Tag: Students

Book: Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour

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Book Title:

Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour.

Author(s): Richard Gross.

Year: 2015.

Edition: Eighth (8th).

Publisher: Hodder Education, UK Edition.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Provides the essential foundation for psychology students, this is a revised and updated version of the most trusted introduction written by the bestselling psychology author Richard Gross.

Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour has helped over half a million students worldwide.

It is the essential introduction to psychology, covering all students need to know to understand and evaluate classic and contemporary topics.

  • Enables students to easily access psychological theories and research with colourful, user-friendly content and useful features including summaries, critical discussion and research updates.
  • Helps students to understand the research process with contributions from leading psychologists including Elizabeth Loftus, Alex Haslam and David Canter.
  • Ensures students are up to date with the latest issues and debates with this fully updated edition.

Book: Mental Health Atlas 2017

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Book Title:

Mental Health Atlas 2017.

Author(s): World Health Organisation (WHO).

Year: 2017.

Edition: Denoted by year.

Publisher: WHO.

Type(s): Paperback and digital.

Synopsis:

The Mental Health Atlas series is considered the most comprehensive resource on global information on mental health and an important tool for developing and planning mental health services within countries and regions.

The Mental Health Atlas 2017 acquires new importance as it includes information and data on the progress towards the achievement of objectives and targets of the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020.

You can a download a free copy of the Mental Health Atlas 2017 here.

Book: Mastering the World of Psychology

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Book Title:

Mastering the World of Psychology.

Author(s): Samuel E. Wood, Ellen Green Wood, and Denise Boyd.

Year: 2019.

Edition: Sixth (6th).

Publisher: Pearson.

Type(s): Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Mastering the World of Psychology, 5ed, provides students with more support than ever before, thanks to the Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review Learning Method, or SQ3R, which is integrated throughout the text. SQ3R shows students the relationship between psychological theory and learning. It is the strongest and most comprehensive programme for measuring progress and attaining successful outcomes in Introductory Psychology.

MyPsychLab is an integral part of the Wood/Wood/Boyd program. Engaging activities and assessments provide a teaching and learning system that measures students’ success. With MyPsychLab, students can watch videos on psychological research and applications, participate in virtual classic experiments, and develop critical thinking skills through writing.

Book: Introduction to Psychology

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Book Title:

Introduction to Psychology.

Author(s): James W. Kalat.

Year: 2017.

Edition: Eleventh (11th).

Publisher: Cengage Learning.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

James Kalat’s best-selling Introduction to Psychology does far more than cover major theories and studies; it teaches you how to become better at evaluating information.

Hands-on “Try It Yourself” activities and summaries of real research encourage you to ask yourself, “How was this conclusion reached?” and “Does the evidence really support it?”

Students praise this streamlined, visually appealing text, which invites you to interact with psychological ideas and expands your preconceived ideas about the field of psychology.

As a result, you will become a savvier consumer of information, not only during your college experience but also as you venture into your post-college life.

With his friendly writing style and many learning tools, Kalat puts you at ease and enables you to participate actively in what you are studying.

Book: Cognitive Psychology for Dummies

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Book Title:

Cognitive Psychology for Dummies.

Author(s): Peter J. Hills and Michael Pake.

Year: 2016.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Wiley.

Type(s): Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Demystify the core concepts of cognitive psychology.

Written specifically for psychology students and not other academics – Cognitive Psychology For Dummies is an accessible and entertaining introduction to the field. Unlike the dense and jargon-laden content found in most psychology textbooks, this practical guide provides readers with easy-to-understand explanations of the fundamental elements of cognitive psychology so that they are able obtain a firm grasp of the material.

Cognitive Psychology For Dummies follows the structure of a typical university course, which makes it the perfect supplement for students in need of a clear and enjoyable overview of the topic.

The complexities of a field that explores internal mental processes including the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems can be overwhelming for first-year psychology students.

This practical resource cuts through the academic-speak to provide a clear understanding of the most important elements of cognitive psychology.

