Research Roundup

Welcome to the June?edition of?Turning Point’s Research Roundup newsletter.

In this edition:?

• A spike in suicidal behaviours has been identified among adolescent?females during COVID-19 lockdowns.
• An article describing expert-endorsed cognitive rehabilitation interventions for addiction was the focus of a recent webinar.
• The?latest release?from AODstats?includes new data sets for DirectLine and Counselling Online, as well as Assaults and Family Violence.??
• PhD scholarships of $35,000 p/a are now available. Scroll down for details.?
• Plus, our latest journal publications, research participation opportunities, and more!

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Spike in suicidal behaviours among adolescent?females?during pandemic lockdowns

Researchers from the National Addiction and Mental Health Surveillance Unit have uncovered a spike in ambulance call-outs as a result of suicidal behaviours among adolescent females during COVID-19 lockdowns.

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Expert-endorsed cognitive rehabilitation interventions for addiction

A new article in the World Psychiatry journal describing four expert-endorsed cognitive rehabilitation interventions for substance use disorder was the focus of a recent Connect & Learn webinar presented by?Professor Antonio Verdejo Garcia.?

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New release of data from AODstats

The?latest release?from AODstats includes new data sets for DirectLine and Counselling Online, as well as?Assaults and Family Violence.Bulletin #7 also explores ambulance attendances for the last two financial years, focusing on alcohol consumption and GHB-related attendances.

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Do you have an honours or master’s degree in psychology, psychiatry?or mental health?

Help people affected by substance harms by completing a PhD with Turning Point.?Five fascinating PhD scholarships of $35,000 p/a are now available thanks to Turning Point’s Scholarship Program. Click here to apply.?

Learn more about the opportunities

New Publications

Helpline calls for alcohol-related concerns increased during pandemic lockdowns

• Calls to a Victorian AOD helpline for alcohol-related concerns increased during pandemic lockdowns.
• The number of first-time callers with alcohol concerns also increased.
• Telephone helplines are immediate, accessible avenues for people with AOD-use concerns to seek support, and the researchers recommend further promotion of helplines during times of crises.?

Find out more about DirectLine drug and alcohol counselling.?

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Drinking as affective labour: A discussion of Australian men working in hospitality and corporate workplaces

• The researchers examined the functions and effects of work-related drinking that include but also extend beyond harm, such as the potential to facilitate positive workplace relations.
• Work-related drinking facilitated positive workplace relationships for corporate groups but also introduced risks. Drinking was more deeply enmeshed in workplace relationships for hospitality workers.?
• Conceptualising work-related drinking as ‘affective labour’ brings opportunities for future research about how drinking is addressed in workplace policy and practice.?

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Towards implementation of cognitive bias modification in mental health care: State of the science, best practices, and ways forward

• Cognitive bias modification?(CBM) holds promise for widespread implementation in digital mental health care.?The researchers?reviewed evidence for attentional-, interpretation-, & approach bias modification.
• They found that there is sufficient support for the implementation of some forms of CBM, specifically, approach bias modification as an add-on to treatment for alcohol use disorders and interpretation bias modification as a stand-alone intervention for anxiety disorders.
• The researchers discuss implementation frameworks and outline the focus of future research translation efforts which include co-designing programs and collaboration with industry partners.

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Therapeutic mechanisms of cognitive rehabilitation interventions for substance use disorders, and how to overcome barriers to their translation into clinical practice

• The letter to the editor calls for efforts to explore the barriers and facilitators to translating four neuroscience-informed interventions into clinical practice for substance use disorders.
• These interventions include Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM), an approach Turning Point researchers have developed and proven effective in a number of studies in different populations and settings.
• The article offers recommendations on how to overcome implementation challenges, with its authors envisioning a future where cognitive rehabilitation is embedded in routine practice to maximise the health and well-being of individuals with addiction.?

The recommendations were made by international experts in the addiction and cognition?field who are members of the International Society of Addiction Medicine's Neuroscience?interest group led by Prof Antonio Verdejo-Garcia.?

Read the paper

Research Participation Opportunities

The following research studies are currently?open for participants?

• Practising psychologists and counsellors are invited to help us validate a counsellor competence scale designed for mental health professionals treating transgender and gender-diverse clients.?
• Adults who would like to cut down on their drinking?are invited to help improve treatments to reduce alcohol intake.
• Victorians who have been picked up for minor drug use or possession are invited to help researchers improve the system of dealing with those offences.?
• Full-licence drivers who currently use meth are invited to?help researchers better understand how it may affect their driving.?
• Women who inject drugs?are invited to?share their opinions about the medically supervised injecting room.?

Find out more

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