Administrator
PTSD Research
|
School of Behavioural and Cognitive Science University of New England Armidale NSW 2351 Australia
Student researcher – Helen Thomas Phone 02 4739 6313 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Supervisor – Dr Ian Price, PhD Phone 02 6773 2653 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Co-Supervisor – Dr Gail MacDonell, OAM, RN, PhD, MAPS Phone 02 6579 1163 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Research Project: Post-traumatic growth and secondary traumatisation in the partners of post-traumatic stress disorder affected combat veterans.
AFOM Winter Newsletter Update
Welcome to our Winter Newsletter Update Edition
Since our last update we have had two men's and a women's retreat,
Mens' retreat - They are building up there now and making it their own! If you are interested being involved in our Future Men's Retreat please contact John at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dinner at our Ladies Retreat
Catching up with previous Retreat Ladies and having some R & R in the Vineyards
Our next ladies retreat will be held on larger premises, due to the fact we keep running out of space! If you are interested in coming to next years Ladies retreat please contact Gail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Ruth (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) better still let us both know.
Our younger members laying wreaths on ANZAC day.
We have had another Poker Run and Family Day - Again a big thank you to Luke for organising the Poker Run and Lindsay and Gerry for their stands and great information with the Family Day, and of course John for the great BBQ!
We have been working on collaborations in the community, and finally completed arrangments for our AFOM Research Prize, more on that as we find a winning student.
We have had a film made around the origins of AFOM.
A Huge thank you to Linda Hurley for giving her time and support on this Project. Currently it is in a competition in England as well. See link to have a viewing of the Film
Feel free to share it around
And we are working hard towards our Major Fundraiser of the Year - The Black Tie Red Carpet Dinner coming up in October. Please consider coming and supporting AFOM and the work it is doing. You will have a wonderful evening and be suprised at some of our guests! Thanks to Ann, Belinda and John for working so hard on this. Can't wait for the Treasure Chest!
For tickets please go to this link: AFOM Dinner
From The Executive Officer:
I would like to personally thank all those members on the Board and those Friends of AFOM who have worked so tirelessly over the past few months.
All us work for free, and juggle family, work and other committments. AFOM has grown expotentially since the beginning of the new year and the work load has been massive. We are lucky to have such a collaborative team at present. If you would like to lend a hand occassionally in any way shape or form, please let us know - we would love to get to know you.
Gail MacDonell.
Stay warm and well everyone, and all the best wishes from the AFOM team.
Invisible Wounds Black Tie, Red Carpet Dinner
Come along and support our Foundation - giving Help, Assistance and Support to our Military Families, past present and into the Future
See details below - click onto this hyperlink to buy a ticket.
http://www.westsnewcastle.com.au/entertainment/event/afom-invisible-wounds-black-tie-ball
Accommodation available at Wests - so book in and make a weekend of it. Linda Hurley is our excellent guest Speaker and we have a few more special guests.
Accommodation available
http://www.westsnewcastle.com.au/entertainment/event/afom-invisible-wounds-black-tie-ball
The Birth of A Needs Based Foundation
Hi, my name, is Laughlin O’Connor and I am the producer/director of AFOM “The Birth for A Needs Based Foundation” Film.
I decided to make a film about AFOM because I believe their stories needed to be told and filmed for people to see.
I went into this film not knowing what type of stories I would hear and whether people would want to share then with me. I am very humbled by the response of those that participated in the film as they shared their feelings and stories with a young stranger.
Initially, I didn’t really know a lot about AFOM, or PTSD, but this film has shown me the importance of an organisation like AFOM. Gail and her supporters of AFOM are a remarkable group of people who do incredible work in ensuring that our veterans “young and old”, and their families, get the support and assistance they need.
I would like to thank AFOM and it Directors for giving me this opportunity.
Depression not as big a killer as previously thought
Over three decades of research suggest that depression increases the odds of death. However, a new research paper throws doubt on this presumed link after finding no evidence of a direct association between depression and all-cause mortality. The paper, authored by a research team from The Johns Hopkins University, Federation University Australia and the University of Amsterdam (UvA), involved the largest ever analysis on the topic and is published in the latest edition of World Psychiatry.
Since the 1980s, numerous studies have appeared which suggest a high risk of mortality among people suffering from depression. This has generally been taken as evidence that depression directly causes death. As part of their study, researchers Beyon Miloyan and Eiko Fried re-evaluated this supposed link by reassessing 293 studies derived from 15 systematic reviews. The studies in question comprised over 3.6 million participants and 400,000 deaths.
