Parenting Style As A Mediator Of Psychosocial Risk Factors And Childhood Externalizing Behaviour Problems
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$113,160.00
Summary
It is imperative that effective interventions be developed and evaluated for children with externalising disorders (e.g. oppositional disorder, attention deficit order and conduct disorder). The prevalence of these problems in the community is high, the prognosis of children is poor, and externalising problems are passed on across successive generations in the same family. Childhood externalising problems are also one of the most costly behavioural disorders for society. Many studies have examin ....It is imperative that effective interventions be developed and evaluated for children with externalising disorders (e.g. oppositional disorder, attention deficit order and conduct disorder). The prevalence of these problems in the community is high, the prognosis of children is poor, and externalising problems are passed on across successive generations in the same family. Childhood externalising problems are also one of the most costly behavioural disorders for society. Many studies have examined the nature and course of externalising problems in older children and adolescents. However, little attention has been paid to the early onset of externalising disorders amongst preschool and early school-age children. Whilst the relationships between family risk factors (e.g. marital discord and maternal depression), parental management styles and children's behaviour problems are widely recognised, the exact nature and direction of these relationships remains largely unknown. This proposal will provide new information about the mechanism through which family risk factors such as marital discord or parental distress influence the onset and persistence of externalising problems in young children, via their effects on parents' behaviour management techniques. This information can then be used to instruct early intervention efforts for parents and families of children at risk of developing externalising behaviour problems.Read moreRead less
Early Intervention For Anxiety And Phobic Disorders In Young Children With Intellectual Disability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$305,674.00
Summary
Children with intellectual disability (ID) are 2-3 times more likely to have behavioural and emotional disturbance, including anxiety and fears, than children of normal intellectual ability. Anxiety problems are a source of distress for the child, impair their ability to learn and are a cause of family burden and community cost. Therefore, effective interventions are urgently required. Research with non-disabled children has demonstrated the effectiveness of teaching parents to manage their chil ....Children with intellectual disability (ID) are 2-3 times more likely to have behavioural and emotional disturbance, including anxiety and fears, than children of normal intellectual ability. Anxiety problems are a source of distress for the child, impair their ability to learn and are a cause of family burden and community cost. Therefore, effective interventions are urgently required. Research with non-disabled children has demonstrated the effectiveness of teaching parents to manage their child's anxiety, however the effectiveness of this approach in children with ID has not yet been established. This project aims to compare the relative effectiveness of two intervention conditions compared to a waiting list group, for highly anxious children aged 4-7 years with ID. One intervention will teach parents to help their child deal with anxiety problems, and develop skills to overcome their own associated emotional upset and family and social problems. The other intervention will provide non-directive counselling and support to help the parents understand the nature and causes of ID, associated anxiety problems in the child, and parent and family stress. The long term outcome of these two interventions will be assessed by following the children and their families for two years. A manual of each treatment is produced. This project aims to provide evidence for a relatively inexpensive, feasible and effective early intervention program for young children with ID at risk for developing anxiety problems that can be easily taught to professionals and is acceptable to parents. Widespread use of this intervention has the potential to reduce the added burden and cost to families and the community of persistent severe anxiety in young people with ID.Read moreRead less
Trajectories Between Childhood Internalising Behaviour Problems And Adolescent Depressive Symptoms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$55,000.00
Summary
Depressive symptoms are known to escalate sharply through the adolescent years. Adolescents who experience an episode of depression are very likely to experience further mental illness as adults. Efforts to prevent depressive illness may be advanced by research delineating the factors and processes implicated in the early emergence of depressive symptoms. To advance such an understanding this project will analyse data collected, in part, through NHMRC support to Australian Temperament Project (A ....Depressive symptoms are known to escalate sharply through the adolescent years. Adolescents who experience an episode of depression are very likely to experience further mental illness as adults. Efforts to prevent depressive illness may be advanced by research delineating the factors and processes implicated in the early emergence of depressive symptoms. To advance such an understanding this project will analyse data collected, in part, through NHMRC support to Australian Temperament Project (ATP) researchers. The ATP data will be used to examine factors associated with the development and progression of depressive symptoms from childhood to adolescence. The ATP data set includes detailed longitudinal data collected from multiple sources (parents, teachers and youth) concerning child and adolescent temperament, behavioural problems, mother-child relations, health, depressive symptoms, school achievement, school adjustment, social skills, peer relationships, parenting practices, stressful life events, and sociodemographic factors. Of an original sample of 2443 enrolled in the cohort in 1983 (aged 4-8 months) a subsample of 1,350 adolescents should complete the data collection due in 2000 (age 17-18). Through the analysis of ATP data proposed in this application, models will be developed to explain the risk and resiliency processes in childhood and early adolescence influencing the development and course of adolescent depression, for different subgroups of adolescents. To achieve this objective, analyses will: 1. identify groups who have differing trajectories from childhood internalising behaviour problems to adolescent depressive symptoms; 2. compare groups to identify factors that contribute to the progression from internalising behaviour problems to depressive symptoms, while also identifying factors which appear to impede such progression and; 3. compare groups to identify factors associated with transient versus persistent depressive symptoms in adolescence.Read moreRead less
Mental health problems begin in childhood. I am a behavioural scientist funded to tease out the early markers of risk. I am specifically focusing on the behavioural and genetic aspects of abnormalities of emotion processing and how best to intervene early
Labels Used By Young People To Describe Mental Disorders: Their Determinants And Impact On Stigma And Help-seeking.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$108,234.00
Summary
When a young person first begins to experience a mental health problem, getting professional help as early as possible is recommended. However, it is unclear whether being able to label the problem correctly when they first become aware of it actually assists a young person in getting the help they need. This study will look at how over 3,000 young Australians labelled mental disorders and which labels were more likely to guide them in choosing the best kinds of professional help and treatment.
