Ngarraanga Giinganay (‘thinking peacefully’): Co-design and pilot study of a culturally-grounded mindfulness-based stress reduction program with older First Nations Australians

First Nations ‘survivors’ are ageing in increasing numbers. Life-course stress and depression are of concern for older First Nations Australians, yet there are limited psychosocial interventions. This study aimed to co-design a culturally-grounded mindfulness-based program (‘Ngarraanga Giinganay’) and evaluate acceptability/feasibility with an Aboriginal community on Gumbaynggirr Country. An expert Working Group guided program development, with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal clinicians/consultants. A workshop, collaborative yarning group with older Aboriginal people (n = 9), and further consultation contributed to the design/refinement of the 8-session group-based program, ensuring content aligned with therapeutic principles of mindfulness and cultural understandings of the Gumbaynggirr community. A single-group pilot study was conducted (n = 7, 62−81 years), co-facilitated by an Aboriginal clinician and Elder. Outcomes were qualitative (understandings of mindfulness, program acceptability, benefits to health/wellbeing). Pilot results demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness. The program enhanced understandings of mindfulness and participants highlighted benefits such as helping anxiety, relaxation, focusing on the moment and connection to Country/land. Trends were seen for reducing depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, and blood pressure. This study provides insight into partnering with underrepresented populations through ageing research, highlighting the effectiveness of this co-design approach. Ngarraanga Giinganay has considerable potential for supporting health and wellbeing of First Nations peoples.     

Explicating Public Diplomacy as Organization–Public Relationship (OPR): An Empirical Investigation of OPRs between the US Embassy in Seoul and South Korean College Students

Based on a theoretical proposition that public diplomacy can be explicated as management of organization–public relationship (OPR) between an organization concerned and foreign publics, practical and functional utility of OPR measures was empirically investigated in this preliminary study within a public diplomacy context involving the US embassy in Seoul and South Korean college students. Validating reliability and validity of Hon and J. E. Grunig's (1999 Hon , L. C. , & Grunig , J. E. ( 1999 ). Guidelines for measuring relationships in public relations . Gainesville , FL : Institution for Public Relations . [Google Scholar]) OPR measures in evaluating the quality of relationships between the US embassy and South Korean college students, the findings help further advance the theoretical and practical convergence of public relations and public diplomacy. In addition, with statistically significant links between South Korean college students' perceived relationships with the US embassy and their attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the United States and its citizens, the findings suggest that public diplomacy outcomes are related to OPR management, to some degree.     

A comment on Wong and Waite, “Elder mistreatment predicts later physical and psychological health: Results from a national longitudinal study,” JEAN Issue 29(1), pp. 15–42

Wong and Waite present a longitudinal study of elder abuse and its effects. However, they contend that their data do not support the protective effects of social support, a finding in contrast with virtually all existing research on the topic. Closer inspection of their variables indicates that they misclassify elder abuse insofar as their results are actually in terms of only one type of elder abuse, psychological abuse, ignoring physical and sexual abuse. They also define “elder abuse” using only one question: “Is there anyone who insults you or puts you down?” Finally, they measure social support with the single item: “if they generally feel they can open up to, and rely on, these significant others.” It is not, therefore, surprising that they observed that social support was not protective considering health outcomes.     

Planning for knowledge infrastructure and capacity building in a distinct insular regional context (Cyclades-Southern Aegean): the role of higher education institutions’ research actions

This paper is based on the study of a distinct insular region in Greece: Cyclades Prefecture with reference to also to the broader Periphery of the Southern Aegean. It elaborates on the issue of island innovation systems and the role of actions driven by higher education institutions (HEIs) in knowledge infrastructure (KI) and capacity building (CB). The paper argues that an exceedingly high number of HEI research actions tend to develop with “relative autonomy” from local expertise, networks and knowledge patterns embedded in the insular setting. In addition, these actions are conditioned by the EU policy doctrine, the dominant central state perception of innovation policies and the adverse pattern of HEI development in the national territory. Its geographically scattered composition and scarcities in scientific specializations and research fields make the sole regional HEI feeble in its ability to assume a leading role in fostering KI and CB processes. From this context, a number of factors and obstacles militate against a knowledge area-wide integrated strategy, deriving from: (a) the local socio-economic setting; (b) the proliferation of HEI actions; and (c) the institutional-governance system. In parallel to such obstacles, however, there are indications of potential conditions of change emanating from the positive role of some HEIs actions, the relatively active presence of regional HEIs, the growth trends of the insular economy, the making of new niches and networks, the presence of international institutions and, above all, the building of an atmosphere of trust between local communities and HEIs.     

“She Was Stomping on Everything That We Used to Think of as a Family”: Communication and Turning Points in Cohabiting (Step)Families

This study investigates the relationship between joint and sole physical custody arrangements and parental hostility, conflict, and communication in divorced families. Data from both self-report and clinical ratings from 121 families were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression in order to determine predictors of parental hostility, conflict, and communication 2-3 years after the separation. Family structures variables such as ages and numbers of children, as well as SES differences between parents were included in the model. Results show that where both parents have more frequent access to their children, they communicate with each other more frequently, but also experience greater hostility and conflict in their relationship. A second result indicates that extreme levels of parental verbal or physical abuse is predicted by extreme abuse during the marital years and is not related to custody or visitation arrangements, nor to family structure variables 2-3 years post-separation.