Tuwhera Research Repository

The Tuwhera Research Repository provides sustainable open access and archiving to a broad range of AUT produced research - theses, research outputs and datasets.

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Access status: Open Access ,
To Admit or Not Admit: The Utility of Structured Decision-Making Tools in Forensic Mental Health Services in Aotearoa New Zealand
(Informa UK Limited, 2026-07-21) Chaffe, James; Pillai, Krishna; Gupta, Rajan; McKenna, Brian; Garrett, Nick
A naturalistic, retrospective, whole-cohort design study was undertaken on all service users presented to an Admissions Panel at a forensic service in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, for consideration of admission to an extended forensic care and rehabilitation (EFCR) pathway, over a six-year period (n = 141). Comparisons were made between those offered EFCR, and those not, to determine key socio-demographic, clinical, cultural, and offence-related variables including the use of the DUNDRUM-1 triage security scale in terms of their capacity to differentiate between the two groups. EFCR was offered in 64% of cases, or 55% for those not mandated by the Courts. We found a service user offered an EFCR pathway was more likely to be male, Māori (of Indigenous heritage), suffering from a psychotic illness and a substance use disorder, and to have a history of serious violent offending. However, those declined an EFCR still typically had complex forensic mental health needs but varied with respect to seriousness of their offending. We were also able to compare and contrast results to a similar UK study but also highlight that those declined EFCR still typically had complex forensic mental health needs.
Access status: Open Access ,
Purification With XAD-16 Resin Intensifies the Polyphenolic Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Anti-obesity Properties of Apple Peel Extracts
(Elsevier, 2026-07-27) Ostovar, Nikoo; Pressete, Carolina Girotto; Nurkolis, Fahrul; GreggiAntunes, Lusânia Maria; Sarda, Fabiana Andrea Hoffmann; Barreto, George; Granato, Daniel
Apple peel (AP) is a rich source of polyphenols with potential applications in functional food development. This study investigated the optimization of green ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenols from Red Prince apple peel using response surface methodology (RSM), evaluating the effects of ultrasound power, ethanol concentration, and solid-to-solvent ratio on extraction efficiency and polyphenol bioactivity. The optimal extraction conditions consisted of a 1:15 solid-to-solvent ratio, 500 W ultrasound power, and 50% ethanol. The crude extract (CE) was subsequently purified using XAD-16 resin. Purification increased total phenolic, anthocyanin, and tannin contents by 28-, 6-, and 19-fold, respectively. The main phenolic compounds in the purified extract (PE) were hyperoside (16.65 mg/g), procyanidin B2 (9.59 mg/g), and epicatechin (8.50 mg/g). Both CE (30–300 mg/L) and PE (1–10 mg/L) protected erythrocytes against AAPH-induced hemolysis. PE markedly reduced ROS generation at 10 mg/L; however, at lower concentrations (1–2 mg/L), ROS levels increased, suggesting a potential pro-oxidant effect. In 2D HepG2 cultures, the CE extract was non-cytotoxic at 5–300 μg/mL and reduced intracellular ROS production. In contrast, PE decreased HepG2 viability at 200–300 μg/mL and exhibited only a modest reduction in ROS generation at 5–100 μg/mL. In 3D HepG2 spheroids, both extracts decreased cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner and affected spheroid growth and structural integrity. Additionally, CE and PE showed dose-dependent inhibition of pancreatic lipase and HMG-CoA reductase, suggesting their potential to modulate obesity-related metabolic targets, with PE exhibiting stronger activity.
