Jo River | University of Technology Sydney (original) (raw)

Papers by Jo River

JMIR Mental Health, 2019

Background The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, but... more Background The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, but using safety plans to mitigate acute psychological crisis is regarded as best practice. Between 2016 and 2017, Australian and Danish stakeholders were involved in revising and updating the Danish MYPLAN mobile phone safety plan and translating the app into a culturally appropriate version for Australia. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the negotiation of stakeholders’ suggestions and contributions to the design, function, and content of the MYPLAN app and to characterize significant developments in the emerging user-involving processes. Methods We utilized a case study design where 4 focus groups and 5 user-involving workshops in Denmark and Australia were subjected to thematic analysis. Results The analyses identified 3 consecutive phases in the extensive development of the app: from phase 1, Suggesting core functions, through phase 2, Refining functions, to phase 3...

Background: The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, bu... more Background: The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, but using safety plans to mitigate acute psychological crisis is regarded as best practice. Between 2016 and 2017, Australian and Danish stakeholders were involved in revising and updating the Danish MYPLAN mobile phone safety plan and translating the app into a culturally appropriate version for Australia. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the negotiation of stakeholders' suggestions and contributions to the design, function, and content of the MYPLAN app and to characterize significant developments in the emerging user-involving processes. Methods: We utilized a case study design where 4 focus groups and 5 user-involving workshops in Denmark and Australia were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: The analyses identified 3 consecutive phases in the extensive development of the app: from phase 1, Suggesting core functions, through phase 2, Refining functions, to phase 3, Negotiating the finish. The user-involving processes continued to prevent closure and challenged researchers and software developers to repeatedly reconsider the app's basic user interface and functionality. It was a limitation that the analysis did not include potentially determinative backstage dimensions of the decision-making process. Conclusions: The extended user involvement prolonged the development process, but it also allowed for an extensive exploration of different user perspectives and needs.

PubMed, Nov 1, 2012

It is critical that nurses, with a view to improving health outcomes for all men, engage in curre... more It is critical that nurses, with a view to improving health outcomes for all men, engage in current debates on the framing of men's health in Australia.

Teaching and Learning in Medicine, Jun 3, 2020

Mistreatment of student and junior health professionals has been reported internationally. The pe... more Mistreatment of student and junior health professionals has been reported internationally. The performing arts have been employed to discuss and address difficult social issues. Turner theorises that research-based verbatim theatre, scripted from interview transcriptions, can explore interrelationships between real-life 'social' drama and performed 'aesthetic' drama. We developed the verbatim theatre play Grace Under Pressure to make experiences of mistreatment in healthcare workplaces apparent to lay and health professional audiences, with the aim of creating vibrant debate. We then explored audience responses to ascertain whether the play enabled them to critically reflect on healthcare culture and potentially facilitate change. Semi-structured interviews with 30 medical students and nurses, paramedics and physicians were transcribed and coded, from which the script was created. Following the performances, medical and nursing students and health professionals discussed their responses to the play at three focus groups. Transcriptions were analysed through theoretical thematic analysis. Themes were: recognition of the play's themes in the healthcare workplace (recognition of personal experience, professionalism, training culture and healthcare workplace culture, and 2 revelations); possible remedies for the healthcare workplace; and critique of the play. Real-life stories and authentic language facilitated recognition of healthcare workplaces by student and practicing health professionals, enabling critical reflection and discussion. We found strong evidence that verbatim theatre can provide an aesthetic frame to consider the voices of those for whom healthcare culture has been unhealthy. This can promote awareness and discussion of the issues, and determination to promote culture change among healthcare professionals, policy makers and the community.

PubMed, Nov 1, 2012

There is growing recognition that the social construction of masculinity is a major factor in men... more There is growing recognition that the social construction of masculinity is a major factor in men's physical and mental health outcomes, however the gendered nature of suicide has long been ignored in social research and health service planning.

Australian Journal of Clinical Education, Feb 15, 2021

Nurses are frontline workers and have an important role to play in reducing the harms associated ... more Nurses are frontline workers and have an important role to play in reducing the harms associated with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) dependence. AOD dependence is a major cause of preventable illness, particularly since the overprescribing of opioids has led to a worldwide overdose crisis. However, nurses receive little education in their undergraduate training about AOD or harm reduction strategies. Additionally, the 'war on drugs' and associations with criminality, often means that nurses hold negative attitudes towards people with AOD dependence. There is evidence that education can improve nurses' attitudes towards people with AOD use, especially when it includes narratives, knowledge and experiences of people with lived experience. In this paper, we outline how experts by experience (people with a lived experience of AOD dependence) and nurse educators developed a high-quality AOD undergraduate nursing subject using a co-production framework. We discuss how the co-production process allowed for the development of a unique and innovative nursing subject that provides students with a humanistic, realistic and pragmatic view of AOD dependence.