Despite the widespread suggestion that depression leads to more death, at least 95% of the studies the researchers investigated were found to be of insufficient quality. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the researchers identified a pronounced publication bias. Specifically, studies that identified the largest associations between depression and mortality featured small samples, a low number of deaths, and short follow-up periods. Moreover, the researchers discovered that only about 5% of the 293 studies adjusted their statistical models for other mental health conditions like anxiety or substance use problems, which are very common among depressed patients: comorbidity rates exceed 50%.
The researchers also found that two-thirds of the studies comprised respondents who were pre-selected on the basis of medical conditions. Many symptoms of depression like insomnia and fatigue are shared with various physical conditions or may arise as side effects of medications used to treat existing disorders. This, say Miloyan and Fried, could lead to the conclusion that depression is the cause of death, even though death may be better attributed to preexisting illnesses. To eliminate this confound, one solution is to properly control for comorbid psychological and physiological conditions, another to specifically study depressed patients without pre-existing physical illnesses.
'The studies we looked at have over the years led many people to place too easily, and perhaps mistakenly, a lot of confidence in the notion that depression is directly to blame for the high mortality', says Miloyan, a researcher at The Johns Hopkins University and faculty member at Federation University Australia. 'In fact, when we look more closely at the data from the few studies that are of acceptable quality, we do not find convincing evidence that depression is directly associated with all-cause mortality.'
Instead, the results suggest that other variables, more specifically health behaviours and comorbidity, might be related to the higher rate of mortality among depressed individuals. 'For example, it is known that depression goes hand in hand with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, drinking and physical inactivity', says Fried, a psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at the UvA. 'Smoking in particular is associated with an increased risk of developing depression and with many causes of death. Such complex interactions among variables associated with depression and death, which have been largely ignored in the literature, imply that it is premature to draw strong causal conclusions.'
Miloyan and Fried hope their findings encourage other researchers to investigate this question more carefully before designing and implementing programmes and policies aimed at curbing depression in order to substantially reduce deaths. Miloyan: 'This isn't to suggest that depression shouldn't be treated, of course, but rather that as far as the cause of overall mortality is concerned, the key factors probably lie somewhere else and warrant more rigorous future research.'
Taken from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170516091249.htm
Mens retreat No 2
DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND WE
ARE HOLDING ANOTHER
MEN’S RETREAT WEEKEND
Want to get away for a couple of days and enjoy a men’s only camping weekend? Then this is for you!
For current and past serving military and front line responders: police, firemen, ambulance officers etc.
Dates: 28th April - 30th April 2017
Cost: $50 per person (includes all meals, soft drink, coffee, tea, water)
BYO: Tent/Swag, Chair, Mess kit
Meeting Place: Lioness Park Clarencetown Road Dungog at 2pm Friday 28th April. (Anyone needing transport, contact John: 0404836765)
Itinerary of activities and location of retreat will be provided once payment is confirmed.
RSVP to John by 22nd April to 0404836765 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Invisible Wounds Seminar
Bought to you by:
When : Thursday March 2nd 2017
Where: State Library Francis St Perth
Time: 10am - 3 pm
For Further Information ring 08 9228 3350 or Mobile: 0488 878 292
email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Upcoming Seminar - Perth -Western Australia
When : Thursday March 2nd 2017
Where: State Library Francis St Perth
Time: 10am - 3 pm
For Further Information ring 08 9228 3350 or Mobile: 0488 878 292
email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
A BIG THANK YOU
A big Thank you to Narrabri RSL for your donation.
Your donation is being used to subsidies a Ladies Pamper Retreat weekend this year.
The Retreats are for Current and Past Serving Military and first Line Responders (Police, Ambulance, Fire and Resuce etc.) and their Families
For further information on the retreats go to
http://www.afom.org.au/news-events/events/item/322-afom-ladies-pamper-weekend
http://www.afom.org.au/news-events/events/item/321-afom-mens-retreat
A BIG THANK YOU
A big Thank you to Nyngan RSL for your donation.
Your donation is being used to subsidies a Ladies Pamper Retreat weekend this year.
The Retreats are for Current and Past Serving Military and first Line Responders (Police, Ambulance, Fire and Resuce etc.) and their Families
For further information on the retreats go to
http://www.afom.org.au/news-events/events/item/322-afom-ladies-pamper-weekend
http://www.afom.org.au/news-events/events/item/321-afom-mens-retreat
