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The impact of a focussed listening experience on self-compassion and mental health help-seeking
No full textBackground: Many people do not seek mental health support due to self-stigma; however, self-compassion can and mindfulness can reduce the impact of self-stigma. Further, music listening can facilitate mindfulness and self-compassion. Therefore, the present study sought to explore why people might be motivated to attend a focussed listening event and how such an event might promote self-compassion and mindfulness and, in turn, how experiencing these might promote mental health help-seeking intentions.
Method: This case study focused on a focused listening experience which involves engaging with a curated music playlist (drawing on soundtrack, ambient and experimental music) along with oral guidance provided by a psychologist. After the experience, participants (N=270, 85.90% female, Mage=37.05) completed an online survey, including their attendance motivations and standardised measures of mindfulness, self-compassion, self-stigma of help-seeking, and help-seeking intentions. A subset of 18 participants were subsequently interviewed about their experience.
Results: Attendees experienced feelings of mindfulness, self-compassion and empowerment; processed challenging emotions during the event; and were prompted to practice self-care and connect with others following the event. Additionally, participants experiencing mindfulness during the event buffered the relationship between self-stigma of help-seeking and future help-seeking intentions.
Conclusions: In offering an informal opportunity for individuals to engage in self-care (a form of help) as well as an approachable introduction to formal psychological help-seeking, understanding how effective this type of listening experience is at allowing people to easily access difficult emotions and promote self-compassion can inform mental health practitioners about their use of music listening in therapeutic pursuits
A scientometric review of health data sharing for secondary use: Insights, frontiers and the path ahead
No full textBackground:
As digital technologies advance, vast amounts of routinely collected health data are increasingly available for quality improvement and research. However, concerns persist around the reuse of personal health information. Understanding public attitudes and knowledge is essential to building social licence and enabling ethical, large-scale data use.
Objective:
This study explores key research themes in sharing health data for secondary use since 2020, highlighting major topics, emerging research frontiers and future directions for practice.
Method:
An analysis of 95 publications from Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus was conducted using scientometric methods. Citation, co-citation and keyword co-occurrence analyses, along with strategic diagrams, were performed using VOSviewer to identify thematic clusters.
Results:
Research has shifted from early exploratory studies to more multidisciplinary and technology-focused approaches. Key themes include digital tool adoption, integrated data systems and ethical data sharing solutions. The concept of consent has seen the most theoretical development, while public attitudes – particularly around ethical and sociocultural issues – remain underexplored but crucial.
Conclusion:
Ethical governance, transparency and community engagement are central to advancing health data sharing. Building public trust and securing a social licence are foundational to success, especially as challenges around consent, data linkage and public perception remain
Federal health workforce policy in Australia and its implications: a descriptive policy document review
No full textObjective
To identify which federal health workforce policies are current in Australia, and describe their mode, scope, and focus.
Study design
Descriptive policy document review; categorisation according to the Howlett–Ramesh policy instrument framework.
Setting
Health workforce policy documents available on the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care website, 1 June – 31 October 2024.
Main outcome measures
Primary policy focus (specific health profession, population group or location); scope of policy (alignment with one or more strategic domains: supply, distribution, or performance), service sectors affected by policy, substantive mention of specific health professions; policy instrument types.
Results
We included 121 policy documents in our analysis. By policy group, the number of documents was greatest for the rural health workforce (35), aged care (22), and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce (19); the numbers were lowest for pharmacy (three) and allied health (one), and none had public health or emergency care as their focus. Mixed policy instruments (multiple interest group programs, sub-programs, incentives, grants) were more numerous (98 documents) than government-led instruments (23 documents). Health workforce supply was a focus of 72 documents, performance of 57 documents, and distribution of 42 documents. Document nomenclature was inconsistent; 44 documents had policy labels that did not correspond to their content or purpose.
