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Background: Suicidal ideation, a significant public health issue, necessitates further investigation of its correlates and precursors. Extensive research highlights the association between Work Family Conflicts (WFC) and psychological distress, including depression. However, research examining the correlation between high WFC experiences and suicidal ideation is sparse. This study explores the association between WFC and suicidal ideation within an occupation non-specific community sample., Methods: Community-based, representative data from the Australian-based Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project formed the basis of this study. Participants eligible for the study (N = 1312) were employed either full-time or part-time and took part in an online questionnaire. Importantly, the data include robust measures of WFC, active suicidal ideation, and depression., Results: After adjusting for psychosocial job characteristics, history of suicidal ideation, and other socio-demographic factors, high WFC was associated with increased odds of active suicidal ideation (Model 4: OR: 1.58, CI: 1.04-2.40). Further, supplementary analyses indicated that depression is an important component of this relationship. Analyses exploring an interaction effect by gender showed that while a significant association between high WFC and suicidality was observed among men after adjustment for all covariates, this association was not evident for women., Limitations: A small number of participants reported suicidal ideation, potentially affecting the statistical power to detect significant effects. WFC was measured at one time-point, prohibiting the exploration of its causal and/or chronic impact on suicidal ideation., Conclusion: We find evidence that high WFC is linked to increased active suicidal ideation - specifically for men., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of digital interventions for improving the mental health of university students. However, low rates of engagement with these interventions are an ongoing challenge and can compromise effectiveness. Brief, transdiagnostic, web-based video interventions are capable of targeting key mental health and related issues affecting university students and may be more engaging and accessible for this population., Objective: This study used a 2-arm randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Uni Virtual Clinic-Lite (UVC-Lite), a fully automated, transdiagnostic, web-based video intervention, relative to an attention-control condition. The primary outcomes were symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder. The secondary outcomes included psychological distress, social anxiety symptoms, body appreciation, quality of life, well-being, functioning, general self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, and help seeking. Program use (intervention uptake and engagement) and satisfaction were also assessed., Methods: University students (n=487) with mild to moderate symptoms of distress were recruited from universities across Australia and randomly allocated to receive access to the UVC-Lite intervention or an attention-control condition targeting general health for a period of 6 weeks. UVC-Lite includes 12 modules, each comprising a brief animated video and an accompanying exercise. Of the 12 modules, 7 also included a brief symptom screening quiz. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 3- and 6-months postintervention., Results: The primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis using mixed models repeated measures ANOVA. The intervention was not found to be effective relative to the control condition on any of the primary or secondary outcomes. While 67.9% (114/168) of participants accessed at least 1 module of the intervention, module completion was extremely low. Subgroup analyses among those who engaged with the program (completed at least 1 video) and those with higher baseline distress (Distress Questionnaire-5 score ≥15) did not reveal any differences between the conditions over time. However, uptake (accessing at least 1 video) and engagement (completing at least 1 video) were higher among those with higher baseline symptoms. Satisfaction with the intervention was high., Conclusions: The UVC-Lite intervention was not effective relative to a control program, although it was associated with high satisfaction among students and was not associated with symptom deterioration. Given the challenges faced by universities in meeting demand for mental health services, flexible and accessible interventions such as UVC-Lite have the potential to assist students to manage symptoms of mental health problems. However, low uptake and engagement (particularly among students with lower levels of symptomatology) are significant challenges that require further attention. Future studies should examine the effectiveness of the intervention in a more highly symptomatic sample, as well as implementation pathways to optimize effective engagement with the intervention., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621000375853; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=380146., (©Louise M Farrer, Hayley M Jackson, Amelia Gulliver, Alison L Calear, Liana Leach, Penelope Hasking, Natasha Katruss, Philip J Batterham. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 13.08.2024.)

