Understanding why parents choose some interventions but not others for their child with autism is important for a number of reasons. Estimating the proportion of evidence-based interventions engaged, identifying the agencies influencing parental decisions, and elucidating the barriers or reasons leading to intervention rejection or discontinuation can result in better service provision. New Zealand parents (n = 570) of a child with autism reported what interventions were being engaged, and why some interventions were engaged but not others. Funding was a major determinant of intervention engagement, while medical professionals exerted the most influence. Sources of support were not related to intervention engagement, but parental perceptions of their child's symptom severity were. Finally, non-engagement does not necessarily reflect parental opposition to an intervention, but rather the existence of barriers.
Technology is increasingly being integrated into the provision of therapy and mental health interventions. While the evidence base for technology-led delivery of mindfulness-based interventions is growing, one approach to understanding the effects of technology-delivered elements includes programs that retain some aspects of traditional face-to-face interaction. This arrangement offers unique practical advantages, and also enables researchers to isolate variables that may be underlying the effects of technology-delivered interventions. The present study reports on a pilot videoconference-delivered mindfulness-based group intervention offered to university students and staff members with wait-list controls. Apart from the first session of the six-week course, the main facilitator guided evening classes remotely via online videoconferencing, with follow-up exercises via email. Participants were taught a
AimSuicide is a major public health concern worldwide. The present study explores the risk factors for suicide ideation and suicide attempt planning by analyzing anonymized data collected by a New Zealand telephone helpline.MethodA nation-wide helpline, Lifeline Aoteroa, provided data from distressed callers obtained from May 2017 to April 2018. The analyzed sample consisted of 32,889 counseling calls of clients with a wide range of presenting issues. Frequency analysis and multivariable logistic regression were adopted to determine risk and protective factors associated with two types of suicide behaviors: suicide ideation and suicide planning.ResultsRisk factors for suicide ideation and suicide planning included: hopelessness, sadness, fear, not coping with symptoms of mental health issues, mild/moderate severity self-harm, severe self-harm, urge to self-harm, alcohol and/or drug addiction, suicide in family, sexual domestic abuse. The adjusted odds rations for these risk factors ranging from 1.31 to 16.42. Protective factors included feelings of hope or joy, the opportunity to talk and, unexpectedly, feeling anxious or stuck. The adjusted odds ratios for protective factors ranged from 0.15 to 0.75.ConclusionRisk factors were identified for both suicide ideation and for suicide attempt planning. While some of these risk factors have been reported in existing literature, there are also risk factors unique to the present study that could inform and improve suicide-screening procedures administered by clinicians or helplines.
Objectives
Sexual health includes the state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality. Masturbation is an important sexual activity with many potential benefits which has gained considerable interest in sexuality research in the past twenty years; however, this research is the first of its kind within the Aotearoa/New Zealand context. In this in-depth investigation, we examined frequencies of, reasons for, and activities during masturbation as well as the relationship between masturbation and other factors.
Methods
Participants were 698 New Zealand women at least 18 years of age participating in a 42-item anonymous online survey collecting comprehensive information about sexual practices and related factors.
Results
The results indicated that female masturbation has high prevalence in the New Zealand population.
Conclusion
The pattern of results enabled us to identify the positive effects of masturbation, masturbation practices commonly used by New Zealand women and the differences between New Zealand women who masturbate frequently and less frequently.
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