Ageing well in three culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities

Ageing in a multicultural Australia has been identified by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation (The Foundation) as a key priority area going forward. The Ageing Well in Three Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities research project was an exploratory two-stage project which sought to discover how best to support ageing well in Chinese, Italian and Greek communities in Victoria. The exploratory research aimed to assist the Foundation in seeking direction on the role of philanthropy in supporting ageing well in each of the participating communities. The learnings from this research will enhance the prospects of ageing well in a culturally diverse Australia, and provide understanding on the role of philanthropy in making a positive contribution towards it

The PROblem Gambling RESearch Study (PROGRESS) research protocol: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of psychological interventions for problem gambling.

INTRODUCTION: International prevalence rates for problem gambling are estimated at 2.3%. Problem gambling is a serious global public health concern due to adverse personal and social consequences. Previous research evaluating the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the treatment of problem gambling has been compromised by methodological limitations, including small sample sizes and the use of waitlist control groups. This article describes the study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), behaviour therapy (BT), motivational interviewing (MI) against a non-directive supportive therapy (NDST) control, in treating problem gambling. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study was a mixed-methods design, with a parallel group, pragmatic RCT as the primary component, and embedded qualitative studies conducted alongside. A total of 297 participants were recruited from the community in Victoria, Australia. Individuals aged 18 years and over, could communicate in English and wished to receive treatment for a gambling problem were eligible. Participants were randomly allocated in to 1 of the 4 psychological interventions: CBT, BT, MI and NDST. Repeated measures were conducted at pretreatment and post-treatment, and 6 and 12 months post-treatment. The statistical analysis will use an intention-to-treat approach. Multilevel mixed modelling will be used to examine changes in the primary outcome measures: gambling symptom severity, using the Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale, and gambling behaviours (frequency, time and expenditure). Secondary outcomes are depression, anxiety, stress and alcohol use. Individual semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted at pretreatment and post-treatment and 12 months post-treatment for a subset of participants (n=66). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Victorian Department of Justice, Monash University and the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committees. Findings will be reported in a government report, peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations

Participatory Action Research With People With Disabilities: Exploring Experiences Of Participation

The social model of disability requires that research about disability should be controlled and managed by people with disabilities themselves. Traditional research has tended to marginalise people with disabilities, and the outcomes have been meaningless and irrelevant to them. Three years ago I approached a small disability advocacy organisation, and through six months of collaboration with Disability Justice Advocacy (DJA), the need for a strategic plan was identified. Developing a strategic plan for DJA became a vehicle for exploring the primary aim of my research, which was to conduct participatory action research with people with disabilities, and to examine its value as an empowering research practice. The literature indicates that while participation, and participatory action research in particular, has the potential to empower people with disabilities, it can also serve to disempower them. This study draws on the experiences of participation in this process, both from the perspective of the participants (six board and six staff members) and myself, as the researcher. Thematic analysis of the interview data identified barriers to participation at different levels of intervention. At an intrapersonal level, competence of people with disabilities emerged as a critical issue for DJA. This issue resonated with my own experience of the process and, through ongoing critical reflexivity, revealed that underlying ableist attitudes (i.e. attitudes based on non-disabled standards) reinforce the ongoing victimisation and oppression experienced by people with disabilities. This study builds on current knowledge regarding the role and tensions of a community psychologist working with a social justice agenda with people with disabilities

Towards getting it right: Participatory action research (PAR) with an advocacy organisation

In this investigation, a participatory action research approach was employed to studyand develop practices within an advocacy organisation. Participants’ experiences were explored to assess the impact and value of this type of research approach in communitysettings for people with high support needs. Results of the study make an important contribution towards understanding the complexities surrounding the implementation of the rhetoric of empowerment and participation, and highlight implications of these complexities for community psychology research and intervention processes

Contemporary intergenerational relationships

IntroductionWhile the primary aim of our project was to provide opportunities for young language learners to converse with native speakers, an important secondary goal was to engage older people in meaningful and active tasks through formally structured intergenerational encounters. Underpinning this gerontological approach was the intergenerational schools-based study of Feldman et al. (2002: 21), which concluded that by utilising the ‘talents and skills of older persons for use with students ... the potential exists for a mutuality of benefit – both students and older persons stand to gain from the experience’. In bringing together older and younger people for a specific purpose, it was anticipated that not only would the students’ language proficiency be improved but that there would be a whole host of additional benefits on both sides. These potential benefits included, but were not limited to: encouraging the exchange of cultural, linguistic and intergenerational skills, knowledge and values; challenging intergenerational stereotypes; and improving the psychosocial health of both younger and older participant

Pathological and problem gambling in substance use treatment:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pathological and problem gambling refer to a class of disorders, including those meeting criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, and others comprising a spectrum of severity defined by significant personal and social harm, that may be common in substance use treatment but are frequently unrecognised. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of available evidence indicating the prevalence of such gambling disorders in substance use treatment. It provides the best available estimates from studies of clinical samples of substance users, and suggests around 14% of patients that demonstrate comorbid pathological gambling. Around 23% suffer conditions along the broader spectrum of problem gambling. The review also highlights important limitations of existing evidence, including scant data on current versus lifetime comorbidity, as well as reliance on convenience samples and self-administered measures of gambling problems. Notwithstanding a concomitant need for caution when applying these results, the findings suggest a strong need to identify and manage gambling comorbidity in substance use treatment. Strategies for identification of gambling disorders, and therapies that may provide useful adjunctive interventions in substance use treatment are discussed

Dementia's Disease Burden and the Potential Role of Community-Based Interventions to Inform Risk Reduction Strategies

In this paper, we discuss the aetiology of dementia and its association with other conditions, and then propose the use of community based interventions to address the population′s dementia risk. It is argued that aggressive diagnosis and community education strategies directed towards treatable co-morbid conditions may reduce or delay the incidence of dementia a critical consideration both from a quality of life and a resource perspectiv