Zaza Lyons - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Zaza Lyons
Australasian Psychiatry
Objective: Medical students are vulnerable to poor mental well-being. The recent COVID-19 pandemi... more Objective: Medical students are vulnerable to poor mental well-being. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted student life and had significant effects on curricula delivery at medical schools around Australia. The study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on medical student mental well-being, assess concerns and determine activities used by students to help with the situation. Method: An online cross-sectional survey was designed. Questions focused on concerns and impact of COVID-19. The Kessler-10 (K10) measured psychological distress. Results: Two hundred and ninety-seven students participated with a 37.5% response rate. Mean K10 score was 20.6 indicating moderate psychological distress. There were no significant differences in K10 mean score or distress level (low, moderate, high, very high) between students in different years of the medical course. Deterioration in mental well-being since COVID-19 onset was reported by 68% students. Main negative impacts were on social con...
Australasian Psychiatry
Objective: There has been a growing interest in psychiatry enrichment programmes such as summer s... more Objective: There has been a growing interest in psychiatry enrichment programmes such as summer schools and institutes for medical students in the last 10 years. Evaluation of enrichment programmes shows that they can be an effective method of increasing students' interest in psychiatry as a career. However, despite initial enthusiasm and motivation within an academic department, establishing a programme can be a daunting task. The aim of this paper is to provide a background of how to establish and implement a psychiatry summer school or institute. The steps that can be taken to establish and implement a psychiatry enrichment programme such as a summer school or institute are described and discussed. This includes how to structure a programme, content to include, costs and budget, programme promotion, selection of students and programme evaluation. Conclusion: Establishing an enrichment programme can provide academic departments of psychiatry with the opportunity to demonstrate excellence and innovation in teaching and positively promote psychiatry to students and other non-medical academics involved in medical education. For students interested in psychiatry, enrichment programmes have the potential to extend interest and knowledge beyond the curriculum and encourage serious consideration of psychiatry as a career.
Australasian Psychiatry
Medical students have higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population. Little i... more Medical students have higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population. Little is known about services accessed by medical students for mental-health problems. This study aimed to assess the use of mental-health services by Australian medical students and to identify barriers that may prevent students from using mental-health services. A cross-sectional online survey was designed and administered to medical students at the University of Western Australia. Questions focused on self-reported psychological well-being, use of mental-health services, the perceived usefulness of services and barriers to the use of services. The response rate was 41% ( n=286). Sixty-two per cent self-reported experiencing mental-health problems, and of these, 75% had used at least one service. General practitioners and psychiatrists were rated as the most effective service type. The main barriers to seeking help were not enough time, affordability and concerns regarding stigma, including disclosure and peer judgement. A high proportion of students with self-reported mental-health problems had accessed services. However, barriers were also identified. Access to mental-health services needs to be improved, and strategies aimed at reducing stigma and raising awareness of mental-health issues should be encouraged by medical faculties.
BJPsych Bulletin
London. He loved good food and wine, and good restaurants. He visited Venice annually as long as ... more London. He loved good food and wine, and good restaurants. He visited Venice annually as long as he could. He enjoyed musical concerts and opera. James's first marriage was to Joan Farrall, who died in 1971. In 1974 he married Jane Bunch, lecturer in social work at the University of Southampton. James died peacefully at home in Saxmundham on 17 June 2015. He is survived by Jane and Timothy, son of his first marriage, now working in Cambodia.
Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, 2017
To explore users' views of, and experience with, the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANA... more To explore users' views of, and experience with, the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANAA), an instrument developed for screening social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) in Aboriginal adults. Over the last few years the HANAA has been widely disseminated across Australia. All those on our database who had requested the HANAA package were contacted by email and invited to participate in the evaluation by completing an online survey. A total of 38 responses were received; the response rate was 36%. All 10 HANAA domains were highly rated by respondents; the overall mean score was 8.3/10. Each domain was assessed using a dichotomous scale of 'problem' or 'no problem' which respondents rated as being very useful; the mean score was 8.4/10. The mean score for the 'recommendation' section at the end of the HANAA was 7.2/10. Respondents reported a high level of utility and cultural applicability of the HANAA's assessment domains, semi-structured narrative ...
