Improving School Transition By Improving Child Sleep: A Translational Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$745,827.00
Summary
A successful transition to school sets a child on a path for life. A poor transition can lead to early drop out, poor peer relationships and poor emotional skills. In 2008/09, we found that a brief sleep intervention for children improved key determinants of a successful transition including social-emotional functioning and parent mental health. We now plan to see if the same intervention, delivered by school nurses, can have a similar effect.
A Randomised Trial Of The Augmentation Of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy With Fluoxetine For Anxious School Refusing Youth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$539,191.00
Summary
School refusing youth consistently suffer from anxiety and sometimes depression. They become severely emotionally distressed when taken to school and experience social and academic difficulties in the short and long term as well as psychiatric illness in adulthood. Our program investigates whether treatment can be improved by enhancing psychotherapy (cognitive behaviour therapy) which helps over half of anxious school refusing children, with antidepressant-anxiety medication compared to placebo.
Testing A Comprehensive Targeted Intervention To Reduce Student Bullying.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$620,000.00
Summary
The serious effects of frequent bullying suffered by targets remains a major public health problem, with limited evidence to help school staff to successfully treat students who frequently bully others. This study is innovative as it involves students at a time of heightened risk of bullying and measures the additional contribution of comprehensive training and support to school staff, such as school psychologists who work with students who bully, to a whole school bullying prevention program.
Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Mobile Preschool For Child Health And Development In Remote Aboriginal Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,369.00
Summary
This project is a retrospective study of the effectiveness of the NT Mobile Preschool Program using assessment data for children's emergent literacy, social and emotional competencies and health status. Effectiveness will be established by comparison with achievement and health status data for children not attending preschool and those in communities with no preschool service. The study will identify and describe the key factors influencing the health and learning outcomes of the three groups.
Young people's narratives of socio-economic disadvantage and educational opportunities in contexts of place-based interventions. Society and individuals suffer when young people from disadvantaged areas become disengaged from school. This project will inform educational policy by generating knowledge from young people about the resources they use to make educational decisions.
Reducing Peer Victimisation In Australian Schools Through Targeted And Universal Approaches
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,063,531.00
Summary
Peer victimisation is a significant problem for young people in Australia and can lead to devastating long-term consequences including poor self esteem, depression and suicide. The current project aims to identify the most cost effective methods to reduce peer victimisation in schools. This will combine programs applied across the whole school with a more targeted program building resilience in vulnerable children. The results will have important implications for anti-bullying policies in school ....Peer victimisation is a significant problem for young people in Australia and can lead to devastating long-term consequences including poor self esteem, depression and suicide. The current project aims to identify the most cost effective methods to reduce peer victimisation in schools. This will combine programs applied across the whole school with a more targeted program building resilience in vulnerable children. The results will have important implications for anti-bullying policies in schools.Read moreRead less
Pathways To Prevention: The Effectiveness Of Universal And Selective Prevention In Altering Developmental Pathways To Alcohol And Cannabis Related Harms In Young Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,967.00
Summary
This project will assess the potential long-term benefits for young Australians of two school-based drug prevention programs (Climate Schools and Preventure) compared to drug education as usual. This world-first study will inform national and international policy by evaluating whether prevention programs delivered in Year 8 are effective in reducing alcohol and cannabis related harms, including risk of aggression and violence, over the high risk period during young adulthood (ages 18-20).
THE EFFECT OF STRESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT ON DISEASE PROGRESSION IN MESIAL TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$578,201.00
Summary
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition for which there is currently no effective disease modifying treatment. This proposal will explore whether co-morbid stress accelerates disease progression in MTLE, and whether targeting stress pathways by medical and environmental manipulations can mitigate against this.
Identifying New Targets For Primary School Mental Health Interventions Using Population Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$798,882.00
Summary
This project assesses the mental health and well-being of ~87,000 children aged 10 years in New South Wales, and links this information (anonymously) with data on school-based mental health interventions, and data on health, education, and welfare collected from birth. We will identify factors that promote mental health and reduce ill-health. We hope to improve child health by developing new ways to detect early vulnerability for ill-health, and by identifying new health promotion opportunities.