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    Exposure to Traumatic Events and Shame in Adolescent Surf Lifesavers: An Australian Perspective
    (Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2024-10-10) Fien S; Lawes JC; Ledger J; de Terte I; Drummond M; Simon P; Joseph N; Daw S; Kelly S; Hillman W; Stanton R; Best T
    Emergency service personnel experience high levels of psychological distress, with increasing evidence of associations with shame and trauma. Additionally, adolescence is a critical time in social and cognitive development, in which shame plays an important role. In Australia, adolescent volunteer surf lifesavers (SLS) are particularly vulnerable due to exposure to potentially traumatic experiences (PTEs) such as rescues and resuscitation of human lives. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between direct or indirect PTEs, and the relationship PTSS and shame may have in adolescent surf lifesavers. This cross-sectional study surveyed patrolling adolescent SLS, aged 13–17 years, recruited via internal communications and social media groups. Complete responses from patrolling adolescents (n = 118; 59% female; mean age 15.4 years) were used to determine exposure to PTEs across global, direct, and within SLS trauma domains. Associations between demographics, PTEs, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), with shame as a moderator were assessed for each trauma domain. PTEs and PTSS were positively associated across trauma domains. Shame was identified as a significant predictor of PTSS and as an important moderator of PTSS for experiences within SLSA, but not global or direct trauma. By exploring links between PTEs, PTSS, and shame, these findings contribute to the development of strategies and interventions for adolescents during stressful times. Responsiveness to adolescents via feedback and genuine, reassuring relationships that acknowledge the complexity of coping with stressful situations, may be potentially effective approaches to support coping with experiences of shame following PTE’s in adolescent surf lifesavers.
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    A preliminary study investigating the neglected domain of mental health in Australian lifesavers and lifeguards.
    (Springer Nature Limited, 2023-05-31) Fien S; Lawes JC; Ledger J; Drummond M; Simon P; Joseph N; Daw S; Best T; Stanton R; de Terte I
    BACKGROUND: Surf lifesavers and lifeguards have provided essential education, preventative, and rescue services to the Australian community for over 110 years. In this first responder role, surf lifesavers and lifeguards are inadvertently exposed to high risk and trauma related experiences, which may negatively impact mental well-being. To date however, there has been limited research into the mental health of surf lifesavers and lifeguards, and no studies at all on the mental health of adolescent surf lifesavers. The preliminary study aimed to measure the exposure of potentially traumatic events (PTEs), post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), self-efficacy, social support, and attitudes towards mental health problems in Surf Life Saving (SLS) members. METHODS: An anonymous, online survey was developed (adolescent and adult versions) and created to measure the domain of mental health in surf lifesavers and lifeguards. Pearson's correlations investigated relationships between PTEs, PTSS, self-efficacy, social support, attitudes towards mental health problems, age, years as a SLS member, and years patrolling. Spearman's Rank was used for violations of normality. RESULTS: A total of 57 surf lifesavers/lifeguards aged 13-59 years were included in the final analysis. There was a significant positive relationship between exposure to direct trauma and PTSS, which in turn, were associated with greater negative attitudes towards mental health problems towards the mental health of others, and lower levels of self-efficacy. Male and female adults with PTSS reported lower social support, whereas for adolescent males, a positive relationship between direct trauma and PTSS was observed. CONCLUSION: This research is the first to explore the mental health of Australian surf lifesavers and lifeguards. The results highlight the potential risks to mental health and well-being associated with this first responder role. More research to protect the vulnerability of this population is warranted.
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    An examination of the relationships between activity participation, social relations, and meaning in life among older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Smith, Jessie Eva
    Previous research suggests that a sense of meaning in life (MIL) contributes to physical and psychological well-being among older adults. Given the positive outcomes associated with MIL, it is important to identify sources of MIL and understand how MIL arises among older adults. The increasing proportions of older adults engaging in employment, volunteering, and informal caregiving suggests that it may be important to consider the influence of these activities on MIL. Furthermore, while there is evidence that receiving social support enhances MIL, there does not appear to be any research on the effects of providing social support on an individual’s sense of MIL. This research examines relationships between health, MIL, and volunteering, employment, and informal caregiving, and the role of social support in these relationships among a sample of older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand. In addition, this research aims to examine how different aspects of caregiving relate to MIL among older adults who are informal caregivers. This research was secondary data analysis of a large sample of community-dwelling older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand. Relationships were examined using standard quantitative statistical procedures with linear hierarchical regression being the primary technique. MIL was found to be associated with psychological but not physical health with the exception of older adult informal caregivers for whom MIL was associated with both dimensions of health. Consistent with previous research, volunteering was associated with higher MIL among older adults and this relationship was mediated by the provision of social support. Results also indicated that informal caregiving may enhance MIL indirectly through the provision of social support. However, no evidence was found that participation in paid employment is associated with either higher or lower MIL. Among informal caregivers, perceived social support was the only aspect of caregiving which remained a significant predictor of MIL after controlling for demographic and health variables. The research suggests MIL is an important resource for the psychological health of older adults, supporting the incorporation of MIL into psychological interventions for this population. Volunteering and other roles which present opportunities to provide support for others may be particularly effective for enhancing MIL. Further research is needed to investigate how different aspects of employment relate to MIL in order to better understand how employment may be structured to contribute to MIL. Considering the socio-historical context in which older adulthood is lived out, the research contributes to the growing body of literature on MIL, providing insight into how MIL might be promoted among older adults.