity and the London Borough of Southwark. ▸ References are published online at http://ebmh.bmj.com CO M M EN TA RY Externalising behaviour problems are an international public health issue, affecting up to one in five young people. 2 Parenting interventions based on social learning theory demonstrate success in many randomised trials. A key question in the field is how to move towards population implementation of effective parenting strategies. A cutting-edge concern is how to transfer knowledge about effective parenting practices for child externalising problems from highly trained professionals to widespread adoption in the community. 3 Day et al provide an exciting window into implementation. This is a rigorous randomised trial in a community setting with traditionally hard to reach families. The 8-week parenting intervention applies social learning theory principles and achieves outcomes that parallel before clinical trials. Importantly, the intervention was delivered by local parent-peers, carefully trained over 60 h with ongoing supervision support. Perhaps, this provides a model for future wide-scale dissemination. Experts could first demonstrate clinical efficacy under ideal conditions, then train locally recruited peer leaders to deliver the same programme within a randomised trial evaluation, before moving to dissemination (state/ national) that applies identical training, supervision and implementation procedures. An aspect of this study that appears critical is that parents could take part only if (A) they were seeking help for their child’s behaviour problem and (B) they committed to weekly attendance at the parenting group sessions. Such high caregiver motivation could be central to positive outcomes for children’s externalising problems. Population trials inviting families to participate regardless of initial motivation show lower intervention adherence and outcome effects. Perhaps, population dissemination of parenting programmes with demonstrated effectiveness in randomised trials should focus on making them available in the community to all parents who express a need for help (to primary health providers and school staff) and who can commit to attending the full intervention programme. Jordana K Bayer, Ruth Beatson Department of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia and Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia Competing interests None. 80 EBMH August 2012 Vol 15 No 3 Therapeutics

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding community bushfire safety issues from social psychological perspectives – a discussion paper

Research paper thumbnail of Early Intervention and Prevention of Anxiety and Depression

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: Steering the Cultural Dynamics

An organization’s success is influenced by its performance and one way of enhancing organizationa... more An organization’s success is influenced by its performance and one way of enhancing organizational performace is by improving the workers’ rate of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB). In this regard, most research on OCB has beeb done in the West and there has been litte research on Indonesian spe cific OCB, even though Organ, Podsakoff, & MacKenzi (2006) have stated the frailness of OCB theory in the face of cultural differences. Consequently, Team 9 compiled a set of Indonesian specific dimensions if OCB in 2009 from both the Western (Podsakoff, Ma cKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) and Eastern dimens ions (Farh, Earley, & Lin, 1997; Farh, Zhong, & Organ, 2004) of OCB. The objective of this research was to examine the relat ionship between OCB and leader-member exchange (LMX) the importance of the leader’s relationship with the workers, by using the newly composed OCB Questionnaire. The sample consisted of 235 permanent staff who work ed at financial institutions in Jakarta, ...

Research paper thumbnail of Systematic review: Effects of sustained nurse home visiting programs for disadvantaged mothers and children

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2020

This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has... more This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Research paper thumbnail of Systematic review: An exploration of core componentry characterizing effective sustained nurse home visiting programs

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2021

AIMS To identify the core components or potential 'active ingredients' of sustained nurse... more AIMS To identify the core components or potential 'active ingredients' of sustained nurse home visiting (SNHV) programs that have demonstrated positive effects on maternal or child health, psychosocial development, or self-sufficiency outcomes among disadvantaged families in high-income countries. DESIGN Systematic review with narrative summary. DATA SOURCES Programs were identified from searches of several reputable evidence clearing houses and the following bibliographic databases: Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Year of publication was originally restricted from 2008 -2018, with additional searches conducted up to 2019. REVIEW METHODS This review of SNHV program componentry builds on a previous evaluation of program effectiveness. Programs were selected for inclusion if they had been tested in a randomized or cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT/CRCT). Componentry characteristics related to program delivery, nurse provider, and outcome-specific intervention content were then extracted. RESULTS Comparison of the seven eligible programs showed seven common core components: antenatal commencement, support to child age 2 years, at least 19 scheduled visits and experienced or highly qualified nurses with program-specific training, caseloads of approximately 25 families, regular supervision, and multidisciplinary supports. Outcome-specific program content was generally not well reported. CONCLUSION The findings from this review have utility in guiding the development of minimum standard benchmarks and best-practice recommendations for SNHV programs and call for more detailed publication of core content componentry in the SNHV literature. IMPACT Identification of the core componentry underpinning program effectiveness should inform policy decisions on program selection, adaptation for specific populations, and quality control. Such evidence-based decision-making should in turn lead to better maternal and child outcomes among disadvantaged families in high-income countries, reducing societal and economic burdens of inequity.