Education Research and Perspectives, Dec 1, 2011
Education Research and Perspectives, Dec 1, 2011
Academic Psychiatry, 2016
Australasian Psychiatry, Feb 1, 2010
Australia held the inaugural Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students. This novel pr... more Australia held the inaugural Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students. This novel program aimed to increase students' level of interest in psychiatry as a career opportunity. Method: Students completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Questions were rated on a scale of 1 to 10. Results: Thirty students participated. The average age was 25.5 years and 11 were male. The mean interest and knowledge in psychiatry from baseline to follow-up increased from 7.8 to 8.9 and 5.8 to 7.3, respectively. Mean interest and knowledge in neurosciences increased from 6.9 to 7.7 and 4.3 to 6.2, respectively. Paired t sample tests were significant (p , 0.001). Students 'definitely considering' a career in psychiatry increased by 20% overall from baseline to follow-up. Enjoyment and organization of the week were rated highly. Conclusions: The Institute is an innovative teaching strategy targeted towards medical students. The program increased the level of interest shown by students in psychiatry as a career. The Institute may positively contribute to recruitment of students to psychiatry training programs and it is planned to run it annually.
Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, 2015
The Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students (the Institute) is an innovative enrich... more The Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students (the Institute) is an innovative enrichment programme aimed at attracting medical students to psychiatry. This paper reports on the effectiveness of the Institute as a strategy to increase interest in psychiatry as a career, and the career pathways of students who have attended since 2008. Students completed a baseline questionnaire on day 1 and the final day of the Institute. A follow-up survey was administered electronically to ex-Institute students to determine their career pathways and current level of interest in psychiatry. Since 2008, 117 students have attended the Institute. There was a significant increase in those 'definitely' considering a career in psychiatry from 57% at baseline to 77% at the end of the week. Eighty-nine ex-Institute students were invited to participate in the follow-up survey, and of these 21% were currently psychiatry trainees. The Institute has been successful in encouraging medical st...
International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 2015
BMC Medical Education, 2015
Background: Mental illnesses are a major public health problem around the world and the prevalenc... more Background: Mental illnesses are a major public health problem around the world and the prevalence and burden of common mental disorders is growing. Psychiatry is an unpopular career choice for many medical students and this impacts negatively on the supply of psychiatrists to the workforce. The psychiatry clerkship can play an important role in influencing students' attitudes towards psychiatry, either positively or negatively. However, stigma towards mental illness detracts students from considering a career in psychiatry. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an eight week psychiatry clerkship on i) student knowledge and interest in psychiatry; ii) psychiatry as a career choice; iii) attitudes towards psychiatry; and iv) perceptions of stigma towards mental illness. Method: Year 4 medical students at the University of Western Australia completed two questionnaires, the Balon Attitudes Towards Psychiatry and the Mental Illness Clinicians Attitudes (MICA), at the beginning and end of the psychiatry clerkship. Interest in, knowledge of, and consideration of psychiatry as a career were also assessed. Non-parametric tests were used to compare baseline and follow-up differences on the Balon and MICA. Unpaired t-tests compared mean differences for interest, knowledge and psychiatry as a career. Results: Attitudes towards psychiatry were positive at the beginning of the clerkship. Overall, there was a significant decrease in negative and stigmatising views towards mental illness post clerkship measured by the MICA, but the follow-up mean score remained close to the neutral value with views in some areas becoming more negative. There was no significant improvement in students' interest in psychiatry post clerkship, however, knowledge of psychiatry improved significantly. Numbers of students 'definitely considering' psychiatry as a career increased significantly from 7 (4.6%) students at baseline to 17 (10.5%) at follow-up. Conclusion: The clerkship made a modest impact on students' attitudes to psychiatry, stigma and consideration of psychiatry as a career. Integration of strategies to overcome stigma towards mental illness and the mental health profession into pre-clinical teaching may provide students with skills to prepare them for the clerkship. This may assist in improving attitudes towards psychiatry and encourage more students towards a psychiatry career.
