This paper analyzes how knowledge is reproduced as "universal" in contemporary higher education and how this production of universality influences the application of knowledge. Using a case study of clinical psychology, it describes the results of over two years of ethnographic fieldwork in a university and professional settings in…

This article describes a unique Australian infant mental health (IMH) service for families from pregnancy through to early parenthood (0-3 years) and training center for postgraduate clinical psychology students. The Australian Association for Infant Mental Health Incorporated, West Australia Branch (AAIMHI WA) "Competency Guidelines"®…

Background: Research into stress management interventions for clinical psychology trainees (CPTs) is limited, despite evidence indicating that these individuals are at risk for elevated stress, which can negatively impact personal and professional functioning. This study explored: (1) CPTs' perceptions of a previously evaluated Acceptance and…

Mental health consumers in Australia have a basic right of access to high-quality mental health assessment and treatment. Given that universities are the entry point to the training process, they have a responsibility to train high-quality clinicians. Clinical psychology is the sub-discipline of psychology with specialist training in mental health…

Objective: Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is poor. We assessed the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing intervention (motivational interview nurse therapy [MINT]) in addition to best practice standard care to improve acceptance and adherence to CPAP therapy in people with…

Background: Challenging and disruptive behaviour is commonly reported among children placed in the out-of-home care sector. Little is known about how stakeholders in this sector understand or manage challenging behaviour. Method: Ninety-two stakeholders in the South Australian out-of-home care sector were interviewed about their approach to…

School belonging, measured as a unidimensional construct, is an important predictor of negative affective problems in adolescents, including depression and anxiety symptoms. A recent study found that one such measure, the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, actually comprises three factors: Caring Relations, Acceptance, and Rejection.…

Background: Psychological services are increasingly provided within a context in which third party payers impose limits on the number of sessions available to the client and therapist. Considerable research has addressed the effect of time limits on therapeutic outcomes, while effects on therapeutic process have received less attention. This…

Since its introduction on 1 November 2006 the Better Access initiative has improved the access and affordability to psychological services. The enthusiastic response by Australians has resulted in the production of a large and growing dataset about the way in which psychological treatments are delivered by different professionals in routine…

This paper provides a background to the mental health policy changes introduced by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2006. It then considers a major Australian Government COAG reform, the revision of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), by analysing the month-by-month utilisation of the available time-series data for the 17-month…

The present paper outlines the development and evaluation of an allocation committee to distribute community placements on an equitable basis between universities. Although based on our experience in South Australia with the University Placement Allocation Committee (UPAC), the primary goal is to outline the steps that would be useful if placement…

This study designed and tested a scale to measure psychologists' attitudes towards complementary and alternative therapies. The scale, derived from existing measures for medical professionals, was tested on a sample of psychology students (N = 163) using an online survey. The data were factor analysed and three correlated subscales were…

The use of toys in child clinical contexts is advocated by a number of researchers in the field as a means of overcoming developmental constraints on children's reports of their psychological states and their experiences. This paper reviews the literature relating to the impact of toys on children's ability to recall and communicate clinically…

Mental and substance use disorders are leading contributors to the burden of disease among young people in Australia, but young people experience a range of barriers to accessing appropriate treatment for their mental health concerns. The development of early intervention services that provide accessible and effective mental health care has the…

A study of depressed patients showed either cognitive or behavioral treatment can effectively alleviate the depressed condition by a short-term approach. A cognitive approach was more effective in decreasing depression and maintaining this effect. A strong inverse correlation between self-concept and depression after treatment was demonstrated.…