Research paper thumbnail of Cost-effectiveness of preventing child internalising problems: Results from the translational trial of Cool Little Kids at school entry

Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2020

A translational trial evaluated the effectiveness of screening for inhibited childhood temperamen... more A translational trial evaluated the effectiveness of screening for inhibited childhood temperament, followed by a preventive parenting program-Cool Little Kids. This study determined the cost-effectiveness from societal and health sector perspectives using trial data. Method: Resources to deliver the screening and parenting sessions were determined from study records. Parents completed a questionnaire reporting resources used at one-year follow-up. Standard Australian unit costs were applied. Clinical outcomes for children and parental quality adjusted life-years (QALYs) were used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results: Total societal costs were lower, but non-significant for the intervention compared to the control group (mean difference-$500 p = 0.937). Total health sector costs were significantly greater (mean difference $1,956; p = 0.015). The intervention led to significantly fewer internalising symptoms (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)-emotional difficulties adjusted mean difference −0.5; p = 0.006), fewer children with SDQ-emotional symptoms in the abnormal range (24.2 % vs. 33.0 % p = .014) and fewer with diagnosed anxiety (44.2 % vs. 50.2 % p = 0.427).

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Temperamentally Inhibited Young Children’s Clinical-Level Anxiety and Internalizing Problems from Parenting and Parent Wellbeing: a Population Study

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2018

The aim of this study was to explore how some temperamentally inhibited young children and not ot... more The aim of this study was to explore how some temperamentally inhibited young children and not others in the general population develop internalizing problems, with a focus on the family. A brief screening tool for inhibition was universally distributed to parents of children in their year before starting school across eight socioeconomically diverse government areas in Melbourne, Australia (307 preschool services). Screening identified 11% of all children as inhibited. We invited all parents of inhibited children to participate in a longitudinal prevention study. Participants were 545 parents of inhibited pre-schoolers (78% uptake) of whom 489 (90%) completed assessment one year later and 463 (85%) two years later. Parents completed questionnaires to assess parenting practices, parent wellbeing, and clinical level child internalizing problems. Parents also engaged in structured diagnostic interviews to assess child anxiety disorders. During the follow up period close to half of the inhibited young children had anxiety disorders and one in seven had broader (anxious/depressive) clinical internalizing problems. The family variables significantly predicted inhibited children's anxiety disorders and broader internalizing problems. For child anxiety disorders, overinvolved/protective parenting as well as parental anxiety and depression were important. For child anxious/depressive problems, parental anxiety, depression and stress as well as harsh discipline parenting were important. These etiological findings support early intervention for temperamentally inhibited young children that focuses on the family environment to prevent the development of mental health problems.

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological differences between south-eastern Australian householders' who intend to leave if threatened by a wildfire and those who intend to stay and defend

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015

Disastrous wildfires have occurred often in southeastern Australia. Following multifatality wildf... more Disastrous wildfires have occurred often in southeastern Australia. Following multifatality wildfires in Victoria on 7 February 2009 the national approach to community wildfire safety, 'Prepare, stay and defend or leave early', came under intense critical scrutiny. The approach was revised subsequently so as to emphasise leaving as the safest option in the event of a wildfire warning. This study reports findings from a survey of 584 residents of at-risk locations. The majority (47%) reported that they intended to leave if warned of a bushfire threat. However, a substantial minority (24%) reported that they intended to stay and defend their home. A further 29% reported that they intended to wait and see what developed before making a final decision. Those intending to leave differed from those intending to stay and defend in several ways. Those intending to leave were characterised generally by being more concerned about the danger posed by bushfires, they viewed themselves as more vulnerable to bushfire threat and they were worried about their house being destroyed in their absence. Those intending to stay and defend were motivated, mostly, to protect their valued property and they believed that their efforts would be successful. They did not perceive themselves to be risk takers. Those intending to leave generally reported rather low levels of preparations for leaving safely. An appreciable percentage of those intending to stay and defend reported levels of preparations for safe defence which were probably inadequate for safe and effective defence.

Research paper thumbnail of Translational delivery of Cool Little Kids to prevent child internalising problems: Randomised controlled trial

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2017

Objective: To determine whether a population-delivered parenting programme assists in preventing ... more Objective: To determine whether a population-delivered parenting programme assists in preventing internalising problems at school entry for preschool children at-risk with temperamental inhibition. Methods: Design: a randomised controlled trial was used. Setting: the setting was 307 preschool services across eight socioeconomically diverse government areas in Melbourne, Australia. Participants: a total of 545 parents of inhibited 4-year-old children: 498 retained at 1-year follow up. Early intervention: Cool Little Kids parenting group programme was implemented. Primary outcomes: the primary outcomes were child DSM-IV anxiety disorders (assessor blind) and internalising problems. Secondary outcomes: the secondary outcomes were parenting practices and parent mental health. Results: At 1-year follow up (mean (standard deviation) age = 5.8 (0.4) years), there was little difference in anxiety disorders between the intervention and control arms (44.2% vs 50.2%; adjusted odds ratio = 0.86...

