John P. McLean

Moving attention through visual space

Several experiments have shown that attention as measured by simple reaction time to luminance increments can be shifted in the visual field while the eyes are kept in a fixed position. The shift of attention appears to take place within 50 msec following a cue indicating the most likely position of the target. The present study reports that these shifts of attention can be time locked to a central cue. Moreover, they show that a probe event located between the cue and the target receives maximal facilitation from attention at a time prior to maximal facilitation at the target. These results provide support for an analogue movement of attention across the visual field that does not involve the suppression found during saccades.

Contingent attentional capture or delayed allocation of attention

Under certain circumstances, external stimuli will elicit an involuntary shift of spatial attention, referred to as attentional capture. According to the contingent involuntary orienting account (Folk, Remington, & Johnston, 1992), capture is conditioned by top-down factors that set attention to respond involuntarily to stimulus properties relevant to one’s behavioral goals. Evidence for this comes from spatial cuing studies showing that a spatial cuing effect is observed only when cues have goal-relevant properties. Here, we examine alternative, decision-level explanations of the spatial cuing effect that attribute evidence of capture to postpresentation delays in the voluntary allocation of attention, rather than to on-line involuntary shifts in direct response to the cue. In three spatial cuing experiments, delayed-allocation accounts were tested by examining whether items at the cued location were preferentially processed. The experiments provide evidence that costs and benefits in spatial cuing experiments do reflect the on-line capture of attention. The implications of these results for models of attentional control are discussed.

Suicidal ideation and behaviours among university students in Australia

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and demographic correlates of suicidal ideation and behaviours among university students in Australia and the utilisation of mental health services by this population. Method: Suicidal ideation and behaviours and demographic variables were assessed in a population of 1,678 undergraduate students by use of a modified Suicide Ideation Scale (SIS) and questionnaire. Results: Sixty two percent of students surveyed showed some suicidal ideation and 6.6% reported one or more suicide attempts. Over half of the group who reported suicide attempts did not use any type of mental health services. Suicidal ideation was found to be highly correlated with previous use of mental health services. In examining the relationship between suicidal ideation (SI) and demographic variables, SI was not significantly different for gender or parental marital status but was related to living arrangements, racial groups, religious affiliation and fathers education. Conclusions: The results suggest that a higher proportion of students reported suicidal ideation and behaviours than that documented in related studies undertaken in the USA. While these findings draw attention to a higher level of suicidal ideation in students who utilise mental health assistance, more than half of those who reported suicide attempts did not use any kind of mental health service. The study has particular implications for detecting and assisting young people with a high suicide risk within the university environment.

Examining suicide-risk individuals who go online for suicide-related purposes

The objective of this study was to better help those in suicidal crisis by examining the types of suicide-risk individuals who make use of the Internet in relation to their suicidal problems. An anonymous online survey examined suicide-risk individuals who went online for suicide-related purposes (n = 165) and a reference group of suicide-risk individuals with no such experience (n = 125). Suicide-risk individuals who went online for suicide-related purposes, compared with online users who did not, reported greater suicide-risk symptoms, were less likely to seek help, and perceived less social support. Online, many reported more support, felt less alienated, believed they reduced their suicidality, but also sought suicide methods and were likely to visit “pro suicide” sites. Implications include designing help sites that allow peer-to-peer communications and anonymous professional support.

The internal suicide debate hypothesis: exploring the life versus death struggle

Researchers and theorists (e.g., Shneidman, Stengel, Kovacs, and Beck) hyothesized that suicidal people engage in an internal debate, or struggle, over whether to live or die, but few studies have tested its tenability. This study introduces direct assessment of a suicidal debate, revealing new aspects of suicidal ideation. Results, from an online survey (N = 1,016), showed nearly all suicide-risk respondents engaged in the debate. In addition, debate frequency accounted for 54% of the variance in suicidality scores, and showed significant associations with other indicators of suicide risk. Likely factors of the debate, reasons for living and dying, showed significant differences by suicidality, and most suicide-risk participants reported going online for such purposes, demonstrating a behavioral component of the debate.

Solving suicidal problems online: Who turns to the internet for help?

Abstract Although many individuals go online for help with their problems, there is little information on what types of people prefer online assistance. To help people in need, it is important to understand them and their problems. In the present study, person variables were assessed in relation to online help-seeking for suicidal ideation, as well as comparisons with more traditional face-to-face sources. After conducting focus group discussions, to finalise unique content and format of a computer-administered survey, an additional university sample of 64 (48 females; mean age 23.34 years) completed a computer-administered survey on help-seeking, problem-solving, depressive symptoms, and internet skill and usage. Results showed internet skill, hours online, demographics, and depressive symptoms were not significantly related to online help-seeking. However, a suppressive problem-solving approach was found to be significantly, positively, correlated with going to online sources for suicide-related support. Multiple regression results showed likelihood of using phone helplines (the only other non-face-to-face source assessed), a suppressive problem-solving approach, and not going to offline mental health professionals, were significant predictors of going online for help with suicidal ideation. These results indicate that factors like problem-solving approach and other person attributes can be important in determining how normally reluctant help-seekers may go online for assistance.

Methods and consequences of suicide attempts among Australian students.

Schweitzer et al. previously published a paper in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry which provided prevalence rates on suicidal ideation and behaviour among university students [1]. We wish to provide an update on extensions of our previously published work. In our previous publication we indicated the relatively high percentage of students who reported suicide-related behaviour over the past 12 months (6.6%). This figure is very similar to a more recent study undertaken in the UK where 6% of student respondents reported suicide attempts [2]. As a follow up, we investigated this finding further in studies undertaken in 1994 and 1997 by asking fresh samples of University of Queensland first-year undergraduates who responded positively to the question ‘I have made attempts to kill myself’ (in the past year), to provide additional data relating to the methods employed in their suicide attempts and the consequences following their suicide attempt in terms of level of injury and medical care received...