  • Obtain a practical understanding of the core concepts of cognitive psychology.
  • Supplement required course reading with clear and easy-to-understand overviews.
  • Gain confidence in your ability to apply your knowledge of cognitive psychology.
  • Prepare for upcoming exams or topic discussions.

Cognitive Psychology For Dummies is the perfect resource for psychology students who need a clear and readable overview of the core concepts of cognitive psychology.

Does Early Maternal Separation Exert a Negative Influence on Student’s Depression & Dysfunctional Attitude?

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Research Paper Title

The impacts of maternal separation experience and its pattern on depression and dysfunctional attitude in middle school students in rural China.

Background

In China, because of the growth of economically driven rural-to-urban migration, there are lots of children in rural area who are separating or have separation experience with their parents.

Until now, few studies focused on solely maternal separation and no research studied whether its pattern will affect children’s later psychological status.

The aim of this study was to determine whether early or late maternal separation affects depression and dysfunctional attitude in middle school students and what is the role of cumulative duration and meeting frequency.

Methods

Maternal separation experience was obtained by using questionnaires. The researchers got early maternal separation group first. Then, late maternal separation and control group were obtained with the same number by matching grade, sex and family socioeconomic status.

All the students in the three groups completed the scales of Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS).

Results

Both CDI and DAS scores of early separation group are higher than the other two groups.

  • When the researches split the data by sex, only females presented the same results.
  • When cumulative duration is short, there is significant difference in both scores of CDI and DAS among the three groups, which showed the scores of early separation group are higher than the other two groups.
  • When the cumulative duration is long, there is no significant difference among the three groups.
  • When meeting frequency is high, there is no significant difference among the three groups.
  • When it is low, there is significant difference among the three groups, which showed the CDI and DAS scores of early separation group are higher than the other two groups.

Furthermore, the same results are also found in females.

Conclusions

Early maternal separation may exert negative influence on student’s depression and dysfunctional attitude.

The sex, cumulative duration and meeting frequency may also play important roles in the effect.

Reference

Cao, X.J., Huang, Y.X., Zhu, P. & Zhang, Z.G. (2020) The impacts of maternal separation experience and its pattern on depression and dysfunctional attitude in middle school students in rural China. The International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 66(2), pp.188-197. doi: 10.1177/0020764019895795. Epub 2020 Jan 2.

College Students & Substance Use: Do They Require different Strategies for Prevention & Intervention?

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Research Paper Title

Cumulative Risk of Substance Use in Community College Students.

Background

Substance use in community college students has been explored in only a handful of studies.

Differences in population characteristics and substance use between 2- and 4-year students suggest that different factors may promote and thwart this behaviour.

Cumulative risk is a parsimonious methodology that provides better model stability and more statistical power, yet it has only been recently used in substance use research.

The aim of this study is to investigate multiple aspects of substance use risk in a population in need of substance use prevention and intervention services.

Methods

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of community college students (N = 288; 75% female) examining the relative contributions of different domains of cumulative risk (eg, life stressors, academic stressors, and mental health diagnoses) to develop different profiles of risk across substance use classes (ie, alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and hard drug use).

Results

Cumulative risk analyses indicated that alcohol and tobacco use were associated with the domains of life stressors and peer/family substance use, marijuana use with peer/family substance use and stressful childhood experiences, and hard drug use with peer/family substance use, lack of social support, low access to care, and stressful childhood experiences.

Conclusions

Different strategies for prevention and intervention may be necessary to effectively address different forms of substance use in this population.

Scientific Significance

The risk domain profiles related to specific drugs may lead to targeted interventions to reduce substance use in community college students.

Reference

Salgado García, F., Bursac, Z. & Derefinko, K.J. (2020) Cumulative Risk of Substance Use in Community College Students. The American Journal on Addictions. 29(2), pp.97-104. doi: 10.1111/ajad.12983. Epub 2020 Jan 3.

Testing the Effectiveness of Smartphone Apps Delivered to School Students to Prevent Depression at Scale.

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Research Paper Title

A trial protocol for the effectiveness of digital interventions for preventing depression in adolescents: The Future Proofing Study.

