A brief historical analysis of AACBT's development and current performance suggests that the Association has suffered a loss of environmental support over the last decade. Selected examples of strategies used by other organisations to react to environmental change are presented as initiatives that offer potential for the Association to use in re-establishing itself as a major professional–scientific organisation.

We discuss two common ways that assessment tests or probes have been given in relation to training during applied behavioural interventions when continuous assessment is not possible. With pre-session assessment, target behaviours are tested immediately before training sessions; with post-session assessment, target behaviours are tested immediately after training sessions. Although they are not optimal methods for testing performance, such assessments are not rare, and archival data on the incidence of these two methods for JABA publications in the period 1993 to 1996 show that about 25% of research articles use one or both of these methods. The distinction between pre- and post-session assessment is important because the two methods influence the interpretation of data, and the decision to move to the next phase of an intervention. This influence is illustrated with a comparison between two studies of correspondence training. We then discuss the different positive and negative aspects of each assessment type, and two new methodologies are developed that retain the positive aspects of each assessment type. The final recommendation when such designs are necessary is a new method in which a criterion of three correct post-session assessments is reached first, followed by three correct pre-session assessments, before moving into the next phase of intervention.

This paper examines a range of theoretical issues and the empirical evidence relating to clinical supervision in four mental health professions, namely clinical psychology, occupational therapy, social work, and speech pathology. Despite the widespread acceptance of the value of supervision among practitioners and the large quantity of literature on the topic, there is very little empirical evidence in this area. It is not clear whether supervision actually produces a change in clinician behaviour, nor whether it produces benefits in terms of client outcomes. To date, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate which styles of supervision are most beneficial for particular types of staff, in terms of their level of experience or learning style. The data suggest that directive forms of supervision, rather than unstructured approaches, are preferred by relatively inexperienced practitioners, and that experienced clinicians also value direct supervision methods when learning new skills or dealing with complex or crisis situations. The available evidence suggests that supervisors typically receive little training in supervision methods. However, to date, we have little information to guide us as to the most effective ways of training supervisors. While acknowledging the urgent need for research, the paper concludes that supervision is likely to form a valuable component of professional development for mental health professionals.

This study conducted the first evaluation of elements of social validity of the FRIENDS program, a cognitive-behavioural treatment package for childhood anxiety disorders. Parents, children, and adolescents were surveyed over time on their global satisfaction with the program, the acceptability of treatment components, and the completion of homework tasks. Results indicated a high level of satisfaction with the FRIENDS program and a high completion rate of homework tasks. Contrary to expectations, children rated the cognitive skills as more useful than adolescents did. Adolescents reported the behavioural strategy of graded exposure as more useful than other strategies. In addition, the relationship between treatment acceptability and clinical outcome was not significant. Limitations of the study and directions for further research are discussed.

Psychological mindedness (PM) has long been considered to be an important mediator of therapy outcome. However, to date, definitions of PM have been typified by linguistic imprecision and lack of conceptual clarity. Further, most definitions and measures of PM have approached the task from a psychodynamic perspective, thus limiting the use of this construct by clinicians and researchers from other theoretical perspectives. In this paper, previous definitions and self-report measures are reviewed and a new definition proposed. It is argued that PM is best conceptualised as a form of metacognition: a predisposition to engage in metacognitive acts of inquiry into how and why people behave, think, and feel in the way that they do. A new model, based on this definition, suggests that PM may be assessed by measuring individuals' metacognitive processes of self-reflection and insight, circumventing many of the problems associated with previous self-report measures of PM. Research into individual differences in propensity for PM, self-reflection, and insight may well provide the clinician with additional tools with which to facilitate purposeful, directed change in both clinical and nonclinical populations.

Past research indicates that humans have a remarkable ability to maintain normal levels of subjective wellbeing despite adverse objective circumstances. This suggests that such wellbeing may be held under homeostatic control. This paper investigates some of the potential factors that may contribute to this homeostatic mechanism, in response to the major life event of migration. Three groups were examined: Persian immigrants to Australia (Persian-Australians), non-Persian Australians, and Persians residing in Iran. A total of 330 subjects were recruited. A notable finding was that all three groups did not differ in regard to subjective wellbeing, despite the Persian-Australians being a minority ethnic group in Australia, and the Persians having significantly lower objective life quality. The Persian-Australians who migrated at an older age reported lower subjective quality of life, while the number of years of residence in Australia did not appear to be related to the extent of social integration. Subjective life quality was, however, related to subjective social support for the Australian and Persian samples, and to reciprocality of support for the Persian-Australians.

Depression is a serious mental health problem, affecting more young people than ever before. This research reports on the short-term effectiveness of an Optimism and Lifeskills Program for preventing depression in preadolescents. A randomised, controlled trial was conducted with students about to make their transition to high school, in a private girls school. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess the program's effect on depressive and lonely symptoms, attributional style and self-worth, in a sample of 47 grade 7 girls at posttest and 6-month follow-up. Results showed fewer depressive symptoms and more positive self-worth in the intervention group compared to the control group at 6-month follow-up. This research indicates that depression prevention programs can be effective in the short-term and can provide valuable skills to young people making their transition to high school. Implementation issues and suggestions for further research on primary prevention for mental health in schools are discussed.

