Australia looks to be one of those lucky countries that adopted an early public health response limiting community transmission of COVID-19 and avoiding the levels of acute hospitalization and fatality seen in other settings. Yet the pandemic came on the back of the largest bushfire season the country had seen which itself followed a sequence of climatic disasters involving drought, cyclones and floods. The social and economic impact of the COVID-19 response has been substantial with widespread loss of employment, social dislocation and health fears sparked across the nation. Findings from risk modeling and population surveillance provide preliminary evidence of increased burden of psychological distress, morbidity and risk of suicide resulting from the current crisis. We also highlight the mental health risk that may arise from increased sedentary behavior with the introduction of lockdown and physical distancing measures. We also outline the potently valuable role of drawing on salutogenic models including resilience and posttraumatic growth research for individual and broader community level need.

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Autism spectrum disorders are characterised by deficits in social communication and interactions, as well as the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviours, interests or activities (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Children and their families living with autism face a multitude of complexities around obtaining an initial diagnosis, and in accessing appropriate, timely

Aim and Background: An increasing rise in childcare attendance has resulted in children spending additional time with non-parental caregivers, such as Early Childhood Educators (ECE’s). Strong relationships between children and ECE’s are important as these relationships impact on children’s development. Relationship-based training programs offered by occupational therapists, are one way of supporting educators with building and maintaining positive relationships with children in their care. This scoping review aimed to provide a summary of the features and outcomes of relationship-based training with ECE’s. Methods: After a systematic search and following PRISMA guidelines, a total of 26 studies were included. Results: A wide range of relationship-based training programs were described, with multiple components and group-based training, as well as individual consultation/coaching reported. All included studies reported that relationship-based training programs resulted in positive outcomes for children and/or educators. This review provides a foundation for designing relationship-based training programs for ECE’s.

Objective: To synthesise the current best evidence on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological behaviour management interventions for adult patients in the acute hospital setting with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). Data Sources: A comprehensive search of 10 electronic databases was completed. Study Selection: Systematic reviews (SRs) published in English before September 2018 were included. Initial search resulted in 4604 citations, 2916 for title and abstract screening with duplicates removed, and 2909 articles failed to meet the inclusion criteria leaving seven reviews for inclusion. Five reporting pharmacological management approaches, two reporting non-pharmacological management approaches, and one reporting both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management approaches. Data Extraction: Methodological quality was assessed independently by two reviewers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Tool for SRs. Data were extracted from the studies based on the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Methodology for JBI Umbrella Reviews. Data Synthesis: The SRs were of low-to-moderate quality overall. High-quality SRs were characterised by low numbers of studies and significant biases. The evidence relating to pharmacological interventions demonstrates low level and variable quality. The evidence relating to non-pharmacological interventions was limited and of low quality. Conclusions: The current evidence for the management of challenging behaviours in patients with acute TBI/PTA is generally equivocal, potentially reflecting the heterogeneity of patients with TBI and their clinical behaviours. More studies with rigorous methodologies are required to investigate the most suitable pharmacological and non-pharmacological behavioural interventions for the acute phase of TBI or PTA.