Bruce D. Watt

Grandparents raising grandchildren: investigating factors associated with distress among custodial grandparent

The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between the psychological health of grandparents raising grandchildren, and those grandchildrens social, emotional and behavioural issues. The study also assessed the relationship between psychological well-being in grandparents and access to informal social support. The sample comprised 100 grandparents who were raising grandchildren. Regression analyses revealed that grandparents caring for grandchildren with abnormal emotional and hyperactive symptoms scored higher on measures of anxiety, stress, and depression, and were more likely to report less life satisfaction. Grandparents with greater access to informal support experienced less depression, although greater access to informal social support did not lessen the impact of raising grandchildren with social, emotional, or behavioural issues. Implications for intervention and policy are discussed.

Facilitating treatment attendance in child and adolescent mental health services: A community study

Failure of parents to attend and engage in treatment is a significant barrier to implementing effective interventions in child and adolescent mental health. Approaches to enhance treatment attendance and participation have targeted both structural operations of the clinic and aspects of the therapeutic process. Little research, however, has looked at clinicians’ use of strategies to enhance treatment participation. Fifty-one mental health practitioners completed measures of strategies to increase treatment participation among families of conduct problem children. Client attendance was collected for each clinician over a 1-month period. As hypothesized, therapists were more aware of, and reported greater use of, therapy process compared to structural approaches to increase treatment participation. Clinician ratings of usefulness, competence and willingness to use therapy process strategies predicted client appointment attendance. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of training and supervision of professionals working with families in mental health services targeting a range of strategies to enhance treatment participation.

Juvenile Recidivism: Criminal Propensity, Social Control and Social Learning Theories

Juvenile delinquency is a common precursor to persistent and serious criminal behaviour in adulthood. However, many young offenders will cease offending by early adulthood. Identification of the causal factors that contribute to persistence and relinquishment in offending behaviour is essential for reducing future criminality. Risk assessment research with juvenile offenders identifies a range of significant individual and contextual factors that predict future delinquency. However, much of the research has been conducted without clear theoretical direction. Theoretical bases for risk prediction are essential in the development of effective assessment processes that accurately guide interventions with young offenders. This article reviews previous prediction studies of juvenile recidivism within the framework of criminal propensity, social control and social learning theories. The key variables for criminal propensity were age of onset, criminal history and various measures of self-control; for social control, family cohesion and academic achievement; and for social learning theory, antisocial attitudes and association with deviant peers were consistent predictors of recidivism. Such factors appear critical in assessment and treatment with young offenders.

You Have to Hit Some People! Measurement and Criminogenic Nature of Violent Sentiments in Australia

Criminal sentiments are the highest risk factor for recidivism. Although criminal sentiments have been reliably measured, there are few scales measuring violent sentiments. The aim of this study was to report on three studies exploring the theory and psychometrics of a new Justification for Violence Scale (JFV). The JFV items have high ecological validity in that they were drawn from in-depth interviews with violent men. Psychometric analysis showed that the JFV was unifactorial with high criterion-related validity differentiating three distinct groups (sample N = 530): male offenders, men and women from the community, and university undergraduates. In a further study of 250 community adults, high correlations with self-reported physical aggression and violent fantasies, and negative correlations with social desirability supported the JFVs convergent and discriminant validity. The JFV can be used by researchers or clinicians as a single measure or the items can be inserted into the Criminal Sentiments Scale to enhance the measurement of violent and criminal attitudes and beliefs.

Factor structure of the Spielberger Anger Expression scales when used with Australian prisoners.

The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory administered to prison inmates has supported the factor structure of the three anger expression scales although this structure has not been verified with Australian participants. Data collected from 397 Western Australian male prisoners produced a factor structure consistent with the scale structure outlined in the 1991 manual. Scale means and standard deviations were similar to those reported for U.S. and Canadian prisoners. It is therefore appropriate to use the standard scoring procedures with Australian male prisoners.

