ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1885-2423
Current Organisation
Flinders University
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-07-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00520-023-07908-Y
Abstract: Cancer survivorship in Australia continues to increase due to new methods for early detection and treatment. Cancer survivors face challenges in the survivorship phase and require ongoing support. A telephone-delivered cancer survivorship program (CSP), including health and mental health coaches, was developed, piloted, and evaluated in Eastern Australia. Cancer survivors’ ( n = 7), coaches’ ( n = 7), and hospital staff ( n = 3) experiences of the CSP were explored through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data routinely collected throughout the pilot of the CSP was described ( N = 25). Three syntheses and 11 themes were generated through thematic analysis. The first synthesis centred around operational factors and highlighted a need to streamline communication from the point of recruitment, through to program delivery, emphasising that the program could be beneficial when timed right and tailored correctly. The second synthesis indicated that the CSP focused on appropriate information, filled a gap in support, and met the needs of cancer survivors by empowering them. The third synthesis focussed on the value of mental health support in the CSP, but also highlighted challenges coaches faced in providing this support. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data indicated improvements in self-management, weekly physical activity, and meeting previously unmet needs. Cancer survivors expressed appreciation for the support they received through the CSP and, in line with other cancer survivorship research, predominantly valued just having somebody in their corner . Recommendations are made for improving cancer survivorship programs in the future.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-11-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S12889-021-11898-Z
Abstract: Work can offer a myriad of social and health benefits. Long-term sick leave can be detrimental to employers, in iduals, families, and societies. The burden of long-term sick leave has motivated the development of return to work (RTW) interventions. This study sought to determine what constitutes an effective psychosocial RTW intervention, which included exploring whether the level of intervention intensity and intervention characteristics matter to RTW outcomes. A systematic review and narrative synthesis were undertaken. Studies were identified through six databases (Ovid Medline, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), PsycInfo (Ovid), ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar) between 2011 and 3 September 2019. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or reviews published in English were eligible for inclusion if they targeted adults who were on sick leave/unemployed trying to return to full-capacity employment, had at least one structured psychosocial RTW intervention, and assessed RTW. Study quality was assessed using checklists from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Database searching yielded 12,311 records. Eighteen RCTs (comprising 42 intervention/comparison groups), seven reviews (comprising 153 studies), and five grey literature documents were included. Included studies were of moderate-to-high quality. Research was primarily conducted in Europe and focused on psychological or musculoskeletal problems. RTW outcomes included RTW status, time until RTW, insurance claims, and sick days. Participating in a RTW program was superior to care-as-usual. RTW outcomes were similar between erse interventions of low, moderate, and high intensity. Common foundational characteristics seen across effective RTW interventions included a focus on RTW, psychoeducation, and behavioural activation. Evidence suggests that a low intensity approach to RTW interventions may be an appropriate first option before investment in high intensity, and arguably more expensive interventions, as the latter appear to provide limited additional benefit. More high-quality RCTs, from erse countries, are needed to provide stronger evidence.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1177/20552076221144104
Abstract: Increased levels of wellbeing contribute to people being more productive, resilient, physically healthy and showing lower levels of mental illness. Using mobile apps to increase wellbeing in young people is becoming the method of choice. This study sought to critically appraise the current evidence base with regards to young people's (16–24 years of age) engagement with wellbeing apps. A systematic review of the literature and narrative synthesis was conducted to investigate users’ characteristics and other potential engagement elements. A total of 11,245 titles, 160 abstracts and 68 full-text articles published between 2002 and 2021 were screened, of which 22 studies were included. Main themes/findings indicated that a user's engagement with wellbeing apps was dependant on the presence of strong identity elements, including motivation, mood and values design elements such as meaningful rewards, short duration of studies and seamless automatic delivery with low contact with researchers and being innovative and contextualised. The majority of the studies did not report outcomes by social determinants such as ethnicity, education and others. This research reflects on the need to consider participants’ in iduality when designing app mediated wellbeing interventions.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-06-2018
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 30-11-2018
Abstract: Despite the current popularity and potential use of mobile applications (apps) in the area of behaviour change, health promotion, and well-being for young people, it is unclear whether their design is underpinned by theory-based behaviour change techniques. Understanding the design of these apps may improve the way they can be used to support young people’s well-being.The objectives of this study were to investigate what behaviour change techniques are included in the content of health and lifestyle apps, and determine which of these are prominent in app design. Thirty of the top-listed health and lifestyle apps across three categories (physical activity, diet, and sleep) were freely downloaded from the two most popular app stores (GooglePlay™ and AppStore™). Selected apps were used by trained researchers and the features identified coded against the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy 1, a systematic classification of techniques used in behaviour change interventions. It was found that 9 of the 93 behaviour change techniques listed in the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy 1 were common across the chosen health and lifestyle apps. The app found to include the most behaviour change techniques had 20 (21%), while the app found to include the least had 1 behaviour change technique (1%). The most frequently used behaviour change techniques were related to goal setting and feedback. Entire categories in the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy 1 were absent in the design of the selected apps.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 19-01-2017
