Biography:

Sister Elena Marie Piteo, O.P. has completed her PhD at the age of 26 years from University of Adelaide and postdoctoral studies from University of Adelaide. She is a lecturer in Applied Psychology at the University of Notre Dame.

Abstract:

Previous research has found associations between traditional media use such as television and movies on children’s mental health. There is now evidence, to suggest that newer media such as Online Social Media Platforms (SNS), may also have significant effects on children’s emotional regulation including anxiety and depression. Given that SNS have become a pervasive part of culture and may offer several advantages, it is critical to consider whether problematic online behaviours may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of younger people. The aim of this study was to identify and summarize research examining how the use of SNS effects emotional regulation skills in children and adolescence (5-18 years). It also aimed to consider other social variables that may influence the strength of this relationship. A database search was performed using Pubmed and PSYCINFO. Areas of interest included considering the quality of the online friendship, and what conditions are necessary for the use of SNS to interfere with the development of normal emotional regulation.  It is possible that if young people replace face to face interactions with online interactions and are rejected, this may further exacerbate symptoms. On the other hand, the quality of the relationship may be cultivated if they supplement their existing friendships with online relationships. Young people who seek SNS to avoid distressing emotions may not be able to learn how to develop appropriate internal regulatory mechanisms to cope with their emotions. Findings from such research promise to help clinicians and educators in targeting vulnerable young people who are at risk of developing mental health problems.

Biography:

Kashmira Nanji has completed her Masters in Epidemiology & Biostatistics from the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi Pakistanwith distinction in quantitative research thesis. She has published over 50 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as reviewer and editorial board member of many journals.     
 

Abstract:

Globally the proportion of older adults population is increasing at an alarming rate. With this increase comes a growing prevalence of late-life disorders such as cognitive impairment (CI). The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of CI and the associated correlates among older adults living in Karachi Pakistan. A population-based survey was conducted among people aged 60 years or older in urban areas of Karachi Pakistan. A total of 1400 community dwelling older adults were recruited using multi stage cluster sampling. Face-to-face interviews were carried out to collect information including demographic characteristics, medical history and a validated version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to screen subjects with CI. SPSS version 19 was used for analysis and logistics regression analysis was performed. A total of 1400 (≥60 years old) were included. Among them, 695 (49.6%) were females and 705 males (51.4%). Prevalence of cognitive impairment was estimated to be 33.7%. Significant factors that were found to be associated with cognitive impairment includes increasing age [AOR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.04-1.95], being female [AOR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.16-2.04], feeling lonely (P- 0.01) and being depressed (P-<0.001). This study showed a high prevalence of CI among elderly in an urban city of Pakistan. Strong associations were observed between CI and variables such as increasing age, female gender, depression and loneliness. Regular screening and early interventions may help to reduce the onset of CI among elderly. Therefore, more emphasis should be given towards prevention of CI to fight against this growing epidemic.

Biography:

Yamam is pursuing her PhD in Mental Health Literacy among People from Arabic Background. She acts on the research and innovation committee in School of Global, Urban and Social Studies in RMIT University, as the higher degree by research representative. She is a certified Hypnotherapists and trained Counselor. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Health and Counseling in the Children and Family strand from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She holds a Certificate IV in training and assessment which gives her the credibility to create, teach and assess accredited Australian courses registered under AQUA standard.

Abstract:

Mental health literacy has become a very influential topic in Australia due to the increase of mental health issues that have been reported through national research and surveys. This research explores mental health literacy in the Arabic-speaking community in Victoria, Australia, and their concepts, beliefs, perspectives and attitudes toward mental health in general. This research will also examine the impact of mental health literacy on help seeking attitudes, relationships and intra and inter- community interactions. This research is aiming to understand the mental health literacy of the Arabic community. The outcomes of this research will contribute to raising mental health awareness among the Arabic-speaking community, develop and enhance mental health service provision and explore new ideas regarding elevating mental health literacy in the Arabic community. This qualitative research employed face to face interviews and online qualitative survey for 165 men and women aged 18+ from Arabic background living in Victoria, Australia. Due to cultural sensitivity, this research used online surveys to build trust and rapport with the community, then invited them to participate in an in-depth interview. The preliminary findings shows that the concepts, beliefs, perspectives and attitudes towards mental health in the Arabic community is highly influenced by cultural and religious beliefs and practices for example: Jinn (Djinn), Seherand Rabtt: Black magic and spills (sorcery), Hassad (evil eye) Ayeb (Stigma) Rejjal (Manhood). The findings also highlight the important role the Arabic language has on expressing mental health issues, depression and/or emotional pain. And as this is a community engaged research, the findings explain the needs of the community when dealing with mental health issues or understanding and some of the culturally competent ways to raise awareness about mental health in the Arabic community.