Access status: Open Access ,
A Digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Education Intervention for Caregivers of Very Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Randomized Controlled Trial
(JMIR Publications, 2026-07-23) Ginsberg, Kristin Harrison; Alsweiler, Jane; Rogers, Jenny; Cavadino, Alana; Douglas, Meihana; Serlachius, Anna
BACKGROUND: Parents of very preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience high levels of psychological distress, yet access to timely, evidence-based mental health support is limited by staffing and resource constraints. Digital mental health interventions offer a scalable approach to addressing this gap; however, their effectiveness has not been well established in NICU caregiver populations, particularly during periods of acute stress. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-guided digital acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based intervention combined with NICU-specific education (NICU parent acceptance and commitment therapy [NPACT]). The study explored the intervention's effects on stress among parents and primary caregivers of very preterm infants, compared to a digital education-only intervention, and active control. METHODS: We conducted a 3-arm, single-center, randomized controlled cluster trial in a tertiary NICU. Parents and primary caregivers of very preterm infants (<32 wk' gestational age,<1 wk old) were randomized by family cluster to (1) NPACT (ACT+ education), (2) a digital education-only intervention, or (3) active control. Digital interventions were delivered via a web-based platform over 2 weeks. The primary outcome was NICU-related stress on the Parent Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) at 2 weeks postrandomization. Secondary outcomes included caregiver anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and selected neonatal outcomes. Engagement and perceived helpfulness were assessed for digital interventions. RESULTS: A total of 102 caregivers from 68 family clusters (79 infants; mean gestational age 28.1, SD 2.2 wk) were enrolled. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in the mean PSS:NICU scores at 2 weeks (NPACT 3.0, SD 0.9; education-only 2.5, SD 1; active control 2.6, SD 0.9; adjusted mean difference for NPACT vs active control 0.04, 95% CI -0.39 to 0.47). No between-group differences were observed for secondary psychological outcomes at any time point. However, caregivers in both digital intervention groups had higher odds of full breastfeeding at discharge compared with active control. Engagement with the digital interventions was high, with 97% (28/29) of NPACT participants and 76% (19/25) of education-only participants completing at least 5 of 7 modules, and both interventions were rated as very helpful. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, an unguided digital mental health intervention delivered during NICU admission did not reduce NICU-specific parental stress or other psychological outcomes relative to active control. However, the intervention was highly used by caregivers. These findings suggest that while a brief digital mental health intervention can be successfully implemented in a high-stress clinical setting with caregivers, its capacity to reduce acute psychological distress may be limited. Secondary findings indicate potential benefits of the digital intervention on breastfeeding, generating hypotheses for future research. Digital mental health interventions in neonatal settings may be most effective when integrated within hybrid models of care and/or delivered beyond the acute admission phase.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Impact of Organizational Culture on Employee Wellbeing
(The Emotions Network (Emonet), 2026-07-08) Smollan, Roy; Mooney, Shelagh
Organizational culture has the potential to influence employee wellbeing, both positively and negatively. Given the largely critical media reports and academic studies on heavy workloads and other demands in the finance industry, especially in banks, our research aim was to identify the impact of organizational culture on wellbeing. Interviews across sectors, organizations, and roles in finance revealed how constructive elements of an organization’s culture, particularly concern for staff, enabled employees to cope with their work stress. Reflecting on the many changes at work caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the findings suggest that working from home, as well as hybrid arrangements, undermined some aspects of the culture while enhancing others. We present a model of the impact of organizational culture on wellbeing that could be applied to other industries. Our study signals new research directions for research into organizational culture in rapidly changing environments and its capacity to affect wellbeing.
Access status: Open Access ,
Workplace Violence in Community Based Care and Support Services
(AUT Social Transformation Research Institute and the New Zealand Policy Research Institute, 2026-07-30) Ravenswood, Katherine
This reports on a survey of support workers' experience of workplace violence. It surveyed support workers and managers from: -home and community support -mental health and addiction support -disability support Key findings include that almost 80% of support workers experience some kind of workplace violence regularly. Of this, Māori and other ethnic groups so experience workplace violence that targets their ethnicity. Support workers also experience workplace violence that targets their gender. The impact of workplace violence is significant, and impacts support workers personally, how they can do their job, and even if they continue to work in the same career. Workplace violence is largely tolerated as 'part of the job' and there are considerable trainings gaps across these sectors aimed at preventing workplace violence.