Springer eBooks, Dec 11, 2019

This chapter is about peer support and open dialogue (OD). Peer support workers (PSWs) purposeful... more This chapter is about peer support and open dialogue (OD). Peer support workers (PSWs) purposefully bring to their work knowledge and wisdom gained through lived experience of emotional distress and/or extreme states of mind (distress/extreme states) to establish connections with service users and engage in mutually transformative dialogue. The transformative power of peer support is often curtailed in health service cultures that are resistant to change and continue to privilege biomedical responses to distress/extreme states. Open dialogue is a social network–based approach to mental healthcare that came out of ‘psy’ (psychiatry and psychology) disciplines, and radically challenged clinicians to put aside their disciplinary expertise, diagnoses and clinical judgements to see distress/extreme states in a relational context. Using a co-production framework, which aims to yield new forms of knowledge through a collaborative, exploratory and reflective process of interaction between people with lived experience and researchers, we explore the histories and possibilities of each practice and the potential for transformation and resistance in mental health services by the pairing of the two.

Sociology of Health and Illness, Nov 1, 2019

There is little understanding of how recovery-oriented approaches fit within contemporary mental ... more There is little understanding of how recovery-oriented approaches fit within contemporary mental healthcare systems, which emphasise biomedical approaches to care, increased efficiency and cost-cutting. This article examines the established models of service delivery in a private, youth, mental health service and the impacts of the current system on staff. It explores whether the service is prepared or capable of adopting recovery-oriented approaches to care. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with staff and thematically analysed to understand the everyday practices on the unit. Data suggest that economic efficiencies and biomedical dominance largely shaped how health care was organised and delivered, which was perceived by staff as inflexible to change. Additionally, findings suggest that market-oriented principles associated with neoliberalism restricted the capacity of individuals to transform services in line with alternative models of care and lowered staff morale. These finding suggest that, while neoliberal ideologies and biomedical approaches remain dominant in organisations, there will be challenges to adopting alternative recovery-oriented models of care and promoting healthcare systems that understand mental health issues in broader socio-political contexts and can flexibly respond to the needs of service users.

Nurse Education Today, Sep 1, 2020

Background: International students report multiple challenges adjusting to educational settings. ... more Background: International students report multiple challenges adjusting to educational settings. Instructional strategies such as Team Based Learning (TBL), could provide international students with opportunities that promote academic success, language skills and social connectedness. However, little is known about international students' experience of TBL. The aim of this study was to explore culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students' experiences of TBL. Methods: This paper reports on a qualitative study that explored the experiences of 15 international students enrolled in an Australian university nursing program, where TBL is used. Results: Findings indicate that TBL promotes language proficiency and respectful intercultural connections. It also uncovered an unintentional benefit of TBL in interrupting racism towards international students from domestic students. However, it is not enough to rely on TBL to mitigate the impact of racial and cultural power dynamics in educational settings. Conclusion: To improve international student experiences, educators must actively engage students in dialogue about privilege and structural racism as it relates to international students and other people of colour.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Mar 1, 2020

American Journal of Men's Health, Apr 28, 2018

The importance of social connections and support networks for mental health and well-being is wel... more The importance of social connections and support networks for mental health and well-being is well-documented. Social connections can act as a buffer against the impact of stressful or negative life experiences on mental health (

PubMed, Nov 1, 2014

There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates in Australia and worldwide with men accoun... more There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates in Australia and worldwide with men accounting for approximately 80% of all deaths (World Health Organization (WHO), 2011; Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2012). Yet research data suggests suicidal men are less likely than women to access professional help (Booth & Owens, 2,000).