Objective: This study focused on employees' perceived discrimination due to parenthood; and mental health, occupational stress and turnover intention. Methods: Survey (2016) of an Australian convenience sample of employed parents: women ( n = 2950) and men ( n = 1318). Results: Forty-two percent of all mothers reported missing out on promotion ( n = 1234/2950); one-third reported negative comments from managers ( n = 805/2950, 27%) or colleagues ( n = 832/2950, 28%). One in five fathers reported these forms of discrimination. In adjusted analyses, perceived discrimination was associated with poorer mental health (β = 0.23, P < 0.001); higher occupational stress (β = 0.30, P < 0.001); and increased odds of turnover intention (adjusted odds ratio = 1.5, P < 0.001) for mothers; and poorer mental health (β = 0.34, P < 0.001); stress (β = 0.35, P < 0.001); and increased odds of turnover intention (adjusted odds ratio = 1.7, P < 0.001) for fathers. Conclusions: Experiences of negativity and hostility at work are common and link to employee health and well-being., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (Copyright © 2024 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Background: The factors that influence transition from suicidal ideation to a suicide attempt or remission of suicidal thoughts are poorly understood. Despite an abundance of research on risk factors for suicidal ideation, no large-scale longitudinal population-based studies have specifically recruited people with suicidal ideation to examine the mechanisms underlying critical transitions to either suicide attempt or recovery from suicidal ideation. Without longitudinal data on the psychological, behavioural, and social determinants of suicide attempt and the remission of suicidal ideation, we are unlikely to see major gains in the prevention of suicide., Aim: The LifeTrack Project is a population-based longitudinal cohort study that aims to identify key modifiable risk and protective factors that predict the transition from suicidal ideation to suicide attempt or remission of suicidal ideation. We will assess theory-informed risk and protective factors using validated and efficient measures to identify distinct trajectories reflecting changes in severity of suicidal ideation and transition to suicide attempt over three years., Methods: A three-year prospective population-based longitudinal cohort study will be conducted with adults from the general Australian population who initially report suicidal ideation (n = 842). Eligibility criteria include recent suicidal ideation (past 30 days), aged 18 years or older, living in Australia and fluent in English. Those with a suicide attempt in past 30 days or who are unable to participate in a long-term study will be excluded. Participants will be asked to complete online assessments related to psychopathology, cognition, psychological factors, social factors, mental health treatment use, and environmental exposures at baseline and every six months during this three-year period. One week of daily measurement bursts (ecological momentary assessments) at yearly intervals will also capture short-term fluctuations in suicidal ideation, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, capability for suicide, and distress., Conclusion: This study is intended to identify potential targets for novel and tailored therapies for people experiencing suicidal ideation and improve targeting of suicide prevention programs. Even modest improvements in current treatments may lead to important reductions in suicide attempts and deaths., Study Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12623000433606., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Prospective evidence about men at risk of postnatal difficulties is rare-particularly for postpartum suicidal ideation. This study aimed to determine the extent to which first-time fathers reported depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation and behaviours in the first postnatal year, and to identify preconception risk factors for postnatal mental health difficulties., Methods: Secondary analysis of data from The Ten to Men Study-Australia's population-based prospective study of men's health was conducted. Participants were 205 men who became first-time fathers in the 12 months prior to wave 2 (2015/16). Regression analyses were used to ascertain preconception (mental and physical health, lifestyle) and demographic factors associated with postnatal depressive symptoms., Results: Postnatally, 8.3% of fathers reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms, 5% had suicidal thoughts, 3% had plans, and less than 1% had attempted suicide. Preconception depressive symptoms was the only factor significantly associated with postnatal depressive symptoms., Conclusion: The transition into fatherhood is marked with significant psychological distress for some men. These results suggest that mental health screening and support in the preconception period is crucial to supporting the mental health of new fathers., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Evidence is mounting that poor psychosocial job conditions increase sickness absence, but there is a need for further rigorous prospective research to isolate the influence of psychosocial job quality from other measured and unmeasured confounders. This study used four waves of prospective longitudinal data (spanning 12 years) to investigate the extent to which increases in poor psychosocial job quality are associated with greater relative risk of day of sickness absence., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Data were from the Australian PATH Through Life cohort study. The analyses adopted hybrid-regression estimations that isolated the effect of within-person change in psychosocial job quality on sickness absence over time., Participants: Participants were from a midlife cohort aged 40-44 at baseline (7644 observations from 2221 participants)., Primary Outcome Measure: Days sickness absence in the past 4 weeks., Results: The results show that after adjusting for a wide range of factors as well as unmeasured between-person differences in job quality, each additional psychosocial job adversity was associated with a 12% increase in the number of days of sickness absence (relative risk ratio: 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.21). Increases in psychosocial job adversity were also related to greater functional impairment (relative risk ratio: 1.17 (1.05 to 1.30))., Conclusion: The results of this study strengthen existing research highlighting the importance of addressing poor psychosocial job quality as a risk factor for sickness absence., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aim: The adverse impacts of exposure to work intensity on mental health have been widely studied. However, there is a lack of research examining who is most vulnerable in terms of position on the mental health distribution. The current study aims to: (a) initially estimate the average impacts of work intensity on workers' mental health in Australia, and then (b) estimate the extent to which this effect varies across the mental health distribution., Materials and Methods: The current study uses data from waves 2005--2017 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. It first employs Average Treatment Effect (ATE) to provide a baseline/average treatment effect for the whole population, and then applies Quantile Regression fixed effects models for various quantiles on the mental health distribution., Discussion and Conclusion: The baseline estimates show that there are significantly negative effects of work intensity