Self-Report Psychopathy in an Australian Community Sample

Psychopathy has long been identified as a central personality correlate of criminal and violent behaviour yet remains relatively unexplored in Australia. The present study utilised the recently developed Self-Report Psychopathy Scale – III (SRP-III) with an Australian community sample (N = 327). As expected, males reported higher levels of psychopathy across the four SRP-III facets, callous-affect (CA), interpersonally manipulative (IPM), erratic life-style (ELS) and criminal tendencies (CT). Psychopathy was associated with lower levels of empathy (especially CA), higher alcohol use (ELS, CT), pro-violence thoughts (IPM, CA) and elevated depression, anxiety and stress (IPM, ELS). Each facet was found to enhance the statistical prediction of physical aggression, beyond age, gender, social desirability and violent thoughts. The SRP-III is a potentially useful instrument for measuring psychopathic characteristics when comprehensive documentation is not available.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing in Re-engaging People Diagnosed with Severe Psychiatric Conditions in Work, Study, or Community Participation

Motivational interviewing has been used effectively to promote positive change in a variety of clinical settings. Several authors have suggested that motivational interviewing also be used to improve vocational outcomes among people living with a serious mental health condition. This study investigated the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in improving employment-related outcomes among people living with a persisting mental health condition. Twenty-six volunteers diagnosed with long-term mental health conditions were assigned to two groups: The experimental group received a brief motivational interviewing intervention while control group members were mailed information to assist them to return to paid or unpaid work. Both groups were followed up after 6 and 12 months to compare occupational outcomes. The results of this study revealed significantly higher rates of paid employment at 12-month follow-up among participants in the motivational interviewing group compared with the control group. The findings demonstrate that motivational interviewing might be worth exploring as a user-friendly intervention that can assist in improving vocational outcomes among people recovering from a serious mental health condition. Further research using a larger sample size is needed to confirm these results.

Consensus on the assessment of disordered eating in pregnancy: an international Delphi study

This study aimed to assess and develop consensus on the assessment of disordered eating in pregnancy. A three-round modified Delphi approach was used. Participants were international clinicians and researchers (N = 26) with extensive knowledge on and/or clinical experience with eating disorders, particularly in relation to pregnancy and/or women’s health. Clear consensus among the panel, defined as 75% agreement, was reached regarding the assessment of disordered eating in pregnancy, in addition to potential assessment methods. Antenatal assessment of disordered eating was perceived to be crucial and ideally occur in a routine manner. Despite agreement that various assessment methods would be relevant in assessing disordered eating in pregnancy, psychometrically sound brief screening instruments were perceived to be most feasible for practitioners and women accessing antenatal care; however, these instruments must be pregnancy-specific and delivered in an authentic and caring manner to be beneficial.

An Investigation Into the Relationship Between Long-term Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Coping in Australian Volunteer Firefighters.

Abstract This study examined the relationship between coping style and long-term posttraumatic stress symptoms in an Australian sample of volunteer firefighters 84 months following a bushfire disaster. A total of 277 firefighters completed 4 questionnaires to assess patterns of psychiatric morbidity. A 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to investigate the effect of time and disorder on coping. Firefighters evidencing distress were more likely to use both problem- and emotion-focused methods of coping. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that problem-focused coping strategies would be used after 84 months. The use of both problem- and emotion-focused coping may be due to the length of time following this disaster or unique characteristics of firefighters. These data suggest that present coping theories are not sufficient to account for the onset and pattern of psychiatric morbidity within a firefighter sample. The authors declare no conflicts of interest including financial, consultant, institutional, and other relationships that might lead to bias.

Exploring juvenile fitness for trial in Queensland

This study presents data on the number of juveniles raising and being found unfit to stand trial in Queensland courts and investigates why Queensland juveniles are half as likely as adults to be found unfit to stand trial. The article briefly sets out the legal regimes determining questions of fitness in Queensland. The developmental characteristics of juveniles are explored, indicating that juveniles are more likely than adults to suffer from deficits in areas relevant to trial fitness. Some hypotheses regarding the low rate of applications and findings of juvenile unfitness are considered, including failings by legal practitioners to identify juveniles who potentially lack fitness; tactical decisions by legal practitioners who decide against formally raising unfitness; and shortcomings and confusion surrounding the law and procedure in relation to trial fitness.