Background

Depression frequently first emerges during adolescence, and one in five young people will experience an episode of depression by the age of 18 years.

Despite advances in treatment, there has been limited progress in addressing the burden at a population level.

Accordingly, there has been growing interest in prevention approaches as an additional pathway to address depression.

Depression can be prevented using evidence-based psychological programmes. However, barriers to implementing and accessing these programmes remain, typically reflecting a requirement for delivery by clinical experts and high associated delivery costs.

Digital technologies, specifically smartphones, are now considered a key strategy to overcome the barriers inhibiting access to mental health programmes.

The Future Proofing Study is a large-scale school-based trial investigating whether cognitive behaviour therapies (CBT) delivered by smartphone application can prevent depression.

Methods

A randomised controlled trial targeting up to 10,000 Year 8 Australian secondary school students will be conducted.

In Stage I, schools will be randomised at the cluster level either to receive the CBT intervention app (SPARX) or to a non-active control group comparator.

The primary outcome will be symptoms of depression, and secondary outcomes include psychological distress, anxiety and insomnia.

At the 12-month follow-up, participants in the intervention arm with elevated depressive symptoms will participate in an individual-level randomised controlled trial (Stage II) and be randomised to receive a second CBT app which targets sleep difficulties (Sleep Ninja) or a control condition.

Assessments will occur post intervention (both trial stages) and at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months post baseline.

Primary analyses will use an intention-to-treat approach and compare changes in symptoms from baseline to follow-up relative to the control group using mixed-effect models.

Results & Conclusions

This is the first trial testing the effectiveness of smartphone apps delivered to school students to prevent depression at scale.

Results from this trial will provide much-needed insight into the feasibility of this approach.

They stand to inform policy and commission decisions concerning if and how such programmes should be deployed in school-based settings in Australia and beyond.

Reference

Werner-Seidler, A., Huckvale, K., Larsen, M.E., Calear, A.L., Maston, K., Johnston, L., Torok, M., O’Dea, B., Batterham, P.J., Schweizer, S., Skinner, S.R., Steinbeck, K., Ratcliffe, J., Oei, J.L., Patton, G., Wong, I., Beames, J., Wong, Q.J.J., Lingam, R., Boydell, K., Salmon, A.M., Cockayne, N., Mackinnon, A. & Christensen, H. (2020) A trial protocol for the effectiveness of digital interventions for preventing depression in adolescents: The Future Proofing Study. Trials. 21(1), pp.2. doi: 10.1186/s13063-019-3901-7.

Teachers’ Perceptions of their Learners’ Mental Health Problems

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Research Paper Title

A qualitative study on teachers’ perceptions of their learners’ mental health problems in a disadvantaged community in South Africa.

Background

The combination of extensive poverty, violence and HIV has potential mental health impacts on children in Southern Africa.

This article is nested in a broader study to evaluate the strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) among Sotho speakers, and assess the mental health status of children made orphans by AIDS.

The aim of this study was to describe the mental health problems that the teachers perceive among learners in their classrooms, to understand what the teachers saw as causing these problems and to identify potential approaches to address these problems within the school setting.

Methods

As part of the larger study, 10 teachers were purposively selected to write a report describing the mental health problems among learners in their class.

These findings were discussed at two later meetings with a larger grouping of teachers to validate the findings and obtain additional input.

Results

The teachers were concerned about the emotional state of their pupils, especially in relation to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, scholastic problems and aggression.

These problems were felt to arise from the children’s lived context; factors such as poverty, death of parents and caregivers from AIDS and trauma, parental substance abuse and child abuse.

The teachers expressed a desire to assist the affected learners, but complained that they did not get support from the state services.

Conclusions

Many learners were evaluated by teachers as struggling with mental health issues, arising from their social context.

The teachers felt that with support, schools could provide assistance to these learners.

Reference

Skinner, D., Sharp, C., Marais, L., Serekoane, M. & Lenka, M. (2019) A qualitative study on teachers’ perceptions of their learners’ mental health problems in a disadvantaged community in South Africa. Curationis. 42(1), pp.e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v42i1.1903.