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, Mar 5, 2015

, online, groups, career programmes, employer events, information etc.) as opposed to intensively... more , online, groups, career programmes, employer events, information etc.) as opposed to intensively with one-to-one. There are many similar titles available in terms of aims and scope. This book stands out for its focus on diversity and the working alliance. Although, as a main textbook on career counselling, Sharf (2013) is stronger on the integration of career development theory and practice, this book is still worth reading and purchasing as a supplementary text and I am already thinking of ways of using it with my students. References Fox, K. (1995). Media education and careers education and guidance (or, I once saw a happy episode of EastEnders). In D. Frost, A. Edwards, & H. Reynolds (Eds.), Careers education and guidance (pp. 74-82). London: Kogan Page. Inkson, K. (2007). Understanding careers: The metaphors of working lives. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Qualitative Research, Jul 1, 2020

The aim of this paper is to describe a novel form of qualitative inquiry, dialogical inquiry, whi... more The aim of this paper is to describe a novel form of qualitative inquiry, dialogical inquiry, which allows for multiple investigators from different positions or traditions to collaboratively interpret qualitative data, engaging in a process of mutual influence to enrich both themselves and the process of analysis. We provide a clearly operationalized method, which is inspired by the philosophy of Bakhtin, as reimagined through practices from Open Dialogue, a social network-based approach to dialogical psychotherapy. Drawing on a specific text analysis of Jay Neugeboren's novel "Imagining Robert," we demonstrate how our dialogical inquiry approach can bring reflexive practice in qualitative research to life through mutual reflections among investigators. We show how dialogical inquiry can generate appreciation for multiple perspectives, awareness of affective and epistemic positions, and new knowledge production. This approach could be particularly suited for research teams that wish to actively generate new kinds of knowledge, or to privilege the voices of coresearchers from diverse social, political, and epistemic positions.

American Journal of Men's Health, Jul 29, 2016

There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates worldwide, with men accounting for approxi... more There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates worldwide, with men accounting for approximately 80% of all suicide deaths. In contradictory public discussions, suicidal men are presented sometimes as victims of "poor" health services and sometimes as irremediable, "poor" help seekers. A more substantive theory of suicidal men's help seeking, which moves beyond homogenizing accounts to examine the complex interplay between help seeking and health services, is now required. Eighteen life history interviews were undertaken with men who had engaged in nonfatal suicide. Interviews were analyzed within a theoretical framework of gender relations. The findings challenge static and uniform notions of suicidal men's help seeking. While a few men actively avoided health services, others actively sought help, and in many cases help-seeking practices were triggered by unsolicited encounters with health services. Responsibility for help-seeking behavior did not rest solely with suicidal men. Men's help-seeking practices could either be facilitated or blocked by the character of the professional support that was available. Men in this study overwhelmingly rejected services that framed emotional distress and suicidal behavior as mental illness.

International Journal of Integrated Care, Dec 16, 2016

The integration of formal and informal care provision: An exploratory study of the experiences of... more The integration of formal and informal care provision: An exploratory study of the experiences of primary support persons of chemotherapy outpatients 16

Sociology of Health and Illness, Mar 10, 2021

Men account for approximately 75% of the one million annual suicide deaths worldwide. Emerging re... more Men account for approximately 75% of the one million annual suicide deaths worldwide. Emerging research indicates a link between suicide and men's active pursuit of hegemonic masculinity via emotional restriction. However, little is known of the continuum of suicidal men's emotional practice, and particularly how men mobilise emotions to actively pursue or resist hegemonic masculine ideals. This theorised life‐history study aimed to explore the emotional lives of 18 Australian men who had attempted suicide. Findings indicate that men in this study experienced a range of emotions. However, during childhood, they learned that expressing emotions such as sadness reduced masculine standing, whereas expressing emotions such as anger through acts of violence could enhance masculine status. Although the gendering of emotions offered participants multiple avenues of action to pursue or contest masculine ideals, they remained vulnerable to suicide. For some men, it became impossible to conceal escalating feelings of distress. For other men, displays of anger and violence resulted in job loss, relationship breakdown or criminal conviction. Many participants indicated that suicide presented a means of ending painful emotions. Paradoxically, suicide could also become an alternative means of demonstrating masculinity, whereby the body became both the vehicle and object of violence.

Nurse Education Today, 2023

Health, Nov 27, 2019

This article explores the implementation of an innovative approach to mental health care in a pri... more This article explores the implementation of an innovative approach to mental health care in a private health setting. Open Dialogue is a recovery-oriented approach to mental health that emerged in Finland, which emphasises family involvement, interdisciplinary collaboration and a flexible, needs-adapted approach. Early research is promising; however, little research has explored Open Dialogue outside Finland. This study aimed to explore the introduction of this approach at a private, inpatient young-adult mental health unit in Australia. Drawing on data from a long-term ethnographic field study that included 190 hours of observation and qualitative interviews, the findings show that despite staff members being inspired by and supportive of Open Dialogue, the existing ideology and organisational structures of the unit conflicted with the integration of Open Dialogue principles. Dialogical ways of working