Conclusion
We identified substantial fragmentation in Australian federal health workforce policy. The absence of a unified federal health workforce strategy exacerbates policy fragmentation, undermining coordinated workforce planning and equity. Adopting a consistent policy nomenclature and reducing imbalances in strategic focus are critical for effective health workforce reform. Our findings provide a baseline for analyses of policy processes and governance in Australian health workforce policymaking
Experimental Testing of Unreinforced Masonry Shear Walls and Comparison with Nominal Capacity Predictions
No full textThis paper presents an experimental program in which 16 full-scale clay brick unreinforced masonry walls were constructed and tested under in-plane cyclic shear loading. These walls have been divided into four sets of nominally identical specimens constructed with the same masonry units from the same mortar composition by the same mason and cured for a consistent period of time. The repeatability of these tests allows for the variability of the peak in-plane shear capacities of these wall configurations to be investigated. Furthermore, these tests were supplemented with material characterization tests, examining the tensile, shear, compressive, and elastic properties of the masonry utilized in this study. In addition, assessments of the accuracy of the current Australian standard for masonry design, as well as that of other expressions found in the literature, have been made. The findings of this analysis indicate that the Australian standard maintains significant limitations in its ability to correctly determine the shear capacity and failure mechanism of masonry shear walls. This error is reduced, but not wholly mitigated through the application of the deterministic equations present in the other design guides
The Funny Side of Tourism: Exploring Children's Engagement with Humour-Driven Interpretation
No full textEngaging young visitors is crucial for a meaningful tourism experience. This study focuses on humour as a positive psychology practice, to explore how it enhances children's engagement with tourism interpretation. Using constructivist grounded theory, the research employed participant observation of tours operated for children in Iran. Children aged 9-12 years were specifically targeted. Results revealed that children responded most positively to silly, witty, and clever humour, with smiling and laughter being the predominant reactions. Nature-themed humour proved most effective in fostering social, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The study also identified five ways that humour influences children's engagement: promoting social interaction, enhancing enjoyment, sparking curiosity, alleviating fatigue, and encouraging active participation. These findings extend existing frameworks on humour in tourism to include child-specific reactions and preferences, contributing to both theoretical and practical applications. The research provides valuable insights into effectively incorporating humour into interpretive programmes designed for child-focused tourism experiences
Limited Evidence for Depth Specialism in Isolated Seamount Reef Predators
No full textGradients in light, temperature and hydrodynamics associated with water depth are important determinants of ecological communities in marine environments. While depth specialism in coral reef fishes has been extensively studied in shallow (< 30 m) coastal reef systems, less is known about how depth-associated drivers operate over the larger depth ranges on isolated pinnacle and seamount reef systems, which are known to support abundant assemblages of predatory fishes. Using remotely operated vehicles, we surveyed predatory fish assemblages across a 100 m depth gradient on three seamount reefs in the Coral Sea. We tested for declines in abundance and diversity, as well as differences in assemblage structure of predatory fishes among depth strata. Species richness and abundance decreased significantly with depth, with predator abundance declining fourfold between the shallowest (5 m) and deepest (95 m) depths surveyed, while species richness was halved. Despite this, compositional differences among depth zones were minimal, with most taxa spanning the full depth range, suggesting adaptations to the limited horizontal habitat available on seamounts. Depth-associated shifts in taxonomic composition were primarily attributed to a single predator family, reef sharks (Carcharhinidae), which increased in abundance at mesophotic depths. The capacity of a large number of predatory fish taxa to utilize a wide range of depths allows these organisms to access favoured thermal environments and may be a potential resilience mechanism under future environmental change. Further studies are needed to assess the implications of depth use for predator behaviour, trophodynamics and conservation strategies
Molybdenum isotopes demonstrate that multistage upgrading is required to generate heavy rare earth element–enriched carbonatites
No full textCarbonatites with heavy rare earth element (HREE) enrichment are a rare and intriguing prospect for economic geology research, due to the growing global demand for HREEs in various industries. However, debate persists over the mechanism responsible for HREE enrichment in carbonatites, with the mantle source, magmatic-hydrothermal evolution, or a combination of these factors proposed to be responsible. This study examines three adjacent Late Triassic carbonatites (from the Huanglongpu, Huayangchuan, and Jialu carbonatite dike systems) in the Lesser Qinling of Central China and uses Mo isotope systematics to provide unique insights into the HREE enrichment process of these magmas. All three carbonatites exhibit elevated total REE (ΣREE) concentrations (up to 4600 ppm), along with significant HREE enrichment (ΣHREE/ΣREE = 0.1–0.4). Notably, Jialu carbonatite stands out for having the highest total HREE concentrations (≥360 ppm) and ΣHREE/ΣREE ratios (0.2–0.4). Regardless of their variable degrees of HREE enrichment, the three carbonatites display similar Sr-Nd-Pb isotope signatures, which indicates a shared enriched mantle source. The Huanglongpu and Huayangchuan carbonatites mostly display significantly lighter δ98/95Mo (−1.71‰ to −0.15‰) values than the depleted mantle, which indicates an origin from an enriched mantle influenced by recycled pelagic clays and Fe-Mn nodules. Both types of marine sediments are enriched in REEs and would have undergone initial HREE enrichment during slab dehydration and metamorphism, resulting in an HREE-enriched mantle source region. In contrast, Jialu carbonatite possesses significantly heavier δ98/95Mo (0.13‰–1.89‰), which is indicative of the subsequent influence of hydrothermal processes. Additional evidence of this hydrothermal influence at Jialu is preserved in calcite crystal fluid inclusions, elevated δ18O (8.71‰–10.72‰), non-charge-and-radius–controlled (CHARAC) Y/Ho ratios (36–41), and low Sr concentrations (<4800 ppm). Secondary upgrading of HREEs at Jialu occurred due to preferential complexation and transportation during hydrothermal exsolution. This study demonstrates that maximum HREE enrichment in carbonatites is achieved through a two-stage process that involves both a refertilized mantle source and late-stage hydrothermal exsolution
Modifiable lifestyle factors for multiple sclerosis. For health professionals
No full textMS Australia hosted a workshop on modifiable lifestyle factors in MS on May 2, 2018, in Sydney. This workshop was organised in response to the 2016 MS Research Australia Research Priorities survey, which identified lifestyle factors as a key concern for the MS community. Addressing these factors offers people with MS a way to take control of their health and potentially reduce the impact of the disease. The workshop brought together clinicians, researchers, allied health professionals, and individuals living with MS to review the current evidence and discuss future research directions. A guide was subsequently published in 2020 to summarise the findings and recommendations.
