ORCID Profile
0000-0003-4854-7243
Current Organisations
The University of Newcastle
,
Everymind
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Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2009
DOI: 10.1177/107769580906400205
Abstract: The Response Ability Project is a collaboration between mental health professionals and journalism educators in Australia. It seeks to influence the pre-professional education of journalists so that graduates of university courses will be aware of, and are able to respond appropriately to, issues relating to suicide and mental illness. Importantly, the project situates this learning in the context of the core skills of journalism such as news writing, research, and interviewing. Multi-media resources were developed from pilot resources in 2001 and disseminated to Australian universities. This essay explores key achievements of the project, proposing a place for these issues in journalism curricula internationally.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-08-2010
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-02-2020
DOI: 10.1002/HPJA.316
Abstract: Despite different models and frameworks for effective suicide prevention, a universal intervention that is consistently highlighted is the need for responsible and safe media reporting of suicide. This is based on evidence of an association between media reporting of suicide and subsequent suicidal behaviour. This study examines the extent to which media-led policies and codes of practice in Australia have integrated and aligned with evidence-informed recommendations about reporting suicide. An online search of Australian media agency websites was used to identify codes of practice or similar guidance for news reporting. Content analysis was conducted on all identified documents, assessing alignment with 16 key recommendations from the Mindframe media guidelines for reporting on suicide. A total of 17 documents across 12 media agencies were identified. Ten of the 12 agencies provided specific advice about the reporting of suicide, with all agencies that issue codes of practice or editorial policies including between two and 10 recommendations aligned with the Mindframe guidelines. While the results of this study are positive, significant variation between media agencies shows that there are opportunities to enhance adoption and implementation of evidence-informed guidance for media professionals in Australia. SO WHAT?: With over 3000 people dying by suicide and over 60 000 people attempting suicide each year in Australia, the prevention of suicide remains a key public health priority requiring a multi-sector and health-in-all-policies approach. This study reveals that there is a strong platform for ongoing collaboration with the Australian media to ensure safe and sensitive coverage of suicide.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 17-02-2023
DOI: 10.2196/44300
Abstract: Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians. One commonly cited explanation is the impact of social media, in particular, the ways in which young people use social media to communicate about their own experiences and their exposure to suicide-related content posted by others. Guidelines designed to assist mainstream media to safely report about suicide are widespread. Until recently, no guidelines existed that targeted social media or young people. In response, we developed the #chatsafe guidelines and a supporting social media c aign, which together make up the #chatsafe intervention. The intervention was tested in a pilot study with positive results. However, the study was limited by the lack of a control group. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the #chatsafe social media intervention on young people’s safety and confidence when communicating on the web about suicide. The study employs a pragmatic, parallel, superiority randomized controlled design. It will be conducted in accordance with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement over 18 months. Participants will be 400 young people aged 16-25 years (200 per arm). Participants will be recruited via social media advertising and assessed at 3 time points: time 1—baseline time 2—8-week postintervention commencement and time 3—4-week postintervention. They will be asked to complete a weekly survey to monitor safety and evaluate each piece of social media content. The intervention comprises an 8-week social media c aign including social media posts shared on public Instagram profiles. The intervention group will receive the #chatsafe suicide prevention content and the control group will receive sexual health content. Both groups will receive 24 pieces of content delivered to their mobile phones via text message. The primary outcome is safety when communicating on the web about suicide, as measured via the purpose-designed #chatsafe online safety questionnaire. Additional outcomes include willingness to intervene against suicide, internet self-efficacy, safety, and acceptability. The study was funded in November 2020, approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee on October 7, 2022, and prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials registry. Trial recruitment began in November 2022 and study completion is anticipated by June 2024. This will be the first randomized controlled trial internationally to test the impact of a social media intervention designed to equip young people to communicate safely on the web about suicide. Given the rising rates of youth suicide in Australia and the acceptability of social media among young people, incorporating social media–based interventions into the suicide prevention landscape is an obvious next step. This intervention, if effective, could also be extended internationally, thereby improving web-based safety for young people not just in Australia but globally. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12622001397707 anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384318 DERR1-10.2196/44300
Publisher: Hogrefe Publishing Group
Date: 03-2006
DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910.27.2.82
