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Swisse link smears Monash: professor
University says it has no relationship with embattled diet supplement company after academic’ s complaint.
Monash University has stated that it does not have a partnership with controversial supplements brand Swisse, after a prominent public health expert labelled the university“ damned by association”.
The Monash logo initially appeared in the sponsors section of the Australia Plus website, alongside the Victorian Government and Swisse logos. It is no longer there; however, Monash is still listed as an Australia Plus sponsor. The university has entered a sponsorship agreement with ABC International, the public broadcaster’ s division responsible for international outlets Radio Australia and Australia Plus. Unlike the domestic brand, ABC International is allowed to run advertising and it has entered a sponsorship deal with Swisse for Australia Plus. Monash does not have an agreement with Swisse, which has come under fire for health claims in its product advertising.
But Monash adjunct associate professor Ken Harvey, a public health expert who quit La Trobe University in 2014 because it accepted $ 15 million in research funds from Swisse, has labelled Monash“ damned by association” for entering the partnership with ABC International.
On his blog, he published email correspondence between himself and Monash vice-chancellor professor Margaret Gardner, in which she explained“ there is no partnership between Monash and Swisse”. A Monash spokesperson also told Campus Review“ the Monash partnership [ with ABC International ] is a stand-alone partnership”.
The same spokesperson also said that the fact Monash and Swisse’ s logos appear together in the ABC International partnership portfolio does not mean there is an agreement between the two parties. The Victorian Government also has a sponsorship agreement with ABC International.
“ To suggest that because ABC International’ s other partner logos appear on their website there is an inter-relationship between them is false and misleading,” Monash’ s spokesperson said. ■
Study finds the social experience and loss of control when out of a job hurt mental health as much as the lack of money.
Depression, unemployment go together
Australia’ s tendency“ to make the unemployment experience as unpleasant as possible” could be heightening the risk of depression in those who don’ t have a job, Australian National University research suggests.
Dr Laura Crowe, a clinical psychology doctoral student, found that lack of social support and low sense of control over one’ s life contributes just as much as financial hardship to an increased risk of depression among the unemployed.
Rhetoric telling the unemployed to find a job contributes to the lack of support and control, Crowe said.
“ It’ s more referring to rhetoric that we don’ t want to make the unemployment experience too easy,” Crowe said.“ We don’ t want to give too much money because then people won’ t want to find work. But we’ ve heard that most people who are unemployed want to find work.”
A Macquarie University study also found people who believe their professional skills are not transferable to other jobs are likely to have a greater risk of mental illness, causing suicide-related thinking and behaviour.
The researchers surveyed 161 practising veterinarians, aged 22 – 79, over 12 months. They used veterinarians because they are statistically more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Veterinarians are also considered to have a narrow skill set, researchers said.
“ The results of our study support the suggestion that when a person desires occupational mobility, but believes their skill set is not easily transferred to another profession, their experience of suicide-related thoughts and behaviours will increase over 12 months,” Macquarie’ s Dr Monique Crane, the study’ s lead author, explained.
“ This was in contrast to those who wished to leave the profession and thought their skills were valued outside the veterinary profession. Thus, it appeared that perceived or actual professional mobility when desiring occupational change may play a role in suicide-related factors.” ■
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