on mental health for the whole population, but importantly the quantile fixed effect estimates show that these adverse effects are substantially stronger for those with the poorest mental health (i.e. at the bottom of the distribution). When ATE alone is estimated, the significant effect is averaged over the mental health distribution, missing important information regarding the heterogeneity of the effect. The findings have important implications for understanding and reducing mental health inequality, particularly inequality driven by workplace stress. First, they align with existing research demonstrating the importance of reducing psychosocial job stressors. Second, given workers with mental health problems were most susceptible to the adverse effects of work intensity, there is a need to offer additional support (and be sensitive of workloads) for this group in particular., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Approximately 1 in 10 fathers of infants experience symptoms of common mental health disorders, prompting calls for paternal postpartum screening. However, numerous obstacles exist to screening implementation. The aim of this study was to provide preliminary evidence for an alternative approach that starts with asking fathers about their sleep., Methods: Using self-reported father data at 0 to 36 months postpartum (N=1204) from four Australian cohort studies, we assessed associations between responses to various single-item questions about sleep (good to poor), and scores on validated measures of mental health (depression, anxiety and stress). We conducted regressions, unadjusted and adjusted for father age, child age, household income, education, first or later child, and marital status, to test associations between sleep and each indicator of mental health. We then meta-analyzed effects and assessed interactions between sleep and each of the covariates., Results: Consistent associations between fathers' subjective poor sleep and depression, anxiety and stress were replicated across the four cohorts despite heterogeneity in the sleep questions. At the meta-analytic level, effects ranged from weak to moderate (0.25 to 0.37) and were robust to all adjustments. Interactions were only detected between family income and poor sleep, such that the association was stronger for high income fathers., Limitations: This study does not address the sensitivity or specificity of single-item sleep questions for assessing paternal mental health risk., Conclusions: A low-cost, non-stigmatizing single question to postpartum fathers about their sleep may present a gateway opportunity to enquiring about mental health., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

While several studies have estimated returns to education in Australia, there is limited evidence regarding the influence of health on the returns. This paper identifies how health affects returns to education in the labour market using the Heckman selection bias-corrected model. We measured health status using a self-rated health item with five response categories 'poor, fair, good, very good, and excellent'. The findings show that poor health or being unhealthy (defined as 'poor' or 'fair') interacts with education, such that the benefits of education (i.e. higher hourly wage rate) are curtailed in those with health problems; the adverse effect is stronger for those in lower skilled jobs. The estimated returns to an additional year of schooling on average over 2001-2017 is 7.43% and 6.88% for the healthy and unhealthy groups, respectively. Thus, the return for workers with poor health is 7.4% lower than the return for healthier workers (for each additional year of schooling). This gap in the returns is equivalent to a productivity loss of about $19-25 billion per year. The lower returns to education for workers with poor health likely results from lower productivity while at work rather than loss of working days as the estimate is based on an hourly wage rate (rather than days or hours absent from work). These lower returns may also be explained by unhealthy workers accepting lower paid jobs given the same levels of experience, skills and education that healthier counterparts have. The cost of poor health to labour market returns is further amplified in low-skilled occupations, a process which is likely to exacerbate socio-economic inequalities and undercut social mobility.

Objectives This study sought to examine the influence of general perceptions of control on the association between job control and mental health. Methods We used four waves of data from a cohort of mid-aged adults from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Study (baseline N=2106). Key measures included job control and likelihood of experiencing a common mental disorder (anxiety and/or depression). The data were analyzed using longitudinal random-intercept regression models, controlling for a range of potential confounders including general perceptions of control (ie, not isolated to the work context) via a measure of mastery. The analyses isolated the effect of within-person changes in job control on mental health (apart from between-person differences). Results The results show that the effect of job control remained significant after adjusting for general perceptions of control and other confounders. The within-person effect in the model demonstrated that, when workers had low job control, they were twice as likely to experience a common mental disorder [odds ratio (OR) 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53‒2.73]. Conclusions Individuals' general perceptions of control in life does not account for the association between low job control and poor mental health. The findings add a new layer of evidence to the literature demonstrating that lack of autonomy at work is an independent predictor of employees' mental health. Increasing employee control should be integrated into workplace strategies to promote mental health.

Background: The community's knowledge and beliefs about mental health problems, their risk factors, treatments and sources of help may vary as a function of age., Methods: Data were taken from an epidemiological survey conducted during 2003-2004 with a national clustered sample of Australian adults aged 18 years and over. Following the presentation of a vignette describing depression (n = 1001) or schizophrenia (n = 997), respondents were asked a series of questions relating to their knowledge and recognition of the disorder, beliefs about the helpfulness of treating professionals and medical, psychological and lifestyle treatments, and likely causes., Results: Participant age was coded into five categories and cross-tabulated with mental health literacy variables. Comparisons between age groups revealed that although older adults (70+ years) were poorer than younger age groups at correctly recognising depression and schizophrenia, young adults (18-24 years) were more likely to misidentify schizophrenia as depression. Differences were also observed between younger and older age groups in terms of beliefs about the helpfulness of certain treating professionals and medical and lifestyle treatments for depression and schizophrenia, and older respondents were more likely to believe that schizophrenia could be caused by character weakness., Conclusion: Differences in mental health literacy across the adult lifespan suggest that more specific, age appropriate messages about mental health are required for younger and older age groups. The tendency for young adults to 'over-identify' depression signals the need for awareness campaigns to focus on differentiation between mental disorders.