Abstract: There is strong evidence for the existence of the Werther effect, or the phenomenon of an observer copying suicidal behavior he or she has seen modelled in the media. As a consequence, a number of countries have developed guidelines that promote responsible reporting of suicide. Using nine such guidelines as ex les, this paper demonstrates that they tend to have similar content (emphasizing, for ex le, that suicide should not be glamorized or sensationalized and that explicit descriptions should be avoided, and stressing the importance of providing information about help services), but differ in the way in which they have been developed (e.g., the extent to which media professionals have been involved) and implemented (e.g., whether their “roll-out” has involved a considered dissemination strategy). The paper also reviews the evidence from evaluations of media guidelines, and concludes that it is too limited to determine whether the guidelines have had an impact on the behavior of media professionals or on completed and attempted suicide rates. It makes recommendations for further evaluative work, and suggests that the lessons from well-designed evaluations should be shared.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.PEC.2019.01.003
Abstract: This study aimed to identify the information that people who have attempted suicide and those who support them believed to be helpful to receive after an attempt. Thirty-seven people with lived experience of suicide attempt(s) (suicide attempt survivors and family members/friends of survivors) were recruited through two national lived experience community groups in Australia. Participants completed a semi-structured telephone interview that included questions about the types of information they believed important to receive after an attempt. Using thematic analysis, the key information participants identified was helpful to receive following a suicide attempt was that which could challenge stigma and address negative community attitudes towards suicide. Participants spoke of a need for practical information and information that provided hope. Personal stories of recovery were identified as an important way of communicating this sort of health information. People who have attempted suicide and their family members and friends want information that challenges stigma and supports recovery expectations. Providing people with accurate information about recovery and using personal stories to communicate health information is one way people affected by suicide attempt identify can challenge stigma, and address information needs after a suicide attempt.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-09-2016
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 15-11-2018
Publisher: Computers, Materials and Continua (Tech Science Press)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 04-10-2017
DOI: 10.2196/MENTAL.7847
Abstract: Social media is increasingly being used by young people for health-related issues, including communicating about suicide. Due to the concerns about causing distress or inducing suicidal thoughts or behaviors, to date young people neither have been engaged in the development of social media–based suicide prevention interventions nor have interventions focused on educating young people about safe ways to communicate about suicide online. Given the potential that social media holds to deliver messages to vast numbers of people across space and time and the fact that young people often prefer to seek help from their friends and peers, safely educating and engaging young people to develop suicide prevention messages that can be delivered via social media is an obvious next step. The objectives of this study were to (1) provide education to a small number of secondary school students about safe ways to communicate about suicide via social media (2) engage the same young people in the development of a suite of social media–based suicide prevention multimedia messages (3) assess the impact of this on participants and (4) assess the acceptability and safety of the messages developed. This study involved two phases. In phase 1, 20 participants recruited from two schools took part in an 8- to 10-week program during which they were provided with psychoeducation about mental health and suicide, including how to talk safely about suicide online, and they were then supported to design and develop their own media messages. These participants completed an evaluation questionnaire at the conclusion of the program. In phase 2, a larger group of participants (n=69), recruited via an opt-in process, viewed the media messages and completed a short questionnaire about each one. Participants in phase 1 enjoyed the program and reported that they learned new skills, such as how to talk safely about suicide online, and felt more able to provide emotional support to others (16/20, 80%). No participants reported that the program made them feel suicidal. Participants in phase 2 generally rated the media messages as safe and acceptable, although some messages were rated more highly than others. This study suggests that young people can be safely engaged in developing suicide prevention messages, which can be disseminated via social media. Engaging young people in this process may improve the traction that such c aigns will have with other young people. The study also suggests that educating young people regarding how to talk safely about suicide online has multiple benefits and is not associated with distress. Overall, these findings pave the way for new approaches to prevent suicide among young people.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2013
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 31-10-2016
DOI: 10.1136/OEMED-2016-103602