This study aimed to (a) appraise the efficacy of a well validated Anglo-Australian anxiety-prevention and stress-resiliency program (FRIENDS) for use with culturally diverse migrant groups residing in Australia, (b) examine the social validity of FRIENDS, and (c) obtain information from both participants and facilitators regarding how the program can best be modified for specific use with non-English-speaking background (NESB) clients. To test the efficacy of the intervention, pre- and post-intervention evaluation of internalising symptoms and coping ability were compared with waiting-list control groups (matched according to ethnic group, gender, and school level). One hundred and six primary and ninety-eight high school students differentiated by cultural origin (former-Yugoslavian, Chinese, and mixed-ethnic) and school level (primary and high school), completed standardised measures of internalising symptoms and were allocated to either an intervention (n = 121) or a waiting-list (n = 83) condition. Both groups were readministered the assessment package for comparison following a 10-week treatment or waiting period. Consistent with a recent pilot study, pre/post-assessment indicated that participants in the intervention condition exhibited lower anxiety and a more positive future outlook than waiting-list participants. Participating students reported to be highly satisfied with the intervention. Despite the overall success of FRIENDS, the program may be enhanced by culturally sensitive supplements so that the program is more applicable for use with NESB participants. Suggestions for treatment program modifications of FRIENDS are discussed.

The ability of a school-based program with training in both cognitive and social skills to prevent depressive symptoms in children (the Penn Prevention Program) was evaluated. Research conducted in Australia has failed to replicate the success of the program in the United States. Also evaluated was the ability of the program to reduce the symptoms of anxiety, the assumption that changes in social skills and cognitive style would be associated with changes in symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the relative merits of the cognitive and social components of the program. Sixty-three children in fifth and sixth grades were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. There was no evidence that the Penn Prevention Program had any impact on the variables measured at the end of the program or at the 8-month follow-up assessment. Limitations and implications of the present findings are discussed.

Changes in hyperactivity and temperament in preschool-aged children who underwent a behavioural management program with their mothers were examined. Families of 34 behaviourally disturbed preschool-aged children (aged 3–5) were randomly allocated to either parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT; Eyberg, 1988) or a waiting-list control group (WL). A group of 21 nondisturbed preschoolers was recruited as a social validation comparison condition (SV). Diagnostic status was assessed using a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV disruptive behaviour disorders, with measures of behaviour and temperament obtained via parent report. At posttreatment, PCIT preschoolers were reported by their mothers to have reduced hyperactivity and more flexible temperament, and were less likely to meet criteria for ADHD than the WL group. By 6-month follow-up, children who had received PCIT were comparable to the SV group on ratings of oppositional behaviour and hyperactivity. The finding that a behavioural intervention may influence stable child characteristics is discussed.

Crime impacts upon the community at multiple levels, causing distress and loss for the victims, and feelings of insecurity for the public, as well as adding to the drain on financial resources for governments. This makes the accurate identification of risk of reoffending and the determination of efficacious rehabilitation strategies imperative. Key principles in cognitive and behavioural psychology can contribute to this task. This paper will review the issue of risk assessment and describe the applicability of functional analysis to forensic psychology. Two studies by the authors will be used to illustrate concepts raised in this review. The paper will conclude with a model that may help guide the realistic implementation of detailed individual functional analyses of offenders' behaviour.

Anxiety is a highly prevalent problem with various manifestations in young children, especially those with an intellectual disability. Many parents of children with disabilities also experience a wide range of health problems, including anxiety, stress and depression. Very few group-based programs for parents of disabled children have been evaluated, and none of the existing research studies specifically address child or parental anxiety. Given the success of cognitive-behavioural interventions for anxious children without disabilities, it is logical that these interventions be applied to anxious intellectually disabled children. This paper presents a rationale for a new parent training-based early intervention program, targeting anxiety in this population of young people.

Thirty participants diagnosed with specific phobia (spiders) were randomly allocated to receive a treatment dose of either three or six 45-minute sessions of a computer-aided vicarious exposure (CAVE) for spider phobia. Phobic symptom severity was measured at pretreatment, posttreatment and at one-month follow-up on a range of subjective and behavioural measures. Results showed that participants in both groups improved significantly across the majority of outcome measures from pre- to posttreatment and pretreatment to follow-up assessment. There were no significant differences between the three- and six-session groups. Process measures indicated that the six-session treatment group performed approximately twice as much vicarious exposure, however, competence on the program was reached by the end of three sessions. These results suggest that rehearsal of CAVE, beyond the level at which skill learning is consolidated, is not of therapeutic value. Further research is required to ascertain whether other forms of dosage effect may operate in computer-delivered behaviour therapy. For example, delivery of a wider range, rather than amount, of CAVE scenarios, or the delivery of a hierarchy of exposure stimuli on the screen, without a vicarious component, may show a dose-response relationship.

