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Amy J Morgan

Bio: Amy J Morgan is an academic researcher from University of Melbourne. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mental health & Psychological intervention. The author has an hindex of 29, co-authored 93 publications receiving 2830 citations. Previous affiliations of Amy J Morgan include La Trobe University & Centre for Mental Health.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
31 May 2018-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: This review supports the effectiveness of MHFA training in improving mental health literacy and appropriate support for those with mental health problems up to 6 months after training.
Abstract: Objective To provide an up-to-date assessment of the effectiveness of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program on improving mental health knowledge, stigma and helping behaviour. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted in October 2017 to identify randomised controlled trials or controlled trials of the MHFA program. Eligible trials were in adults, used any comparison condition, and assessed one or more of the following outcomes: mental health first aid knowledge; recognition of mental disorders; treatment knowledge; stigma and social distance; confidence in or intentions to provide mental health first aid; provision of mental health first aid; mental health of trainees or recipients of mental health first aid. Risk of bias was assessed and effect sizes (Cohen's d) were pooled using a random effects model. Separate meta-analyses examined effects at post-training, up to 6 months post-training, and greater than 6 months post-training. Results A total of 18 trials (5936 participants) were included. Overall, effects were generally small-to-moderate post-training and up to 6 months later, with effects up to 12-months later unclear. MHFA training led to improved mental health first aid knowledge (ds 0.31-0.72), recognition of mental disorders (ds 0.22-0.52) and beliefs about effective treatments (ds 0.19-0.45). There were also small reductions in stigma (ds 0.08-0.14). Improvements were also observed in confidence in helping a person with a mental health problem (ds 0.21-0.58) and intentions to provide first aid (ds 0.26-0.75). There were small improvements in the amount of help provided to a person with a mental health problem at follow-up (d = 0.23) but changes in the quality of behaviours offered were unclear. Conclusion This review supports the effectiveness of MHFA training in improving mental health literacy and appropriate support for those with mental health problems up to 6 months after training. Trial registration PROSPERO (CRD42017060596).

221 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Objective: To determine the intentions that young people have for seeking help if they were to develop a mental disorder.
Abstract: Objective: To determine the intentions that young people have for seeking help if they were to develop a mental disorder. Design, participants and setting: National telephone survey of 3746 Australians aged 12–25 years and 2005 co-resident parents, which asked questions about vignettes portraying either depression, depression with alcohol misuse, social phobia or psychosis. Main outcome measures: Where participating young people or co-resident parents would seek help if they (or their child) had one of the problems portrayed in the vignettes; barriers to seeking help. Results: For adolescents, family was the main source of intended help, mentioned by 45%–60% (depending on the vignette), while general practitioners were mentioned by only a small minority (4%–13%). For young adults, family was relatively less important (21%–31%) and GPs relatively more so (19%–34%). By contrast, parents frequently mentioned GPs as an intended source of help for their children (by 40%–72% of parents of adolescents and 61%–76% of parents of young adults). For young people, the main barriers to seeking help were embarrassment or concern about what others might think, while the main barrier for parents was resistance from the child. Conclusions: Recent initiatives to extend the uptake of treatment for mental disorders have been centred around GPs as the initial point of help-seeking. Few young people see GPs as a preferred source of help, and action is needed to alter this perception or to

193 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A minority of participants in psychiatric research become distressed, but there is no evidence of longer-term harm, and future research in the area needs to be carried out with stronger designs involving control groups.
Abstract: Background. There has been ethical concern that participants in psychiatric research will become distressed and their mental state might worsen.Method. A systematic search was carried out for studies that examined distress following participation in research that involved the assessment of psychiatric state or associated risk factors. There were 46 relevant studies.Results. A minority of participants become distressed immediately after participation, with distress more likely in studies of traumatic experiences. There is limited evidence on longer-term effects, but what there is suggests no adverse impact. Positive reactions to participation show little association with distress and these are more common than negative reactions. Very few studies of distress in research have used control groups to establish causal associations. However, what evidence there is suggests no causal role, including for research on suicidality. Researchers in this area have made a range of suggestions about ethical practice.Conclusions. A minority of participants in psychiatric research become distressed, but there is no evidence of longer-term harm. Nevertheless, researchers need to take account of ethical concerns in designing studies. Future research in the area needs to be carried out with stronger designs involving control groups.