Research paper thumbnail of Mortality Salience and Cultural Cringe: The Australian Way of Responding to Thoughts of Death

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2014

ABSTRACT Terror Management Theory predicts that mortality salience (MS) instigates cultural world... more ABSTRACT Terror Management Theory predicts that mortality salience (MS) instigates cultural worldview defenses, especially among individuals with lower self-esteem. That MS intensifies positive evaluations of pro-U.S. essay authors, and negative evaluations of anti-U.S. essay authors have been documented as supportive evidence. However, the evidence to date may have been limited to where praising for the former and rejection of the latter authors is consistent with a shared cultural script and thus normative. In the case of Australian people, the cultural script of cringe prescribes them to evaluate their country modestly and to reject high praise of their country. We therefore predicted that MS (vs. control) should lead Australians, with low self-esteem in particular, to evaluate pro-Australia essay authors less positively while not affecting their evaluations of anti-Australia essay authors. Results from two studies were consistent with this prediction. It is important to distinguish MS effects on adherence to cultural norms from those on reaffirming collective self-esteem, and to consider relevant cultural scripts when interpreting evidence for worldview defenses.

Research paper thumbnail of Experiences of discrimination and positive treatment from health professionals: A national survey of adults with mental health problems

The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 2016

To systematically investigate the scope and nature of discrimination and positive treatment exper... more To systematically investigate the scope and nature of discrimination and positive treatment experienced by adults with mental health problems when using health services in an Australian population-based survey. Australian adults (n = 1381) who reported a mental health problem or scored high on a screening questionnaire were interviewed about their experience of discrimination and positive treatment from healthcare professionals. Descriptions of experiences were content-analysed to identify key characteristics. In all, 11.8% of respondents reported discrimination from a health professional in the past 12 months. The most common types of discrimination included being treated dismissively, being judged and not being listened to, particularly regarding personal history and treatment needs. In contrast, 40.4% reported being treated more positively by their health professional because of their mental health problem. Key types of positive treatment by health professionals were being suppor...

Research paper thumbnail of Effect of Hierarchy Legitimacy on Low Status Group Members' Attributions for Ingroup and Outgroup Failures

Psychological reports, Jan 3, 2015

-Previous research has shown that people have a tendency to explain successes and failures in way... more -Previous research has shown that people have a tendency to explain successes and failures in ways that favor their ingroups relative to outgroups. However, there has been a dearth of research examining whether social-contextual factors such as group status and hierarchy legitimacy moderate such intergroup attributions. Participants in this study were assigned to a low status group, and perceived hierarchy legitimacy was then experimentally manipulated; the extent to which ingroup versus outgroup failures were attributed to several causes was measured. When low status was considered illegitimate, ingroup failure was attributed to external causes (task difficulty, bad luck) more so than outgroup failure. Implications and directions for future research examining consequences and mediating processes are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of south-eastern Australian householders' strengths of intentions to self-evacuate if a wildfire threatens: two theoretical models

International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2014

Householder evacuation in the face of a wildfire threat is the survival option advocated by fire ... more Householder evacuation in the face of a wildfire threat is the survival option advocated by fire agencies. However, late evacuation is common and has resulted in loss of life. The primary aim of this study was to investigate potential predictors of householders’ strength of intention to leave early in response to a bushfire threat warning. A survey of 584 residents of bushfire-prone locations in south-eastern Australia was conducted. Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and protection motivation theory (PMT) were used to explore predictors of strength of householders’ intentions to leave, or to stay and defend following a bushfire warning. TPB was a useful predictor of strength of intention to leave, but PMT was not such a useful predictor of strength of intention to leave. Householder efficacy and self-characterisation were important contributors, whereas perceptions of severity and susceptibility to threat were not found to be significant contributors. Neither model performed well in...

Research paper thumbnail of Volunteer firefighting: A suitable job for a woman?

This paper reports findings from four studies which examined issues impacting on the recruitment ... more This paper reports findings from four studies which examined issues impacting on the recruitment and retention of women volunteer firefighters. Two studies involved surveying current volunteers; one involved a survey of members of rural communities; one ...

Research paper thumbnail of Factors Impacting on Recruiting and Retaining Australia's Volunteer Firefighters: Some Research Evidence

Australian Journal on …, 2007

Findings from four studies that examined issues impacting on the recruitment and retention of wom... more Findings from four studies that examined issues impacting on the recruitment and retention of women volunteer firefighters are described. Two studies involved surveying current volunteers; one involved a survey of members of rural communities who were not ...

