A Telehealth Adaptation Of A Treatment For Chronic Stuttering
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,400.00
Summary
Stuttering can have devastating effects on psychological development, social adjustment, and the realisation of educational and vocational potential. Best practice treatments for chronic stuttering in adulthood and late adolescence stop or reduce stuttering with a systematic process of speech restructuring. However, speech restructuring treatment for chronic stuttering is specialised and resource intensive. Probably half of Australians with chronic stuttering cannot access such specialised treat ....Stuttering can have devastating effects on psychological development, social adjustment, and the realisation of educational and vocational potential. Best practice treatments for chronic stuttering in adulthood and late adolescence stop or reduce stuttering with a systematic process of speech restructuring. However, speech restructuring treatment for chronic stuttering is specialised and resource intensive. Probably half of Australians with chronic stuttering cannot access such specialised treatment services because of distance and lifestyle factors, and because clinicians do not have the resources to provide the treatment. These problems present a research challenge. The present project aims to meet this challenge by developing an innovative treatment model for adults who stutter based on telehealth. This treatment model will make the treatment accessible to all rural and urban dwelling patients with chronic stuttering, and will make the treatment deliverable by every clinician. The research will have significant impact for many end users.Read moreRead less
Risk Factors For Chronic Respiratory Diseases In Middle Age: 36-year Follow-up Of The Tasmanian Asthma Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,750.00
Summary
This project will improve our understanding of the causes of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in adults. CRDs are clearly a major public health problem, but there are no good data on the natural history and risk factors for these diseases. Regular follow-up through childhood to adulthood is the best method to examine these factors, but such data is lacking due to difficulties in conducting long-term studies. The Tasmanian Asthma Study (TAS), based on 8,585 Tasmanians (i.e. probands) born in 1 ....This project will improve our understanding of the causes of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in adults. CRDs are clearly a major public health problem, but there are no good data on the natural history and risk factors for these diseases. Regular follow-up through childhood to adulthood is the best method to examine these factors, but such data is lacking due to difficulties in conducting long-term studies. The Tasmanian Asthma Study (TAS), based on 8,585 Tasmanians (i.e. probands) born in 1961, is one of the worlds most important resources of such information. The probands, their parents (16,267) and siblings (21,044) were first investigated for respiratory problems in 1968. Subsequently, three follow-up surveys were carried out at ages 13 (1974), 20 (1981) and 31 (1992) on either the total or sub-samples of the probands. In 1992, the children and spouses of the probands were also surveyed. Information on all respiratory problems was collected in all the follow-ups, although the main focus of the TAS to date has been asthma. The probands are now reaching the age at which all CRD as a group are beginning to inflict an increasing disease burden, which will become greater in the next two decades. Hence, TAS now provides an ideal opportunity to examine the potential risk factors and natural history of and of CRDs using data collected to date and new data collected at age 43. Also, it will provide a platform for future studies to investigate the progression of CRDs in this cohort. Hence, we propose to carry out the 36 year follow-up of this cohort focusing on CRDs. This will provide important information for preventing chronic respiratory morbidity and disability in the future, which will be original and significant not only in Australia but also internationally.Read moreRead less