Current research reflects conflict regarding best practice in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study reports on the psychological treatment of a 54-year-old woman diagnosed with OCD, and follows the implementation of pharmacological treatment. The study utilises both exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy (CT), although there was no attempt to compare these approaches in an experimental design. Measures of avoiding and neutralising behaviours were taken on three occasions across treatment. Measures were also taken of intrusive thoughts, appraisal of responsibility, and effective challenging, both across treatment and at follow-up. The results indicate that gains were made in addition to those reported following the implementation of medication. The results also suggest that the addition of CT to exposure and response prevention facilitates the extinction of neutralising behaviours.

The efficacy of prolonged single sessions of live graded exposure (LGE) and computer-aided vicarious exposure (CAVE) for spider phobia was examined in a single-blind, controlled trial. Forty participants diagnosed with specific phobia (spiders) received a prolonged single-session treatment of either therapist-aided LGE comprising exposure only or CAVE, or were assigned to a waiting list. Phobic symptomatology was measured at pre- and post-treatment, and at 1-month follow-up on a range of behavioural and subjective assessments. The results showed that the single-session therapist-aided LGE was superior to both CAVE and the waiting-list control. In contrast with previous findings of comparability between LGE and CAVE, and superiority of CAVE over placebo, the present study found no significant differences between the CAVE and waiting-list groups, with the exception of subjective units of distress, providing little support for single-session CAVE treatment.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a disorder that severely disrupts sleep and may lead to severe long- and short-term health consequences. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective treatment for OSA, but compliance with CPAP is often poor. Forty participants diagnosed with OSA completed a questionnaire based on the health belief model after a one-night first-time trial of CPAP treatment. After a subsequent 1-month period of CPAP use, electronic usage records were downloaded and analysed. Perceived benefits of CPAP use and perceived barriers to use showed multivariate associations with the mean number of hours of daily CPAP use, and perceived benefits of CPAP use was inversely associated with the percentage of days that CPAP was not used. Participants' confidence in their ability to use CPAP showed significant univariate, but not multivariate, relationships with both variables. Findings suggest that patients may benefit from greater levels of information and instruction in CPAP use.

Porirua (a suburb in Wellington, New Zealand) is a problem area for child restraint use and has been targeted by a variety of government-initiated, and largely ineffective, traffic safety campaigns in recent years (e.g., Gouldsbury, 1999). The present study attempted to increase child restraint use in cars at two Porirua Kindergartens, one predominantly Pacific Nations (Kindergarten A), and the other predominantly New Zealand European (Kindergarten B), by providing parents with information packages and vouchers for free child seat rental. An increase in correct child seat use was not observed at either kindergarten, although all unrestrained children observed during baseline at the predominantly New Zealand European kindergarten changed to wearing seat belts after the intervention. This finding suggests that income limitations per se are not the primary factor maintaining child seat non-use. Discussion focuses on the contradictory findings provided by both previous survey and observational research on the effect of ethnicity and income on child seat use. Potential crosscultural differences in the existence and salience of verbal community effects that may maintain child seat use through the avoidance of social punishment contingencies from other parents within the kindergarten are considered as one possible explanation for the present findings.

In an attempt to facilitate the dissemination and regular implementation of behaviour treatments in real-world settings, research has examined staff attitudes that may pose barriers to these treatments. The purpose of the study reported in this paper is to examine the construct validity of perceived organisational barriers to behavioural programs. One hundred and eighteen staff working in community-based treatment programs for adults and children with severe mental illness completed the Barriers to the Implementation of Behavior Therapy Test. An analysis from a previous study (Corrigan, Kwartarini, & Pramana, 1992) identified two reliable and valid factors that suggested perceived organisational barriers: institutional constraints and insufficient collegial support. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis on data from this study supported the earlier factor structure. Research participants also completed team functioning measures of individual staff burnout, collegial network satisfaction, organisational culture, and team leadership. Attitudes about institutional constraints and insufficient collegial support were found to be associated with burnout, collegial network satisfaction, and organisational culture. Strategies for disseminating behavioural programs must target organisational barriers too.

This paper describes the development and preliminary findings of a program designed to prevent the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms in children aged 10 to 13 years. Using a universal prevention approach, a total of 594 children were randomly assigned on a class-by-class basis to either a 10-session family group CBT program (FRIENDS) routinely implemented as part of the school curriculum, or to a comparison group. Pre-post intervention changes were examined universally, and for children who scored above the clinical cut-off for anxiety at pretest. Results revealed that children in the FRIENDS intervention group reported fewer anxiety symptoms, regardless of their risk status, than the comparison group at posttest. In terms of reported levels of depression, only the high anxiety group who completed the FRIENDS intervention evidenced improvements at posttest. Overall, these preliminary results appear to support the benefits of a school-based universal cognitive-behavioural intervention program. Implications of this study are discussed, and long-term follow-up measures are currently underway.