Kristin Graham

Kristin Graham

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences


Dr Kristin Graham.
I have over 25 years’ experience as a clinical podiatrist including regional practice, and the establishment of SA's first private podiatry locum service. I returned to study psychology at Flinders University and am currently a PhD candidate at the Centre for traumatic Stress Studies in the University of Adelaide School of Medicine, supervised by Professor Alexander McFarlane, Dr Miranda Van Hooff, Dr Amelia Searle, and Dr Ellie Lawrence-Wood. I am also supported by the inaugural Rotary Health ANZAC scholarship.

My research is with Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who deployed to the Middle East Areas of Operations (MEAO). I explore the the relationship between traumatic exposures on deployment and mental and physical health symptoms.  We aim to understand how experiences on deployment along with psychological, social, and biological factors interact with human health.

Results to date

Study 1

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been found to be an under diagnosed condition. The premise for this study was that a culture where toughness and resilience were highly regarded could bias members toward somatic attribution, that is experiencing physical symptoms rather than psychological distress. As the diagnostic criteria for PTSD are psychologically based, such a bias may contribute to the under diagnosis of PTSD.  

This study examined the strength of the relationship between post traumatic stress disorder and self-reported physical symptoms. The data used were from 16944 ADF members who had deployed to the MEAO between 2001 and 2009. We found that there was a strong relationship between PSTD and physical symptoms. Additionally we found that for those who were PTSD positive yet missed by traditional screening methods, the presence of 2 or 3 physical symptoms effectively identified these members.

Poster presented at the 10th Flory Postgraduate Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 2017

 

Study 2

Current paradigms regarding the effects of combat exposure on military personnel have tended to minimise physical symptoms as a discrete outcome of combat exposure. Rather physical symptoms are characteristically dealt with as a comorbidity of psychopathology.

The aim of this study was to ascertain the proportions of deployed military personnel that experience predominantly (1) physical symptoms, (2) psychological symptoms, and (3) a combination of the two. Additionally to examine the strength of the relationship between traumatic deployment exposures and these different symptomatic groups.

We found that traumatic deployment exposures were significant predictors of symptomatic group membership compared to the low-symptom reference group. The strongest association was with the comorbid group, followed by the physical group, and the weakest associations with the psychological group.

The stronger association between traumatic deployment exposures and physical compared to psychological group membership suggests that physical symptoms are not a comorbidity of psychopathology but a discrete outcome of exposure to trauma.

Poster presented at the 11th Flory Postgraduate Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 2017

 

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/study-of-veterans-shows-ptsd-affects-both-body-and-mind/news-story/892a9e1cf9ad23e0fb4373ea8364e8d8

 

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2017 - ongoing Tutor University of South Australia, Adelaide
    2014 - 2016 Mentoring coordinator Podiatry Association of Australia (SA) Podiatry Association of Australia (SA)
    2000 - 2015 Founder Spare Feet Podiatry Locum Service
    1988 - ongoing Clinical Podiatrist and practice owner Performance Podiatry
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2015 The University of Adelaide Australia PhD in Medicine
    2012 - 2014 Flinders University Australia Bachelour of Psychological Science (Honours)
    1984 - 1987 University of South Australia Australia Diploma Applied Science (Podiatry)
  • Research Interests

