Improving Access To Psychological Treatment And The Mental Health Of Australians With Chronic Physical Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
Most Australians will have to manage one or more chronic health conditions in their lifetime. Poor mental health is known to significantly compromise the medical treatment, self-management and, thus, the prognosis of adults with chronic physical disease. The proposed fellowship seeks to address three critical knowledge gaps limiting our ability to support the mental health of Australians with chronic physical diseases.
‘Equally Well’: Addressing Comorbid Physical, Mental, And Substance Use Disorders With Psychological Interventions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$715,210.00
Summary
Mental ill-health, substance use and chronic physical illness go hand in hand, yet treatment for all three health issues is rarely delivered. Amanda Baker is leading a team trialling psychological interventions for these co-existing health issues suitable for delivery in mental health, substance use and medical settings. Telephone and online interventions are also being developed. Addressing these three co-existing health concerns is expected to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life.
Self-compassion: Promoting Resilience And Wellbeing In Adolescent Populations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$68,946.00
Summary
The importance of targeting early symptoms of poor mental health in adolescence cannot be underestimated. Self-compassion is linked with psychological wellbeing and may serve as a protective mechanism against psychopathological trajectories. I will investigate self-compassion in adolescence, and develop two early-intervention programs; for a high-school and a chronic illness population. To investigate this, my PhD will involve 2 empirical studies, meta-analysis, and 2 intervention studies.
Developing A Psychological Model Of Care For Adolescents And Young Adults With Complex Congenital Heart Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,117.00
Summary
Adolescents and young adults with complex congenital heart disease face many challenges including the need for lifelong cardiac surveillance, medication, and navigating normal transitions such as developing independence; factors which place the individual at risk of psychological morbidity. Determining risk factors contributing to loss to follow-up and psychological morbidity is needed to develop evidence-based psychological interventions, which are strongly recommended but currently lacking.
Improving Outcomes For Children With Chronic Illness Through Evidence-based Intervention, Improved Implementation And Enhanced Health Psychology Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$476,728.00
Summary
I lead Australasia's largest research group improving physical/mental health in families of children with cancer. With this CDF, I will broaden my work across child illnesses and internationally. I will introduce novel programs into the clinic/community, ensure technologies are delivered safely and improve health psychology research. I will increase collaboration across diseases and support emerging researchers. Evidence from this CDF will directly inform future child health services and policy.
Increasing Access To Effective Psychological Treatment For Australians With Chronic Physical Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,627.00
Summary
Chronic physical diseases have a profound impact on Australian lives. The rates of anxiety and depression among Australians with chronic physical diseases are very high. However, less than 1 in 5 access any mental health treatment and, of those, less than 1 in 2 receive an effective psychological treatment. This project combines two significant innovations with the goal of increasing access to effective mental health treatment for Australians with chronic physical disease.
Wellbeing Intervention For Chronic Kidney Disease (WICKD): A Trial Of The Aboriginal And Islander Mental Health Initiative (AIMhi) Stay Strong App.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,031,562.00
Summary
Kidney disease is 10 times higher for Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Treatment involves many losses (time, functioning, role and disconnection from family and country). This study is the first to explore effectiveness of a culturally adapted electronic mental health intervention – The AIMhi Stay Strong App for improving wellbeing, quality of life and treatment adherence for Indigenous patients on haemodialysis. Cost effectiveness of the intervention is also assessed.
Improving Quality Of Life In Late Stage Bipolar Disorder: RCT Of A Novel Psychological Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,083,620.00
Summary
Hundreds of thousands of Australians have bipolar disorder and receive minimal benefit from existing drug and psychological treatments. ORBIT 2.0 is a new low-intensity online treatment using mindfulness strategies to improve quality of life in this poorly served ‘late stage’ group. Pilot testing suggests ORBIT is effective. This project will refine the intervention and is expected to confirm its clinical and cost effectiveness prior to international roll-out.
A Randomised Control Trial Of Non-specific Clinical Management Versus CBT In Chronic Anorexia Nervosa
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,843.00
Summary
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental illness that usually starts in adolescence and often runs a chronic course. With an estimated prevalence rate between 0.5% and 3.7% of women, and up to 50% remaining chronically ill, the illness poses a disproportionate burden on health and social services. AN has inpatient costs alone that exceed that for schizophrenia. Chronic AN has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Chronic AN patients are known for their ambivalence about engaging in ....Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental illness that usually starts in adolescence and often runs a chronic course. With an estimated prevalence rate between 0.5% and 3.7% of women, and up to 50% remaining chronically ill, the illness poses a disproportionate burden on health and social services. AN has inpatient costs alone that exceed that for schizophrenia. Chronic AN has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Chronic AN patients are known for their ambivalence about engaging in treatment and poor motivation to change their eating disorder behaviours. They often fail to respond to traditional treatments and develop a history of negative treatment experiences and repeated treatment failures. A new approach is needed to reduce both the personal suffering and the burden of the illness on social and medical services. To date, there has been little scientific investigation into the development of specific treatment for those patients with chronic AN. This study will trial a recently manualised therapy - non-specific supportive clinical management - which initial evidence suggests may hold promise for chronic AN because it offers a more indirect, motivationally-matched approach. This treatment will be compared to the establishment therapy Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Patients will be randomly allocated to one of the two treatment conditions and will receive 40 sessions over 12 months. They will be thoroughly assessed prior to during and after they have completed treatment and followed up for 6 months. This is the worlds first trial of a psychological treatment for chronic AN; it is hoped the study will establish an effective treatment for this debilitating and expensive illness. Further, as the project aims to explore the core, but often over-looked, feature of AN - poor motivation for recovery - it will also be in a position to shed light on the deep psychological processes that maintain this illness.Read moreRead less