ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4450-8434
Current Organisation
Deakin University
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-11-2021
DOI: 10.1111/AJR.12801
Abstract: To gain new insight into contextual factors shaping how physical ill health acts as a stressor in rural suicides-informing the development of appropriate targeted interventions. Retrospective cohort study. Non-metropolitan Victoria, Australia. 802 rural (non-metropolitan) suicide deaths between the years 2009 and 2015. Qualitative data from the Victorian Suicide Register relating to physical ill health of suicide decedents. Thematic analysis identified 4 themes: (a) 'living with physical ill health in a rural area' highlights both practical and cultural challenges associated with managing physical ill health within the context of life in a rural setting (b) 'causes and experience of chronic pain' highlights rural risk factors for chronic pain, how pain was experienced and treatment managed (c) 'when living an independent, contributing life is no longer possible' describes the debilitating physical and mental outcomes of chronic ill health and pain and (d) 'the cumulative impact of physical ill health and other factors on suicide risk' highlights the complexity of risk factors-in combination with (or as a result of) physical ill health-that contribute to a suicide death. Identified themes suggest pathways to improve understanding and support for those experiencing physical ill health and associated suicide risk. These supports include contextually and culturally appropriate rural services to provide effective and necessary treatment, pain relief and mental health support acknowledgement and response to a culture of alcohol misuse as an (ultimately ineffective) coping strategy proactive psychosocial support mechanisms and alternative approaches to support including consideration of innovative peer support models.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-04-2019
Abstract: The current literature acknowledges that occupational exposures can adversely affect mental health. This review seeks to elucidate the current understanding of the effect of agrichemical exposure on mental health in the agricultural sector, including low-dose, chronic pesticide exposure. This scoping review adopted a snowballing and saturation approach. The review highlights inconsistencies in linking poor mental health and pesticide use. While some studies specifically showed that both high- and low-dose pesticide exposure were associated with poor mental health, consistent and rigorous research methods are lacking. The review also proposes terms to delineate exposure types described in the literature. The review outcomes direct efforts to protect the health, wellbeing and safety of farming communities across the globe.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-07-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-10-2022
DOI: 10.1111/AJR.12930
Abstract: Investigating how co‐designed knowledge can be translated to co‐produce a public health capacity‐building solution for difficult‐to‐engage population groups drawing on the co‐production experience of a prevention‐focused, capacity‐building mental health solution targeting primary producers. A qualitative study undertaken in rural and regional Victoria involving members of the design working group including project team (7px), digital design team (5px), marketing team (3px), and funding partner representatives. The study design involved reflective practice to collect data to identify the phases of co‐production and assess the design working group members' experiences. The analysis involved inductive coding using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. Identifying major points of ergence and/or convergence enablers and/or constraints and ways to better navigate and strengthen the co‐production process. Given members of the design working group, erse skills sets ergence was experienced in all co‐production phases. Divergence was also experienced between the project team and the funding partner given the uniqueness of working conditions and requirements of workers in the primary production industry. The project team applied an iterative development process to project management encouraging iterative cycles to create/test/revise among the teams, and with the funding partner, until each was satisfied with the end result (convergence). When developing a co‐created public health prevention c aign it is critical that the project team focuses on relationship building among the members of the design working group and ensures adequate resourcing, development of shared understanding of project goals and target audience, ongoing communication, and a commitment to working iteratively.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 11-06-2019
Abstract: This article presents qualitative data to explore the experience of farming family members faced with accidental or suicide death and understand how this is experienced within the farming context. In idual semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 members of Australian farming families bereaved by suicide or accidental death. Qualitative data was thematically analyzed. Three interconnected themes were identified: acceptance of risk, normalization of death, pragmatic behavior patterns and connection to place. Bereavement and reconstruction of meaning following suicide or accidental death for farming families is influenced by the cultural, social, geographical, and psychological contexts of farming families. This article challenges traditional conceptions of suicide and accidental death as necessarily experienced as “violent” or “traumatic,” bereavement as experienced similarly across western cultures, and the reaction to suicide or accidental death as one that challenges people’s understanding of their world and leaves them struggling to find a reason why the death occurred.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-05-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S12889-020-08954-5
