Objective

Little is known about healthcare providers’ (HCPs) experiences implementing digital self-guided mental health programs within their services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual and other sexual, romantic and gender minority identities (LGBTQA+) people. This work aims to understand HCPs’ perceptions of barriers, facilitators and recommendations for implementing digital self-guided mental health programs within LGBTQA+ contexts.

Methods

An online survey was disseminated to HCPs with experience providing care to LGBTQA+ people in Australia. Data were analysed descriptively and using inductive qualitative conventional content analysis of open-ended items.

Results

The most common barrier to implementation revolved around client accessibility (47, 52.2%) – often described as the impact of technology access, living with a disability and having a safe place to complete programs. Facilitators of implementation often involved supporting integration into clinical care through training (49, 43.8%) and providing information on programs available (17, 15.2%).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that HCPs have few logistical barriers regarding the implementation of programs, but programs need to be carefully designed to be accessible and safe for LGBTQA+ end-users. These findings within an LGBTQA+ context mirror findings within other populations, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to maximise implementation alongside community-led program design.

Purpose

This study explores how police vehicle design influences public perceptions of enforcement capability and driver behaviour. It addresses a gap in the literature on how specific visual elements shape perceived certainty of apprehension, certainty of punishment and the duration of deterrent effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 Queensland-licensed drivers aged 18 years and older. Participants commented on the design elements that were most salient to them when it came to police vehicles. Participants also evaluated various police vehicle designs through open-ended questions and image-based rating tasks. A thematic analysis identified themes in perceptions around police vehicle designs and reported behavioural responses.

Findings

Participants consistently distinguished vehicles by visual cues, particularly the markings and bright colour of the vehicle impacted perceived deterrent effects. Traffic enforcement-focused vehicles, such as Highway Patrol cars and motorcycles, were seen as more deterrent than general duties (GD) vehicles, producing stronger immediate behaviour change and longer-lasting “halo effects”. Vehicle type, base vehicle colour, markings and visible equipment were described differently relative to perceptions of enforcement capability, the perceived role of that vehicle and associated behavioural responses.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that strategic police vehicle design serves as a force multiplier, enabling agencies to maximise deterrent impact with limited resources. Highly visible, purpose-designed traffic enforcement vehicles may yield greater road safety outcomes than deploying generic police vehicles.

Originality/value

This research provides a detailed examination of drivers' perception of police vehicle designs and the way in which such designs are associated with deterrence perceptions, offering evidence for consideration during vehicle procurement and deployment strategies to enhance road safety outcomes.

Young drivers are over-represented in crashes involving excess speed, with driving inexperience a known contributing factor, but not always accounted for in research investigations. This project aimed to systematically review literature on factors contributing to young novice drivers’ travel speeds. Two authors searched four databases: Embase, Scopus, transportation research information database and web of science. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to select speed-related studies of drivers who were both young (aged 15-24 years) and novices (newly-licensed). Included studies examined factors directly or indirectly associated with travel speed in the “everyday” driving of passenger car-type vehicles, published in English in years 2012-2022. Of 2680 records, removing duplicates and screening resulted in 106 eligible studies, from which 26 were selected, and rated mostly of strong or moderate quality. Factors associated with driving too fast included factors relating to the individual young driver: lower global cognitive functioning, higher impulsivity and risk propensity, alcohol use, and perceptions of police speed enforcement methods as unjust. Additional social factors were having risky friends (generally), driving with passengers (adults or peers), driver-passenger mood, and some phone use. Driving environment factors were inner urban and highway settings, rural roads close-to-home and clear weather. Lower speeds were associated with hazard perception training, a parent-directed intervention when first driving independently and (weakly) viewing medical dramas. Searching roadside signs, texting, and being sleep deprived were also associated with lower speeds, but in ways that increased crash risk. The results provide insights to strengthen or develop new education programs, graduated licensing systems, and other interventions to assist young novice drivers develop and maintain safer speed management skills. Further research also is needed into the effectiveness of more general speeding countermeasures, such as speed management vehicle technologies and infrastructure treatments, specifically with young novice drivers.

Digital, self-guided mental health programs have been shown to improve the mental health of LGBTQA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, plus other gender, sexual, and romantic minority identities) people. Extant literature demonstrates that tailoring these programs to LGBTQA+ experiences is important, but how to meaningfully achieve this given the heterogeneity of identities within LGBTQA+ communities is a challenge. This research aimed to understand LGBTQA+ individuals' perceptions toward digital, self-guided mental health programs, including their thoughts on tailoring. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 24 Australian LGBTQA+ individuals recruited from a larger randomized control trial evaluating a digital, self-guided mental health program. Participants were aged between 17 and 53 years and predominantly from metropolitan areas in Australia. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and yielded three themes. Theme 1 identified that there is no "perfect" way to design a digital, self-guided mental health program. Theme 2 described the impacts of meaningful verses non-meaningful tailoring to LGBTQA+ challenges and experiences, and that the individual need for an LGBTQA+ tailored program fluctuates. Theme 3 identified that participants felt this care modality was safe, but adequate risk-management procedures are necessary. These findings re-affirm the importance of co-creation with communities to guide meaningful program design.

Introduction: Whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) are the most common and costly consequence of road traffic injury (RTI). Providing early and effective treatment is a healthcare priority; however, current guideline-based care which focuses on education and physiotherapy-led exercise does not routinely address the psychosocial effects of trauma, and access to early integrated treatment is limited. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of delivering and evaluating recovery, information, support and empowerment (RISE), a co-designed short message service-based intervention integrating psychosocial and exercise/activity support for individuals with acute whiplash injury who are at risk of poor recovery in a randomised feasibility trial. Secondary aims are to explore preliminary changes in candidate clinical outcomes and opportunities for intervention personalisation and future implementation.

Methods and analysis: This mixed-methods randomised controlled feasibility trial with a nested process evaluation will recruit 50 participants (>18 years) with WAD grade II/III who are identified at medium to high risk of poor recovery and within 12 weeks of RTI from Queensland emergency departments and the community. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the RISE intervention (tailored, daily messaging+optional brief clinician support session/s) or an active control (general health-related text messages plus access to an online resource, My Whiplash Navigator). Feasibility outcomes, including recruitment and retention rates, data collection (including wearable-derived and economic data) and intervention uptake will be descriptively summarised and evaluated against pre-defined traffic light progression criteria. Acceptability will be examined using validated questionnaires and purpose-built items, qualitative interviews with intervention participants and focus groups with patients, clinicians and funders. Secondary aims will be addressed through preliminary estimates of between-group differences in patient-reported outcomes with 95% CIs and exploratory analysis of multimodal data (eg, wearable-derived physiological data, intervention engagement metrics) using a large language model where possible to inform future personalisation and implementation planning.

Ethics and dissemination: This trial is approved by the Townsville Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/QTHS/121395) and ratified by the Human Research Ethics Committee at The University of Queensland, which is the study sponsor (2025/HE002491). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences and professional meetings.

Trial registration: ACTRN12626000506392; date registered: 23 April 2026; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=390706&isReview=true