Papers by Claire Thompson
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2009
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia affect many aspects of emotion processing. Even thou... more Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia affect many aspects of emotion processing. Even though the ability to detect threat is a particularly important aspect of emotion processing, no study to date has assessed threat perception in either of these groups. The purpose of the present study was to test whether individuals with MCI (n = 38) and mild dementia (n = 34) have diffi culty differentiating between faces and situations normatively judged to be either high or low in threat relative to age-matched controls (n = 34). To achieve this aim, all participants completed 2 danger rating tasks that involved viewing and rating high-and low-danger images. It was also assessed whether threat perception was related to cognitive functioning and emotion recognition. The results indicated that all 3 groups were accurately, and comparably, able to differentiate high from low-danger faces. However, the dementia group had diffi culties differentiating high from low-danger situations, which refl ected a bias to overattribute the level of threat posed by normatively judged nonthreatening situations. This diffi culty was related to more general cognitive decline.
Australian Psychologist, 2017
Objective: Recent years have seen a marked increase in attention to cultural competence in clinic... more Objective: Recent years have seen a marked increase in attention to cultural competence in clinical psychology practice in Australia. While the body of literature on the need for cultural competence is expanding, this is the first study that analyses how cross-cultural training and practice is experienced and related to standardised models of cultural competence. Method: Twelve participants (8 students and 4 academics; 9 females and 3 males, ages 22-57) in two Australian universities were interviewed on their experiences with cultural competence during clinical psychology training. Each semi-structured interview took about 30 min and focused on identifying the training experiences and needs for cultural competence. Results: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the transcripts delivered three master themes: experiences of culture, strategies for culturally competent practice, and experiences of cultural competence development. Conclusions: Students and academics experienced a "western" bias in training, and consequently adopted a variety of strategies to adapt their practice with culturally non-western clients. These findings draw attention to the need for structured cultural competence development in professional training programs.
Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 2017
This study quantified the monetary cost of family caregiving for 51 patients with different sever... more This study quantified the monetary cost of family caregiving for 51 patients with different severity of dementia. The mean annual informal cost of care was higher (M=SG$44,530.55, SD=SG$31,354.82) compared to the mean annual formal cost of care (M=SG$25,654.11, SD=SG$10,016.48). Costs were found to increase with severity of dementia (Severe: SG$47,251.30; Moderate: SG$38,607.84; Mild: SG$13,847.68). For each point increase in CMMSE scores, the informal cost lowered by SG$1,173.94. There was a significant negative correlation of cost and cognitive impairment but not functional impairment. The informal cost of care did not vary much with or without the use of day care centres, however the costs for those who did not have domestic helpers (DHs) was more than twice the costs for those with DHs. Results from this study show there were cost savings in care of people with dementia with DHs.
Ageing and Society, 2015
ABSTRACTActive Ageing is conceptualised to measure the extent to which older people remain active... more ABSTRACTActive Ageing is conceptualised to measure the extent to which older people remain actively engaged with life. However, there is no evidence that the concept of Active Ageing is actually associated with the activity levels of older persons. Influences of age, ethnicity and spirituality on Active Ageing are also unexplored. Using the Active Ageing Index (AAI), this study examines whether the level of Active Ageing predicted the actual activity level of 120 Singaporeans of Chinese, Malay and Indians ethnicities, aged 55–64 years old or 65 years and above. Spirituality, measured by the Spirituality Index of Well-Being, was added to the AAI, to see if the predictive power of AAI improved. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that the AAI alone (controlling for age) did not significantly predict the activity level of older persons. The predictive power of the AAI improved significantly with spirituality included. Two-way between-groups Analysis of Variance revealed main effect...
Proceedings of the International Conference on Managing the Asian Century, 2013
ABSTRACT Psychology is well underway in becoming a borderless science and discipline, with univer... more ABSTRACT Psychology is well underway in becoming a borderless science and discipline, with universal knowledge that can be applied in countries across the globe. This study explores the history and current status of psychology education in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia as these are major areas in which transnational exchanges in psychology education take place. The data accrued from research for this article informs discussions on the universality of psychology education today and raises important questions about the future of the discipline in Asian societies.
Proceedings of the International Conference on Managing the Asian Century, 2013
In the last two decades transnational education has intensified. This paper provides a case study... more In the last two decades transnational education has intensified. This paper provides a case study of transnational education in South East Asia by mapping historical and current transnational psychology education in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Given psychology’s roots in Europe and the United States of America, and its close interrelation with norms of ‘western’ societies, the data accrued from research for this paper raises important questions regarding how South East Asian countries are dealing with foreign influence through education.