The stigmatisation of mental illness in Australian and other Western societies is now well docume... more The stigmatisation of mental illness in Australian and other Western societies is now well documented. This article presents a description of the 'stigmatisation' problem associated with mental illness, and discusses the impact that this problem has had on the demand for Psychiatry as a career. The approach taken at UWA to address the 'recruitment crisis' through the use of innovative teaching strategies is then described. Preliminary evidence on the efficacy of the approach is also presented. These strategies may provide a model for other universities making effort to bolster the numbers of medical students who pursue careers in Psychiatry.
Multiculturalism is a familiar concept in many developed countries. While cultural competency tra... more Multiculturalism is a familiar concept in many developed countries. While cultural competency training is part of most medical curricula, training in cultural psychiatry at the undergraduate level is typically minimal. It is important that medical graduates are both culturally competent and able to respond to the mental health needs of patients from diverse cultures. This paper provides an overview of the teaching of cultural competency and cultural psychiatry to medical students, and discusses aspects of cultural psychiatry that could be included in medical courses. It was concluded that there needs to be more attention given to teaching of cultural psychiatry in the undergraduate curriculum. The challenge for medical curricula is in the provision of cultural psychiatry content to ensure that students are able effectively to communicate, assess and treat patients from different cultural backgrounds by the time they graduate and begin their professional careers.
Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Jan 4, 2015
Assessment of Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is a complex and challenging task,... more Assessment of Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is a complex and challenging task, in part due to a lack of suitable assessment tools. This paper reports the development and evaluation of a culturally appropriate screening tool called the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANAA). The initial phase included development of a glossary of Aboriginal terms and concepts relating to SEWB. The glossary was used to identify 10 key HANAA domains, which included physical health, sleep, mood, suicide risk and self harm, substance use, memory, unusual experiences, functioning, life stressors and resilience. Evaluation of the HANAA included exploration of its cultural applicability, feasibility, reliability and validity. The HANAA was well accepted by study participants and easily implemented by assessors. Reliability was good, with inter-rater agreements between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal assessors measured by Kappa statistics ranging from 0.5 to 1.0. There was also a good ag...
BIOPHILIA, 2014
Continuity of Life is a novel concept that can be defined as the degree to which an adverse event... more Continuity of Life is a novel concept that can be defined as the degree to which an adverse event or process (such as acquired brain injury) has interrupted the continuity of an individual's life with regard to his or her activities, hopes and plans. This perceived degree of interruption is assessed within a number of life domains such as access to material possessions and earnings; personal physical and mental health; relationships with family members and friends; work, studies and professional career; leisure and recreation; rights, duties and responsibilities; and personal beliefs and/or religious faith. The Continuity of Life Interview (COLI) is a related assessment tool developed and evaluated by consumers, clinicians and academics experienced in rehabilitation and recovery. The COLI is aimed at assessing an individual's perception of illness-or injury-related disruption of, or interference with, relevant life areas and global life quality regarding present state and plans for the future. The instrument is a semi-structured interview schedule which has been evaluated for its feasibility (i.e. duration of the interview, comprehensibility of the main questions and other procedural, textual and rating issues), inter-rater and test-retest reliability. The Continuity of Life concept and instrument are currently being evaluated in a study which aims to implement and evaluate an 8-week mindfulness program, combined with psychoeducation for people with an acquired brain injury and their carers, who attend the State Head Injury Unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Australia. The specific objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the mindfulness program in improving quality and continuity of life in patients with acquired brain injury.