Abstract: Compared with the general population, Australian farmers—particularly men—have been identified as at greater risk of suicide. A complex range of factors are thought to contribute to this risk, including the experience of Stigm a. stigma also impacts those who have attempted suicide, their carers, and those bereaved by suicide—manifesting as shame, guilt, social isolation, concealment of death, reduced help seeking and ongoing risk of suicide. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention, tailored for the farming context, designed to reduce stigma among farming men with a lived experience of suicide. The digital intervention used an adult learning model providing opportunity to share insights, reflect, learn and apply new knowledge among people with shared farming interests, suicide experience and cultural context. A range of content—tailored to the gender, farming type and suicide experience of participants—included video stories, postcard messages, education and personal goal setting. Pre- and post- assessment of suicide stigma and literacy was complemented by qualitative data collection during the intervention and participant feedback surveys. The intervention was successful in reaching members of the target group from across Australia’s rural communities—with erse geographic locations and farming industries represented. One hundred and sixty-nine participants from the target group (farming males aged 30–64 years) were recruited. While the Stigma of Suicide Scale failed to identify a reduction in self- or perceived-stigma, qualitative data and participant feedback identified behavioural indicators of stigma reduction. Four subthemes—‘growth’, ‘new realisations’, ‘hope’ and ‘encouragement’—highlighted attitudinal and behaviour change indicative of reduced stigma associated with mental health and suicide. Participants’ baseline suicide literacy (Literacy of Suicide Scale) was high when compared with previous community s les and total literacy scores did not demonstrate significant improvement over time, although literacy about the link between suicide and alcoholism did significantly improve. These results highlight opportunities in groups with high suicide literacy for targeted stigma reduction and suicide prevention efforts for both the target group and other populations within Australia and internationally. Results also highlight the need to reassess how stigma change is understood and evaluated across a wider range of population groups. This research project was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ( ACTRN12616000289415 ) on 7th March, 2016.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-03-2020
Abstract: Rural Australians experience a range of health inequities—including higher rates of suicide—when compared to the general population. This retrospective cohort study compares demographic characteristics and suicide death circumstances of farming- and non-farming-related suicides in rural Victoria with the aim of: (a) exploring the contributing factors to farming-related suicide in Australia’s largest agricultural producing state and (b) examining whether farming-related suicides differ from suicide in rural communities. Farming-related suicide deaths were more likely to: (a) be employed at the time of death (52.6% vs. 37.7%, OR = 1.84, 95% CIs 1.28–2.64) and, (b) have died through use of a firearm (30.1% vs. 8.7%, OR = 4.51, 95% CIs 2.97–6.92). However, farming-related suicides were less likely to (a) have a diagnosed mental illness (36.1% vs. 46.1%, OR=0.66, 95% CIs 0.46–0.96) and, (b) have received mental health support more than six weeks prior to death (39.8% vs. 50.0%, OR = 0.66, 95% CIs 0.46–0.95). A range of suicide prevention strategies need adopting across all segments of the rural population irrespective of farming status. However, data from farming-related suicides highlight the need for targeted firearm-related suicide prevention measures and appropriate, tailored and accessible support services to support health, well-being and safety for members of farming communities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-02-2023
DOI: 10.1111/AJR.12968