Clinical Rehabilitation, 2007
Background: Communication difficulties due to aphasia following stroke are particularly stressful... more Background: Communication difficulties due to aphasia following stroke are particularly stressful to caregivers. Objective: To examine the impact of a psychoeducation programme on caregivers’ burden and stress and communication between the caregiver and aphasic stroke patient. Design: Randomized wait-list controlled trial with immediate or three-month delayed treatment. Setting: Three public hospital rehabilitation services in Sydney, Australia. Subjects: Thirty-nine caregivers of aphasic stroke patients, up to 12 months post stroke: 19 given immediate treatment and 20 in a delayed treatment control group. Interventions: Four-session weekly caregiver programme that included elements of education, support and communication skills conducted by a speech pathologist, social worker and clinical psychologist. Main measures: The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used to measure caregiver stress, the Relatives’ Stress Scale was used to measure caregiver burden and a communication quest...
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2011
Objective. Naturalistic measures of prospective memory (PM) show less age-related decline than la... more Objective. Naturalistic measures of prospective memory (PM) show less age-related decline than laboratory measures. We investigated whether a naturalistic measure of PM differentiates between normal ageing, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. Method. Ninety-eight older adults agreed to perform a time-based PM task in their everyday lives. Results. Despite a self-selection bias in task acceptance, dementia participants performed more poorly relative to both the MCI and control group. Performance on the naturalistic PM task showed good convergent validity with both a cognitive screening measure and a laboratory PM assessment. Conclusions. PM difficulties are experienced in the everyday lives of people with dementia and are related to laboratory-based assessments but do not appear to be evident on a naturalistic task for those with MCI.
Professional education has a central role in preparing professionals to capably serve the communi... more Professional education has a central role in preparing professionals to capably serve the community. In the field of psychology education, graduate professional psychology programs are clearly important given the potentially significant influence psychologists have on their patients and communities in general. Graduate professional program, including those in the psychological field, have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from academic-research program. This paper explores literature identifying and elaborating on such characteristics and analyses them in the context of professional psychologist education. The information provided here, along with the fact that psychology is now undergoing rapid global expansion, highlights the importance of conducting further research on the characteristics of professional psychology programs in cultures other than those of Western countries where psychology was originally developed.
Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 2016
If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination... more If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.
Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, 2013
Background To maximise the benefits of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, uptake needs to be... more Background To maximise the benefits of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, uptake needs to be high. We examined psychosocial predictors of HPV vaccine uptake and the association between vaccine intention and uptake 1 year later in adolescent girls (aged 16-17 years) in England. Method Adolescent girls in the catch-up cohort were recruited from colleges in the South East of England in 2009 and 2010. Participants completed a questionnaire 6 months before (n=606) and 6 months after (n=214) being offered the vaccine, which assessed vaccine intention, vaccine uptake, demographics and attitudes based on the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour. Results A number of demographic and psychological factors, including intention, showed associations with vaccine uptake in univariable analyses. In multi-variable analyses, only ethnicity was independently associated with vaccine uptake. Participants from Black or 'Other' ethnic backgrounds were less likely to have received the HPV vaccine than White participants. Conclusions More research is needed to help understand variation in vaccine coverage between ethnic groups.
Open Journal of Medical Psychology, 2013
This pilot study examined the psychometric properties and clinical utility of a brief neuropsycho... more This pilot study examined the psychometric properties and clinical utility of a brief neuropsychological instrument (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The test-retest reliability, practice effects and convergent validity of RBANS were examined in participants without objective cognitive impairment. The tests were administered at two time points at approximately a two weeks' interval, with 30 cognitively intact participants with a mean age of 63.3 ± 5.8 years. Adequate test-retest reliabilities were found for RBANS subtests, index and total scale scores with significant gain scores in immediate memory and visuospatial function. The RBANS showed good convergent validity and the RBANS supplemented with executive and language measures (Colour Trails Test and 30-item modified Boston Naming Test, respectively) demonstrated excellent convergent validity with a formal neuropsychological battery. This pilot study has provided the preliminary evidence of reliability and convergent validity of the RBANS. Additionally, it also provides insight on the practice effects so that clinicians may assess significant changes in RBANS subtests and domain indexes for clinical practice.
OBM Geriatrics, 2018
Background: The increasing numbers and proportion of the ageing population make it essential to d... more Background: The increasing numbers and proportion of the ageing population make it essential to develop and evaluate programs to meet the needs of older adults to empower them to age actively, healthily and successfully. Consequently, positive ageing programs have been developed and the need to evaluate their outcomes is essential. This study used mixed methods to evaluate cognitive and behavioural changes and to monitor psychological health and active ageing in participants of a longstanding positive ageing psychoeducation program, Successful Ageing for Growth & Enjoyment (SAGE) conducted in Australia, and to evaluate participant satisfaction with the program. Methods: Two approaches were utilised. The first involved a survey of demographic variables, measures of psychological health (depression, anxiety and stress, self-esteem and resilience) active ageing, including measures of subjective learning and behavioural change after the seminar series, sent to program participants prior to the annual program
Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 2018
This is the first research into preparation for multicultural clinical psychology practice in Eur... more This is the first research into preparation for multicultural clinical psychology practice in Europe. It applies the theory of multicultural counselling competency (MCC) to a case study in the Netherlands. It was hypothesized that cross-cultural practice experience, identification as a cultural minority, and satisfaction with cultural training was associated with MCC. The Multicultural Awareness Knowledge and Skills Survey was completed by 106 participants (22 students, 10 academics, 74 alumni) from clinical psychology masters’ programs. MANOVA detected a main effect of cross-cultural experience on MCC for all groups and universities. The data were enriched with exploratory qualitative data from 14 interviews (5 students, 5 academics, 4 alumni). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis revealed three themes: limitations of clinical psychology, strategies for culturally competent practice, and strategies for cultural competency development. These outcomes suggest that cultural compet...