JMIR Mental Health, 2019

Background The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, but... more Background The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, but using safety plans to mitigate acute psychological crisis is regarded as best practice. Between 2016 and 2017, Australian and Danish stakeholders were involved in revising and updating the Danish MYPLAN mobile phone safety plan and translating the app into a culturally appropriate version for Australia. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the negotiation of stakeholders’ suggestions and contributions to the design, function, and content of the MYPLAN app and to characterize significant developments in the emerging user-involving processes. Methods We utilized a case study design where 4 focus groups and 5 user-involving workshops in Denmark and Australia were subjected to thematic analysis. Results The analyses identified 3 consecutive phases in the extensive development of the app: from phase 1, Suggesting core functions, through phase 2, Refining functions, to phase 3...

Background: The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, bu... more Background: The effect of safety planning for people in suicidal crisis is not yet determined, but using safety plans to mitigate acute psychological crisis is regarded as best practice. Between 2016 and 2017, Australian and Danish stakeholders were involved in revising and updating the Danish MYPLAN mobile phone safety plan and translating the app into a culturally appropriate version for Australia. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the negotiation of stakeholders' suggestions and contributions to the design, function, and content of the MYPLAN app and to characterize significant developments in the emerging user-involving processes. Methods: We utilized a case study design where 4 focus groups and 5 user-involving workshops in Denmark and Australia were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: The analyses identified 3 consecutive phases in the extensive development of the app: from phase 1, Suggesting core functions, through phase 2, Refining functions, to phase 3, Negotiating the finish. The user-involving processes continued to prevent closure and challenged researchers and software developers to repeatedly reconsider the app's basic user interface and functionality. It was a limitation that the analysis did not include potentially determinative backstage dimensions of the decision-making process. Conclusions: The extended user involvement prolonged the development process, but it also allowed for an extensive exploration of different user perspectives and needs.

PubMed, Nov 1, 2012

It is critical that nurses, with a view to improving health outcomes for all men, engage in curre... more It is critical that nurses, with a view to improving health outcomes for all men, engage in current debates on the framing of men's health in Australia.

Teaching and Learning in Medicine, Jun 3, 2020

Mistreatment of student and junior health professionals has been reported internationally. The pe... more Mistreatment of student and junior health professionals has been reported internationally. The performing arts have been employed to discuss and address difficult social issues. Turner theorises that research-based verbatim theatre, scripted from interview transcriptions, can explore interrelationships between real-life 'social' drama and performed 'aesthetic' drama. We developed the verbatim theatre play Grace Under Pressure to make experiences of mistreatment in healthcare workplaces apparent to lay and health professional audiences, with the aim of creating vibrant debate. We then explored audience responses to ascertain whether the play enabled them to critically reflect on healthcare culture and potentially facilitate change. Semi-structured interviews with 30 medical students and nurses, paramedics and physicians were transcribed and coded, from which the script was created. Following the performances, medical and nursing students and health professionals discussed their responses to the play at three focus groups. Transcriptions were analysed through theoretical thematic analysis. Themes were: recognition of the play's themes in the healthcare workplace (recognition of personal experience, professionalism, training culture and healthcare workplace culture, and 2 revelations); possible remedies for the healthcare workplace; and critique of the play. Real-life stories and authentic language facilitated recognition of healthcare workplaces by student and practicing health professionals, enabling critical reflection and discussion. We found strong evidence that verbatim theatre can provide an aesthetic frame to consider the voices of those for whom healthcare culture has been unhealthy. This can promote awareness and discussion of the issues, and determination to promote culture change among healthcare professionals, policy makers and the community.

PubMed, Nov 1, 2012

There is growing recognition that the social construction of masculinity is a major factor in men... more There is growing recognition that the social construction of masculinity is a major factor in men's physical and mental health outcomes, however the gendered nature of suicide has long been ignored in social research and health service planning.

Australian Journal of Clinical Education, Feb 15, 2021

Nurses are frontline workers and have an important role to play in reducing the harms associated ... more Nurses are frontline workers and have an important role to play in reducing the harms associated with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) dependence. AOD dependence is a major cause of preventable illness, particularly since the overprescribing of opioids has led to a worldwide overdose crisis. However, nurses receive little education in their undergraduate training about AOD or harm reduction strategies. Additionally, the 'war on drugs' and associations with criminality, often means that nurses hold negative attitudes towards people with AOD dependence. There is evidence that education can improve nurses' attitudes towards people with AOD use, especially when it includes narratives, knowledge and experiences of people with lived experience. In this paper, we outline how experts by experience (people with a lived experience of AOD dependence) and nurse educators developed a high-quality AOD undergraduate nursing subject using a co-production framework. We discuss how the co-production process allowed for the development of a unique and innovative nursing subject that provides students with a humanistic, realistic and pragmatic view of AOD dependence.

