Coping with sexual difficulties: the lived experience of women taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication

This study used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to explore women’s experiences of coping with the sexual side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Coping strategies included searching; suffering in silence; trying to resolve; and accepting what is. The findings emphasise the need to recognise and address psychological, social and cultural factors which may influence how women cope with sexual side effects, and underline the need for a multidisciplinary management approach that moves beyond biomedical interventions

Sex and Sleep: Perceptions of Sex as a Sleep Promoting Behavior in the General Adult Population

Objective: The main aim of this study was to explore the perceived relationship between sexual activities, sleep quality, and sleep latency in the general adult population and identify whether any gender differences exist.Participants/methods: We used a cross-sectional survey to examine the perceived relationship between sexual activity and subsequent sleep in the general adult population. Seven-hundred and seventy-eight participants (442 females, 336 males; mean age 34.5 ± 11.4 years) volunteered to complete an online anonymous survey at their convenience.Statistical Analyses: Chi square analyses were conducted to examine if there were any gender differences between sexual activities [i.e., masturbation (self-stimulation), sex with a partner without orgasm, and sex with a partner with orgasm] and self-reported sleep.Results: There were no gender differences in sleep (quality and onset) between males and females when reporting sex with a partner [χ(2)2 = 2.20, p = 0.332; χ(2)2=5.73, p = 0.057] or masturbation (self-stimulation) [χ(2)2 = 1.34, p = 0.513; χ(2)2 = 0.89, p = 0.640] involved an orgasm.Conclusions: Orgasms with a partner were associated with the perception of favorable sleep outcomes, however, orgasms achieved through masturbation (self-stimulation) were associated with the perception of better sleep quality and latency. These findings indicate that the public perceive sexual activity with orgasm precedes improved sleep outcomes. Promoting safe sexual activity before bed may offer a novel behavioral strategy for promoting sleep

Responding to disaster : applying the lens of social memory

Communities respond to disasters in different ways, depending to a large extent on the stories and narratives associated with their particular social memories. How the social memory of Theodore, a small rural Queensland town, influenced the recovery of this community is explored in this paper. The narrative associated with the ‘bush character’ forms the basis of much of this social memory, and while there are positives and weaknesses associated with this characterisation, it is argued that this contributes to the social resilience of the town in the wake of adverse events, including natural disasters

Perceptions of community resilience after natural disaster in a rural Australian town

Individual resilience is a well-established concept within the field of psychology. However, community resilience is an emerging field of study particularly within the context of natural disasters and other adversities.This article reports a qualitative study related to community resilience in a rural Australian town. This particular community was affected by a series of flood events in 2010/2011, one of which necessitated the total evacuation of the entire town. The results from the study highlighted concepts associated with community resilience including: social connectedness, optimistic acceptance, learning tolerance and patience, and learning from the past for the future. We conclude that social capital forms a vital part of community resilience, and although resilience is tested only during times of adversity, social capital needs to be developed well prior to the anticipation of natural disasters

'Knowing me, knowing you': Exploring the effects of a rural leadership program on community resilience

Rural leadership programs have proliferated in the past fifteen years in countries, including Australia. Whilst most programs have focused on transactional leadership which aims to develop individual leaders, increased attention is being paid to transformational approaches to leadership which aim to enhance social networks, cohesiveness and civic activity within communities. In this way, leadership can enhance community resilience. This article uses interpretive case study methodology to evaluate a rural leadership program in Central Queensland, Australia. Two key themes, self-development and building social capital, illustrate how leadership programs can contribute to the development of community resilience.The article provides greater insight into the importance of leadership as a community responsibility rather than leadership as a narrow set of skills and highlights the need for such approaches to be transformative in the way they contribute to both individual and community wellbeing.Rural leadership programs have proliferated in the past fifteen years in countries, including Australia. Whilst most programs have focused on transactional leadership which aims to develop individual leaders, increased attention is being paid to transformational approaches to leadership which aim to enhance social networks, cohesiveness and civic activity within communities. In this way, leadership can enhance community resilience. This article uses interpretive case study methodology to evaluate a rural leadership program in Central Queensland, Australia. Two key themes, self-development and building social capital, illustrate how leadership programs can contribute to the development of community resilience.The article provides greater insight into the importance of leadership as a community responsibility rather than leadership as a narrow set of skills and highlights the need for such approaches to be transformative in the way they contribute to both individual and community wellbeing