Human Resource Development Quarterly
Successful managers must develop strong interpersonal skills alongside their ability to achieve p... more Successful managers must develop strong interpersonal skills alongside their ability to achieve personal and organizational goals. For educational institutions to stay relevant, courses must equip students with necessary psychological competencies in addition to technical knowledge, skills and abilities for the constantly evolving business climate. We explored whether Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs aid in the development of psychological competencies, given that MBAs are a popular management development tool. Specifically, we investigated changes in MBA candidates’ emotional intelligence ability (EI), self-efficacy (SE) and locus of control (LoC) in a pre-post survey design over the course of a one-year MBA educational program and explored the relationship of candidate’s baseline psychological status to their academic success in the MBA educational program. Participants were recruited from newly enrolled students at an international university in Asia. The study participants (53 MBA students, plus 26 psychology students and 34 non-students as comparison groups) completed self-report measures of EI, SE and LoC at the beginning and end of a one-year MBA period. The MBA candidates showed significant improvement in EI, SE and LoC-internality, as well as an increase in LoC-powerful others during the program. LoC-powerful others at the beginning of the program also predicted MBA students’ academic performance. The findings provide evidence that psychological competencies that may positively affect work performance are key benefits of MBA education.
Journal of Tropical Psychology
This is the first research in Singapore into preparation for culturally competent practice in pro... more This is the first research in Singapore into preparation for culturally competent practice in professional clinical psychology training programmes. It analyses experiences of multicultural clinical psychology training and practice and asks how well current programmes are meeting the needs for cultural competency. These questions were explored with qualitative data from interviews about multicultural practice with five students, five academics and five alumni of clinical psychology. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis revealed four themes: highlighting the culture of clinical psychology, the cultural context of training and practice, cultural competencies, and pathways for developing cultural competency. These outcomes demonstrate that the training programmes are considered valuable for improving psychological service provision in Singapore, although improvements to these programmes are desired for cultural competency development. These findings point to the need for particular ...
International Psychogeriatrics
Background: Despite recent interest in community-based screening programs to detect undiagnosed c... more Background: Despite recent interest in community-based screening programs to detect undiagnosed cognitive disorder, little is known about whether screening leads to further diagnostic evaluation, or the effects of such programs in terms of actual changes in patient or caregiver behavior. This study followed up informants of older adults (i.e. caregivers of patients who completed informant-based screening regarding the patient) following participation in a study screening for undiagnosed memory problems, to explore uptake of further diagnostic evaluation or treatment, advance planning or preparations, lifestyle changes, medication adherence, and use of support services. Methods: A total of 140 informants of older adult patients were surveyed four to fifteen months following participation in a cognitive screening study. The informants were interviewed with a study-specific survey about cognitive assessment, advance planning, lifestyle changes, and use of support services and general m...
Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 2017
Prospective memory (PM) is crucial to the maintenance of functional independence in late adulthoo... more Prospective memory (PM) is crucial to the maintenance of functional independence in late adulthood and is consistently impaired in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). There remains a need for brief but valid measures of this construct that can be used as part of a comprehensive clinical assessment of cognition. Since the distinctiveness of PM cues is argued to determine the degree of strategic, controlled demands of PM paradigms, two variants of a brief measure were developed, one of which presented low-salience and the other high-salience PM cues. A large cohort of older adults with normal cognition or MCI was assessed with one of the two variants of our brief, novel measure of PM. Participants were asked to remember to execute PM tasks where the target cue was either high or low in salience, while concurrently engaged in an ongoing task of olfactory assessment. The task was able to discriminate between groups of participants with MCI or no cognitive impairment, albeit with a small ef...
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Dec 1, 2016
Case-finding services using a composite total risk score (TRS) and the informant AD8 have been pr... more Case-finding services using a composite total risk score (TRS) and the informant AD8 have been previously recommended to detect cognitive impairment (CI) in government subsidized primary health care centers of Singapore (ie, polyclinics). We compared the feasibility of implementing the services recommended for government-subsidized primary health care in private, primary health care service providers such as general practitioner (GP) clinics. 123 patients ≥60 years of age were recruited from 2 GP clinics within Singapore. Trained research personnel administered the AD8 to informants. Patients of the present study were compared against a random sample of 123 patients selected from polyclinics. Significantly higher positive screening rates (AD8 ≥3) were found among patients in polyclinics than GP clinics (P < .001). Patients attending polyclinics reported more comorbid medical issues such as subjective cognitive complaint (P < .001) and heart disease (P < .001). The TRS of pa...
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Papers by Claire Thompson