The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 2015
Australasian Psychiatry
Objective: Medical students are vulnerable to poor mental well-being. The recent COVID-19 pandemi... more Objective: Medical students are vulnerable to poor mental well-being. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted student life and had significant effects on curricula delivery at medical schools around Australia. The study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on medical student mental well-being, assess concerns and determine activities used by students to help with the situation. Method: An online cross-sectional survey was designed. Questions focused on concerns and impact of COVID-19. The Kessler-10 (K10) measured psychological distress. Results: Two hundred and ninety-seven students participated with a 37.5% response rate. Mean K10 score was 20.6 indicating moderate psychological distress. There were no significant differences in K10 mean score or distress level (low, moderate, high, very high) between students in different years of the medical course. Deterioration in mental well-being since COVID-19 onset was reported by 68% students. Main negative impacts were on social con...
Australasian Psychiatry
Objective: There has been a growing interest in psychiatry enrichment programmes such as summer s... more Objective: There has been a growing interest in psychiatry enrichment programmes such as summer schools and institutes for medical students in the last 10 years. Evaluation of enrichment programmes shows that they can be an effective method of increasing students' interest in psychiatry as a career. However, despite initial enthusiasm and motivation within an academic department, establishing a programme can be a daunting task. The aim of this paper is to provide a background of how to establish and implement a psychiatry summer school or institute. The steps that can be taken to establish and implement a psychiatry enrichment programme such as a summer school or institute are described and discussed. This includes how to structure a programme, content to include, costs and budget, programme promotion, selection of students and programme evaluation. Conclusion: Establishing an enrichment programme can provide academic departments of psychiatry with the opportunity to demonstrate excellence and innovation in teaching and positively promote psychiatry to students and other non-medical academics involved in medical education. For students interested in psychiatry, enrichment programmes have the potential to extend interest and knowledge beyond the curriculum and encourage serious consideration of psychiatry as a career.
Australasian Psychiatry
Medical students have higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population. Little i... more Medical students have higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population. Little is known about services accessed by medical students for mental-health problems. This study aimed to assess the use of mental-health services by Australian medical students and to identify barriers that may prevent students from using mental-health services. A cross-sectional online survey was designed and administered to medical students at the University of Western Australia. Questions focused on self-reported psychological well-being, use of mental-health services, the perceived usefulness of services and barriers to the use of services. The response rate was 41% ( n=286). Sixty-two per cent self-reported experiencing mental-health problems, and of these, 75% had used at least one service. General practitioners and psychiatrists were rated as the most effective service type. The main barriers to seeking help were not enough time, affordability and concerns regarding stigma, including disclosure and peer judgement. A high proportion of students with self-reported mental-health problems had accessed services. However, barriers were also identified. Access to mental-health services needs to be improved, and strategies aimed at reducing stigma and raising awareness of mental-health issues should be encouraged by medical faculties.
BJPsych Bulletin
London. He loved good food and wine, and good restaurants. He visited Venice annually as long as ... more London. He loved good food and wine, and good restaurants. He visited Venice annually as long as he could. He enjoyed musical concerts and opera. James's first marriage was to Joan Farrall, who died in 1971. In 1974 he married Jane Bunch, lecturer in social work at the University of Southampton. James died peacefully at home in Saxmundham on 17 June 2015. He is survived by Jane and Timothy, son of his first marriage, now working in Cambodia.
Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, 2017
To explore users' views of, and experience with, the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANA... more To explore users' views of, and experience with, the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANAA), an instrument developed for screening social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) in Aboriginal adults. Over the last few years the HANAA has been widely disseminated across Australia. All those on our database who had requested the HANAA package were contacted by email and invited to participate in the evaluation by completing an online survey. A total of 38 responses were received; the response rate was 36%. All 10 HANAA domains were highly rated by respondents; the overall mean score was 8.3/10. Each domain was assessed using a dichotomous scale of 'problem' or 'no problem' which respondents rated as being very useful; the mean score was 8.4/10. The mean score for the 'recommendation' section at the end of the HANAA was 7.2/10. Respondents reported a high level of utility and cultural applicability of the HANAA's assessment domains, semi-structured narrative ...