Biography:

Celine Healy is a Resolution Specialist in Stress and Mental Health & Wellbeing. She helps companies and individuals resolve the issues behind workplace mental health, so they can move to well-being, within a 7-week time period.

Abstract:

Stress is the basis of all diseases, failure and non-success; all mental health issues. The aim is to show that stress is pervasive and affects everyone and everything we do. The degree to which you are stressed (holding tension or pain within your body/mind) will affect your behavior: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, and therefore your mental health overall. 95% of all diseases/non-success is stress-related, stress is cumulative unless and until you deal with the underlying issues that are the real cause of your stress and deprogram and reprogram your conscious and subconscious mind you will never, ever be truly successful at weight management long term. Understanding stress and where it comes from and why it keeps repeating, that stress response is a habit - if so, then it can be unlearned. The different types of stress and why mental health issues in the workplace, need to be addressed from a different angle. When you change how you respond to stress you will have control because you will be more aware/present.

Biography:

George Patriki is working as a director at Optimal health group, Australia. He developed this commitment full time as a Dual Diagnosis Consultant on the Gold Coast and throughout Australia. George has spent countless hours helping thousands of people affected by substance abuse issues as well as concurrent mental health.

Abstract:

With the growing drug problems in many communities, holistic healers and counsellors are needing to educate themselves about services, intervention programs and health options that are available to support their clients or the town they live in. That is exactly what the Optimal Health Group (OHG) and Australian Anti Ice Campaign (AAIC) does. We provide a range of services and present public community forums to educate local communities on the harm associated with ICE and other drugs and what positive steps they can take to improve the situation.

Our aim is to empower local communities by providing sustainable resources and processes from prevention to intervention. We begin with the public forum which provides cutting-edge education to raise awareness and insight for parents and members of the community. They are invited to be trained and these key members then come together to establish a Community Drug Action Team (CDAT) to tackle identified needs and gaps. Examples are always a great way for people to understand the process and potential of what we are offering. Here is what we did in the town of Yeppoon in 2016: Firstly, we had a forum and then invited members of the wider community to receive the dual diagnosis training. This led to a two day Dual Diagnosis Training being delivered in Rockhampton two months later. Twenty-three people attended representing community and key service providers. From those who attended the training selected representatives met the very next day to establish a working party in collaboration with the Primary Health Network.

Biography:

Celine Healy, Stress and Mental Health & Wellbeing Resolution Specialist, helps companies and individuals resolve the issues behind workplace mental health, so they can move to wellbeing, within a 7- week time period. Having been to burnout and back, Celine knows first-hand what is needed and what works.  Celine’s preventive programs solve these stress-based issues because she uses a scientific approach and uses tools and technology that has been researched, tested and proven to work. Stress can be measured and monitored. There is no guesswork with these programs.

Abstract:

Outline of workshop:

Stress is the basis of all dis-ease, disease, failure and non-success – all mental health issues.

The aim is to show that stress is pervasive and affects everyone and everything we do. The degree to which you are stressed (holding tension or pain within your body/mind) will affect your behaviour: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, and therefore your mental health overall.

Content:

• 95% of all disease/non-success is stress-related
• Stress is cumulative
• Unless and until you deal with the underlying issues that are the real cause of your stress and deprogram and reprogram your conscious and subconscious mind you will never, ever be truly successful at weight management long term.

• Understanding stress and where it comes from and why it keeps repeating
• That stress response is a habit – if so, then it can be “unlearned”
• The different types of stress and why mental health issues in the workplace need to be addressed from a different angle
• That everything we do is a habit
• A bit of my story
• Statistics from the workplace/other places to back up claims.