Abstract: To investigate patterns of alcohol use within the coal mining industry, and associations with the personal, social, workplace and employment characteristics. 8 mine sites across 3 eastern Australian states were surveyed, selected to encompass key geographic characteristics (accessibility and remoteness) and mine type (open cut and underground). Problematic alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to determine: (1) overall risky or hazardous drinking behaviour and (2) frequency of single-occasion drinking (6 or more drinks on 1 occasion). A total of 1457 employees completed the survey, of which 45.7% of male and 17.0% of female participants reported levels of alcohol use within the range considered as risky or hazardous, considerably higher than the national average. Hierarchical linear regression revealed a significant contribution of many in idual level factors associated with AUDIT scores: younger age, male, current smoking status illicit substance use previous alcohol and other drug use (AOD) problems and higher psychological distress. Workplace factors associated with alcohol use included working in mining primarily for the high remuneration, and the type of mining, with underground miners reporting higher alcohol use than open-cut miners. Our findings provide support for the need to address alcohol use in the coal mining industry over and above routine on-site testing for alcohol use.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/AJ15043
Abstract: Mental health issues are widespread across Australia, with the most common mental illnesses experienced by 20% of the population in any 12-month period. While no industry-specific data exists, general national population data suggests that all employers are managing workers affected by mental illness. Workplaces are ideally placed to prevent mental health problems, promote mental health, and support a person with mental illness. Investing in strategies to support mental health in the workplace has been associated with improvements in productivity, job satisfaction and significant returns on investment. This extended abstract discusses approaches to addressing mental health in the resources sector and reports on industry engagement, partnership with researchers from The University of Newcastle, and research into targeted interventions. A range of partnership activities included the development of a framework to support mental health in the workplace—a Blueprint for Mental Health and Wellbeing—and various workplace strategies to address mental ill-health and wellbeing. Discussion centres on the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a multi-component mental health program that aims to promote: mental health awareness to employees a peer-based support model education to supervisors regarding the management of staff experiencing mental health problems and, a review of organisational policy. Research in the coal-mining sector has demonstrated that through industry partnership, appropriate interventions can be developed and implemented that result in policy and practical changes that better the health and wellbeing of employees.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 17-11-2022
Abstract: uicide is the leading cause of death among Australians. One commonly cited explanation is the impact of social media, in particular, the ways in which young people use social media to communicate about their own experiences and their exposure to suicide-related content posted by others. Guidelines designed to assist mainstream media to safely report about suicide are widespread. Until recently, no guidelines existed that targeted social media or young people. In response, we developed the #chatsafe guidelines and a supporting social media c aign, which together make up the #chatsafe intervention. The intervention was tested in a pilot study with positive results. However, the study was limited by the lack of a control group. he aim of this study is to assess the impact of the #chatsafe social media intervention on young people’s safety and confidence when communicating on the web about suicide. he study employs a pragmatic, parallel, superiority randomized controlled design. It will be conducted in accordance with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement over 18 months. Participants will be 400 young people aged 16-25 years (200 per arm). Participants will be recruited via social media advertising and assessed at 3 time points: time 1—baseline time 2—8-week postintervention commencement and time 3—4-week postintervention. They will be asked to complete a weekly survey to monitor safety and evaluate each piece of social media content. The intervention comprises an 8-week social media c aign including social media posts shared on public Instagram profiles. The intervention group will receive the #chatsafe suicide prevention content and the control group will receive sexual health content. Both groups will receive 24 pieces of content delivered to their mobile phones via text message. The primary outcome is safety when communicating on the web about suicide, as measured via the purpose-designed #chatsafe online safety questionnaire. Additional outcomes include willingness to intervene against suicide, internet self-efficacy, safety, and acceptability. he study was funded in November 2020, approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee on October 7, 2022, and prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials registry. Trial recruitment began in November 2022 and study completion is anticipated by June 2024. his will be the first randomized controlled trial internationally to test the impact of a social media intervention designed to equip young people to communicate safely on the web about suicide. Given the rising rates of youth suicide in Australia and the acceptability of social media among young people, incorporating social media–based interventions into the suicide prevention landscape is an obvious next step. This intervention, if effective, could also be extended internationally, thereby improving web-based safety for young people not just in Australia but globally. ustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12622001397707 anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384318 ERR1-10.2196/44300
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-2018
No related grants have been discovered for Jaelea Skehan.