Background: Chronic back pain is characterized by its duration and poor response to medical interventions and is a major health problem. Treatment up-take, adherence, and social support are key issues and are vital for recovery and functionality. However, there is limited research on the role of social support and treatment uptake and adherence for chronic back pain. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the impact of social support in terms of treatment uptake and adherence in chronic back pain patients in Australia. Methods: Two hundred and one adult men and women completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed levels of social support and disability and treatment uptake and adherence. Results: Stepwise multiple regression predicting treatment participation, produced a significant model that included participant’s age and level of social support and accounted for 14% of the variance, F(2,179) = 14.10, p < 0.001, adj R² = 0.14. Life control, affective distress and level of social support scores accounted for 26% of the variance in disability levels F(3,179) = 21.42, p < 0.001, adj R² = 0.26. Conclusion: The findings indicated that age, social support had a significant positive effect on the number of treatment sessions attended by participants and that life control, affective distress, and level of social support were negatively related to disability levels. The findings support interdisciplinary approaches, including social interventions as important part of any chronic back pain treatment.

Nomophobia is the fear of not accessing a mobile phone which has been recognised in the literature as a series of feelings and symptoms experienced by mobile/smartphone users. In the same manner, distraction and addiction have been found to interact with increasing usage and impact on users’ wellbeing. This study aimed to explore the relationship between nomophobia and distraction-addiction through a cross-sectional study. One hundred and sixty-four participants aged between 18 and 70, 118 females (72%) and 46 males (28%) completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). Distraction, addiction, and nomophobia scores were moderately to strongly correlated. Distraction and addiction scores were both significant predictors of nomophobia scores. Males scored higher for nomophobia but lower for addiction than females, with no differences for distraction. Results suggest that feelings of nomophobia may be related to withdrawal and addiction effects rather than fear. Findings may support the inclusion of a “Smartphone Addiction Disorder” in future editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Further research exploring symptoms and severity of Nomophobia may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment.

This report reviews the findings of staff satisfaction surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 following the creation of a transformative and revolutionary approach to tertiary education in Australia, namely the creation of a new First Year College at Victoria University. Lectures were abolished from all units; class sizes were reduced; class timetabling was dramatically changed to allow for greater student study flexibility and accessibility; learning and teaching professional staff numbers were increased and facilities were built and repurposed. This report discusses the staff satisfaction and challenges encountered by staff in 2018 and 2019 providing quantitative and qualitative data. This data revealed high levels of satisfaction along with concerns about workload and related issues. Variations between 2018 and 2019 indicate that despite an increase in overall satisfaction, staff were concerned about awards and recognition, involvement in decisions that affected them, and receiving support to conduct their roles. The First Year College implemented a series of measures to address the issues raised in the 2018 survey. Further measures are recommended following the 2019 survey as well as future surveys that include stress levels and other psychological markers.

Mature-age students who are the first in their family to attend university have navigated a challenging road to higher education. The aim of the present study was to understand the influence and interaction of familial and personal stories of this cohort and their choices about university study – why they initially did not go after high school, and what brought them to university years later. Six first-year students at an Australian university completed qualitative interviews which were thematically analysed. Findings indicated that early in life families discouraged higher education, but students were able to integrate these familial stories with new, life-affirming, personal stories. Students’ choice to attend university was related to psychological capital and agentic abilities via the stories of optimism, hope, efficacy and resilience. Familial stories acted as forerunners to resilience-building for envisioning life-affirming stories about future opportunities for university study and for stability a university degree represented.

In 2018, Victoria University created a new First Year College and moved from a ‘traditional’ university structure (i.e. 12-week semesters, with students studying four units/subjects concurrently) to an intensive ‘block’ model, where students study one unit at a time for one month. One hundred academic staff (76% full time and 24% part-time) were asked to complete a staff experiences questionnaire (15 items including demographic, close-ended and open-ended questions). Mixed methods analyses revealed high levels of staff satisfaction mixed with concerns about workload and staff pressures. Variations between 2018 and 2019 staff responses indicated that despite improved overall satisfaction, staff were concerned about awards and recognition, involvement in management decisions that affected them and support to conduct their role. As such this paper extends the literature that examines academic models and tertiary staff satisfaction feedback and experiences.