Sarah Fogarty

Western Sydney University · School of Medicine

Purpose To investigate massage therapists’ attitudes, consultation processes, and confidence to respond to situations involving domestic and family violence (DFV) in clinical practice. Methods An online survey-based study was conducted and Australian massage therapists, 18 years of age or over were recruited. The survey included 64 questions in 3...

Background Women experiencing pregnancy after stillbirth experience high levels of anxiety, fear and depression. Standard antenatal care may be emotionally unsuitable for many women at this time, and there is a lack of evidence on what interventions or approaches to care might benefit these women. Therapeutic massage may assist women after stillbir...

Introduction Pelvic girdle pain is a common problem experienced during pregnancy, with high incidence rates and significant impacts on quality of life. Remedial massage might be able to provide some reduction in pain. Aim This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness of massage in...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was a time of rapid change and uncertainty, with individual jurisdictions within countries implementing a variety of preventative measures. At the onset of the pandemic, as little was known about how COVID-19 was transmitted, restrictions, such as lockdowns, were implemented to prevent further spread of this virus....

Introduction: In both Australia and Canada, healthcare providers considered essential were allowed to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of the global pandemic on professional identity included opportunities for role expansion, a focus on ethical principles and social accountability, and professional pride. These results were found o...

Miscarriage is a relatively common occurrence, impacting 8–15% of clinically recognised pregnancies, and up to 30% of all conceptions. The public perception of the risk factors associated with miscarriage does not match the evidence. Evidence indicates that there are very few modifiable factors to prevent miscarriage, and the majority of the time l...

Objective: To observe the effects of massage aiming to support a mum in her pregnancy after a previous stillbirth. The client's goal varied over the course of her pregnancy, but her main motivation was to help manage the anxiety and stress of pregnancy after a previous stillbirth. Methods: A 32-year-old pregnant woman received seven massages ove...

Introduction: In late 2019, a pathogen outbreak occurred that rapidly spread, resulting in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Governments responded to the pandemic with a range of strategies, including forced quarantines and nationwide lockdowns. Research on professional identity during the pandemic has predominately focused o...

Background: Approximately one-fifth of pregnant women suffer from anxiety and/or depression. These mental health conditions are associated with increased infant and maternal morbidity. Relaxation massage has the potential to improve mental health and may provide a vaulable option for pregnant women. This paper reports on participants’ experiences o...

Background and purpose There is limited evidence on the efficacy and safety of induction massage; however, there are some massage therapists in Australia who offer induction massage. The aim of this paper is to determine the information being provided to consumers on websites pages of Australian massage therapists who provide ‘induction massage’....

Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting fine needles into specific points on the body for therapeutic purposes. Acupuncture and its derivatives (acupressure, moxibustion, electroacupuncture, and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation on acupoints) are a popular treatment choice in the peripartum period (32 wk’ gestation to 14 d postdelivery)....

Massage is systematic touch and manipulation of the soft tissues of the body that is increasingly being used as an adjunctive therapy for stress relief and to promote relaxation and wellbeing during pregnancy and as an alternative to pharmacologic or invasive forms of analgesia during labor. Literature to support the use of massage in pregnancy and...

Background Mental health problems place a significant burden on the health system and are an important public health issue. Many pregnant women experience anxiety and depression, which can negatively impact health outcomes for both mother and baby. Partner-delivered massage may provide a cost effective and accessible approach to support the mental...

Objective To critically appraise and synthesize the best available evidence on the effectiveness of massage to reduce antenatal women's anxiety and/ or depression. Design Systematic review with meta-analysis Participants, Interventions Pregnant women over the age of 18 years who receive massage interventions. Measurements and Findings Eight stud...

Objectives To evaluate the Helping Hands Project which offers parents who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal loss a free massage Approach Demographic data was collated and analysed for differences between those that booked in for a massage and those that did not. Post treatment feedback open-ended questions were analysed qualit...

Background and purpose Massage is commonly used by the Australian public and is often sought by expectant mothers. Despite its popularity there is no regulatory body to enforce minimum educational standards, guidelines or evidence-based best practice for massage therapists. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the views and practices of m...

Background Anxiety and depression affects many pregnant women. Massage may be beneficial for supporting mental wellbeing during this time. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a partner-delivered relaxation massage program for pregnant women, and its impact on symptoms of antenatal anxiety, stress and depression....

