Working toward change: amelioration and transformation in socially oriented deathwork in Australia

Over the past 40 years the once radical hospice movement became mainstreamed and dying and death became dominated by a biomedical approach. In Australia, dying people are institutionalised and end-of-life is medicalised; it is now the norm to die in an institution, even though a large proportion of end-of- life care happens in private and residential homes. Likewise, the care of the dead has been professionalised. Dead bodies create fear and horror and we call on specialised professionals to ‘handle’ them. For the first time in human history, exposure to dying people and dead bodies is avoidable in the western world, because the structures in our death system have the primary role of managing and packaging illness, dying and death.
Given this, socially oriented models of care that promote community capacity building, mobilisation and shared responsibility are growing. This research sought to understand the lived experiences of people identified as having a social approach to dying, death and loss. I conducted in-depth interviews with 12 ‘deathworkers’ (6 institutionally based and 6 community based) who identified as palliative care specialists, nurses, academics, death doulas/end of life workers, artists, community development workers and death educators. Methods of analysis were informed by a critical and interpretive approach using a six-phase inductive thematic approach outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006).
The stories and experiences of deathworkers interviewed for this research demonstrated some of the inherent challenges in socially oriented practice for both community and institutional deathworkers. Additionally, Institutional and community-based death workers were found to have shared interests and values however their work rarely intersects. I will discuss these tensions in relation to policy and future practice; in particular, how it relates to the continued efforts to develop and implement public health approaches, such as compassionate communities, in the Australian context.

The relationship of peer victimization and depressed mood: A moderated mediating model

Sense of community is an important concept and one of the core values of community psychology. This study aims to explore the relationship of peer victimization and depress mood of senior high school students, and the mediating role of sense of school community on the relationship of peer victimization and depress mood, and the moderating role of future time perspective. Used questionnaires, with 1,865 students from 8 high schools from Guangdong Province, the results show that peer victimization of senior high school students has a significantly positive predictive effect on depress mood, and has a significantly negative predictive effect on sense of school community; sense of school community has a significantly negative predictive effect on depress mood; sense of school community play a partial mediating role on the relationship between peer victimization and depress mood; future time perspective moderates the relationship of sense of school community and depress mood. In-depth interviews reveal the limited moderating role of future time perspective on the relationship between school sense of community and depressed mood.
The implications of the studies are discussed.

Dying in the margins: Intersectionality and suicide prevention

Within the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, suicide rates are highest among white and indigenous males. As emerging research shows, however, such trends begin to become more complex when we account for intersectional disadvantage. This presentation will provide an overview of the critical theory of intersectionality and describe its importance for understanding suicide and its prevention. Particular focus will be on the impact of marginalization across multiple social identities and how such marginalization is rooted in systems of power and oppression. The presentation will also discuss findings from a recent study involving secondary data analysis of high school students demonstrating (1) the increased risk for suicide among youth with intersecting marginalized identities, (2) the role of social support as a protective factor for youth suicide across ecological levels, and (3) the moderating effect of social support for youth with intersecting marginalized identities. Findings highlight the importance of attending to protective factors in every context in which youth live, learn, and play. In addition, measuring and reporting social identities as well as their combinations and interactions adds to our understanding of both risk and prevention. Implications for equitable prevention efforts in research, policy, and practice will be discussed.

How can we effectively support parents of suicidal kids?

Parenting a child or adolescent who is suicidal challenges parents in a myriad of ways. It can challenge many of the assumptions and hopes we have about childhood. Parents of children and adolescents who are suicidal are faced with a wide range of emotions in coming to terms with the idea that their child is struggling with life. Research suggest that these emotions include isolation, guilt, shame, shock and fear. These, in turn, can lead to extremes of responses, including a potential over-reaction to protect their child or at the other extreme, a tendency to disbelieve or minimise what their child is saying. Research from the Kids Helpline suggests that there is a need for adults to take a child or adolescent’s talk of suicide more seriously. Even when parents understand the potential risks, they may not know what to do to keep their child safe.
Mental health professionals working with parents and in school settings are in an ideal position to provide support by, in the first instance, helping parents to take what their children and young people are saying and/or planning seriously. Ensuring that an effective process has been undertaken where the child’s experience is heard and immediate needs are explored will be necessary. Understanding the limitations of the traditional suicide risk assessment, but feeling confident enough to engage in honest conversations about suicide, is essential. This includes collaborating to develop a safety plan.
This workshop will use an interactive process to explore the current evidence base relating to suicide by children and adolescents and the role of mental health professionals in creating a community of support for the family. Participants will be encouraged to share their own reflections and knowledge about ways of working which honour the voices of children and young people and keeping them safe.