The Effectiveness Of An Early Intervention And Prevention Strategy For Anxiety And Depressive Disorders.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$119,924.00
Summary
Adult anxiety and depressive disorders are common, cause significant distress to sufferers and cost to the community, and generally begin in childhood. Prior research has shown that children who exhibit higher than average levels of anxiety in their late childhood are at risk for developing anxiety and depressive disorders as they grow older. However if at risk children can learn skills to better manage their anxiety, the chance that they will continue to experience significant anxiety problems ....Adult anxiety and depressive disorders are common, cause significant distress to sufferers and cost to the community, and generally begin in childhood. Prior research has shown that children who exhibit higher than average levels of anxiety in their late childhood are at risk for developing anxiety and depressive disorders as they grow older. However if at risk children can learn skills to better manage their anxiety, the chance that they will continue to experience significant anxiety problems is greatly reduced. For example, school-based skills-building programs run by specialist mental health professionals have been shown to reduce the rate of existing anxiety disorder and prevent the onset of new anxiety disorders across middle to late childhood and early adolescence. The proposed study will aim to show that a school-based program, run by school counsellors, can prevent the development of anxiety and depressive disorders in late adolescence. In other words, the aim is to demonstrate whether the benefit of the program can be achieved across the wider school-aged population when conducted wholly within the education sector. This outcome is significant, not only in its potential to reduce distress to a large number of adolescents and their families, but in reducing costs to the community in terms of reduced disability and reduced need for health care and specialist mental health treatment.Read moreRead less
Acute Stress Disorder And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Injured Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,000.00
Summary
The aim of this project is to develop the means to identify acute reactions to trauma that will predict chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children after a traumatic injury. This project will conduct the first prospective analysis of acute stress disorder and chronic traumatic stress symptoms in children, develop diagnostic guidelines to identify acutely traumatized children who are at risk of PTSD, and identify biological, cognitive, and familial factors that mediate PTSD developme ....The aim of this project is to develop the means to identify acute reactions to trauma that will predict chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children after a traumatic injury. This project will conduct the first prospective analysis of acute stress disorder and chronic traumatic stress symptoms in children, develop diagnostic guidelines to identify acutely traumatized children who are at risk of PTSD, and identify biological, cognitive, and familial factors that mediate PTSD development following trauma. Two hundred children (aged 7 - 12 years) who are admitted to hospital following a traumatic injury will be assessed for acute disorder within one month of the accident. They will be also be assessed for heart rate, blood pressure, memory patterns, and family responses during the initial assesment. Parents will also be assessed for their trauma reactions. All participants will be re-assessed at 6-months posttrauma, and again at 18-months posttrauma. These findings will establish the means to identify acutely traumatized children who are at risk of PTSD and open up opportunities for early intervention and prevention of PTSD.Read moreRead less
Prevention Of Childhood Anxiety: A Parent-focused Approach, Targeting The School Transition
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$60,220.00
Summary
The prevention of mental health problems in young people warrants research. Anxiety is a common problem amongst children, resulting in academic and relationship difficulties across the lifespan. The project investigates the effectiveness of an anxiety prevention strategy designed to optimise school adjustment in anxious and withdrawn preschool aged children making the transition to formal schooling. The intervention is parent-focused. Parents will be taught anxiety management strategies. They wi ....The prevention of mental health problems in young people warrants research. Anxiety is a common problem amongst children, resulting in academic and relationship difficulties across the lifespan. The project investigates the effectiveness of an anxiety prevention strategy designed to optimise school adjustment in anxious and withdrawn preschool aged children making the transition to formal schooling. The intervention is parent-focused. Parents will be taught anxiety management strategies. They will also be taught to decrease the use of overprotective or threat communicative responses, to model and reinforce non-anxious behaviour, and to coach children in active problem solving. The prevention of childhood anxiety will have important cost savings in the long term, relating to reduction in the costs associated with school adjustment difficulties and mental health treatments for children, as well as reductions in distress amongst individuals and their families. If the present program proves successful with children at risk of anxiety, it may have the potential to be offered within the education system as a universal transitional program.Read moreRead less
A Parent Education And Skills Training Early Intervention For Children With Autism
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$305,674.00
Summary
Autism is a severely handicapping disorder adversely affecting social interaction, communication, and behaviour, interests and activities. Over the past 9 years our team has conducted a follow-up study of a large group of 111 Australian children and adolescents with autism. The young people have continued to have very high levels of emotional and behavioural disturbance and generally do not improve. Parents of children with autism are under significant amounts of stress; reporting high levels of ....Autism is a severely handicapping disorder adversely affecting social interaction, communication, and behaviour, interests and activities. Over the past 9 years our team has conducted a follow-up study of a large group of 111 Australian children and adolescents with autism. The young people have continued to have very high levels of emotional and behavioural disturbance and generally do not improve. Parents of children with autism are under significant amounts of stress; reporting high levels of disturbed family functioning and mental health problems. Although there is no cure, children benefit most when early help is provided (under 5 years). There are several promising interventions based on intensive behaviour and educational management, for example requiring 40 hours per week of therapist contact over 2 years. Such programs are costly and impractical as widely available treatment options. Training parents to understand and manage their child also shows promise. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a parent skills training and education treatment program compared to supportive therapy, and to generally available community services. The therapists will follow a treatment manual that will ensure a consistent and replicable approach. The progress of the children with autism and their families will be reassessed immediately after treatment, and at 1 and 2 years post-treatment in order to ascertain immediate and long-term effects of the treatment. If treatment proves to be of use, we will have established a defined, cost efficient, practical and effective model of early treatment that can be easily taught to professionals and widely disseminated throughout early childhood services.Read moreRead less