Power, participation and partnerships: reflections on the co-creation of knowledge

© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Narrative writing was used to critically reflect on the reasons for the success and failure of two research partnerships: one between the authors and a community group, the other between the authors and academic colleagues. The reflections relate to a vignette constructed on the experiences of the authors and somewhat fictionalised, but brought together to highlight the contrasts, whereby one research partnership was successful in producing outcomes while the other was not. An analysis of these reflections was informed by Wenger’s Communities of Practice framework. This helped draw out issues around power and participation as fundamental for successful research partnerships, particularly multidisciplinary partnerships, intent on the co-creation of knowledge. Such issues related to recognising partnerships and the underlying assumptions when these partnerships cross boundaries include transparent communication, power and decision-making processes, critical self-awareness, and negotiated meaning and identity

Perceptions of community resilience after natural disaster in a rural Australian town

Individual resilience is a well-established concept within the field of psychology. However, community resilience is an emerging field of study particularly within the context of natural disasters and other adversities.This article reports a qualitative study related to community resilience in a rural Australian town. This particular community was affected by a series of flood events in 2010/2011, one of which necessitated the total evacuation of the entire town. The results from the study highlighted concepts associated with community resilience including: social connectedness, optimistic acceptance, learning tolerance and patience, and learning from the past for the future. We conclude that social capital forms a vital part of community resilience, and although resilience is tested only during times of adversity, social capital needs to be developed well prior to the anticipation of natural disasters

Learning and leadership: evaluation of an Australian rural leadership program

Leadership programs have been extensively promoted in rural communities in Australia. However, few have been evaluated. The results of the evaluation of a rural leadership program provided in this paper highlight the need for adult learning theories to be more overtly identified and utilised as the basis of planning and implementing leadership programs. Transformative learning theory and social learning theory were used to explain the impact the program had for participants and to provide insight into how similar programs could be enhanced

Sexual and family violence: Overcoming barriers to service access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients

Despite the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities typically experience a high prevalence of sexual and family violence, service responses have mostly been culturally inappropriate and ineffective. This article reports on a collaborative, participatory research project aimed at exploring barriers to service access by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients when they have been affected by sexual and family violence. The findings reveal multiple barriers to service access, including justice system deterrents, social taboo, shame, and a lack of culturally appropriate services. The article highlights the importance of recognising and addressing the complex interplay of historic, social, and cultural factors influencing service access

Risky business or not? FIFOs, sexual risk taking and the Australian mining industry

Issue addressed: The fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in, drive-out (DIDO) models of mining in Australia have led to concerns about adverse health and psychosocial impacts. Despite speculation that increased levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Australia, including HIV, are associated with FIFO/DIDO work, we know little about sexual risk-taking behaviours in mining populations. This study explores differences in sexual risk taking and perceptions of risk between FIFO/DIDO miners and residential miners. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to a sample (n = 444) of male miners working in Queensland, Australia. The self-completed survey contained 49 questions relating to knowledge, attitudes and behaviour and included demographic information and specific items related to sex and relationships. Results: FIFO/DIDO status was not associated with any differential sexual risk-taking behaviours, except for an increased probability of reporting ‘ever being diagnosed with an STI’; 10.8% of FIFO/DIDO respondents versus 3.6% of others (x2 (1) = 4.43,P = 0.35). Conclusions: Our results appear to counter anecdotal evidence that FIFO/DIDO miners engage in higher sexual risk behaviours when compared with residential miners. So what? Anecdotal evidence linking the rise of sexually transmitted infections with the FIFO/DIDO mining workforce could drive costly and unnecessary approaches to prevention. Further research, surveillance and monitoring are required to inform health promotion interventions