Mental Health Literacy And Action To Deal With Mental Heath Problems: A Longitudinal Study Of Young Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$161,745.00
Summary
Many young people with mental health problems do not get adequate professional help because they lack relevant knowledge. This study will find out what type of knowledge is important for improving appropriate help-seeking by young Australians. Young people who were surveyed two years earlier to assess their mental health knowledge will be followed up to see whether they developed a mental health problem and what action they took to deal with it.
Depression, Anxiety And Somatic Distress: Syndromal Structure And Relationship To Onset Of Clinical Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$224,085.00
Summary
The project aims to identify the principal dimensions or syndromes underlying symptoms of psychological distress (negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety, stress and fatigue). We plan to use an intensive longitudinal design to examine how these syndromes develop into episodes of clinical disorder. We expect that episodes of disorder will be predicted not only by closely related syndromes, but also by other causally related syndromes - for example, a period of increased anxiety and ....The project aims to identify the principal dimensions or syndromes underlying symptoms of psychological distress (negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety, stress and fatigue). We plan to use an intensive longitudinal design to examine how these syndromes develop into episodes of clinical disorder. We expect that episodes of disorder will be predicted not only by closely related syndromes, but also by other causally related syndromes - for example, a period of increased anxiety and stress may precipitate a depressive disorder. This information is important for understanding the aetiology of clinical disorders, for refining diagnostic criteria, and for the prediction and prevention of disorder. We also plan to collect information about the degree of disability that people suffer and the type of health services they access at various levels of severity of each syndrome. We expect that subclinical levels of some syndromes will be associated with substantial impairment and service usage, but that for other syndromes impairment will be minimal until clinical levels of severity are reached. This information will give a more complete picture of the community-wide burden of emotional distress, and will be directly relevant to health planning and policy.Read moreRead less
Beyond Motherhood: A 27-year Follow-up Of The Mental Health Of Mid-age Women.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,755,651.00
Summary
There have been few studies of the causes and consequences of anxiety disorders yet they are disabiling, chronic and impair life prospects particularly for women. Environmental factors hold the greatest promise to understanding their natural history and for mitigating their effects. This proposal is for a 27 year follow up of women participating in the Mater University Study of Pregnancy to understand the development of anxiety disorders and comorbid depression and substance use.
Effect Of Naltrexone Treatment On Mental Health And Other Health Outcomes : A Record Linkage Study.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$111,625.00
Summary
Research has shown that heroin use is an increasing habit of Australia's youth with morbidity and mortality rates for regular heroin users significantly greater than that for the general population. Despite the introduction of a number of treatment options to combat the problem, the management of dependent heroin use has proved problematic. This application addresses an issue of considerable importance and controversy in recent years, namely, the impact of naltrexone and methadone treatment on m ....Research has shown that heroin use is an increasing habit of Australia's youth with morbidity and mortality rates for regular heroin users significantly greater than that for the general population. Despite the introduction of a number of treatment options to combat the problem, the management of dependent heroin use has proved problematic. This application addresses an issue of considerable importance and controversy in recent years, namely, the impact of naltrexone and methadone treatment on morbidity and mortality among persons who are heroin dependent. The study will be carried out using a unique system of linked hospital records from the Western Australian Health Services Research Linkage Unit at the Department of Health Western Australia (DHWA). Through this system hospital, mental health and death records derived from different sources, but related to the same individual are electronically linked. Hence, record linkage provides an independent method for obtaining information on treatment outcomes which is free from subjective bias. In the current study records from heroin users who entered naltrexone maintenance and a smaller group who entered methadone maintenance will be linked to the DHWA database. Collectively these data will be used to quantify morbidity, hospital episodes, mental health issues and mortality in heroin users following commencement of naltrexone maintenance treatment. Data will also be used to compare positive and negative outcomes for individuals on naltrexone with those on methadone. The results will be used to advocate on behalf of this vulnerable population in a country that prides itself on universal access to high quality health services. It is anticipated that this study will have a substantial beneficial impact on the management of illicit drug use policy and as well as contributing new research methods, findings and international knowledge.Read moreRead less