A Translational Model For Indigenous Mental Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$949,893.00
Summary
This Fellowship will be supporting research into indigenous psychosocial wellbeing, as well as the psychological health of refugees and people living in post-conflict settings.
Using An App For Suicide Prevention Amongst Young Indigenous People: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$954,657.00
Summary
Of the many apps now available, a few aim to prevent suicide or improve mental health. None of these has been properly evaluated. Indigenous people under the age of 35 are three to five times more likely to suicide than their non-Indigenous peers and have limited access to suitable support services. This project aims to trial a suicide prevention app designed with and for young indigenous people.
Cluster randomised controlled trial of a psycho-educational intervention for people with a family history of depression for use in general practice. Many individuals with a family history of depression are concerned about their personal risk for depression. This project will develop and evaluate the first online psycho-educational intervention nationally and internationally targeted to individuals with a family history of depression for use in the general practice setting.
Interpreting intrusions: Illuminating the cognitive mechanisms that fuel obsessional thought. This project aims to evaluate a theoretical model regarding the causal and maintaining role that cognitive biases play in obsessional thought. Obsessions are common in the general population and negatively impact health and daily functioning. Individuals struggle with their obsessions but are unable to disengage from them. A pressing question is: what makes an obsession so “sticky”? To answer this quest ....Interpreting intrusions: Illuminating the cognitive mechanisms that fuel obsessional thought. This project aims to evaluate a theoretical model regarding the causal and maintaining role that cognitive biases play in obsessional thought. Obsessions are common in the general population and negatively impact health and daily functioning. Individuals struggle with their obsessions but are unable to disengage from them. A pressing question is: what makes an obsession so “sticky”? To answer this question, this project aims to employ a novel, computerised experimental methodology to directly manipulate cognitive processes proposed to underpin obsessions. This methodology will be used to alter key biases proposed to drive obsessional thinking, thus shedding light on core psychological mechanisms.Read moreRead less
Whether social media literacy mitigates effects of social media in adolescents. This project aims to determine protective and risk factors for problems associated with social media use in early adolescents. In particular, it aims to determine the protective role of social media literacy (the skill to analyse, critique and evaluate social media posts). Although most Australian adolescents use social media, frequent social media engagement and photo-based activities can cause body dissatisfaction, ....Whether social media literacy mitigates effects of social media in adolescents. This project aims to determine protective and risk factors for problems associated with social media use in early adolescents. In particular, it aims to determine the protective role of social media literacy (the skill to analyse, critique and evaluate social media posts). Although most Australian adolescents use social media, frequent social media engagement and photo-based activities can cause body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and compromised well-being. Findings supporting a protective role for social media literacy are expected to inform policy to improve adolescent well-being and pave the way for school-based social media literacy interventions.Read moreRead less
Novel Approaches To Address Barriers To Care For Adolescents And Young Adults With Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$188,786.00
Summary
In Australia, one young person aged 15-29 is diagnosed with cancer every six hours. Psychological disorders are also most likely to be first experienced in this life stage. This research addresses three understudied issues for this vulnerable group: health literacy (how well they understand and manage health information) at diagnosis, psychological adjustment after cancer treatment completion, and distress, communication and decision making when a young person’s cancer cannot be cured.
Impact Of Cognitive Training On Improving Emotional And Cognitive Function: Testing Predictors And Moderators Of Treatment Response In Twins.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$97,419.00
Summary
This project evaluates the effectiveness of a web-based cognitive training tool, MyBrainSolutions, in improving emotional and cognitive function over acute (30 days) and long-term periods (1-year). The impact of the cognitive training on both trained and untrained real-world functions will be investigated, as well as the minimum time commitment required to see improvement. By comparing identical to non-identical twins, a comparison of the relative impact of genetics versus environment in improvi ....This project evaluates the effectiveness of a web-based cognitive training tool, MyBrainSolutions, in improving emotional and cognitive function over acute (30 days) and long-term periods (1-year). The impact of the cognitive training on both trained and untrained real-world functions will be investigated, as well as the minimum time commitment required to see improvement. By comparing identical to non-identical twins, a comparison of the relative impact of genetics versus environment in improving scores can be evaluated.Read moreRead less
Prospective predictors of body image attitudes and dieting beliefs during first years of school: Providing guidance for prevention. Although it is recognised that body dissatisfaction is a risk factor for the development of a wide range of mental health problems, little is known about its early development. There is a distinct increase in body dissatisfaction and dieting awareness during early school years. However, there has not been an exploration of a wide range of family, media, peer and sch ....Prospective predictors of body image attitudes and dieting beliefs during first years of school: Providing guidance for prevention. Although it is recognised that body dissatisfaction is a risk factor for the development of a wide range of mental health problems, little is known about its early development. There is a distinct increase in body dissatisfaction and dieting awareness during early school years. However, there has not been an exploration of a wide range of family, media, peer and school adaptation variables as predictors of body image and weight change behaviours in both girls and boys. This project will examine prospective predictors of body image and related variables in five to seven years old children. Findings will inform development of prevention interventions to assist parents and schools provide a positive body image and eating environment for Australian children.Read moreRead less
Addressing risk factors of overweight and obesity among adolescents in out-of-home care: The Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) study. The health risk of overweight and obesity when adolescents are placed in out-of-home care has been largely ignored. This project will be the first to evaluate a healthy eating and physical activity obesity prevention/intervention program designed specifically for vulnerable and disadvantaged adolescents living in out-of-home residential care.
Scalable Interventions For Co-existing Mental Health And Substance Use Problems: Innovation, Technology And Translation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$811,293.00
Summary
Mental health and substance use problems go hand in hand, yet treatment is delivered separately because staff are not trained to treat both. However, many people with mental health and substance use problems experience difficulties attending different services and counsellors. Amanda Baker is leading a team trialling new, combined counselling interventions so that the same counsellor delivers all treatment. A new healthy lifestyles approach is expected to improve outcomes.