Research paper thumbnail of Attitudes toward Animals: The Effect of Priming Thoughts of Human-Animal Similarities and Mortality Salience on the Evaluation of Companion Animals

Society & Animals, 2009

Human attitudes toward nonhuman animals are complex and quite contradictory. They can range betwe... more Human attitudes toward nonhuman animals are complex and quite contradictory. They can range between extremely negative (animal cruelty) to positive (treating companion animals like human surrogates). Attitudes toward animals are especially negative when people think about human creatureliness and personal mortality. This paper investigates people's attitudes toward highly valued animals (companion animals). The research presented here tested whether companion-animal caregivers would respond to reminders of human creatureliness and mortality salience (MS) with more negative attitudes toward pets. Participants completed an online survey in which MS and human-creatureliness conditions were manipulated. Results showed that, under MS, even pet owners responded to reminders of human creatureliness with less positive attitudes toward the average pet. Thus, the effects observed in previous research extend to more popular animals, even among people with presumably positive attitudes towa...

Research paper thumbnail of Whose Fault Is it Anyway? Political Orientation, Attributions of Responsibility, and Support for the War in Iraq

Social Justice Research, 2009

Political orientation has been shown to be a strong predictor of attitudes toward war. Specifical... more Political orientation has been shown to be a strong predictor of attitudes toward war. Specifically, political conservatism has been associated with increased support for war and with decreased attribution of responsibility for war to one's own government. The present research aims to test whether the relationship between political orientation and support for the war in Iraq is mediated by attributions of government responsibility. In Study 1, survey data showed that the relationship between political orientation and support for the Iraq war was mediated by beliefs about the US government's motivations for the war. Study 2 provided a conceptual replication of the proposed mediation model and extended the findings from beliefs about US government motivations to perceived threat from the prewar Iraqi government. Study 3 used an experimental paradigm to manipulate perceived threat to show that such beliefs directly affected support for the war. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Confirmatory processes in attitude transmission: The role of shared reality

Social Influence, 2010

In social communication, do message senders' expectations about message recipien... more In social communication, do message senders' expectations about message recipients play any role in the construction of social stereotypes? In particular, can senders' expectations about recipients' attitudes toward social groups initiate a confirmatory process whereby ...

Research paper thumbnail of Community Screening for Preschool Child Inhibition to Offer the ‘Cool Little Kids’ Anxiety Prevention Programme

Infant and Child Development, 2014

and Wyndham who took part in this research. We also thank Joyce Cleary (Victorian Department of E... more and Wyndham who took part in this research. We also thank Joyce Cleary (Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) for her invaluable support in contacting preschool services.

Research paper thumbnail of An 8-week peer-led parenting intervention reduces parent-reported behavioural problems in socially disadvantaged children

Evidence-Based Mental Health, 2012

ED FROM Day C, Michelson D, Thomson S, et al. Evaluation of a peer led parenting intervention for... more ED FROM Day C, Michelson D, Thomson S, et al. Evaluation of a peer led parenting intervention for disruptive behaviour problems in children: community based randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2012;344:e1107. Correspondence to: Daniel Michelson, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London SE5 8AF, UK; daniel.m.d.michelson@kcl.ac.uk Sources of funding Guys and St Thomas’ Charity and the London Borough of Southwark. ▸ References are published online at http://ebmh.bmj.com CO M M EN TA RY Externalising behaviour problems are an international public health issue, affecting up to one in five young people. 2 Parenting interventions based on social learning theory demonstrate success in many randomised trials. A key question in the field is how to move towards population implementation of effective parenting strategies. A cutting-edge concern is how to transfer knowledge about effective parenting practices for child externalising problems from highly trained professionals to widespread adoption in the community. 3 Day et al provide an exciting window into implementation. This is a rigorous randomised trial in a community setting with traditionally hard to reach families. The 8-week parenting intervention applies social learning theory principles and achieves outcomes that parallel before clinical trials. Importantly, the intervention was delivered by local parent-peers, carefully trained over 60 h with ongoing supervision support. Perhaps, this provides a model for future wide-scale dissemination. Experts could first demonstrate clinical efficacy under ideal conditions, then train locally recruited peer leaders to deliver the same programme within a randomised trial evaluation, before moving to dissemination (state/ national) that applies identical training, supervision and implementation procedures. An aspect of this study that appears critical is that parents could take part only if (A) they were seeking help for their child’s behaviour problem and (B) they committed to weekly attendance at the parenting group sessions. Such high caregiver motivation could be central to positive outcomes for children’s externalising problems. Population trials inviting families to participate regardless of initial motivation show lower intervention adherence and outcome effects. Perhaps, population dissemination of parenting programmes with demonstrated effectiveness in randomised trials should focus on making them available in the community to all parents who express a need for help (to primary health providers and school staff) and who can commit to attending the full intervention programme. Jordana K Bayer, Ruth Beatson Department of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia and Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia Competing interests None. 80 EBMH August 2012 Vol 15 No 3 Therapeutics