Background Climate change anxiety, that is worry and fear in relation to the awareness of the impacts of climate change, is widely observed around the world. Some evidence suggests that while climate change anxiety can, at times, be adaptive, a growing body of research has reported that climate change anxiety is also related to a range of negative mental health outcomes and psychological distress. Currently, however, there is limited ability to assess for elevated levels of climate change anxiety and to identify those who may need support. The present study, therefore, aimed to develop clinical cut-of scores on a measure of climate change anxiety.

Methods A largely representative sample of Australian young adults (aged 16–25 years) completed measures of psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21) and the Climate Change Anxiety Scale. Markers of clinically meaningful psychological distress – elevated depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms—were used to classify cases. Receiver Operating Characteristics analyses were performed to assess the predictive ability of the indicators of psychological distress (mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe thresholds of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms) for detecting climate change anxiety and to ascertain optimal cut-of scores.

Results The Area Under the Curve was acceptable to moderate for detecting climate change anxiety across all analyses. Across symptom severity thresholds and markers of psychological distress, based on consideration of balancing sensitivity and specifcity, results consistently suggested that a cut-score of 21 was indicative of mild-moderate climate change anxiety, with a cut-of score of 23 indicating severe-extremely severe climate change anxiety.

Conclusions The proposed cut-ofs can feasibly be used to identify those with elevated climate change anxiety. Use of these cut-of scores can inform research as well as be used to guide screening, assessment, and inform clinical practice. Results also highlight a high rate of climate change anxiety in young adults.

Background: Long occupational working hours and shift work are common in high-, middle-, and lower-income economies. Bowel movement frequency and stool form in occupational settings may be important markers of stressful working conditions as well as diurnal gut microbiota action, gastrointestinal discomfort, and disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). Characterizing DGBI in shift and nonshift workers could help identify the impact of diurnal work patterns on workers’ physical and mental health, including anxiety related to bowel movements.

Objective: This study aims to outline the Insight inTo Stress and POOping on work TIME (ITS POO TIME) protocol describing a web-based multimethods research project on DGBI, stool form and frequency, psychological factors, sleep, diet, and anxiety related to bowel movements in occupational settings by comparison to residential settings.

Methods: Study 1 comprises a web-based convenience sampling survey to acquire quantitative data from adults who are engaged in paid employment. We seek to assess occupational characteristics, organizational factors, as well as standardized questionnaires for stool form, DGBI assessed based on Rome-IV criteria, sleep, diet, bowel movement anxiety (ie, parcopresis), and distress. Study 2 is a qualitative study that asks open-ended questions about respondents’ attitudes to defecation at work. Analyses for study 1 will explore rates of DGBI in shift versus nonshift workers and explore how occupational characteristics are associated with occupational bowel movement stool form and frequency. With regards to distress and parcopresis, study 1 will analyze how parcopresis, distress, and contamination fears are associated with stool form and frequency in occupational settings compared with residential settings. Study 1 is designed to have 90% power to detect a 5% difference in DGBI prevalence between groups at α=.05 based on the conservative estimate of 15% DGBI prevalence in shift workers and 10% DGBI prevalence in nonshift workers, with a final sample of 1967 required. Study 2 qualitative data will be analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify themes concerning feelings and attitudes about bowel movements in occupational settings.

Results: The findings of ITS POO TIME will elicit important information on what factors are associated with bowel movements and stool form and frequency in occupational settings and identify associations pertinent to occupational health. Data collection commenced in January 2019 and finished enrollment in December 2023. Study 1 obtained 1872 responses and fell short of the desired sample size. Study 2 received 337 responses, and the primary results are expected to be published in 2025 and the qualitative results published in 2026.

Conclusions: The results of the research described in this research protocol will have direct implications for industry, employers, and policy makers concerning DGBI, stress, and worker health.

This chapter offers an overview of the long-term democratic trends in Asia and the Pacific, and an analysis of the current democratic landscape, using the GSoD conceptual framework as an organizing structure. The analysis covers issues linked to Representative Government, Fundamental Rights, Checks on Government, Impartial Administration and Participatory Engagement, highlighting the current opportunities for democracy in the region, as well as the democratic challenges it faces. The analysis is based on the GSoD Indices as the principal data source, complemented by other sources. The section concludes with an overview of policy considerations relevant to democratic trends and challenges in Asia and the Pacific.

Psychologists, like many health professionals, must effectively self-assess their competencies across the career trajectory in order to practice ethically and within the bounds of their knowledge and skills. Given this, research is needed to explore the cognitive process of self-assessment, and the utility of a structured measure for psychologists. This study aimed to explore: 1) how psychologists self-assess their competencies, 2) what value a structured measure has for self-assessment, and 3) the barriers or limitations to using a structured measure for self-assessment. Twelve registered psychologists were interviewed, and reflexive thematic analysis was applied. Themes were identified in the following two broad areas: 1) metacognitive processes and helpful cognitive strategies that aid self-assessment and the use of a structured self-assessment measure, and 2) barriers to self-assessment including unhelpful metacognitions about both the process of self-assessment itself, and the self. One theme and three sub-themes were identified to explain the metacognitive processes and helpful cognitive strategies described by participants, and three themes were identified pertaining to barriers to self-assessment. The current research extends the existing literature through incorporating the voice of psychologists in understanding the metacognitive processes and barriers of self-assessment, including structured self-assessment. This research has implications for health science practitioners, supervisors, educators and research.