Background: Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) significantly impacts women's lives both physically and psychologically. Given the severity and impact of PPGP on pregnancy, the authors anticipated that pregnant women with PPGP might respond differently to massage than pregnant women without PPGP. Purpose: The aim of the study was to furt...

Background: Traditionally, safety and improving safety in the treatment of pregnant women has involved identifying risks that lead to errors or adverse events, and implementing strategies to mitigate potential harm. There is research that suggests that other factors such as a lack of service, lack of care or a lack of quality also contribute to pa...

Introduction Women commonly use massage therapy during pregnancy for pregnancy-related health conditions such as lower back and neck pain; however, there is little to no research related evidence on the side effects or mother or child physical harm of massage during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Objectives This study aims to report on the si...

Background: Pregnancy is a time of enormous body transformation. For those with an eating disorder during pregnancy this time of transformation can be distressing and damaging to both the mother and the child. In this meta-ethnographic study, we aimed to examine the experiences of women with an Eating Disorder in the perinatal period; that is duri...

Objective The aim of this proof-of-concept pilot study was to assess the usefulness of a mentoring support program with a goal to improve hope for recovery in people with an eating disorder. ResultsSignificant improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in hope for recovery were found for the mentees in the following domains: social relationships (p = 0.027), romantic...

Aims and objectives: To investigate the feasibility of a 13-week mentoring program in providing social support to promote hope for recovery in anorexia nervosa. Background: With no clear first line psychological treatment for people with anorexia nervosa, mentoring support programs, as an adjunct to treatment, may provide the social support nece...

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand factors related to treatment and/or recovery from self-reported Anorexia Nervosa, including ‘the tipping point of change’. Method: An online questionnaire was developed and administered from December 2014 to December 2015 to individuals ≥18 years of age with Anorexia Nervosa in the past or currentl...

Background Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterised by restriction of energy intake, fear of gaining weight and severe disturbances in weight or shape. Recovery from AN is a complicated and often multifaceted experience that can take many years to achieve. Qualitative research has found that support, being understood, hope, desire for recovery, posit...

Aim To discuss the application of the principles of participatory action research (PAR) in a project that developed and evaluated a mentor-mentee support programme for women with anorexia nervosa. Background A programme was developed and implemented in which mentors and mentees participated in workshops, social activities and focus groups that soug...

Background It is important that potential study participants are appropriately informed and understand what is involved with their research participation. A few studies have examined study participants’ understanding of the informed consent process and the adequacy of the information they received when agreeing to participate in a randomised contro...

Case series, while considered low on the research hierarchy, have been a valuable method of informing medical practice for as long as medicine has been practised. Case reports can generate hypotheses, uncover original observations, novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, unusual, new or uncommon diseases and complications of medical treatment....

Acupuncture is widely used as an alternative modality for weight loss. Despite its increasing use, few acupuncture studies have evaluated the effect of a weight loss program on the mental health of obese/overweight participants and none have looked at the effect on those with eating, weight and shape concerns. To investigate the feasibility of cond...

Acupuncture is an emerging therapy being utilized by those with eating disorders. Little is known about acupuncture and eating disorders. The aim of this paper is to present some TCM insight into the eating disordered patient who seeks acupuncture treatment such as how they present according to TCM principles and how acupuncturists are treating the...

Research over the past decade into eating disorders and substance use disorders has been considerable. Despite this, response to treatment for many remains poor. New adjunctive therapies that improve the effectiveness of existing treatments and lead to improved mental health outcomes for these patient groups are highly desirable. Recent research in...

Anorexia nervosa is a serious illness with significant morbidity. The evidence base for existing psychological and pharmacological interventions to manage anorexia nervosa is not strong, and use of new adjunctive therapies that improve the effectiveness of existing treatments, and lead to improved mental health outcomes for this patient group is hi...

Objectives: This study examined the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial of acupuncture compared with an active control in an inpatient setting, to examine individuals' experience of the interventions, clinical outcomes from the trial, and to integrate data to explain the trial findings. Design: This was a pilot randomized con...

Eating disorders commonly affect young girls and women. Four eating disorders are analyzed in this study: anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS), and binge eating disorder (BED). Eating disorders are a modern concept and as such there is no critically appraised research on how Traditional Chine...

This study examines the role of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of eating disorders in female patients. A randomised cross-over study was used in this study. The two treatments phases were the private multi-disciplinary outpatient eating disorder facility in Melbourne, Australia, only (referred to as their treatment as usual) and...