Australian College of Applied Psychology

Background:Digital mental health (dMH) treatments have garnered much attention for increasing access to treatment, yet real-world engagement with these treatments remains a challenge. In upscaling these treatments, we need to ensure that they are equitable and do not exclude groups who already experience inequities in health care, such as people with lower health literacy.Objective:To co-develop recommendations for the design and delivery of dMH treatments for people with a variety of health literacy levels.Methods:Drafted recommendations were based on a thematic analysis of 357 free-text comments (likes, dislikes/other suggestions) from 213 people (n = 80 lower, and n = 133 higher health literacy) who had completed unguided internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) for depression and anxiety, as part of a trial. The initial set of drafted recommendations were iteratively modified and refined based on a review by a multidisciplinary project team with professional and lived-experience expertise (n = 9) and focus group consultations with people with relevant lived experience (n = 8).Key Results:The co-development process resulted in seven final recommendations: (1) Focus on informative and practical content; (2) Prioritize accessibility and ease of use; (3) Structure content in a progressive, layered way; (4) Enhance interactivity and engagement; (5) Employ strategies to enhance motivation and accountability; (6) Consider participants' emotional wellbeing; (7) Incorporate diverse modes of delivering content. Most recommendations were based on comments from people with lower and higher health literacy.Conclusions:These recommendations advance both research and practice by outlining a flexible and practical framework for dMH treatment developers and service providers to meet the preferences and needs of people with diverse health literacy strengths and needs. Further research is needed to determine the feasibility and impact of implementing these recommendations across different dMH treatment delivery formats, settings, and populations.

ABSTRACT Introduction Psychologists work under high emotional demands, elevated performance expectations, and intense relational labour. These pressures can be exacerbated by two early maladaptive schemas (EMS) ‐ unrelenting standards and self‐sacrifice ‐ which respectively foster unreasonable internal standards and a tendency to prioritise others' needs over one's own. Aim This qualitative study explored how personal therapy relates to Australian psychologists' experiences of these schemas. Methods Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 20 Australian psychologists who had previously engaged in personal therapy, with data analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Three themes described a progression from awareness to reappraisal to practice change. First, making schemas visible captured how therapy helped participants name where patterns arise and notice their impacts on self‐evaluation, boundaries, and energy. Second, reappraising the professional self involved loosening perfectionistic benchmarks, redistributing responsibility between clinician and client, and cultivating self‐compassion. Third, translating insight into practice described schema‐focused actions to counter pulls toward over‐giving and relentless exceptionalism. Conclusion Findings suggest personal therapy may help psychologists recognise and respond to unrelenting standards and self‐sacrifice, with implications for postgraduate training, supervision, and workforce sustainability.

This study investigated the relationship between social ties and adolescent mental health outcomes in Kumasi, Ghana. A total of 384 adolescents from three peri-urban communities participated in this cross-sectional study. The independent variable, social ties, was examined using the social network index (SNI), whereas the dependent variables, depression, anxiety and stress, were assessed using the DASS-21 scale. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed in SPSS binary logistic regression, with statistical significance set ata p value < 0.05. The prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 56.3%, 72.9%, and 43.5% respectively. Most adolescents reported having ≥ 3 siblings 240 (62.5%), and spoke to them regularly 162 (44.0%). The majority of adolescents had both parents alive 327 (85.3%), and seven in ten reported speaking to both parents at least once every two weeks 266 (70.0%). Adolescents who resided in Kotei community were less likely to experience depression (aOR = .516; 95%CI = .285-.933) than those residing in Boadi community. Adolescents who did not see or call both parents were more likely to be depressed (aOR = 1.307; 95%CI = .328-5.210) than those who saw or spoke with both parents in the past two weeks. Adolescents who interacted with one to two of their relatives apart from their parents and siblings were four times more likely to be anxious (aOR = 4.538; 95%CI = 1.606-12.824) than those who did not interact with any of their external relatives. Adolescent mental health is influenced by social ties, with parent support demonstrating protective effects against depression. The government of Ghana must prioritize youth-friendly mental health services to address mental health issues among adolescents in peri-urban communities in Ghana.

ABSTRACTDespite growing awareness of sexuality and gender diverse (SGD) youth's educational challenges, limited research examines how alternative education settings support these students' wellbeing and engagement. This qualitative study investigated how Australian Flexible Learning Options (FLOs) foster inclusivity and belonging for SGD youth, comparing their experiences with mainstream schooling. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 11 SGD students (aged 15–18) from a regional Australian FLO. Template thematic analysis, guided by Minority Stress Theory and the Socioecological Model, revealed two primary themes: (1) school relationships and social support, and (2) school climate and inclusive learning approaches. While mainstream schools were characterized by systemic barriers including discrimination, identity concealment, and limited support, the FLO environment provided affirming experiences through supportive teacher‐student relationships, accessible mental health resources, and peer acceptance. Small class sizes, flexible learning approaches, and inclusive policies were identified as key factors in creating safe and supportive educational spaces. These findings demonstrate how alternative education settings can mitigate minority stress through targeted structural and relational supports, while highlighting opportunities for mainstream schools to adopt similar practices. Future research should examine how these supportive practices can be implemented across diverse educational contexts to enhance outcomes for SGD youth.