Education Research and Perspectives, Dec 1, 2011
Education Research and Perspectives, Dec 1, 2011
Academic Psychiatry, 2016
Australasian Psychiatry, Feb 1, 2010
Australia held the inaugural Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students. This novel pr... more Australia held the inaugural Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students. This novel program aimed to increase students' level of interest in psychiatry as a career opportunity. Method: Students completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Questions were rated on a scale of 1 to 10. Results: Thirty students participated. The average age was 25.5 years and 11 were male. The mean interest and knowledge in psychiatry from baseline to follow-up increased from 7.8 to 8.9 and 5.8 to 7.3, respectively. Mean interest and knowledge in neurosciences increased from 6.9 to 7.7 and 4.3 to 6.2, respectively. Paired t sample tests were significant (p , 0.001). Students 'definitely considering' a career in psychiatry increased by 20% overall from baseline to follow-up. Enjoyment and organization of the week were rated highly. Conclusions: The Institute is an innovative teaching strategy targeted towards medical students. The program increased the level of interest shown by students in psychiatry as a career. The Institute may positively contribute to recruitment of students to psychiatry training programs and it is planned to run it annually.
Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, 2015
The Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students (the Institute) is an innovative enrich... more The Claassen Institute of Psychiatry for Medical Students (the Institute) is an innovative enrichment programme aimed at attracting medical students to psychiatry. This paper reports on the effectiveness of the Institute as a strategy to increase interest in psychiatry as a career, and the career pathways of students who have attended since 2008. Students completed a baseline questionnaire on day 1 and the final day of the Institute. A follow-up survey was administered electronically to ex-Institute students to determine their career pathways and current level of interest in psychiatry. Since 2008, 117 students have attended the Institute. There was a significant increase in those 'definitely' considering a career in psychiatry from 57% at baseline to 77% at the end of the week. Eighty-nine ex-Institute students were invited to participate in the follow-up survey, and of these 21% were currently psychiatry trainees. The Institute has been successful in encouraging medical st...
International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 2015
BMC Medical Education, 2015
Background: Mental illnesses are a major public health problem around the world and the prevalenc... more Background: Mental illnesses are a major public health problem around the world and the prevalence and burden of common mental disorders is growing. Psychiatry is an unpopular career choice for many medical students and this impacts negatively on the supply of psychiatrists to the workforce. The psychiatry clerkship can play an important role in influencing students' attitudes towards psychiatry, either positively or negatively. However, stigma towards mental illness detracts students from considering a career in psychiatry. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an eight week psychiatry clerkship on i) student knowledge and interest in psychiatry; ii) psychiatry as a career choice; iii) attitudes towards psychiatry; and iv) perceptions of stigma towards mental illness. Method: Year 4 medical students at the University of Western Australia completed two questionnaires, the Balon Attitudes Towards Psychiatry and the Mental Illness Clinicians Attitudes (MICA), at the beginning and end of the psychiatry clerkship. Interest in, knowledge of, and consideration of psychiatry as a career were also assessed. Non-parametric tests were used to compare baseline and follow-up differences on the Balon and MICA. Unpaired t-tests compared mean differences for interest, knowledge and psychiatry as a career. Results: Attitudes towards psychiatry were positive at the beginning of the clerkship. Overall, there was a significant decrease in negative and stigmatising views towards mental illness post clerkship measured by the MICA, but the follow-up mean score remained close to the neutral value with views in some areas becoming more negative. There was no significant improvement in students' interest in psychiatry post clerkship, however, knowledge of psychiatry improved significantly. Numbers of students 'definitely considering' psychiatry as a career increased significantly from 7 (4.6%) students at baseline to 17 (10.5%) at follow-up. Conclusion: The clerkship made a modest impact on students' attitudes to psychiatry, stigma and consideration of psychiatry as a career. Integration of strategies to overcome stigma towards mental illness and the mental health profession into pre-clinical teaching may provide students with skills to prepare them for the clerkship. This may assist in improving attitudes towards psychiatry and encourage more students towards a psychiatry career.
