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The Role Of Learning In The Development, Maintenance, And Treatment Of Paediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$189,604.00
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children is a severely debilitating mental health problem affecting between 0.5 and 1% of the population at any point in time. Children with OCD frequently experience high functional impairment as a result of their symptoms, including deteriorating school performance and poor peer relationships. Family life is often disrupted, causing significant distress and hardship to parents and siblings. However, little research attention has been paid to how families ....Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children is a severely debilitating mental health problem affecting between 0.5 and 1% of the population at any point in time. Children with OCD frequently experience high functional impairment as a result of their symptoms, including deteriorating school performance and poor peer relationships. Family life is often disrupted, causing significant distress and hardship to parents and siblings. However, little research attention has been paid to how families affect and are affected by this disabling condition. This research examines the role of learning in the development, maintenance and treatment of OCD. Specifically, the study aims to: 1. explore the way in which children with OCD process threatening information 2. investigate the influence of parents on children's processing of OCD-relevant information 3. develop and implement the world's first randomised control trial of cognitive-behavioural plus parent training (CBT + PT) for childhood OCD 4. evaluate parent-assisted treatment in comparison to a standard cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) and a placebo control 5. examine the long-term maintenance of each type of treatment The outcomes of this project will be: 1. an improved understanding of OCD in children, and their families 2. an increased knowledge of the relationship between parenting processes and OCD symptomatology 3. the development and dissemination of an evidence-based treatment for childhood OCDRead moreRead less
Autism and its milder forms affect approximately 6 per 1,000 children. The biological basis of the disorder is unknown, so considerable research is being invested in identifying cognitive processes that are atypical in children with autism because this may help identify key areas of the brain affected by the disorder. This research has established that children with autism often outperform their typically developing peers on tasks that require detailed analysis of visual information. In contrast ....Autism and its milder forms affect approximately 6 per 1,000 children. The biological basis of the disorder is unknown, so considerable research is being invested in identifying cognitive processes that are atypical in children with autism because this may help identify key areas of the brain affected by the disorder. This research has established that children with autism often outperform their typically developing peers on tasks that require detailed analysis of visual information. In contrast, visual tasks that require integrating information often reveal impaired performance in children with autism. Human vision is achieved through two pathways in the brain - a dorsal pathway most responsive to changing (e.g. moving or flickering) stimuli and a ventral pathway most responsive to enduring stimulus features (e.g. colour, pattern). Increasingly complex visual processing is achieved at higher levels in each pathway through integrating information from lower levels. One objective of our work is to identify which levels of processing in each of the dorsal and ventral pathways show atypical functioning (either enhanced or impaired) in autism. We will do this using tasks designed to establish thresholds for different perceptual judgements, such as identifying patterns in a field of dots. Children with autism will be compared to typically developing children and also to children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). This will enable us to establish whether the same profile of strengths and weaknesses in perception and cognition are observed in autism and SLI, or whether they can be distinguished on this basis. The significance of the work is that it will advance considerably the understanding of atypical visual processing in autism and SLI. Also, by identifying perceptual and cognitive differences in children with autism, we may be able to develop tests to identify infants affected by the disorder and commence remediation at an early age.Read moreRead less
Organizational Change And Treatment Of Depression And Dementia In Aged Care Facilities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,052.00
Summary
Mental health disorders are common in aged care settings. However, these problems are not well managed. This situation results in distress for residents and family members, as well as high levels of burnout and turnover among staff. This project will address the organizational barriers with the aim of better managing and treating depression and behavioural problems associated with dementia.
How Can We Influence The Ways That Research And Other Information Are Used In Health Policy And Program Organisations?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$57,140.00
Summary
My research aims to improve methods for getting research into health policy decision-making. My PhD will investigate aspects of design, implementation and evaluation of research utilisation interventions. It will: 1. Increase understanding of the factors that mediate these interventions; 2. Increase empirical understanding of what strategies are most effective in improving research utilisation in different contexts, and 3. Provide concrete guidance for how to design, implement and evaluate such
Investigations Into The Onset And Persistence Of Severe Health Anxiety (hypochondriasis), And The Development Of Innovative Psychological Interventions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$313,096.00
Summary
This program of research will investigate the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural factors that are involved in the onset and persistence of severe health anxiety (hypochondriasis). It will also test the effectiveness of innovative psychological interventions for the disorder.
Improving Alcohol Treatment Outcomes: The Impact Of Client, Intervention And System Variables On Treatment Outcomes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,525,879.00
Summary
Patient outcomes are significantly influenced by a number of factors including the characteristics of the patient, the type of treatment provided, and the characteristics of the system in which care is delivered. This study aims to determine how these factors influence outcomes for people seeking treatment for alcohol dependence. It will provide critical information for policy makers on which to base minimum service standards.
Addressing Foundational Impediments To The Translation Of Chronic Disease Prevention Interventions In Community Settings
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,144.00
Summary
Smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, poor diet, and obesity are among the most important risk factors of chronic disease. While research has identified a number of effective interventions to address these risks, most have not been designed to be implemented in the community. Furthermore, little research has been undertaken to identify effective methods to achieve large-scale implementation of effective interventions. My fellowship seeks to address these issues.