This paper examines a range of theoretical issues and the empirical evidence relating to clinical supervision in four mental health professions, namely clinical psychology, occupational therapy, social work, and speech pathology. Despite the widespread acceptance of the value of supervision among practitioners and the large quantity of literature on the topic, there is very little empirical evidence in this area. It is not clear whether supervision actually produces a change in clinician behaviour, nor whether it produces benefits in terms of client outcomes. To date, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate which styles of supervision are most beneficial for particular types of staff, in terms of their level of experience or learning style. The data suggest that directive forms of supervision, rather than unstructured approaches, are preferred by relatively inexperienced practitioners, and that experienced clinicians also value direct supervision methods when learning new skills or dealing with complex or crisis situations. The available evidence suggests that supervisors typically receive little training in supervision methods. However, to date, we have little information to guide us as to the most effective ways of training supervisors. While acknowledging the urgent need for research, the paper concludes that supervision is likely to form a valuable component of professional development for mental health professionals.

Past research indicates that humans have a remarkable ability to maintain normal levels of subjective wellbeing despite adverse objective circumstances. This suggests that such wellbeing may be held under homeostatic control. This paper investigates some of the potential factors that may contribute to this homeostatic mechanism, in response to the major life event of migration. Three groups were examined: Persian immigrants to Australia (Persian-Australians), non-Persian Australians, and Persians residing in Iran. A total of 330 subjects were recruited. A notable finding was that all three groups did not differ in regard to subjective wellbeing, despite the Persian-Australians being a minority ethnic group in Australia, and the Persians having significantly lower objective life quality. The Persian-Australians who migrated at an older age reported lower subjective quality of life, while the number of years of residence in Australia did not appear to be related to the extent of social integration. Subjective life quality was, however, related to subjective social support for the Australian and Persian samples, and to reciprocality of support for the Persian-Australians.

Changes in hyperactivity and temperament in preschool-aged children who underwent a behavioural management program with their mothers were examined. Families of 34 behaviourally disturbed preschool-aged children (aged 3–5) were randomly allocated to either parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT; Eyberg, 1988) or a waiting-list control group (WL). A group of 21 nondisturbed preschoolers was recruited as a social validation comparison condition (SV). Diagnostic status was assessed using a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV disruptive behaviour disorders, with measures of behaviour and temperament obtained via parent report. At posttreatment, PCIT preschoolers were reported by their mothers to have reduced hyperactivity and more flexible temperament, and were less likely to meet criteria for ADHD than the WL group. By 6-month follow-up, children who had received PCIT were comparable to the SV group on ratings of oppositional behaviour and hyperactivity. The finding that a behavioural intervention may influence stable child characteristics is discussed.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a disorder that severely disrupts sleep and may lead to severe long- and short-term health consequences. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective treatment for OSA, but compliance with CPAP is often poor. Forty participants diagnosed with OSA completed a questionnaire based on the health belief model after a one-night first-time trial of CPAP treatment. After a subsequent 1-month period of CPAP use, electronic usage records were downloaded and analysed. Perceived benefits of CPAP use and perceived barriers to use showed multivariate associations with the mean number of hours of daily CPAP use, and perceived benefits of CPAP use was inversely associated with the percentage of days that CPAP was not used. Participants' confidence in their ability to use CPAP showed significant univariate, but not multivariate, relationships with both variables. Findings suggest that patients may benefit from greater levels of information and instruction in CPAP use.