Understanding third hand exposure of Australian people to methamphetamine. In Australia, there is high community concern around inadvertent exposure to methamphetamine residues in contaminated houses. In this proposal, an interdisciplinary research team aim to engage with public health authorities and public housing industry to conduct collaborative research on total exposure to methamphetamine in contaminated indoor environments. The project will assess exposure pathways (via air, dust, surface ....Understanding third hand exposure of Australian people to methamphetamine. In Australia, there is high community concern around inadvertent exposure to methamphetamine residues in contaminated houses. In this proposal, an interdisciplinary research team aim to engage with public health authorities and public housing industry to conduct collaborative research on total exposure to methamphetamine in contaminated indoor environments. The project will assess exposure pathways (via air, dust, surfaces) and link them with methamphetamine levels in samples from occupants (urine, hair). The project is expected to significantly enhance our understanding of how third hand exposure leads to internal exposure in humans. This knowledge provides evidence for policies on residential indoor exposures and remediation strategies.Read moreRead less
Influence of Narrative Content and Context of Anti-smoking Public Health Messages. By improving the effectiveness of public health campaigns such as those aimed at smokers, we can inform people about healthier ways of living, and encourage them to adopt healthier life style choices. This should reduce the risk of life style diseases such as cancer, stroke, and heart attack. This project will contribute to the promotion and maintenance of good health in the Australian community by facilitating pr ....Influence of Narrative Content and Context of Anti-smoking Public Health Messages. By improving the effectiveness of public health campaigns such as those aimed at smokers, we can inform people about healthier ways of living, and encourage them to adopt healthier life style choices. This should reduce the risk of life style diseases such as cancer, stroke, and heart attack. This project will contribute to the promotion and maintenance of good health in the Australian community by facilitating preventive health care and help to reduce the medical cost not only to those who may fall victim to the diseases, but also to their families, communities, states, and Australia as a whole.Read moreRead less
Enhancing emotion knowledge in pre-schoolers with disruptive behaviour: the role of mother-child emotion talk. How can the mother of a disruptive son help him deal better with his anger and fears? The research identifies aspects of mother-child emotion talk that influence the child's ability to understand negative emotions. It assesses if mothers can alter their emotion talk with their children to improve their child's emotion knowledge and behaviour.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100632
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$333,603.00
Summary
Emotional and socio-communicative domains in development. This project aims to test whether Research Domain Criteria are effective in predicting developmental outcomes, for example educational attainment, social participation, and mental health, across both general and clinical populations. Using a large prospective community sample of children, adolescents and adults, and large cross-sectional sample of individuals with autism, this research will provide the first exploration of how these candi ....Emotional and socio-communicative domains in development. This project aims to test whether Research Domain Criteria are effective in predicting developmental outcomes, for example educational attainment, social participation, and mental health, across both general and clinical populations. Using a large prospective community sample of children, adolescents and adults, and large cross-sectional sample of individuals with autism, this research will provide the first exploration of how these candidate dimensions, both directly and indirectly, accurately predict long-term outcomes across both normative and atypical development. The findings will contribute to new understanding of typical and atypical development and have immediate potential to impact clinical and educational decision-making and practice.Read moreRead less
Sleepy and sitting: a dual curse for the modern workforce? This project aims to generate new knowledge about the impact of inadequate sleep and prolonged sitting on health markers and performance. Many workers, particularly those working outside standard hours, experience both prolonged sitting and inadequate sleep. Expected outcomes of this project include critical evidence to address the dual burden experienced by a large population of workers who are both sleepy and sitting. This should provi ....Sleepy and sitting: a dual curse for the modern workforce? This project aims to generate new knowledge about the impact of inadequate sleep and prolonged sitting on health markers and performance. Many workers, particularly those working outside standard hours, experience both prolonged sitting and inadequate sleep. Expected outcomes of this project include critical evidence to address the dual burden experienced by a large population of workers who are both sleepy and sitting. This should provide significant benefits for the many working Australians whose health and safety is compromised due to their exposure to inadequate sleep and prolonged sitting. It will also contribute to the evidence-base for workplace policies and public health guidelines.Read moreRead less
Sleeping with one ear open: the impact on sleep and waking function. The aim of the project is to assess the impact 'on-call' work has on sleep, stress, and next day performance. Two million Australians are on-call providing essential 24-hour services including emergency response. While sleep during on-call periods is disrupted when a call occurs, some research suggests that sleeping with one ear open waiting for a call may disrupt sleep even if no call occurs. If on-call sleep is less restorati ....Sleeping with one ear open: the impact on sleep and waking function. The aim of the project is to assess the impact 'on-call' work has on sleep, stress, and next day performance. Two million Australians are on-call providing essential 24-hour services including emergency response. While sleep during on-call periods is disrupted when a call occurs, some research suggests that sleeping with one ear open waiting for a call may disrupt sleep even if no call occurs. If on-call sleep is less restorative, then individuals are at risk of performance impairment and adverse health outcomes. This project aims to answer questions about the magnitude of sleep disruption when on-call, the mechanisms for any disruption, and impact on waking function.Read moreRead less
A prospective study of the transition to grandparenthood: psychosocial adjustment, well-being and productive ageing. Given the increasingly common childcare role that grandparents are required to play in Australian society, and the increasing demands of grandparenting, potential benefits arising from this study adhere to the requirements of the National Research Priority Area "Promoting and Maintaining Good Health." They include: identifying the characteristics of the group of grandparents for w ....A prospective study of the transition to grandparenthood: psychosocial adjustment, well-being and productive ageing. Given the increasingly common childcare role that grandparents are required to play in Australian society, and the increasing demands of grandparenting, potential benefits arising from this study adhere to the requirements of the National Research Priority Area "Promoting and Maintaining Good Health." They include: identifying the characteristics of the group of grandparents for whom the change of role and lifestyle produces negative effects; providing increased awareness in health professionals and the lay community about this subgroup, enabling appropriate early identification and intervention; supplying evidence-based data to inform strategies to reduce stress in the grandparents and improve the quality of childcare they provide.Read moreRead less
Mapping the developmental trajectories of foster families. Currently lacking in Australian research on foster care is a developmental account of foster families. This research will, through an ethnographic study of foster families, provide a map of the unique shapes that foster families take, and will provide much needed information about the support needs of both foster carers and children.