Biography:

Chen Xinrong (1995~), female, nurse, postgraduate student of West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan , China,mainly engaged in clinical nursing research.      

Abstract:

Enhanced Recovery Surgery (ERAS) is a multi-modal approach to improving medical and nursing outcomes to optimize patient perioperative processes and improve outcomes. Gastrointestinal resection of gastric cancer to the patient to bring physical and psychological stress, leading to metabolic disorders, the traditional preoperative fasting increased the degree of this reaction, the core is the occurrence of postoperative insulin resistance, a direct impact on the development of complications and clinical outcome. Preoperative oral carbohydrate update the preoperative treatment measures, which can effectively regulate the metabolic response of patients with gastric cancer, improve the occurrence of postoperative insulin resistance, support the ultimate goal of ERAS program to promote the rapid recovery of the body, shorten the hospital stay.However, this reform of traditional clinical practice has not yet been broadened and standardized.To review the current status of preoperative oral carbohydrates in patients with gastric cancer under the concept of Enhanced Recovery Surgery, including the relationship between preoperative fasting and insulin resistance; the relationship between oral carbohydrate and insulin resistance before surgery and possible mechanisms; safety of oral carbohydrate before surgery , program and application effects (healing effects, immunity and inflammation, nutrition and body temperature); nursing interventions, etc., in order to provide guidance for the implementation of preoperative oral carbohydrates in patients with gastric cancer in clinical gastric cancer.

Biography:

George Patriki is a Dual Diagnosis Consultant on the Gold Coast, Australia. He has helped many people affected by substance abuse issues as well as concurrent mental health. He has reached out to people struggling with addictive behaviors, particularly those with severe life controlling problems due to significant trauma. He works in areas of counseling, outreach, community forums and seminars for communities, drug users.

Abstract:

When helping people with substance abuse and mental health issues, it is very important to tackle each of the 4 dynamics of human experience to maximize the outcomes. Apart from brain injury from trauma and substance abuse, it is essential for people with dual diagnosis problems to undertake comprehensive biochemical assessment from an integrative doctor to determine deficiencies in key nutrients. These imbalances can significantly affect their moods and how they function, It is important to raise people’s standards from the bare minimum to optimal health to go way beyond tolerable recovery. These medical interventions work alongside psycho-social treatment through counseling and life skills training, as well as helping to ground people on the strong foundations of principles and values to drive their life, rather than their emotions. This is one of the strengths of ACT intervention. Competent psychological therapy to address the underlying issues behind additions is also a necessary part of therapy.

Biography:

Catia Felgueiras has completed her Integrated Master’s degree in Medicine from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar, Biomedical Sciences Institute. She is currently doing her Residency training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Dona Estefania Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal. She is also pursuing Family Therapy Training.

Abstract:

Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are highly prevalent and commonly co-occur. Co-occurrence may modify and exacerbate the neuroadaptations underlying addiction, relapse, withdrawal and the emergence of medical and psychiatric complications. Thus, it is important to identify these patients and find effective intervention strategies. The treatment literature for patients with dual diagnosis of PTSD and AUD is very limited and inconclusive. A bibliographic review was done on the subject through the Pubmed and PsycInfo platforms. Some pharmacotherapies, such as Serotonin reuptake inhibitors and Naltrexone, are effective for the treatment of PTSD and AUD alone. However, no medication has proven to be effective for double diagnosis. Recent studies suggest that noradrenergic medications, such as Prazosin, Guanfacine and Atomoxetine and promising glutamate/GABA medications such as Topiramate, Memantine, Acamprosate, N-acetylcysteine and Ketamine may be useful in the treatment of comorbid PTSD with AUD. However, the safety and efficacy of these drugs need to be tested in controlled clinical trials. Some psychotherapies seem promising for the treatment of these patients, however, no studies have yet pointed to an isolated efficacy demonstrating improvements only by combination with pharmacological treatment. There also seems to be some effectiveness of other treatments such as mindfulness-based, yoga and acupuncture, However, the effectiveness is more difficult to assess. Most studies do not yet have adequate power and suffer from inadequate control groups. There is a strong need to develop and evaluate combined interventions for pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment.

