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Research has shown that sense of belonging to one's community is related to mental and physical health. The current research investigated the extent to which sense of belonging to one's work team and the larger work organisation predicted stress and burnout in university employees. It was hypothesised that staff with a higher sense of belonging to their immediate working team and to the University as an organisation would have fewer mental and physical health problems and be less likely to leave their employment than staff with a lower sense of belonging. A sample of 46 male and 49 female staff members of a regional university completed the Sense of Belonging Inventory, the General Health Questionnaire, the Job Stress Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Perceived Stress Scale. Results indicated that females reported a higher sense of belonging to their working team and to the University than males, and that employees with a lower sense of belonging to the University had stronger intentions of leaving the University. Importantly, workers who indicated a higher sense of belonging to their work team exhibited lower work stress, lower perceived stress, and better physical health than colleagues who felt a lessened sense of belonging to their work team. In contrast, sense of belonging to the University was not related to stress. Results indicated that belonging to one's immediate work team was more important for the mental health of University employees than belonging to the larger organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of homosexual adolescent suicide has received minimal attention within Australia, with most research emanating from within the United States. Despite homosexual adolescents being at significant risk for suicide, only one study to date has been undertaken to examine attitudes towards homosexual adolescent suicide. The present study sought to examine the attitudes of heterosexual and homosexual community members towards homosexual adolescent suicide. Approximately 1400 Australians completed a series of questionnaires, including The Suicide Attitude Vignette Experience. Results indicate that the suicide of a homosexual adolescent was seen as significantly more justified, acceptable, necessary and psychologically healthy than the suicide of a heterosexual adolescent, regardless of the sexual orientation of the participant. Further, both heterosexual and homosexual participants reported greater empathy towards homosexual adolescent suicide victims than for heterosexual suicide victims. It was further shown that these findings were stronger among the homosexual participants than the heterosexual participants. Predictors of attitudes towards suicide will be discussed. Findings suggest that there is a belief within the Australian heterosexual and homosexual communities that suicide is one of the recognised and accepted choices open to a young person who becomes aware of their homosexuality. As such, there is an urgent need for the development of greater positive supports for these young people within both communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been documented that lesbians are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than heterosexual females. The current research examined sense of belonging in the lesbian and general communities as predictors of stress, anxiety, depression and suicide ideation. Over 400 Victorian female heterosexuals and lesbians completed a questionnaire, with results indicating that lesbians experience a lessened sense of belonging and more stress and anxiety than heterosexual females. When analysing the responses of lesbians only, sense of belonging to both the general and lesbian communities was related to mental health, though the relationships were stronger between sense of belonging to the general community and stress, anxiety, depression and suicide ideation. Regression analyses indicated that sense of belonging to both communities was a protective factor against mental ill-health, and that sense of belonging to only one community or belonging to neither communities was related to poorer mental health. Interventions that increase a sense of belonging in lesbians are needed, as are interventions that reduce the levels of homophobia in Australia and promote acceptance of homosexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of previous research examining heterosexual attitudes toward lesbian and gay parenting has emanated from North America. The present study sought to examine the attitudes of Australian heterosexuals toward heterosexual, gay and lesbian parents. A community sample of approximately 1200 heterosexual male and female Australians completed a questionnaire package. The participants read a vignette describing a family situation and responded to it in terms of the parents' emotionally stability, responsibility, and competence; their love, sensitivity, and nurturance towards the child; the amount of quality time spent with the child; and their ability to be a good role model. Results indicated that heterosexual Australians hold negative attitudes toward same-sex parents when compared with heterosexual parents. Further, the respondents believed that children raised by same-sex parents would have significant problems. Level of homophobia was the key predictor of attitudes towards same-sex parents and their children. Despite much evidence indicating that children raised in homosexual households develop in comparable ways to children raised in heterosexual households, the Australian community clearly view such parenting arrangements as unacceptable. If homosexual parents are to be accepted within this country, substantial education and attitudinal shifts are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little Australian research has examined mental health in men, and how that might vary according to sexual orientation. A community sample of men was recruited for the purpose of investigating whether sense of belonging was a predictor of men's mental health and whether place of residence and sexual orientation influenced this relationship. The study also examined the importance of belonging to both the broader and gay communities for the mental health of gay men. Responses from 320 men indicated that sense of belonging was a predictor of mental health, however, place of residence was not. In addition, homosexual men reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress and suicide ideation and reported a lesser sense of belonging to the broader community than heterosexual men. For gay men only, a sense of belonging to the broader community, rather than the gay community, was the stronger predictor of mental health. Place of residence was a significant predictor for only one aspect of mental health, suicide ideation. For gay men, living in city areas was a significant predictor of increased levels of suicide ideation. Programs and policies that enhance sense of belonging in the general community among gay men are clearly needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]