Abstract: This paper draws on the principles of suicide risk safety planning to co‐design a farming community resource for preventing and managing risks to mental health. This project was undertaken in the Great South Coast Region of Victoria, Australia. A working group ( n = 6–8) from the Victorian farming community contributed to the iterative co‐design and co‐production of Steering Straight: My plan to keep on track. Twenty‐four members of the farming community pilot tested Steering Straight. Co‐design to develop, pilot and refine the resource with working group and target farming community. Steering Straight was viewed positively by the farming community as a tool that prompts prioritising well‐being encourages reflection, planning and concrete steps towards taking action helps set and meet personal goals is simple and practical and identifies pathways to support. Most participants (94%) completed Steering Straight on their own, taking approximately 15–30 min to create their personalised plan. Questions most likely to be filled in related to recognising personal signs of deteriorating well‐being and listing and planning enjoyable activities. A majority of participants (67%) kept a hard copy of their Steering Straight plan on hand to refer back to, while 78% expressed a preference for a digital version. The co‐design and co‐production process resulted in a tailored prevention‐focused resource that was accepted and valued by the farming community.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-06-2021
Abstract: Children on farms have been identified as a population vulnerable to injury. This review seeks to identify child farm-related injury rates in Australia and to determine the key hazards and contributing risk factors. This critical review utilised the PRISMA guidelines for database searching. Research from the year 2000 onward was included as well as earlier seminal texts. Reference lists were searched, and the relevant research material was explored. Our primary focus was on Australian peer-reviewed literature with international and grey literature ex les included. Evidence suggests that there is limited Australian research focusing on child farm-related injuries. Child representation in farm-related injuries in Australia has remained consistent over time, and the key hazards causing these injuries have remained the same for over 20 years. The factors contributing to child rates of farm injury described in the literature include child development and exposure to dangerous environments, the risk-taking culture, multi-generational farming families, lack of supervision, child labour and lack of regulation, limited targeted farm safety programs, underuse of safe play areas, financial priorities and poor understanding and operationalisation of the hierarchy of control. It is well known that children experience injury on farms, and the key hazards that cause this have been clearly identified. However, the level of exposure to hazards and the typical attitudes, behaviours and actions of children and their parents around the farm that contribute to chid injury remain unexplored.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-01-2021
DOI: 10.1111/SLTB.12725
Abstract: Farmers are at higher risk of suicide than other occupations and the general population. The complex suicide risk factors have not been examined in a large, population‐wide study across a significant time period. This observational study draws on existing data from the United States’ National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), including 140,523 farming‐ or non‐farming‐related suicide decedents between 2003 and 2016 from across 40 states. “Farming‐related” decedents included 2,801 suicides. Farmers had higher odds of being male, older, less well‐educated, and American Indian/Alaska Native. Farmers had higher odds of using firearms and—when farmers used a gun—higher odds of using a long‐arm weapon. Farmers had lower odds of having a known mental health condition or job problem, and lower odds of having made a previous suicide attempt or leaving a suicide note. Findings highlight the complexity of suicide risk within the context of farming in the United States and reinforce the need for tailored prevention efforts employing means restriction of firearms and emphasizing that traditional risk factors may not be as common in the farming population.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-05-2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-04-2021
Abstract: Primary producers face considerable risks for poor mental health. While this population can be difficult to engage in programs to prevent poor mental health, approaches tailored to reflect the context of primary producers’ life and work have been successful. This paper reports on the co-design phase of a project designed to prevent poor mental health for primary producers—specifically, the advantages, challenges and considerations of translating face-to-face co-design methods to an online environment in response to COVID-19 restrictions. The co-design phase drew upon the existing seven-step co-design framework developed by Trischler and colleagues. Online methods were adopted for all steps of the process. This paper models how this co-design approach can work in an online, primary producer context and details key considerations for future initiatives of this type. The development of online co-design methods is an important additional research method for use not only during a pandemic but also when operating with limited resources or geographic constraints. Results demonstrate the following: (i) co-designing online is possible given adequate preparation, training and resource allocation (ii) “hard to reach” populations can be engaged using online methods providing there is adequate early-stage relationship building (iii) co-design quality need not be compromised and may be improved when translating to online and (iv) saved costs and resources associated with online methods can be realigned towards intervention/service creation, promotion and user engagement. Suggestions for extending Trischler and colleagues’ model are incorporated.
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Alison Kennedy.