Springer eBooks, Dec 11, 2019

This chapter is about peer support and open dialogue (OD). Peer support workers (PSWs) purposeful... more This chapter is about peer support and open dialogue (OD). Peer support workers (PSWs) purposefully bring to their work knowledge and wisdom gained through lived experience of emotional distress and/or extreme states of mind (distress/extreme states) to establish connections with service users and engage in mutually transformative dialogue. The transformative power of peer support is often curtailed in health service cultures that are resistant to change and continue to privilege biomedical responses to distress/extreme states. Open dialogue is a social network–based approach to mental healthcare that came out of ‘psy’ (psychiatry and psychology) disciplines, and radically challenged clinicians to put aside their disciplinary expertise, diagnoses and clinical judgements to see distress/extreme states in a relational context. Using a co-production framework, which aims to yield new forms of knowledge through a collaborative, exploratory and reflective process of interaction between people with lived experience and researchers, we explore the histories and possibilities of each practice and the potential for transformation and resistance in mental health services by the pairing of the two.

Sociology of Health and Illness, Nov 1, 2019

There is little understanding of how recovery-oriented approaches fit within contemporary mental ... more There is little understanding of how recovery-oriented approaches fit within contemporary mental healthcare systems, which emphasise biomedical approaches to care, increased efficiency and cost-cutting. This article examines the established models of service delivery in a private, youth, mental health service and the impacts of the current system on staff. It explores whether the service is prepared or capable of adopting recovery-oriented approaches to care. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with staff and thematically analysed to understand the everyday practices on the unit. Data suggest that economic efficiencies and biomedical dominance largely shaped how health care was organised and delivered, which was perceived by staff as inflexible to change. Additionally, findings suggest that market-oriented principles associated with neoliberalism restricted the capacity of individuals to transform services in line with alternative models of care and lowered staff morale. These finding suggest that, while neoliberal ideologies and biomedical approaches remain dominant in organisations, there will be challenges to adopting alternative recovery-oriented models of care and promoting healthcare systems that understand mental health issues in broader socio-political contexts and can flexibly respond to the needs of service users.

Nurse Education Today, Sep 1, 2020

Background: International students report multiple challenges adjusting to educational settings. ... more Background: International students report multiple challenges adjusting to educational settings. Instructional strategies such as Team Based Learning (TBL), could provide international students with opportunities that promote academic success, language skills and social connectedness. However, little is known about international students' experience of TBL. The aim of this study was to explore culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students' experiences of TBL. Methods: This paper reports on a qualitative study that explored the experiences of 15 international students enrolled in an Australian university nursing program, where TBL is used. Results: Findings indicate that TBL promotes language proficiency and respectful intercultural connections. It also uncovered an unintentional benefit of TBL in interrupting racism towards international students from domestic students. However, it is not enough to rely on TBL to mitigate the impact of racial and cultural power dynamics in educational settings. Conclusion: To improve international student experiences, educators must actively engage students in dialogue about privilege and structural racism as it relates to international students and other people of colour.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Mar 1, 2020

American Journal of Men's Health, Apr 28, 2018

The importance of social connections and support networks for mental health and well-being is wel... more The importance of social connections and support networks for mental health and well-being is well-documented. Social connections can act as a buffer against the impact of stressful or negative life experiences on mental health (

PubMed, Nov 1, 2014

There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates in Australia and worldwide with men accoun... more There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates in Australia and worldwide with men accounting for approximately 80% of all deaths (World Health Organization (WHO), 2011; Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2012). Yet research data suggests suicidal men are less likely than women to access professional help (Booth & Owens, 2,000).