Building on insights from this workshop, MS Australia and leading experts revisited the literature to ensure the latest evidence on lifestyle changes in MS was incorporated. As part of this effort, two new chapters, on sleep and stress-reducing behaviours, have been added to provide a more comprehensive perspective.
MS Australia has developed this guide as a trusted resource for clinicians, distilling the latest evidence on modifiable lifestyle factors in MS. It provides practical, evidence-based insights to support informed clinical discussions and decision-making. The guide covers key areas with recommendations
Syntheses of Pyrazolato- and Formamidinato-lanthanoid(III) Diiodides from in Situ Generated lanthanoid(III) Pseudo-Grignard Reagents
No full textTrivalent lanthanoid pseudo-Grignard reagents PhpLnIIII(3-p) (P=1 or 2; Ln=La, Ce, Nd, Er and Lu) are readily prepared by the oxidation of lanthanoid metals with iodobenzene at 25 °C, following pre-activation of the metal with 1 drop Hg in tetrahydrofuran (thf) or acetonitrile (CH3CN) and brief sonication. The protolysis of PhpLnIIII(3-p) with 3,5-diphenylpyrazole (Ph2pzH) yields pyrazolato complexes [Ln(Ph2pz)I2(thf)n] (n=4: Ln=La 1, Ce 2, Nd 3; n=3: Ln=Er 4, Lu 5). Interestingly, for Er, a competing complex [ErPh(Ph2pz)I(thf)3]⋅thf (4 a) was obtained along with the expected [Er(Ph2pz)I2(thf)3] (4). In contrast, in CH3CN, [Ln(Ph2pz)3(CH3CN)3]⋅2CH3CN (Ln=Nd 6, Gd 7) complexes were obtained through Schlenk equilibrium redistribution. Reactions with bulky N,N′-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)formamidine (DippFormH) and N,N’ –bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)formamidine (XylFormH) produced the Ln(III) complexes, [Ln(DippForm)I2(thf)3]⋅nthf (n=1, Ln=Nd 8; n=0.5, Ln=Er 9) and [Ln(XylForm)I2(thf)3]⋅thf (Ln=Nd 10, Er 11). All the complexes isolated in this study are monomeric; 4–5 and 8–11 are seven coordinate, complexes 1–3 are eight coordinate with one η2-N-donor ligand and two trans iodine ligands, and complexes 6–7 are nine coordinate, featuring three η2-Ph2pz ligands, and three CH3CN ligands
Can sharing alumni career success stories improve psychology students’ perceived interest in research subjects?
No full textDespite its importance for academic and professional success, research literacy remains a significant challenge in psychology education, with undergraduates consistently reporting research subjects uninteresting, irrelevant, and anxiety-provoking. Students’ negative attitudes toward research subjects impact subject satisfaction and engagement, and subsequently, discipline performance and attrition. However, in line with utility-value interventions, explicitly connecting the relevance and importance of research skills to clinical careers might increase students’ interest in research subjects as well as their perceived value to their careers. Therefore, a pilot project has been initiated featuring an innovative podcast series, accompanied by written alumni spotlights, integrated into an undergraduate research methods and statistics subject. The series showcases diverse psychology professionals articulating how psychological literacy (specifically, research knowledge) is fundamental to, and directly informs, their daily practice and career progression.
The present mixed-methods case study aimed to investigate the impact of this pilot project. Analyses using data from a pre-/post-term survey and individual interviews are underway. Findings will be shared, focused on the impact of showcasing the utility of psychological literacy via alumni career journeys on students’ interest in, and perceived value of, research subjects. Implications for teaching and learning practices and future directions for strengthening the research-practice connection in undergraduate psychology education will also be discussed