The stigmatisation of mental illness in Australian and other Western societies is now well docume... more The stigmatisation of mental illness in Australian and other Western societies is now well documented. This article presents a description of the 'stigmatisation' problem associated with mental illness, and discusses the impact that this problem has had on the demand for Psychiatry as a career. The approach taken at UWA to address the 'recruitment crisis' through the use of innovative teaching strategies is then described. Preliminary evidence on the efficacy of the approach is also presented. These strategies may provide a model for other universities making effort to bolster the numbers of medical students who pursue careers in Psychiatry.
Multiculturalism is a familiar concept in many developed countries. While cultural competency tra... more Multiculturalism is a familiar concept in many developed countries. While cultural competency training is part of most medical curricula, training in cultural psychiatry at the undergraduate level is typically minimal. It is important that medical graduates are both culturally competent and able to respond to the mental health needs of patients from diverse cultures. This paper provides an overview of the teaching of cultural competency and cultural psychiatry to medical students, and discusses aspects of cultural psychiatry that could be included in medical courses. It was concluded that there needs to be more attention given to teaching of cultural psychiatry in the undergraduate curriculum. The challenge for medical curricula is in the provision of cultural psychiatry content to ensure that students are able effectively to communicate, assess and treat patients from different cultural backgrounds by the time they graduate and begin their professional careers.
Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Jan 4, 2015
Assessment of Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is a complex and challenging task,... more Assessment of Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is a complex and challenging task, in part due to a lack of suitable assessment tools. This paper reports the development and evaluation of a culturally appropriate screening tool called the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANAA). The initial phase included development of a glossary of Aboriginal terms and concepts relating to SEWB. The glossary was used to identify 10 key HANAA domains, which included physical health, sleep, mood, suicide risk and self harm, substance use, memory, unusual experiences, functioning, life stressors and resilience. Evaluation of the HANAA included exploration of its cultural applicability, feasibility, reliability and validity. The HANAA was well accepted by study participants and easily implemented by assessors. Reliability was good, with inter-rater agreements between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal assessors measured by Kappa statistics ranging from 0.5 to 1.0. There was also a good ag...
BIOPHILIA, 2014
Continuity of Life is a novel concept that can be defined as the degree to which an adverse event... more Continuity of Life is a novel concept that can be defined as the degree to which an adverse event or process (such as acquired brain injury) has interrupted the continuity of an individual's life with regard to his or her activities, hopes and plans. This perceived degree of interruption is assessed within a number of life domains such as access to material possessions and earnings; personal physical and mental health; relationships with family members and friends; work, studies and professional career; leisure and recreation; rights, duties and responsibilities; and personal beliefs and/or religious faith. The Continuity of Life Interview (COLI) is a related assessment tool developed and evaluated by consumers, clinicians and academics experienced in rehabilitation and recovery. The COLI is aimed at assessing an individual's perception of illness-or injury-related disruption of, or interference with, relevant life areas and global life quality regarding present state and plans for the future. The instrument is a semi-structured interview schedule which has been evaluated for its feasibility (i.e. duration of the interview, comprehensibility of the main questions and other procedural, textual and rating issues), inter-rater and test-retest reliability. The Continuity of Life concept and instrument are currently being evaluated in a study which aims to implement and evaluate an 8-week mindfulness program, combined with psychoeducation for people with an acquired brain injury and their carers, who attend the State Head Injury Unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Australia. The specific objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the mindfulness program in improving quality and continuity of life in patients with acquired brain injury.
The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 2015