Adam J. Rock

The accessibility of mental health services in rural Australia is impacted by an interplay of geographical, individual, and availability challenges (Moody et al., 2026a). Rural Australians would li...

Competence is defined within the International Declaration of Core Competence in Professional Psychology as “a combination of practical and theoretical knowledge, cognitive skills, behaviour, and v...

This study consolidated the association of mindfulness with perceived stress found across studies. A meta‐analysis examined the relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress in 56 samples, which included a total of 24,494 participants. The weighted effect size of r (55) = −0.40, 95% CI [−0.36, 0–44], p = 0.0001, showed that greater mindfulness was associated with less perceived stress. Studies assessing mindfulness using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale or the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire showed substantial effect sizes, as did studies assessing stress using the Perceived Stress Scale. Even though the present meta‐analysis does not show causality, the results suggest a possible bidirectional relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress. The nonjudgmental awareness comprising mindfulness may facilitate an appraisal of life events and challenges that results in events and challenges as being perceived as less stressful. Lower perceived stress may free cognitive resources that promote mindfulness.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of adolescence and appears to be increasing in prevalence. Early detection can reduce negative outcomes. The Severity Measure for Social Anxiety Disorder-Child 11-17 (SAD-DY) was the first youth social anxiety measure developed based on the DSM-5, however, psychometric evaluation is needed. A community sample of 315 Australian adolescents aged 11 to 17 years was surveyed online. Participants completed the SAD-DY, along with measures of convergent and discriminant validity. The measure was found to have good internal consistency, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) suggested a unidimensional construct, with the model supported in a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Post-hoc analysis suggested a briefer, more parsimonious scale could be developed that retained strong psychometric properties, and this reduced-item scale was termed the SAD-DY6. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis provided a criterion cut-off value of 14 for the 10-item measure, and a criterion cut-off of 9 for the 6-item version. These results provide psychometric support for the use of the SAD-DY and SAD-DY6. Criterion cut-off scores determined for the first time enhance utility of the measures in both research and practice.

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is increasingly utilised across various health disciplines to develop clinical competencies to enable students to experientially practice their skills with represent...

Poker-machines present a significant problem gambling risk in Australia, with adverse health, financial, and social outcomes. Previous research has demonstrated that gambling cues (e.g., poker-machine sounds) elicit an urge to gamble in poker-machine gamblers, with greater problem gambling severity predicting a stronger cue-reactive urge to gamble. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain largely unexplored. Consequently, the present study investigated whether cue-reactive state mindfulness mediates the relationship between problem gambling severity and cue-reactive urge to gamble. Seventy adults (67% male and 33% female) with an age range of 20 to 66 years (M = 41.1, SD = 10.8) participated in an online, repeated-measures experiment. Participants completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index, then subsequently, at three time points (baseline, post-neutral cue, and post-gambling cue), a visual analogue scale measuring the strength of the urge to gamble, and the State Mindfulness Scale. The urge to gamble significantly increased from neutral cue to gambling cue, after controlling for baseline urge. Cue-reactive state mindfulness did not mediate the relationship between problem gambling severity and cue-reactive urge to gamble. Contrary to predictions, state mindfulness increased following exposure to the gambling cue. The present findings contribute to the body of research supporting cue-reactivity in problem gamblers.

Objective: Self-reflection is widely recognised as an essential skill for health professionals across the world. Models and accreditation standards highlighting psychology competencies have shared the view that self-reflection sits alongside other competencies such as assessment and intervention. However, there is limited research to date exploring the experience of self-reflection for psychologists, particularly research through a cognitive and metacognitive lens. This study aimed to explore the cognitive and metacognitive processes, and barriers, for psychologists when engaging in self-reflection.Method: Reflexive thematic analysis with a hybrid inductive/deductive approach was used to analyse 12 interviews with psychologists who shared their experience of self-reflection.Results: The analysis identified an overarching theme of interaction between the personal and professional self, and five subthemes of 1) attentive and responsive to cues, 2) personal and contextual barriers to self-reflection, 3) intentionally overcoming barriers, 4) meeting immediate motivations and 5) reflection for learning.Conclusion: This research adds to the current literature on self-reflection, with added depth of understanding through a cognitive and metacognitive lens, and provides evidence for the applicability of elements of existing models of self-reflection to psychologists.

The Caregiver Factors Influencing Treatment (Care-FIT) Inventory is a self-report measure containing two subscales, each with a three-factor structure, that respectively assess strengths and challenges present for adult caregivers of children and adolescents with eating disorders. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Care-FIT in a clinical sample. A sample of 141 participants completed the Care-FIT and comparison measures including the Parents versus Eating Disorders scale (PvED) and the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI). Participants were adult caregivers who currently or recently participated in eating disorder treatment for a child or adolescent aged 6–18 years. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were produced for each subscale, with Pearson correlations and Fisher’s r-to-z transformations run to assess convergent and discriminant validity. Items that did not meet thresholds were removed, resulting in a 20-item measure which included two subscales: an 11-item Strengths scale and a 9-item Challenges scale. CFA yielded a three-factor structure for each scale that was a strong fit to the data, with good to high internal consistency and reliability (McDonald’s omega for Strengths ω = 0.81 and Challenges ω = 0.70). Care-FIT Strengths scores were significantly positively correlated to PvED scores and Challenge scores were significantly negatively correlated to PWI scores with significant Fisher’s r-to-z comparisons. These results provide preliminary support for use of the Care-FIT during child and adolescent eating disorder treatment, with the intent of helping to inform clinical decision-making and treatment planning such as whether supportive or adjunctive treatments might benefit a particular family. Active participation of caregivers is an essential component of child and adolescent family-based eating disorder treatment. The need to provide better support to caregivers has been identified, including targeted psychometric assessments to better understand family strengths and challenges. This study offers a new assessment measure, the Caregiver Factors Influencing Treatment (Care-FIT) inventory. The Care-FIT was created following a systematic review of factors influential to treatment and validated with a sample of caregivers. Clinicians can use the Care-FIT to identify caregiver strengths which may be activated to improve participation, and challenges which may require management to support treatment engagement.