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, Mar 5, 2015

, online, groups, career programmes, employer events, information etc.) as opposed to intensively... more , online, groups, career programmes, employer events, information etc.) as opposed to intensively with one-to-one. There are many similar titles available in terms of aims and scope. This book stands out for its focus on diversity and the working alliance. Although, as a main textbook on career counselling, Sharf (2013) is stronger on the integration of career development theory and practice, this book is still worth reading and purchasing as a supplementary text and I am already thinking of ways of using it with my students. References Fox, K. (1995). Media education and careers education and guidance (or, I once saw a happy episode of EastEnders). In D. Frost, A. Edwards, & H. Reynolds (Eds.), Careers education and guidance (pp. 74-82). London: Kogan Page. Inkson, K. (2007). Understanding careers: The metaphors of working lives. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Qualitative Research, Jul 1, 2020

The aim of this paper is to describe a novel form of qualitative inquiry, dialogical inquiry, whi... more The aim of this paper is to describe a novel form of qualitative inquiry, dialogical inquiry, which allows for multiple investigators from different positions or traditions to collaboratively interpret qualitative data, engaging in a process of mutual influence to enrich both themselves and the process of analysis. We provide a clearly operationalized method, which is inspired by the philosophy of Bakhtin, as reimagined through practices from Open Dialogue, a social network-based approach to dialogical psychotherapy. Drawing on a specific text analysis of Jay Neugeboren's novel "Imagining Robert," we demonstrate how our dialogical inquiry approach can bring reflexive practice in qualitative research to life through mutual reflections among investigators. We show how dialogical inquiry can generate appreciation for multiple perspectives, awareness of affective and epistemic positions, and new knowledge production. This approach could be particularly suited for research teams that wish to actively generate new kinds of knowledge, or to privilege the voices of coresearchers from diverse social, political, and epistemic positions.

American Journal of Men's Health, Jul 29, 2016

There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates worldwide, with men accounting for approxi... more There is a striking gender difference in suicide rates worldwide, with men accounting for approximately 80% of all suicide deaths. In contradictory public discussions, suicidal men are presented sometimes as victims of "poor" health services and sometimes as irremediable, "poor" help seekers. A more substantive theory of suicidal men's help seeking, which moves beyond homogenizing accounts to examine the complex interplay between help seeking and health services, is now required. Eighteen life history interviews were undertaken with men who had engaged in nonfatal suicide. Interviews were analyzed within a theoretical framework of gender relations. The findings challenge static and uniform notions of suicidal men's help seeking. While a few men actively avoided health services, others actively sought help, and in many cases help-seeking practices were triggered by unsolicited encounters with health services. Responsibility for help-seeking behavior did not rest solely with suicidal men. Men's help-seeking practices could either be facilitated or blocked by the character of the professional support that was available. Men in this study overwhelmingly rejected services that framed emotional distress and suicidal behavior as mental illness.

International Journal of Integrated Care, Dec 16, 2016

The integration of formal and informal care provision: An exploratory study of the experiences of... more The integration of formal and informal care provision: An exploratory study of the experiences of primary support persons of chemotherapy outpatients 16

Sociology of Health and Illness, Mar 10, 2021

Men account for approximately 75% of the one million annual suicide deaths worldwide. Emerging re... more Men account for approximately 75% of the one million annual suicide deaths worldwide. Emerging research indicates a link between suicide and men's active pursuit of hegemonic masculinity via emotional restriction. However, little is known of the continuum of suicidal men's emotional practice, and particularly how men mobilise emotions to actively pursue or resist hegemonic masculine ideals. This theorised life‐history study aimed to explore the emotional lives of 18 Australian men who had attempted suicide. Findings indicate that men in this study experienced a range of emotions. However, during childhood, they learned that expressing emotions such as sadness reduced masculine standing, whereas expressing emotions such as anger through acts of violence could enhance masculine status. Although the gendering of emotions offered participants multiple avenues of action to pursue or contest masculine ideals, they remained vulnerable to suicide. For some men, it became impossible to conceal escalating feelings of distress. For other men, displays of anger and violence resulted in job loss, relationship breakdown or criminal conviction. Many participants indicated that suicide presented a means of ending painful emotions. Paradoxically, suicide could also become an alternative means of demonstrating masculinity, whereby the body became both the vehicle and object of violence.

Nurse Education Today, 2023

Health, Nov 27, 2019

This article explores the implementation of an innovative approach to mental health care in a pri... more This article explores the implementation of an innovative approach to mental health care in a private health setting. Open Dialogue is a recovery-oriented approach to mental health that emerged in Finland, which emphasises family involvement, interdisciplinary collaboration and a flexible, needs-adapted approach. Early research is promising; however, little research has explored Open Dialogue outside Finland. This study aimed to explore the introduction of this approach at a private, inpatient young-adult mental health unit in Australia. Drawing on data from a long-term ethnographic field study that included 190 hours of observation and qualitative interviews, the findings show that despite staff members being inspired by and supportive of Open Dialogue, the existing ideology and organisational structures of the unit conflicted with the integration of Open Dialogue principles. Dialogical ways of working