Preventing Suicide In Young People: A Public Health Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
Suicide is the leading cause of death in young Australians. This fellowship aims to lower risk for suicide by testing: a) whether improving the connectedness of adolescents in schools can improve help-seeking, b) whether parents can learn to recognise risk in their children, and c) whether school screening is an appropriate and effective strategy to reduce risk. Practical outcomes will be new programs for youth, new strategies for parents and a better integrated approach for Australian schools.
Adaptive Screening For Depression, Anxiety And Suicidality For Online Interventions And Primary Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
A large proportion of people with depression, anxiety or suicidality do not seek help. Existing methods to screen for these conditions are not sufficiently effective and are not well incorporated into health care systems. This study will develop new, individually tailored ways to screen for mental health conditions. The study will test the implementation of these screening tools into a tailored service that combines online and primary care services.
Reducing Childbirth Related Fear And Preference For Caesarean Section: A RCT Of A Midwife-led Psycho-education Intervention (APRIME)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$487,116.00
Summary
In 2008 34% of mothers had a caesarean section in Queensland. Women who are fearful are more likely to want and have a surgical delivery. We will recruit and train midwives to provide counselling and education about birth choices to fearful women during pregnancy. Our program (APRIME) enables women to work through fearful elements of childbirth, review their expectations/ experiences and develop a realistic plan. We predict that women receiving APRIME will report less fear and prefer a normal bi ....In 2008 34% of mothers had a caesarean section in Queensland. Women who are fearful are more likely to want and have a surgical delivery. We will recruit and train midwives to provide counselling and education about birth choices to fearful women during pregnancy. Our program (APRIME) enables women to work through fearful elements of childbirth, review their expectations/ experiences and develop a realistic plan. We predict that women receiving APRIME will report less fear and prefer a normal birth.Read moreRead less
Development And Population-based Validation Of Hierarchical Adaptive Mental Health Screeners
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$391,710.00
Summary
Although 45% of all Australians will experience a lifetime mental disorder, methods to identify mental health problems are inadequate. This project will develop and validate new mental health screening tools, building on a new generation of screeners developed in the US. These screeners will be tailored to the individual, resulting in highly precise and flexible assessment tools. The screeners will be tested in a large community survey, forming the basis for future tailored mental health service ....Although 45% of all Australians will experience a lifetime mental disorder, methods to identify mental health problems are inadequate. This project will develop and validate new mental health screening tools, building on a new generation of screeners developed in the US. These screeners will be tailored to the individual, resulting in highly precise and flexible assessment tools. The screeners will be tested in a large community survey, forming the basis for future tailored mental health services.Read moreRead less
The Effectiveness Of A Clinical Practice Change Intervention Increasing Community Mental Health Clinician Adherence To Preventive Care Guidelines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
I am a Health Psychologist focused on the physical health needs of those with a mental illness. Four health risk behaviours - tobacco smoking, risky alcohol use, physical inactivity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, constitute the primary behavioural risks for the most common cause of mortality for those with a mental illness – cardiovascular disease. This project seeks to improve assessment and treatment of these factors through the implementation of strategies to improve clinical ....I am a Health Psychologist focused on the physical health needs of those with a mental illness. Four health risk behaviours - tobacco smoking, risky alcohol use, physical inactivity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, constitute the primary behavioural risks for the most common cause of mortality for those with a mental illness – cardiovascular disease. This project seeks to improve assessment and treatment of these factors through the implementation of strategies to improve clinical practice in community mental health services.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Cognition and its Disorders will advance theory and research in three areas of cognitive science: models of cognitive disorders, the treatment of cognitive disorders, and the neural basis of cognition and its disorders. The Centre's research programs focus on five key domains of cognition, to be investigated individually and collectively: language, memory, person perception, belief formation and reading. Th ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Cognition and its Disorders will advance theory and research in three areas of cognitive science: models of cognitive disorders, the treatment of cognitive disorders, and the neural basis of cognition and its disorders. The Centre's research programs focus on five key domains of cognition, to be investigated individually and collectively: language, memory, person perception, belief formation and reading. The Centre's interdisciplinary research teams will tackle basic questions in cognitive science, and will implement intervention programs that will inform educational policy and practice, with considerable potential impact for the health and social well-being of Australia.Read moreRead less
Epigenetic mechanisms regulating sex differences in fear-related learning and memory. Anxiety disorders represent an enormous burden on society and are associated with premature aging and infertility in men and women. Evidence also indicates that parental anxiety affects child development. Given that fear-related learning has an important influence on emotional health which, in turn, affects lifestyle and the aging process, an understanding of the neural mechanisms mediating sex differences in ....Epigenetic mechanisms regulating sex differences in fear-related learning and memory. Anxiety disorders represent an enormous burden on society and are associated with premature aging and infertility in men and women. Evidence also indicates that parental anxiety affects child development. Given that fear-related learning has an important influence on emotional health which, in turn, affects lifestyle and the aging process, an understanding of the neural mechanisms mediating sex differences in fear learning will enhance our ability to develop better therapeutic approaches for treating anxiety and preventing relapse, potentially through a gender-specific approach. The studies outlined in this proposal will have implications for promoting and maintaining good health.Read moreRead less
Standalone Internet Anxiety Treatment For Stuttering: A Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$516,339.00
Summary
Anxiety-related mental health disorders, particularly social phobia, are common comorbid conditions among adults who stutter. This project establishes randomised controlled trial evidence for the psychological benefits of our Internet CBT treatment. This project also establishes whether our Internet CBT treatment reduces stuttering severity when combined with speech treatment. The design is an open plan, parallel, pragmatic randomised controlled trial.
Randomised Controlled Trial Of The RECOVER Tailored Psychological Intervention For First Episode Bipolar Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,550,291.00
Summary
Bipolar disorder (BD) is one of the most disabling health conditions experienced by young adults, yet there are currently no psychological treatment options specifically developed for early intervention in BD. This project will test if a new psychological intervention called RECOVER, administered to young people who have experienced a first episode of BD, can help prevent this experience from developing into a chronic disorder.
A Stepped Care Approach For The Management Of Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$936,628.00
Summary
Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental disorder in childhood. Research has led to some good treatments but these don't necessarily suit all families. Stepped care is a format that allows the least complicated treatment to be given to a child first, followed by more intense treatments only when needed. The current study aims to compare this approach against a standard, established treatment. We expect the stepped care approach to result in better outcomes at a lower overall cost.