Perceived barriers to mental health treatment among men enrolled in a responsible fatherhood program

ABSTRACT

Low-income men may experience elevated risk for mental health concerns and be less likely to seek treatment; this may be due in part to perceived barriers to accessing and receiving treatment. Men who enrolled in a community based responsible fatherhood program self-identified their health and mental health conditions. Although participants reported serious health conditions at rates consistent with the general population, we found higher than expected rates of depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions and explored perceived barriers to mental health treatment among this sample. Findings suggest that low income men face a variety of perceived psychosocial and structural barriers impacting access to and compliance with mental health treatment.     

Dialogues of Diversity in Therapy: A Virtual Symposium

Therapists from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Germany and the UK discuss the relationship between systemic and narrative therapy.     

A Response to Farrell

This article responds directly to an article published in this journal in February 2010 by Graham Farrell entitled ‘Situational crime prevention and its discontents: rational choice and harm reduction versus “cultural criminology” ’. (Farrell's article, in turn, was a rejoinder to my original 2007 article ‘Situational crime prevention and its discontents: rational choice theory versus the “culture of now” ’). In his article, Farrell sets out a case for the role of ‘harm reduction’ and rational choice theory as tools to reduce the contemporary crime problem, concluding that ‘Cultural criminology seems to offer little, if anything, useful to inform crime reduction efforts’. This article rejects this statement and offers a counter critique of the instrumental approach promoted by Farrell. Importantly, this response article is not intended as an outright critique of situational crime prevention per se, rather it is an assessment of Farrell's specific critical logic and the various shortcomings associated with his argument.     

Diagnostic bias in organizational consultation

This article is intended to improve consultation practice by explaining the significance of models, heuristics, and diagnostic aids in organizational diagnosis. The role of diagnostic models in determining the consultant's frame of reference is explained. Evidence that organizational consultants consciously use diagnostic models is provided by citing two independent studies that revealed about 70% of the consultants reported that a diagnostic model was used. The availability, representativeness, and anchoring heuristics used by diagnosticians are summarized and examples of their use are cited. Readers are warned that bias occurs from misapplying the heuristics. However, guidance on correctly applying the heuristics is provided. The development and improvement of diagnostic expertise is explained from the perspective of learning through education as well as feedback received from clients, colleagues (as shadow consultants and as consulting team members), and self. Thus, written from the perspective of a consultant, the article provides a practical presentation on diagnostic bias, supported by theory and empirical research. It should appeal not only to a consulting constituency (i.e. practicing consultants, consultant trainers, and novice consultants), but also to the large number of potential clients (i.e. organizational decision-makers). Future research directions are discussed in terms of (1) the research that has identified relationships between consultant characteristics (e.g. Jungian constructs) and diagnostic information, and (2) the potential of expert systems in organizational diagnosis.     

Inclusiveness,power sharing and critical enquiry: intercultural programme model for new settlers

Migrants and refugees settling permanently in a new country face significant social, linguistic and cultural challenges. However, they also bring intercultural strengths and skills which, if acknowledged and enhanced, can support successful settlement and inclusion in a pluralistic society. This paper describes the underpinning rationale and salient features of an intercultural settlement programme piloted in New Zealand with a group of recently arrived settlers from refugee backgrounds. The programme was designed to enhance the settlement process for newcomers through the development of critical thinking, problem-solving and intercultural skills. The pedagogical approach was rights-based and incorporated facilitated discussions within an environment of power-sharing, inclusiveness and critical enquiry. This paper discusses the implementation of the programme as well as findings from a preliminary research project which sought to explore the effectiveness and the extent to which the programme achieved its aims. The findings indicate that this approach can constitute good practice in an education programme designed to support interculturalism and successful integration.     

Rethinking electoral reform in New Zealand: the benefits of citizens' assemblies

In 2011, New Zealanders decided by referendum to retain the mixed member proportional representation voting system. This article investigates the benefits of including a deliberative, participatory process in electoral reform to encourage collective debate and an informed choice by voters. In the last decade, Canada and the Netherlands have used citizens' assemblies, a form of participatory democracy, for electoral reform. This paper argues that a similar process would have been appropriate and valuable for New Zealand. Moreover, the discussion highlights the value of citizens' assemblies for minorities who can be outvoted in a referendum. This is considered with specific reference to voters in the Māori seats who had much at stake in the electoral reform. In addition to the general benefit of citizens' assemblies for electoral reform, a New Zealand assembly would have allowed for collective deliberation that ensured the inclusion of the perspectives of voters in the Māori seats.     

Student debt and wellbeing: a research agenda

ABSTRACT

With levels of student debt unprecedented and rising in many democracies, growing attention has been given by academics and practitioners to its possible effects for student wellbeing. This article makes three contributions to this debate. First, it offers a critical review of literature that considers the relationship of student debt and wellbeing to open up discussion about the dimensions, limitations and possibilities of the field. Second, the paper points to potential avenues for future research about student debt and wellbeing by considering indicative comments made by New Zealand university students as part of a series of in-depth interviews. Third, the article makes a practical contribution to current debates about the tuition ‘fees free’ policy in New Zealand. We argue that developing a more robust understanding of how student debt affects wellbeing may help to broaden and reinvigorate academic and public debate about student debt.