Bushfires, social connectedness and mental health. The 2009 Victorian bushfires caused much loss of life, property destruction, and community disturbance. It is important for Promoting Better Health and Strengthening the Social and Economic Fabric that an accurate understanding is achieved of the factors that contribute to optimal recovery from natural disasters. This project will survey people affected by the fires over 5 years to both profile adaptation after the fires and to identify the i ....Bushfires, social connectedness and mental health. The 2009 Victorian bushfires caused much loss of life, property destruction, and community disturbance. It is important for Promoting Better Health and Strengthening the Social and Economic Fabric that an accurate understanding is achieved of the factors that contribute to optimal recovery from natural disasters. This project will survey people affected by the fires over 5 years to both profile adaptation after the fires and to identify the individual and community processes that influence outcome. This project being undertaken in partnership by academic, disaster management, health and community organisations will provide crucial information for shaping policy for disaster management in the years ahead.Read moreRead less
The significance of psychosocial safety climate, health and happiness for productivity at work. Despite national efforts, for a decade workers compensation claims for work stress have remained stable. This project proposes an innovative science driven multilevel process model, with organisational psychosocial safety climate as a lead indicator of productivity loss (for example, time loss), and a conditioner of paths linking job demands, job resources, work engagement, happiness, mental (for exam ....The significance of psychosocial safety climate, health and happiness for productivity at work. Despite national efforts, for a decade workers compensation claims for work stress have remained stable. This project proposes an innovative science driven multilevel process model, with organisational psychosocial safety climate as a lead indicator of productivity loss (for example, time loss), and a conditioner of paths linking job demands, job resources, work engagement, happiness, mental (for example, depression) and physical health to productivity. This four wave longitudinal study of 3000 Australian workers, also linking to objective workers compensation data, will provide fresh insights regarding workplace primary prevention. Read moreRead less
What is normal brain ageing? An investigation of changes in brain structure and cognition in mid-life. Pathological brain changes associated with cognitive decline later in life become detectable in the 40s and sometimes earlier, yet little is known about what constitute normal brain ageing in midlife. Using a number of neuroimaging techniques, this project will develop a detailed map of brain and cognitive ageing in middle-age and their predictors.
Bereavement of suicide and sudden death. Losing someone to suicide can have devastating affects on the survivors left behind. The aims of the present study include the identification of the processes and impacts of bereavement on survivors in various age groups. It also aims to identify critical points during the bereavement and factors which exacerbate and moderate negative impacts. This has been previously neglected in suicide research in Australia and its findings will add a multi-dimensional ....Bereavement of suicide and sudden death. Losing someone to suicide can have devastating affects on the survivors left behind. The aims of the present study include the identification of the processes and impacts of bereavement on survivors in various age groups. It also aims to identify critical points during the bereavement and factors which exacerbate and moderate negative impacts. This has been previously neglected in suicide research in Australia and its findings will add a multi-dimensional aspect to postvention not currently understood. It is expected that findings will help develop guidelines to ensure more effective detection and intervention for survivors, as well as enhancing social support and personal resilience.Read moreRead less