Complementary Protection in Australia: Filling the Gap in the Protection of Asylum Seekers

There is currently a gaping hole in the effective protection of asylum seekers in Australia. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (hereinafter, the “Refugee Convention”) is the cornerstone document in dealing with the protection of persons seeking asylum. However, if a person in need of international protection falls outside its legally narrow ambit, their protection is uncertain. The issue of complementary forms of protection has thus been identified as a vital protection mechanism to add to the Refugee Convention. International obligations have been developed under other human rights instruments to provide additional, or alternative, protection, but the lack of a binding nature of these obligations results in a lack of comprehensive protection

The Impact of Student Response Systems on the Learning Experience of Undergraduate Psychology Students

Student response systems (SRS) are hand-held devices or mobile phone polling systems which collate real-time, individual responses to on-screen questions. Previous research examining their role in higher education has highlighted both advantages and disadvantages of their use. This paper explores how different SRS influence the learning experience of psychology students across different levels of their programme. Across two studies, first year students’ experience of using Turningpoint clickers and second year students’ experience of using Poll Everywhere was investigated. Evaluations of both studies revealed that SRS has a number of positive impacts on learning, including enhanced engagement, active learning, peer interaction, and formative feedback. Technical and practical issues emerged as consistent barriers to the use of SRS. Discussion of these findings and the authors’ collective experiences of these technologies are used to provide insight into the way in which SRS can be effectively integrated within undergraduate psychology programmes

Technology Enhanced Learning in Psychology: Current Direction and Perspectives

Contemporary use of digital technologies has rapidly transformed the learning and teaching environment within higher education (Beetham and White, 2013; Jordan, 2013). When used effectively, technology can improve the usefulness and quality of feedback to support learning and create unique opportunities for active, independent learning (Trapp et al., 2011; Higher Education Academy, 2012; UoW, 2015). However, identifying appropriate technology and effectively embedding this within teaching practices can be challenging. Here we outline the way in which Psychology staff at the University of Worcester have used technology to enhance the student learning experience in four key areas: promoting engagement in large groups, enhancing participation in research, teaching via blended learning and fostering a learning community. We hope that sharing our experiences will be of value to colleagues interested in using technology for similar purposes

Economic evaluations of tobacco control mass media campaigns: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: International evidence shows that mass media campaigns are effective tobacco control interventions. However, they require substantial investment; a key question is whether their costs are justified by their benefits. The aim of this study was to systematically and comprehensively review economic evaluations of tobacco control mass media campaigns. METHODS: An electronic search of databases and grey literature was conducted to identify all published economic evaluations of tobacco control mass media campaigns. The authors reviewed studies independently and assessed the quality of studies using the Drummond 10-point checklist. A narrative synthesis was used to summarise the key features and quality of the identified studies. RESULTS: 10 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All the studies included a cost effectiveness analysis, a cost utility analysis or both. The methods were highly heterogeneous, particularly in terms of the types of costs included. On the whole, studies were well conducted, but the interventions were often poorly described in terms of campaign content and intensity, and cost information was frequently inadequate. All studies concluded that tobacco control mass media campaigns are a cost effective public health intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence on the cost effectiveness of tobacco control mass media campaigns is limited, but of acceptable quality and consistently suggests that they offer good value for money

A qualitative evaluation of a novel intervention using insight into tobacco industry tactics to prevent the uptake of smoking in school-aged children

Background: Evidence from the US Truth campaign suggests that interventions focusing on tobacco industry tactics can be effective in preventing smoking uptake by children. Operation Smoke Storm is the first school-based intervention based on this premise and comprises three classroom sessions in which students act as secret agents uncovering tobacco industry tactics through videos, quizzes, discussions, and presentations. We report a qualitative evaluation of its acceptability. Methods: We conducted eight focus groups with 79 students aged 11-12 who participated in Operation Smoke Storm at two UK schools in Autumn 2013, and 20 interviews with teachers who delivered the intervention. These were digitally audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the framework method. Results: Students enjoyed the secret agent scenario and reported acquiring new knowledge about smoking and the tobacco industry, which seemed to strengthen their aversion to smoking. Teachers felt confident delivering the ‘off the shelf’ resource, although they would have welcomed more background information about the topic and guidance on steering discussions. Teachers highlighted a need for the resource to be flexible and not dependent on lesson length, teacher confidence, or expertise. Students and teachers endorsed the idea of developing a booster component for older students and supported the development of printed information complementing the resource to encourage parents to support their child not to smoke. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that Operation Smoke Storm can be delivered by teachers to raise awareness about smoking-related issues. The ideas and issues raised are now being used to improve and extend the resource for further evaluation

Brief Educational Workshops in Secondary Schools Trial (BESST): Protocol for a school-based cluster randomised controlled trial of open-access psychological workshop programme for 16–18-year-olds