Improving Identification And Treatment Of Early-onset Behaviour Disorders In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$498,869.00
Summary
Most mental health problems begin in childhood and adolescence. Of these, oppositional-defiant and conduct problems in childhood are the most common precursor of all types of adult mental health problems. These children are the most common referral to child mental health clinics but little is known about which of these children will go in which direction i.e., good health, chronic antisocial behaviour, depression and anxiety, substance abuse, the psychoses. Progress in more accurately defining s ....Most mental health problems begin in childhood and adolescence. Of these, oppositional-defiant and conduct problems in childhood are the most common precursor of all types of adult mental health problems. These children are the most common referral to child mental health clinics but little is known about which of these children will go in which direction i.e., good health, chronic antisocial behaviour, depression and anxiety, substance abuse, the psychoses. Progress in more accurately defining subgroups of these children would have huge implications for early intervention for mental health problems in our community. This project proposes the first large scale analysis of genetic distributions through to behavioural and treatment factors that characterise and differentiate a large representative sample of children with conduct problems. The project will test a model of child psychopathology that links genotype, via environmental risk and emotion processing problems, to an improved diagnostic-phenotypic model for treatment of the major childhood disorder. Clinical research activities will be structured into three intersecting arms: first, identifying the genetic and behavioural subtypes of early-onset conduct problems; second, innovative treatments for these children, and third, the dissemination of findings to these children and their families via the health care system. The research will build new collaborations between established and internationally recognised clinical research teams in childhood mental health, biological psychiatry, genetics and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Statewide Network (CAMHSNET). CAMHSNET have specific responsibilities to NSW Health for expert advice and input on the development of child mental health services directions, dissemination, training, and effectiveness research.Read moreRead less
Translating Population Based Mental Health And Ageing Research Into Evidence-based Prevention And Policy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,370,357.00
Summary
Mental health problems and cognitive impairment are major causes of disability in Australia. To tackle these areas, we need to understand their causes, how to prevent them, and the best ways of using this information to improve health for all Australians. This project aims to develop six young researchers in five areas of need so that future relevant and responsive research in mental health and ageing is undertaken. In area 1, researchers will learn to develop and test Internet interventions tha ....Mental health problems and cognitive impairment are major causes of disability in Australia. To tackle these areas, we need to understand their causes, how to prevent them, and the best ways of using this information to improve health for all Australians. This project aims to develop six young researchers in five areas of need so that future relevant and responsive research in mental health and ageing is undertaken. In area 1, researchers will learn to develop and test Internet interventions that reduce anxiety, depression and drug use. People with no access to doctors or who wish to remain anonymous can then self-treat using these proven tools. Area 2 provides training so that researchers from different expert areas understand enough of each other's discipline to tackle the process of ageing - to understand how to stay healthy longer and how to avoid dementia. This area requires expertise and collaboration in genetics, biology, psychology, mathematical modelling and imaging (brain scans), to name just a few specialities required. Area 3 provides training in statistical methods. New methods are needed to analyse increasingly complex and large data sets. In Area 4 researchers are trained to conduct research that consumers (people with anxiety and depression) want to see done. Researchers with direct experience of anxiety and depression will be trained to produce high quality research that meets the needs of those who have these disorders. Finally, Area 5 provides training in getting the outcomes of the research understood by those who make decisions about health priorities and budgets. Many of the gaps in capacity we will address have come about by rapid developments in health and communication technologies and by the recognition that research needs to be more relevant and responsible. Because these gaps require the development of sophisticated knowledge, and the development of new techniques, knowledge and processes, long term stable funding is required.Read moreRead less