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-10-2016
Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Date: 10-01-2020
DOI: 10.2174/2210676609666181204145835
Abstract: Young people carry mental health problems disproportionate to the size of their population, and rates of help-seeking are low. School mental health programs have been developed to address these issues, founded on an educational approach to target mental health literacy, and indirectly improve help-seeking. However, it has been suggested that knowledge does not necessarily predict health behaviour in young people. A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore whether knowledge about mental illness was related to attitudes towards mental illness and intentions to seek help in a s le of adolescent girls (N=327). Results indicated a weak negative relationship between knowledge about mental health and stigmatising attitudes about mental illness, but no relationship between knowledge about mental health and intentions to seek help for mental health problems. When mental health was categorised (e.g., optimal vs. poorer mental health), a negative relationship between knowledge about and stigmatising attitudes toward mental health was shown in those with poor mental health, but not for adolescents categorised as having moderate or optimal mental health. Findings suggest that while the traditional adage - more information on mental health equals better attitude to mental health - may be true for those with ‘poorer’ levels of mental health (e.g., high levels of psychological distress), it may not reduce stigma associated with mental illness or motivate positive health behaviour in adolescent girls with ‘optimal’ mental health (e.g., low or no levels of psychological distress).
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-01-2019
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 03-10-2012
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 09-07-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-06-2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1111/AP.12221
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/AP.12424
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 30-11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.13659
Abstract: Transition to university is associated with reduced engagement in physical activity (PA), with students' PA influenced by many in idual and contextual factors. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic is one such factor. COVID-19 has disrupted our relationships with our bodies and with others, our sense of time, and the spaces in which we live and work, resulting in reductions in PA. Based on data gathered through a phenomenological photovoice study conducted between June and December of 2020 with nine Australian university students, and informed by phenomenological writing on the uncanny, we explored how the experience of COVID-19 transformed students' lived experience of PA. PA offered students a pathway through the uncanny experience of COVID-19 by affording a way to (re)engage with others, (re)connect with spaces, make gains despite the losses, and recognise and appreciate moments of joy and reflection. This study provides novel insights that can be used to support students to meaningfully (re)engage in PA.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1177/14604582211064825
Abstract: Introduction: The potential of mobile applications (apps) as a resource to support well-being in young people is h ered by low usage. Suggested reasons for this vary from technical issues to users’ psychological and personal characteristics like gender, mood and perceptions on well-being. Objectives: To identify and understand predictive variables related to the use of well-being apps by young people in the context of the ‘Online Wellbeing Centre’ (OWC) Randomised Controlled Trial (a study assessing changes in well-being of young people who use well-being apps). Methods: A cross-sectional analysis using binary logistic regression was conducted, taking into account previous app usage of participants at baseline versus demographic, ecological momentary assessments, and well-being variables, of data collected in the OWC-RCT. To explore predictors further, follow-up post-RCT surveys were coded to better understand user’s predisposition towards apps. Results: Mood ( p 0.006) and gender ( p 0.03) are significantly associated with the use of well-being apps. Female participants with elevated mood were more likely to use well-being apps before signing up into the study. Two themes were identified from participants at follow-up that related to the design of the app and engagement of the app user. Females were more likely to focus on the purpose of app, whereas males were more likely to focus on specific goals and features (e.g. tracking) offered by the app. Females were able to mention the link between well-being and app usage. Conclusion: Personal characteristics explain engagement with well-being apps, with mood and gender significant in the current s le. Further qualitative research may help identify other in idual characteristics that explain why and how young people use well-being apps and the impact of these on a user’s health.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-01-2023
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 24-06-2021
DOI: 10.1071/AH20307
Abstract: Objective MindStep™ is an Australian low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (LICBT) program for in iduals with mild-to-moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. UK-produced LICBT guided self-help (GSH) materials were originally used in the MindStep™ program. In 2017, Australian LICBT GSH materials were developed to better suit Australian users. This study explored whether the Australian-produced materials continued to achieve the benchmark recovery rates established in the UK and maintained in recent Australian studies. Methods Binomial logistic regression was conducted using retrospective client data, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, between 2016 and 2019. Results During time periods in which the Australian-produced materials were used, equivalent rates of reliable recovery and improvement were achieved compared with time periods in which the UK-produced materials were used. Australian-trained LICBT coaches, using Australian-produced LICBT GSH materials, achieve client recovery rates of up to 60%, reliable improvement rates of 58% and reliable recovery rates of 46% (with the probability of recovery increasing with client age). Conclusions These findings are particularly pertinent with COVID-19 changing the landscape of mental health service