Anxiety and depression are increasingly prevalent in adolescents, often causing daily distress and negative long-term outcomes. Despite significant and growing burden, less than 25% of those with probable diagnosis of anxiety and depression are receiving help in England. Significant barriers to help-seeking exist in this population, with a scarcity of easily accessible, effective, and cost-effective interventions tailored specially for this age group. One intervention that has been shown to be feasible to deliver and with the promise of reducing stress in this age group is a school-based stress workshop programme for 16-18-year-olds (herein called DISCOVER). The next step is to rigorously assess the effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, of the DISCOVER intervention in a fully powered cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT). If found to be clinically and cost effective, DISCOVER could be scaled up as a service model UK-wide and have a meaningful impact on the mental health of adolescents across the country

Emotional Intelligence Predicts Adolescent Mental Health Beyond Personality and Cognitive Ability

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been reliably linked to better mental health (Martins, Ramalho, & Morin, 2010). However, critics have argued that EI may be conceptually redundant and unable to offer anything new to the prediction of key adaptational outcomes beyond known correlates of performance, i.e., personality and cognitive ability (Brody, 2004). Although sparse, extant evidence points to differential incremental contributions from ability and trait EI in the prediction of internalising vs. externalising symptomotology in adults (e.g., Gardner & Qualter, 2010; Rossen & Kranzler, 2009). However, there is a dearth of research addressing these associations in adolescents. The current study explored the incremental validity of ability and trait EI to predict depression and disruptive behaviour beyond the ‘Big Five’ personality dimensions and general cognitive ability in a sample of 499 adolescents (mean age 13.02 years). Regression analyses found that collectively, EI made a significant, incremental contribution to the prediction of disorder in youth. However, of the two, trait EI appears the stronger predictor. Findings are discussed with reference to EI theory and directions for future research

The impact of televised tobacco control advertising content on campaign recall: evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United Kingdom Survey

BACKGROUND: Although there is some evidence to support an association between exposure to televised tobacco control campaigns and recall among youth, little research has been conducted among adults. In addition, no previous work has directly compared the impact of different types of emotive campaign content. The present study examined the impact of increased exposure to tobacco control advertising with different types of emotive content on rates and durations of self-reported recall. METHODS: Data on recall of televised campaigns from 1,968 adult smokers residing in England through four waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United Kingdom Survey from 2005 to 2009 were merged with estimates of per capita exposure to government-run televised tobacco control advertising (measured in GRPs, or Gross Rating Points), which were categorised as either “positive” or “negative” according to their emotional content. RESULTS: Increased overall campaign exposure was found to significantly increase probability of recall. For every additional 1,000 GRPs of per capita exposure to negative emotive campaigns in the six months prior to survey, there was a 41% increase in likelihood of recall (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.24–1.61), while positive campaigns had no significant effect. Increased exposure to negative campaigns in both the 1–3 months and 4–6 month periods before survey was positively associated with recall. CONCLUSIONS: Increased per capita exposure to negative emotive campaigns had a greater effect on campaign recall than positive campaigns, and was positively associated with increased recall even when the exposure had occurred more than three months previously

Ganetespib in combination with pemetrexed-platinum chemotherapy in patients with pleural Mesothelioma (MESO-02) : a phase Ib trial

Purpose: Ganetespib, a highly potent, small molecule Heatshock protein 90 inhibitor, has potential efficacy in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) via activity on critical survival pathways and known synergies with antifolates and platinum chemotherapy. We conducted a dose-escalation study to identify the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of ganetespib in chemotherapy-naïve MPM patients. Experimental Design: MESO-02 (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01590160) was a non-randomized, multicentre, phase Ib trial of 3-weekly ganetespib (100 mg/m2, 150 mg/m2, 200 mg/m2; days 1 and 15) with pemetrexed (500 mg/m2; day 1) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2; day 1) or carboplatin (area under concentration-time curve 5; day 1) in MPM patients. Dose-escalation was performed using the 3+3 design (cisplatin) and accelerated titration design (carboplatin). Secondary endpoints included best response, progression-free survival (PFS) and pharmacogenomic analyses. Results: Of 27 patients enroled (cisplatin, n=16; carboplatin, n=11), 3 experienced dose-limiting toxicities: grade 3 nausea (cisplatin, n=1; carboplatin, n=1); grade 2 infusion-related reaction (carboplatin, n=1). Ganetespib's MTD was 200 mg/m2. Partial response was observed in 14/27 patients (52%; 61% in 23 response-evaluable patients) and 13/21 (62%) with epithelioid histology. At the MTD, 10/18 patients (56%) had partial response, 15/18 (83%) had disease control, and median PFS was 6.3 months (95% CI 5.0-10.0). One responder exhibited disease control beyond 50 months. Global Loss of Heterozygosity was associated with shorter time to progression (Hazard Ratio 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.24; p=0.018). Conclusions: Ganetespib can be combined safely with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy to treat patients with MPM. This class of agent should be investigated in larger randomized studies