Biography:

Vieira da Costa C has completed her Integrated Master’s degree in Medicine from Nova Medical School, FCM, Lisbon. She is currently doing her Residency training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal. Her interests is in end-of-life issues in children and adolescents and family therapy.

Abstract:

Consumption of alcohol in large quantities and on a regular basis in adolescence is one of the risk factors for the development of alcohol use disorder in adulthood. It is known that Europe is the continent where there are higher levels of alcohol consumption before the age of 18. The aim of this work is to draw a comprehensive picture of juvenile alcohol consumption throughout Europe and Portugal, in adolescents with ages between 11 and 18. Recent international data including European school survey project on alcohol and other drugs, the health behaviour in school-aged children study, the cross-national research-project “Alcohol Abuse among Adolescents and Adolescent Alcohol-related Behaviors: European Region”, 2002–2014 were analyzed and compared to portuguese data collected from the Intervention Division in Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (DICAD) the Portuguese centre for intervention in addictive behaviors. The results reveal that alcohol use has declined among adolescents in Europe. In 2002, 46% of 15-year-olds interviewed in 36 Europe countries had started drinking alcohol at age 13 or earlier. This percentage decreased to 28% in 2014, with the lowest frequency in girls (25%) compared to boys (31%). Portugal was among the European countries where a smaller percentage of girls (4%) consumed alcohol weekly. On the other hand, Portuguese boys (11%) tend to consume more alcohol weekly than girls. The awareness of alcohol-use patterns across European countries can be helpful for assessing the relevance of policies on the one hand and traditions on the other for explaining adolescents substance use, thus helping the countries to regulate alcohol consumption.

Biography:

Shurong Lu is a PhD candidate at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne. She is an Epidemiologist by training and she has over a decade of experience working in surveillance of chronic disease and behavioral risk factors. Most recently, when working for the Jiangsu Provincial CDC, she was responsible for the management and implementation of several regional programs (e.g. the Jiangsu provincial surveillance of chronic disease and risk factors, comprehensive intervention of chronic disease in communities, peer-support program of hypertension/diabetes) with broad experience in chronic disease, community healthcare and health promotion.

Abstract:

Mental health of Chinese women is increasingly challenged by the stress of modern life and evidence suggests a rising trend of breast cancer among them. This population based case-control study aims to assess the association between mental health and breast cancer in a Chinese population. Newly diagnosed primary breast cancer patients were recruited as cases (n=818), while controls (n=935), selected from the general population, were frequency matched to cases (age±5 years, same residence). Information of three researcher designed proxy markers of mental health was collected during a face-to-face interview: General propensity for optimism; daily stress and experience of traumatic life events within the past decade. Hierarchical regression results showed that both the propensity for optimism and daily stress dramatically influenced the incidence of breast cancer (R² change was 0.005 and 0.010, respectively, both P<0.01). People who were least optimistic had a 3.18-fold (95% CI: 1.75-5.78) increased the risk of breast cancer compared with those very optimistic ones; respondents with high daily stress were 2.31 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those with low stress. Such associations were consistent among both pre and post-menopausal women; a borderline association was observed between traumatic life events and breast cancer among post-menopausal women (OR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.04-1.77). These findings call for attention to the mental health of women, especially the intrinsic personality and high daily stress, for its immediate impact on the risk of breast cancer.

Biography:

Muhammad shafique has done his BS Psychology from Bahau-din-Zakria University, Multan Pakistan. (PGDAS)Post Graduate Diploma in addiction science from Cyberjaya University & Medical Collage, Malaysia.  He has expertise in drug addiction treatment & psychological disorders.

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to explore relapse coping skills among adolescents with substance use disorder. This is a descriptive study that is comprised of two rehabilitation centre of Islamabad, Pakistan from where interviewed and collect data regarding what relapse coping skills had clients in specific and high risk situation among adolescents who had substance use disorder. The study identified two themes that contribute to our knowledge about what works in relapse coping skills among substance abuse treatment in adolescents. The study recommends that future research explore further what works with adolescents in substance abuse treatment, including cognitive behavioral problem solving and self-critical thinking strengths in adolescents, building an authentic rapport with adolescents, and using the latest evidence-based practices. This identified that relapse coping skills in adolescent among substance use disorder.