  • Journals

    Year Citation
    2024 Graham, K., Fitzpatrick, K., Agius, J., Loughry, C., Ong, E., McMillan, N., . . . Fitridge, R. (2024). A qualitative exploration of the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people using a real-time video-based telehealth service for diabetes-related foot disease. Rural and remote health, 24(1), 7970.
    DOI
    2023 Graham, K., Siatis, C. M., Gunn, K. M., Ong, E., Loughry, C., Mcmillan, N., & Fitridge, R. (2023). The experiences of health workers using telehealth services for diabetes-related foot complications: a qualitative exploration.. J Foot Ankle Res, 16(1), 1-14.
    DOI Europe PMC1
    2023 Martin, S. E., Graham, K., Banwell, H. A., & Johnson, J. L. (2023). Continuing professional development opportunities for Australian endorsed for scheduled medicines podiatrists—What’s out there and is it accessible, relevant, and meaningful? A cross-sectional survey. PLoS ONE, 18(9 September), 19 pages.
    DOI
    2023 Ben chmo, M., Matricciani, L., Kumar, S., & Graham, K. (2023). “I know what I'm supposed to do, but I don't do it”: patient-perceived risk factors that lead to their lower extremity amputations. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 16(1), 10 pages.
    DOI
    2022 Graham, K., Matricciani, L., Banwell, H., Kumar, S., Causby, R., Martin, S., & Nissen, L. (2022). Australian podiatrists scheduled medicine prescribing practices and barriers and facilitators to endorsement: a cross-sectional survey.. J Foot Ankle Res, 15(1), 12 pages.
    DOI Scopus1 WoS1
    2022 Ong, E. K. M., Fryer, C., Graham, K., & Causby, R. S. (2022). Investigating the experience of receiving podiatry care in a tertiary care hospital clinic for people with diabetes related foot ulcers. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 15(1), 11 pages.
    DOI Scopus2 Europe PMC1
    2022 Graham, K., Lawrence-Wood, E., & McFarlane, A. (2022). Longitudinal relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and physical symptoms in military veterans. Psychosomatic Medicine, 84(9), 1034-1040.
    DOI Scopus2 Europe PMC1
    2022 Ben chmo, M., Matricciani, L., Kumar, S., & Graham, K. (2022). “I was trying to look after myself, but I really wasn’t”: Understanding patient’s perspectives on risk factors for lower extremity amputations. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 15(1), 9 pages.
    DOI Scopus1 Europe PMC1
    2021 Graham, K., Banwell, H. A., Causby, R. S., Kumar, S., Tian, E. J., & Nissen, L. (2021). Barriers to and facilitators of endorsement for scheduled medicines in podiatry: a qualitative descriptive study. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 14(1), 11 pages.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC4
    2021 West, J. C., Spangler, P. T., Dempsey, C. L., Straud, C. L., Graham, K., Thiel, F., & Benedek, D. M. (2021). Riluzole Augmentation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Differential Treatment Effect in a High Hyperarousal Subtype. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 41(4), 503-506.
    DOI Scopus2 Europe PMC2
    2021 McFarlane AO, A. C., & Graham, D. K. (2021). The ambivalence about accepting the prevalence somatic symptoms in PTSD: Is PTSD a somatic disorder?. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 143, 388-394.
    DOI Scopus8 WoS4 Europe PMC4
    2020 Graham, K., Searle, A., Van Hooff, M., Lawrence-Wood, E., & McFarlane, A. (2020). The Value of Physical Symptoms in Screening For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Military. Assessment, 27(6), 1139-1150.
    DOI Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC2
    2019 Graham, K., Dipnall, J., Van Hooff, M., Lawrence-Wood, E., Searle, A., & AO, A. M. F. (2019). Identifying clusters of health symptoms in deployed military personnel and their relationship with probable PTSD. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 127, 9 pages.
    DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC3
    2019 Graham, K., Searle, A., Van Hooff, M., Lawrence-Wood, E., & McFarlane, A. (2019). The Associations Between Physical and Psychological Symptoms and Traumatic Military Deployment Exposures.. Journal of traumatic stress, 32(6), 957-966.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC1
    2017 Arnold, M. M., Graham, K., & Hollingworth-Hughes, S. (2017). What's Context Got to Do with It? Comparative Difficulty of Test Questions Influences Metacognition and Corrected Scores for Formula-scored Exams. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 31(2), 146-155.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS3
  • Conference Papers

    Year Citation
    2017 Graham, K., searle., van hooff., lawrence-wood., & mcfarlane. (2017). Can Physical Symptoms predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Military. In 5th Annual Scientific Conference of the European Association of Psychosomatic Medicine. Barcelona.
    2017 Graham, K., Searle, A., Van hooff, M., Lawrence-wood, E., & Mcfarlane, A. (2017). Considering psychological distress is ignoring half the problem. In Australian Pain Society 37th Annual Scientific Meeting: Expanding Horizons. Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia.
    2016 Graham, K., Searle, A., Van hooff, M., Lawrence-wood, E., & Mcfarlane, A. (2016). The diagnostic validity of physical symptoms in PTSD screening in the military.. In 25th Australian Medical Military Association. Crown Prominade, Melbourne.
    2016 Graham, K., Searle, A., Van hooff, M., Lawrence-wood, E., & Mcfarlane, A. (2016). Could physical symptoms be an effective PTSD screening measure in the military?. In 19th Australian Conference on Traimatic Stress: Public Issues Private Trauma. Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, Queensland.
    2015 Graham, K., Searle, A., Van Hooff, M., Lawrence-Wood, E., & McFarlane, A. (2015). Traumatic stress in the ADF: Is physical the new mental?. In Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health Vol. 23 (pp. 76-77). Hobart, Tasmania.
  • Conference Items

    Year Citation
    2017 Graham, K., van hooff., lawrence-wood., searle., & mcfarlane. (2017). 1121953_Considering only the psychological distress caused by combat exposure is ignoring half the problem.. Poster session presented at the meeting of 5th Annual Scientific Conference of the European Association of Psychosomatic Medicine. Barcelona.
    2017 Graham, K., van hooff., lawrence-wood., searle., & mcfarlane. (2017). The association between combat trauma and physical and psychological health. Poster session presented at the meeting of 11th Annual Florey Postgraduate Research Conference.. National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide..
    2016 Graham, K., Searle, A., Van Hoof, M., & Lawrence-Wood, E. (2016). The Relationship Between Physical Symptoms and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Australian Defence Force (ADF): Implications for Screening. Poster session presented at the meeting of 10th Annual Florey Postgraduate Research Conference. National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide.

I am supported by the inaugural ANZAC scholarship from Rotary Health.

Adelaide Medical School Research Travel Award for International travel 2017

National Rural and Remote Infrastructure Program Grant 2011

Tutor in Podiatry Clinical Studies 101, University of South Australia in 2017


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