delivery, requiring greater flexibility in the use of teleservices to ensure access to effective mental health care for populations that may already experience problems with isolation, access and service engagement. What is known about the topic? LICBT is an acceptable, feasible and effective treatment approach for people experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety and depression in Australia. LICBT GSH materials used with clients in Australia originated from the UK. However, according to guidelines, LICBT GSH materials should be contextualised to suit the audience they are being used with. What does this paper add? This paper demonstrates that LICBT GSH materials tailored to an Australian context can be used in place of UK-produced materials because they yield equivalent and consistent therapeutic outcomes. Although contextualising the LICBT GSH materials for health services users was important, it is likely that the evidence-based cognitive behaviour therapy techniques sitting ‘under the hood’ of these materials are most important to ensure successful therapeutic outcomes. What are the implications for practitioners? As we face unprecedented challenges following 2020, the physical, social, psychological and economic impacts of life-changing events must not inhibit access to treatments for common mental health conditions. It is anticipated that more non-traditional, alternative providers of mental health services will be needed to scale-up and respond to increasing demand. This paper shows that the provision of telephone-based LICBT in Australia, by trained coaches using Australian-produced GSH materials, is an evidenced-based support pathway that can reduce the access gap to treatments.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 28-01-2016
Publisher: University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress)
Date: 08-2020
Abstract: Introduction: Social support, particularly support from an intimate partner, is both a significant protective factor for trauma-exposed Veterans and critical for recovery in mental health, yet we know little about the experiences and support needs of their partners, particularly in the Australian context. This study examined the multidimensional nature of experiences of being an intimate partner of a contemporary Veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: The authors used a qualitative phenomenological approach to conduct an inductive thematic analysis of data collected through in idual interviews with a purposive s le of 10 partners of contemporary Veterans living in Australia. Interviewees were recruited through a range of community support organizations. Results: Analysis revealed intimate partners are crucial participants in supporting the recovery journey for traumatized Veterans, effectively managing day-to-day care, encouraging autonomy and instilling hope. However, descriptions highlighted that lack of understanding of partners’ daily lives, and particularly their commitment to maintaining their intimate relationship, by health care providers and government results in a sense of invisibility and is the key barrier to receiving the support they need in order to support recovery in their Veteran partners. Discussion: The findings underscore the importance of recognizing the role of intimate relationships in trauma recovery and of responding to the support needs of intimate partners. In particular, the findings have clear implications for improving the engagement by health care providers of partners of Veterans with PTSD in Veteran clinical treatment. More formal recognition of the indirect impact of PTSD on partners of Veterans is also needed within organizational policies and procedures. Finally, there is clearly a need for continuing education of health care providers, government staff and the general community about the nature of PTSD and its impacts on relationships, particularly the intimate type.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2021
Abstract: Digital Mental Health Platforms offer feasible options to increase access to mental health support. This study aimed to examine the acceptability of a Low Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Digital Mental Health Platform, containing a Virtual Coach, with University Students ( n = 16) and Mental Health Professionals ( n = 5). Semi-structured interviews, exploratory focus groups, and inductive thematic analysis were conducted. Four overarching themes were identified, with potential users and professionals highlighting positive aspects, elements to be improved, and ambivalent feelings towards the platform overall. However, participants predominately expressed negative experiences indicating that the Virtual Coach was unrelatable and hard to engage with. While Virtual Coaches and similar Digital Mental Health Platforms have the potential to overcome barriers for those attempting to access mental health services, their effectiveness may be limited if the people who need them are not drawn to and then consistently engaged with them. Based on the feedback attained for this specific Digital Mental Health Platform, recommendations are provided for future developers aiming to create similar platforms, to assist in their uptake and ensure ongoing user engagement.
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1037/MEN0000269
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-11-2021
Abstract: People with severe mental illness (SMI) die significantly earlier than their well counterparts, mainly due to preventable chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). Based on the existing research, this perspective paper summarises the key contributors to CVD in people with SMI to better target the areas that require more attention to reduce, and ultimately resolve this health inequity. We discuss five broad factors that, according to current international evidence, are believed to be implicated in the development and maintenance of CVD in people with SMI: (1) bio-psychological and lifestyle-related factors (2) socio-environmental factors (3) health system-related factors (4) service culture and practice-related factors and (5) research-related gaps on how to improve the cardiovascular health of those with SMI. This perspective paper identifies that CVD in people with SMI is a multi-faceted problem involving a range of risk factors. Furthermore, existing chronic care or clinical recovery models alone are insufficient to address this complex problem, and none of these models have identified the significant roles that family caregivers play in improving a person’s self-management behaviours. A new framework is proposed to resolve this complex health issue that warrants a collaborative approach within and between different health and social care sectors.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 15-04-2020
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.12998
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2013
No related grants have been discovered for Anthony Venning.