Australian Journal of Psychology最新文献

Objective: This study examined the relationships between hope, resilience, and grit with job burnout and psychological well-being, focusing on both direct effects and the mediating role of grit. Given the economic and organizational challenges in Iran, where employees frequently experience occupational stress, understanding these psychological resources is particularly important.

Method: Participants were 300 employees from the Iran Oil Pipelines and Telecommunications Company in Lorestan, Iran. Five standardized questionnaires were administered, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS 26 and AMOS 22.

Results: The sample included 295 males and 5 females, with 66 single and 234 married individuals (Mean age = 40.98, SD = 10.28). SEM results showed that hope, resilience, and grit had significant direct effects on psychological well-being and burnout (β = -0.35-0.50, all p < .05). Grit also significantly mediated the relationships between hope and resilience with burnout and well-being.

Conclusion: Hope, resilience, and grit are strong predictors of employees' psychological well-being and burnout. In Iranian organizational contexts, strengthening these psychological resources through targeted interventions may help reduce occupational stress and enhance mental health.

Objective: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), resilience, and depressive cognitions are recognised predictors of depressive symptoms. However, limited evidence exists on how depressive cognitions mediate these relationships in university students, a population facing developmental and psychological challenges during emerging adulthood. This study aimed to examine the indirect effects of depressive cognitions between ACEs, resilience, and depressive symptoms.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 552 university students (aged 20-23) from five universities in northern Taiwan. Participants completed validated self-report measures assessing ACEs, trait resilience, depressive cognitions, and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesised model, and bootstrapping with 1000 resamples was used to assess indirect effects.

Results: ACEs were positively associated with depressive cognitions and depressive symptoms, while resilience was negatively associated with both. Moreover, depressive cognitions significantly accounted for indirect pathways between ACEs, resilience, and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: These findings highlight depressive cognitions as a key psychological process through which early adverse experiences and trait resilience are associated with depressive outcomes. Targeted interventions focusing on cognitive restructuring may help reduce depressive symptoms among university students, given the central role of depressive cognitions observed in this study.

Background: Physical activity is widely recognised as beneficial for well‑being, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship, particularly those involving mindfulness and self‑compassion, remain insufficiently examined. The Exercise and Self‑Esteem Model with Self‑Compassion (EXSEM‑SC) highlights the roles of exercise self‑efficacy and body compassion in fostering self‑compassion, but it does not address the contributions of mindfulness and interoceptive body awareness in mitigating self‑criticism associated with discomfort, inadequacy, or doubt during activity.

Purpose: To address this gap, the present cross‑sectional study conducted in Hong Kong integrated the Mindful and Compassionate Awareness Scale for Physical Activity (MCA‑PA) to investigate associations among physical activity, MCA‑PA, self‑compassion, and well‑being.

Methods and results: Data were collected from 414 secondary school students (44.9% female; M = 14.95 years, SD = 1.60), and structural equation modelling confirmed that MCA‑PA and self‑compassion mediated the relationship between physical activity and well‑being, with no gender differences (CFI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.039, RMSEA = 0.065, 90% CI [0.00, 0.13]).

Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of mindfulness and self‑compassion in explaining how physical activity enhances well‑being, suggesting that health promotion programs in educational and broader contexts should incorporate practices that cultivate mindful and compassionate awareness to strengthen psychological outcomes and support healthy behaviours.

Objective: Miscarriages of justice-such as wrongful conviction, false accusation, and investigation-have serious psychological and social impacts. While most research in this area originates in the US and UK, little is known about outcomes in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Method: This study examined the mental health and social experiences of people who have experienced miscarriages of justice in these countries, and compared these results with larger-scale studies from the US and UK. Respondents completed measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, stress, social support, and posttraumatic cognitions.

Results: Our results revealed worryingly high rates of mental health problems: more than half (54.55%) reported clinically significant PTSD symptoms, and many (45.45%) also reported clinically significant depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. These rates were also comparable to US exonerees and victims of the United Kingdom Post Office Scandal.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the severe, multifaceted effects of miscarriages of justice and underscore the need for improved mental health support, compensation, reintegration services, and systemic reform.

Objective: This project aimed to co-create a culturally responsive parenting program integrating Indigenous perspectives through Wayapa Wuurrk, an Aboriginal Earth mindfulness wellbeing practice. Embedded within a parenting app (Daily Growth), the resource supports diverse parents and carers of children aged 2-5years to respond to common parenting challenges.

Methods: Guided by Indigenous governance and a Two-Eyed Seeing framework, the co creation process engaged Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, content designers and Wayapa Wuurrk practitioners with early years' experience. Cultural responsiveness was ensured through yarning, deep listening (Dadirri), and relational accountability, overseen by a Wisdom Circle of five Aboriginal Wayapa Wuurrk practitioners recognised as Senior Knowledge Holders or Elders. Indigenous knowledges central to Wayapa Wuurrk were adapted into 30 common parenting scenarios and delivered as brief, video-based micro-interventions.

