Showing papers by "Beverley Raphael published in 2017"

The Impacts of Household Financial Stress, Resilience, Social Support, and Other Adversities on the Psychological Distress of Western Sydney Parents

Abstract: This study investigated the prevalence of psychological distress among parents in Western Sydney households and examined its relationship with household financial, family and life stressors, and potential resilience factors As part of a longer-term study, parents from Western Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), completed computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in May 2011 () Respondents were primary caregivers of at least one child (aged 4–16) Responses were weighted to reflect the Western Sydney population Multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between parent experiences of stressor and resilience factors and reported psychological distress Overall, 107% (95% CI: 78, 145) reported experiencing high/very high levels of psychological distress Multivariate analysis indicated that financial hardship factors formed the strongest associations with psychological distress particularly housing and job security factors and, specifically, inability to meet mortgage/rent payments (, 95% CI: 174–1525, ), poor self-rated health (, 95% CI: 188–1064, ), adult job loss (, 95% CI: 133–1066, ), and other family/life events (, 95% CI: 105–503, ) High personal resilience was common within this parent population and was a significant protective factor for high psychological distress (, 95% CI: 006–034, ) The findings support the development of targeted interventions to promote parent coping strategies in the context of household financial hardship

Responding to Disasters: More than economic and infrastructure interventions

Abstract: Objectives: Natural disasters confront individuals, communities and governments with the challenge of rebuilding and addressing psychosocial sequelae. With the increasing number of natural disasters it is timely to evaluate the efficacy of interventions and strategies to address the mental health needs of individuals and the community. Method: An evaluation of literature related to the psychological impact of natural disasters, treatment efficacy and government strategies to confront the social and psychological impact of natural disasters for the period 1983-2016 was undertaken. Results: Epidemiological studies following natural disasters despite the use of differing psychological measures demonstrate significant psychological morbidity - anxiety (7-42%), complicated grief (28-41%), depression (6.5-38%), post-traumatic stress disorder (11-89%) and substance misuse (1.3-24%). Intervention studies post-disaster demonstrate efficacy variability. Conclusions: The increase in the number and impact of meteorological and hydrological events since the 1980s and the psychological, social and economic consequences of these events has resulted in the development and implementation of government policies to confront the immediate and long-term adverse outcomes. The focus is typically on resources and infrastructure redevelopment with less focus on social and mental health interventions with long-term evaluation of interventions uncommon. The consequence of natural disasters emphasizes the importance developing strategies to ensure effective evaluated psychosocial interventions are available across at-risk communities.