181 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is found that contact interventions and educational interventions have small-to-medium immediate effects upon stigma, but further research is required to investigate how to sustain benefits in the longer-term, and to understand the active ingredients of interventions to maximise their effectiveness.

161 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This research aims to determine the mental health first‐aid knowledge and beliefs of young people and their parents and to establish a baseline for future research on this topic.
Abstract: Objective: To determine the mental health first-aid knowledge and beliefs of young people and their parents. Methods: A national telephone survey was carried out with 3746 people aged 12–25 years. Interviews were also carried out with 2005 co-resident parents. First-aid knowledge was assessed in response to one of four randomly presented vignettes covering depression, depression with alcohol misuse, social phobia and psychosis (schizophrenia). Young people were asked about first aid in relation to a peer and parents in relation to a child. Results: The potential value of encouraging professional help-seeking was not universally recognized by either young people or adults. In general, positive social interactions were endorsed as likely to be helpful and negative ones as not, but again there is considerable room for improvement. Adolescents had less sophisticated first-aid knowledge and beliefs than young adults, but were paradoxically more confident about providing help to a peer. Conclusions: These findings show that there is a continuing need for further community education about the potential benefits of early professional treatment of young people developing mental disorders.

160 citations


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01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: The using multivariate statistics is universally compatible with any devices to read, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of the authors' books like this one.
Abstract: Thank you for downloading using multivariate statistics. As you may know, people have look hundreds times for their favorite novels like this using multivariate statistics, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they juggled with some harmful bugs inside their laptop. using multivariate statistics is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can download it instantly. Our books collection saves in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the using multivariate statistics is universally compatible with any devices to read.

14,604 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Strategies for improving help-seeking by adolescents and young adults should focus on improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and taking into account the desire of young people for self-reliance.
Abstract: Adolescents and young adults frequently experience mental disorders, yet tend not to seek help. This systematic review aims to summarise reported barriers and facilitators of help-seeking in young people using both qualitative research from surveys, focus groups, and interviews and quantitative data from published surveys. It extends previous reviews through its systematic research methodology and by the inclusion of published studies describing what young people themselves perceive are the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for common mental health problems. Twenty two published studies of perceived barriers or facilitators in adolescents or young adults were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane database. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the results reported in the qualitative literature and quantitative literature. Fifteen qualitative and seven quantitative studies were identified. Young people perceived stigma and embarrassment, problems recognising symptoms (poor mental health literacy), and a preference for self-reliance as the most important barriers to help-seeking. Facilitators were comparatively under-researched. However, there was evidence that young people perceived positive past experiences, and social support and encouragement from others as aids to the help-seeking process. Strategies for improving help-seeking by adolescents and young adults should focus on improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and taking into account the desire of young people for self-reliance.

2,183 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The evidence-base of CBT is very strong and the strongest support exists for CBT of anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, bulimia, anger control problems, and general stress.
Abstract: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) refers to a popular therapeutic approach that has been applied to a variety of problems. The goal of this review was to provide a comprehensive survey of meta-analyses examining the efficacy of CBT. We identified 269 meta-analytic studies and reviewed of those a representative sample of 106 meta-analyses examining CBT for the following problems: substance use disorder, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, depression and dysthymia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, insomnia, personality disorders, anger and aggression, criminal behaviors, general stress, distress due to general medical conditions, chronic pain and fatigue, distress related to pregnancy complications and female hormonal conditions. Additional meta-analytic reviews examined the efficacy of CBT for various problems in children and elderly adults. The strongest support exists for CBT of anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, bulimia, anger control problems, and general stress. Eleven studies compared response rates between CBT and other treatments or control conditions. CBT showed higher response rates than the comparison conditions in seven of these reviews and only one review reported that CBT had lower response rates than comparison treatments. In general, the evidence-base of CBT is very strong. However, additional research is needed to examine the efficacy of CBT for randomized-controlled studies. Moreover, except for children and elderly populations, no meta-analytic studies of CBT have been reported on specific subgroups, such as ethnic minorities and low income samples.

2,107 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The goal of this paper is to nudge clinical researchers away from historically significant but increasingly old school approaches toward modifications, revisions, and extensions that characterize more modern thinking about the analysis of the mechanisms and contingencies of effects.

1,318 citations