The crippling impacts of autistic burnout are well known to the autistic community, yet research is only in its early stages. While research to date has chiefly relied on structured interviews and Delphi studies, it has focused on defining and measuring burnout. What is missing from the research is an analysis of the broader experiences of autistic burnout, and the very real implications that autistic people face when impacted by it. This study reviewed the narratives of autistic people discussing their experiences of autistic burnout on the social media platform Reddit. Using data scraped from Reddit, quantitative and qualitative analyses were undertaken to elicit meaning from the online discourse. After analysing 249 Reddit threads using quantitative content analysis, the results supported existing research identifying three core components of autistic burnout, those being: chronic exhaustion; increased sensory sensitivities; and social withdrawal. New insights were found with users reporting physiological ailments as a complicating factor in their burnout experience. The research also found evidence supporting suggested treatment options for autistic burnout including reducing/stopping social obligations, reducing sensory inputs as much as possible, and time spent alone to reset and recharge. Most importantly, users identified that being autonomous in their recovery choices was critical to the success of their recovery.

This umbrella review aims to summarize the major benefits of hearing aid usage in adults by synthesizing findings from published review articles. A comprehensive search of databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, was conducted. The search was limited to English-language review articles published between 1990 and 2023, focusing on hearing aid outcomes in at least 5 adults (aged ≥18 years). Two researchers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles, and conducted a quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses. A third researcher was involved in discussions with the 2 researchers to resolve conflicts during the screening and quality assessment stages. Eleven articles were included in this review. There were three systematic reviews with meta-analysis and eight systematic reviews without meta-analysis. The quality assessment indicated that articles scored between 6 and 11 out of a total of 11 criteria. Three articles met all quality criteria. Study participants tended to be middle-aged (≥40 years) or older adults (≥65 years). Participant gender was less clear as this was not consistently reported but appeared to favor men. This umbrella review found that speech perception, communication function, hearing handicap, and self-assessed hearing aid benefit were consistently positively associated with hearing aid use in the analysis of included studies. Hearing handicap was the most frequently reported outcome with evidence from four different studies supporting its mitigation with hearing aid use. There was insufficient evidence in terms of benefit on balance, cognitive function, depression, tinnitus, loneliness, and social isolation. There was conflicting evidence on the impact of hearing aid use on quality of life. Among eligible studies, there were no reports of negative impacts of hearing aid use. There are a number of potential benefits associated with hearing aid use. However, this review found that there was a clear lack of high-quality evidence and limited use of robust study design to support the benefits of hearing aids on other outcomes such as quality of life and cognition. Inconsistent use and interpretation of various outcome measures makes it difficult to produce homogenous data which is needed to make more conclusive statements about the benefits of hearing aids.

Research shows that mental wellbeing contributes to a greater quality of life and longevity, superior overall health, life success, and fulfillment. High mental wellbeing, such as flourishing and thriving, is associated with a sense of meaning and purpose, mastery and accomplishment, social connectedness, optimism, and contribution to society. Nature-based physical activity participation has been linked with mental wellbeing enhancement over and above the impact of physical activity alone. The present study sought to address a gap in the research by exploring whether the environment in which physical activity takes place and one’s gender moderate the relationship between activity time and various indices of mental wellbeing. Using a mixed methods design, participants (N = 235) aged 18 to 76 (M = 33.41, SD = 13.41) completed an online survey. We divided participants into three groups based on their preferred type of physical activity: indoor, outdoor non-nature-based, and outdoor nature-based physical activity. The moderation analyses highlight the importance of the environment in physical activity, with outdoor nature-based settings consistently showing positive associations with flourishing and thriving. These findings suggest that engaging in physical activities in natural environments can significantly predict an individual's mental wellbeing, for both males and females. Qualitative data supported the findings and also revealed that nature-based physical activity achieves these benefits through developing positive affect, social closeness and engagement, purpose, enhanced experiences, and interests beyond oneself. Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of nature-based physical activity for mental wellbeing promotion and protection, indicating that opportunities for nature-based physical activity should be more effectively provided, perhaps across multiple domains of life such as education, sport, public health, and urban planning.

Abstract Despite the emerging attention to career development for gender and/or sexuality diverse (GSD) students, the literature is largely limited to generic support, missing a specific focus on either careers or being GSD. Such a generic view about contextual influences makes it difficult to guide the design and implementation of concrete, feasible practices for supporting GSD students' careers. Extending the existing body of work, this study employed qualitative methods to explore more specific, nuanced contextual factors within the university setting that influence GSD students' career development. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 25 Australian university students who self‐identified as GSD. Our findings report seven major themes that could explain the influence of university contexts on the career development and experiences of GSD students. These themes include generic mentoring not always being useful, the negative effects of framing diversity as a “risk,” small things that can foster a sense of safety, the importance of designated areas and resources, the importance of advice on safe workplaces and being authentic at work, the importance of the visibility of key people, and the need for intersectional support. In addition to unpacking the influence of unique contextual features, these findings contribute to the extension of existing career frameworks such as the career self‐management model into GSD contexts. Our results also shed light on detailed, implementable practical solutions for universities, career counselors, and psychologists to support the career development of GSD students.