Ross Flett

Affectometer 2: A scale to measure current level of general happiness

Affectometer 2 is a 5-minute inventory of general happiness or sense of well-being based on measuring the balance of positive and negative feelings in recent experience. Since this scale is directly derived from its parent scale, Affectometer 1, psychometric findings on the longer scale are reported along with initial data on Affectometer 2. These results indicate high reliability, high validity, and slight contamination by current mood and social desirability. Among the findings of special interest are: (a) the independence of positive and negative affect proposed by Bradburn is not confirmed; (b) well-being is highly and inversely related to neuroticism, anxiety, depression and somatic complaints; (c) the relationship of well-being to depression is curvilinear; (d) well-being scores are determined more by short-term states than long-term traits; (e) well-being can be characterized by 10 “qualities of happiness”.

Mild traumatic brain injury and fatigue: A prospective longitudinal study

Primary objective: To examine fatigue prevalence, severity, predictors and co-variates over 6 months post-mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Research design: Longitudinal prospective study including 263 adults with MTBI. Procedures: Participants completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPSQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey-Version 2 (SF-36v2). Complete data were available for 159 participants. Key measures; prevalence—RPSQ Item 6: severity—FSS. The effect of time on fatigue prevalence and severity was examined using ANOVA. Multiple regression analysis identified statistically significant covariates. Main outcomes and results: Post-MTBI fatigue prevalence was 68%, 38% and 34% at 1 week, 3 and 6 months, respectively. There was a strong effect for time over the first 3 months and moderate-to-high correlations between fatigue prevalence and severity. Early fatigue strongly predicted later fatigue; depression, but not anxiety was a predictor. Fatigue was seen as laziness by family or friends in 30% of cases. Conclusions: Post-MTBI fatigue is a persistent post-concussion symptom, exacerbated by depression but not anxiety. It diminishes in the first 3 months and then becomes relatively stable, suggesting the optimum intervention placement is at 3 months or more post-MTBI.

Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Lower Leg Ulceration in the Elderly

The perceived health of a group of elderly people with chronic lower leg ulceration was compared with health perceptions of a matched group of controls. The perceived psychological well-being, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and social supports of the two groups were also compared. The people with leg ulceration described significantly more problems with activity and mobility, pain, and health worries and concerns than the control group. The groups did not differ significantly in their general evaluations of their health status, the experience of physical symptoms, or the numbers of diagnosed medical problems present. The leg ulcer group reported significantly lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of negative affect, but the groups did not differ significantly on the other psychological variables. Leg ulcers are a serious problem for those affected by them, and health care providers need to be more informed about the effect of chronic health problems on elderly persons.

Crossing fields: the case of a multi-disciplinary research team:

There are increasing opportunities for researchers to work in multi-disciplinary research teams; however, the extensive literature on research practice barely refers to the challenges inherent in this approach. The article describes the experience of a multi-disciplinary team which was engaged in investigating the nature of technological learning in relation to productivity improvement in the dairy farming industry in New Zealand. The largely qualitative, multi-method approach taken to the project by the team is described, and the description supplemented by reflection on the factors that led to the key decisions in the research design process, and the consequences of these decisions.

Impact of a handicapped child on mental health of parents.

In a cross sectional study the mental health of parents of physically and mentally handicapped preschool children was compared with that of parents of healthy preschool children. The social networks of the parents with handicapped children were also studied to determine factors that might influence psychiatric morbidity. The mothers of the handicapped children showed significantly more psychiatric morbidity than the control mothers, but the fathers did not show the same deleterious effect on mental health.

Traumatic events and physical health in a New Zealand community sample

Traumatic event exposure and physical health were examined in a community-residing sample of 1,500 New Zealand adults. Half (51%) reported past traumatic event exposure, 9% reported recent (past 12 months) trauma exposure, and 40% reported no exposure. After adjusting for gender, ethnic, and age differences, those experiencing crime and accident trauma exhibited significantly deteriorated physical health, as measured by current physical symptoms, chronic medical conditions, and chronic limitations in daily functioning. Further research is required to assess the influence of traumatic events on the physical health among adults from other countries, and to evaluate the factors that may mediate or moderate this relationship for different subgroups of the New Zealand population. Limitations of this study are outlined.

Traumatic Events and Mental Health in the Community: A New Zealand Study

Background: Adverse mental health effects in response to a variety of distressing events in specific populations are well documented. However, comparatively little research has been conducted within large community samples outside North America. Aims: To assess the prevalence and psychological impact of specific traumatic events in a New Zealand community sample. Methods: Prevalence and psychological impact of 12 traumatic events was examined in a community sample of 1,500 New Zealand adults using a three-stage cluster sampling method. Traumatic events, psychological distress, psychological well-being, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were assessed using modifi ed versions of the Traumatic Stress Schedule, Mental Health Inventory, and Civilian Mississippi Scale. The effects of age, gender and ethnicity were controlled for while assessing impact of traumatic events. Results: Sixty-one per cent of the sample experienced trauma events in their lifetime, with 9% experiencing events in the past year. Accident-related events were most common in the present sample. Violent crime produced the greatest impact. Tests of interactions involving age, gender, and ethnicity were not significant. Conclusions: New Zealand community-residing individuals experience post-traumatic stress symptoms, reduced psychological well-being, and increased psychological distress following the experience of violent crime and accidents specifically. Study limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Job-Related Tension, Self-Esteem and Psychological Distress in Rehabilitation Professionals.

We examined perceptions of job-related tension among a non-random sample of 52 New Zealand rehabilitation service providers. We considered the relations between job tension and psychological distress and the extent to which feelings of self-esteem moderated this relationship. Major findings are that (a) there is a consistent positive relationship between job tension and general psychological distress; (b) there is a consistent negative relationship between self-esteem and both job tension and general distress; (c) self-esteem moderates the effect of job tension on general distress in that high levels of job tension were associated with increases in psychological distress among respondents with low self-esteem while among respondents with high-self esteem, job-related tension had little negative impact on feelings of psychological distress. Despite a number of limitations, the findings have a number of important implications for professional functioning among rehabilitation service providers and highlight the need for appropriate staff development and training initiatives which focus specifically on service provider wellbeing.

The impact of childhood sexual abuse on psychological distress among women in New Zealand.

PROBLEMS In order to better understand the long-term impact of child sex abuse, this study examined the association between womens experience of abuse, health symptoms, and psychological distress in adulthood. There is limited information about child abuse outside the United States. METHODS Nine hundred sixty-one women participated in a structured interview. RESULTS Participants who had experienced abuse (13%) were significantly more vulnerable to psychological distress in adulthood if they were younger, less satisfied with their standard of living, and resided in urban areas. CONCLUSION Dissemination and evaluation of therapies for the treatment of sex abuse in the New Zealand context is warranted.

Job Satisfaction in Rehabilitation Case Managers: The Role of Organisational Commitment and Climate, Occupational Self Efficacy, and Perceived Competencies

We examined relations between organisational perceptions (organisational commitment, organisational climate), personal evaluations (occupational self efficacy, skills/competencies) and subsequent job satisfaction (extrinsic and intrinsic) among a group of 101 New Zealand rehabilitation case managers. Analyses indicated that organisational commitment, organisational climate and perceived skills/competencies made a significant contribution to the prediction of extrinsic job satisfaction while organisational climate alone was a significant predictor of intrinsic job satisfaction. Despite a number of limitations, the findings have implications for the understanding of die occupational dynamics of rehabilitation service provision and illustrate the importance of a continued research focus on the antecedents and consequences of job satisfaction in rehabilitation professionals.