Results: The co-created parenting resources provide culturally relevant, Earth-centred parenting strategies that support children's emotional regulation. The inclusion of Wayapa Wuurrk iconography, storytelling and earth-mindfulness enrich program accessibility and relevance.

Conclusion: Integrating Wayapa Wuurrk within Daily Growth demonstrates the value of Two-Eyed Seeing by weaving Indigenous knowledges with Western parenting approaches, strengthening culturally inclusive support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait and non-Indigenous families. Future research will evaluate impacts on parent and child wellbeing.

Objective: In line with the Two Continua Model of Mental Health, this study investigated whether self-esteem (SE) mediates the relationship between two dimensions of perfectionism (perfectionistic concerns (PC) and perfectionistic strivings (PS)) and negative and positive mental health outcomes, including psychological distress (PD) and flourishing (F).

Method: Participants (N = 162; 121 females, 36 males, 4 non-binary, and 1 not disclosed) aged 18 to 90 (M = 31.57, SD = 15.75) completed an online survey containing five measures.

Results: There was a significant positive indirect effect between PC and PD through SE (b = 0.39, p < .001, 95% CI [0.27, 0.51]) and between PS and F through SE (b = 0.14, p = .004, 95% CI [0.05, 0.24]). There was a significant negative indirect effect between PC and F through SE (b = -0.48, p < .001, 95% CI [-0.62, -0.35]) and between PS and PD through SE (b = -0.12, p = .004, 95% CI [-0.20, -0.04]).

Conclusions: Findings support the utility of the Two Continua Model, contribute to literature on the relationship between perfectionism and mental health outcomes, and highlight the potential utility of exploring therapeutic interventions to target self-esteem for individuals high in perfectionism.

Objective: Category norms are lists of words commonly generated as belonging to given semantic categories and are routinely used in cognitive and neuropsychological assessments. While English-language norms from the US and UK are regularly updated, the only Australian norms were published more than three decades ago in 1988. This study aimed to update Australian category norms to facilitate culturally appropriate cognitive and neuropsychological assessment.

Methods: Australian adults aged 18 to 85 years (N = 1011, M age = 52.67, SD = 18.89) completed a category production task. Participants were asked to list exemplars for 10 categories (Animal, Fruit, Sport, Clothing, Flower, Birds, Precious Stone, Furniture, Vehicle and Musical Instrument). Frequencies of words within each category were collated. Results were compared to 1988 Australian category norms and current UK category norms.

Results: The members for each category occurring with a greater than 5% frequency are reported. Analyses showed that norms for Precious Stones were robust across time and region, while norms for Clothing and Birds were vulnerable to temporal and geographical shifts, respectively.

Conclusions: These findings provide updated, context-relevant norms to inform both clinical and research-related neuropsychological and cognitive testing in Australia. They also demonstrate temporal, cultural and geographical variations in category norms.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected adolescents' psychosocial development, increasing vulnerability to distress and risk behaviors. This study examined whether aggression mediates the association between COVID-19-related stress and deviant behavior.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 638 adolescents and young adults (M = 18.8, SD = 3.51) from central Italy. Participants completed standardized self-report measures on COVID-related stress, aggression, and deviance. Analyses included Spearman correlations, regression models, and mediation testing.

Results: Social isolation was positively associated with aggression, whereas fear of COVID was negatively associated with aggression. Only physical aggression was significantly linked to deviant behavior. Mediation analysis showed that physical aggression partially mediated the relationship between COVID-19 stress and deviance: social isolation predicted higher physical aggression (β = 0.38, p < .001), which was associated with deviance (β = 0.07, p < .001); the indirect effect was significant (β = 0.027, p = .002). Fear of contagion showed a small but significant negative indirect effect (β = -0.006, p = .022).

Conclusion: Social isolation increased risk, whereas fear of contagion appeared to have a potential protective function.

Objectives: To examine the link between workplace sexual harassment and suicidal ideation among female nurses in private hospitals, testing social stigma as a mediator and job insecurity as a moderator, and distinguishing sources of harassment (colleagues vs patients).

Methods: Cross-sectional explanatory survey of 312 female nurses employed ≥1 year in private hospitals. Standardized measures assessed sexual harassment, perceived social stigma, job insecurity, and suicidal ideation. Structural equation modeling (SmartPLS) evaluated direct, mediated, and moderated effects, with robustness checks for common-method bias and demographic controls.

Results: Harassment showed a significant positive association with suicidal ideation. Social stigma partially mediated this pathway, indicating that victimization increases perceived stigma, which in turn elevates suicidal thoughts. Job insecurity amplified the harassment-ideation link: nurses reporting higher insecurity experienced stronger adverse effects and reported greater difficulty resisting harassment. Effects were observed for harassment by both colleagues and patients.

Conclusion: Female nurses in private hospitals face substantial risk of sexual harassment and consequential psychological harm, including suicidal ideation. Interventions should integrate rigorous anti-harassment enforcement, protected and confidential reporting, stigma-reduction initiatives, accessible mental-health services, and job-security safeguards. Addressing stigma and precarious employment is essential to mitigating harm and protecting nurses' well-being.

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.