LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF BEHAVIOUR AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$761,790.00
Summary
Families caring for young people with intellectual disabilities face major burdens of care if the young person also has serious behaviour problems. These behaviour problems are also costly for our community. This project is intended to assist young people and their carers by providing new information about the factors contributing to these behaviour problems and how they develop over time. The project makes use of an internationally unique follow up study which has followed a group of young peop ....Families caring for young people with intellectual disabilities face major burdens of care if the young person also has serious behaviour problems. These behaviour problems are also costly for our community. This project is intended to assist young people and their carers by providing new information about the factors contributing to these behaviour problems and how they develop over time. The project makes use of an internationally unique follow up study which has followed a group of young people aged 4-18 for the last eight years. The young people are now entering a critical age band facing many changes in their lives such as the possibility of independent living, work challenges, as well as a search for new social relationships and day activities in the post-school period. Also they face increased risk for mental health problems which most commonly emerge in this age group, particularly psychosis and depression. This project promises to determine how the young people cope with these challenges and what steps our community needs to make to assist them and their families to reach an optimal adjustment.Read moreRead less
Acute Stress Disorder And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Injured Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,000.00
Summary
The aim of this project is to develop the means to identify acute reactions to trauma that will predict chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children after a traumatic injury. This project will conduct the first prospective analysis of acute stress disorder and chronic traumatic stress symptoms in children, develop diagnostic guidelines to identify acutely traumatized children who are at risk of PTSD, and identify biological, cognitive, and familial factors that mediate PTSD developme ....The aim of this project is to develop the means to identify acute reactions to trauma that will predict chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children after a traumatic injury. This project will conduct the first prospective analysis of acute stress disorder and chronic traumatic stress symptoms in children, develop diagnostic guidelines to identify acutely traumatized children who are at risk of PTSD, and identify biological, cognitive, and familial factors that mediate PTSD development following trauma. Two hundred children (aged 7 - 12 years) who are admitted to hospital following a traumatic injury will be assessed for acute disorder within one month of the accident. They will be also be assessed for heart rate, blood pressure, memory patterns, and family responses during the initial assesment. Parents will also be assessed for their trauma reactions. All participants will be re-assessed at 6-months posttrauma, and again at 18-months posttrauma. These findings will establish the means to identify acutely traumatized children who are at risk of PTSD and open up opportunities for early intervention and prevention of PTSD.Read moreRead less
A Parent Education And Skills Training Early Intervention For Children With Autism
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$305,674.00
Summary
Autism is a severely handicapping disorder adversely affecting social interaction, communication, and behaviour, interests and activities. Over the past 9 years our team has conducted a follow-up study of a large group of 111 Australian children and adolescents with autism. The young people have continued to have very high levels of emotional and behavioural disturbance and generally do not improve. Parents of children with autism are under significant amounts of stress; reporting high levels of ....Autism is a severely handicapping disorder adversely affecting social interaction, communication, and behaviour, interests and activities. Over the past 9 years our team has conducted a follow-up study of a large group of 111 Australian children and adolescents with autism. The young people have continued to have very high levels of emotional and behavioural disturbance and generally do not improve. Parents of children with autism are under significant amounts of stress; reporting high levels of disturbed family functioning and mental health problems. Although there is no cure, children benefit most when early help is provided (under 5 years). There are several promising interventions based on intensive behaviour and educational management, for example requiring 40 hours per week of therapist contact over 2 years. Such programs are costly and impractical as widely available treatment options. Training parents to understand and manage their child also shows promise. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a parent skills training and education treatment program compared to supportive therapy, and to generally available community services. The therapists will follow a treatment manual that will ensure a consistent and replicable approach. The progress of the children with autism and their families will be reassessed immediately after treatment, and at 1 and 2 years post-treatment in order to ascertain immediate and long-term effects of the treatment. If treatment proves to be of use, we will have established a defined, cost efficient, practical and effective model of early treatment that can be easily taught to professionals and widely disseminated throughout early childhood services.Read moreRead less
Enhancing Treatment Effectiveness In Acute Stress Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$235,330.00
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common psychiatric condition to develop after trauma. Early intervention of PTSD following a trauma is indicated because chronic PTSD can be resistant to treatment. Early intervention is possible because acute stress disorder immediately after a trauma identifies those people who will develop chronic PTSD. Although cognitive behaviour therapy of acute stress disorder can effectively prevent PTSD in many cases, many people do not benefit from this ....Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common psychiatric condition to develop after trauma. Early intervention of PTSD following a trauma is indicated because chronic PTSD can be resistant to treatment. Early intervention is possible because acute stress disorder immediately after a trauma identifies those people who will develop chronic PTSD. Although cognitive behaviour therapy of acute stress disorder can effectively prevent PTSD in many cases, many people do not benefit from this treatment because this treatment involves exposure to distressing memories and emotions, and this contributes to many people dropping out of treatment. This project aims to extend the utility of early intervention following trauma by assessing approaches that can be used by most trauma survivors. The project compares early intervention with either exposure, cognitive therapy, combined exposure and cognitive therapy, or supportive counseling. All therapy will be conducted in the initial four weeks and will comprise 6 sessions. Assessments will be conducted posttreatment, six-months follow-up, and one-year follow-up. The outcomes of this project will have significant public health benefits because they will lead to increased treatment effectiveness for acutely traumatized people, and will markedly reduce the incidence of PTSD in the community.Read moreRead less
Functional And Structural Imaging Of Auditory Infomation Processing Deficits In Recent-onset And Chronic Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,000.00
Summary
Abnormalities in the auditory system have long been suspected to be present among people who suffer from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, due in part to the high prevalence of auditory hallucinations amongst these patients. Over the last decade, a group of Australian researchers have identified an index of auditory information processing, recorded from scalp electrodes, that is abnormal in patients with schizophrenia, and their biological relatives. The present project will examine t ....Abnormalities in the auditory system have long been suspected to be present among people who suffer from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, due in part to the high prevalence of auditory hallucinations amongst these patients. Over the last decade, a group of Australian researchers have identified an index of auditory information processing, recorded from scalp electrodes, that is abnormal in patients with schizophrenia, and their biological relatives. The present project will examine the relationship between these electrophysiological findings, and a new non-invasive technique of functional brain imaging, looking at changes in blood flow, that can identify the specific brain regions that are active during auditory information processing, and link these to the sources of the scalp recorded measures. Both of these functional measures will be examined in relation to the volumes of brain tissue, measured from magnetic resonance imaging scans using new analysis tools, that enable the identification of subtle changes in brain anatomy. By examining patients who have recently developed schizophrenia, those who have suffered from the illness for longer periods of time, and their close relatives, this study will provide the opportunity to identify biological markers of increased vulnerability for the development of schizophrenia.Read moreRead less
Panic Disorder: Neurobiology And Mechanisms Of Cardiac Risks
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$414,375.00
Summary
Some people are subject to episodes of recurring, often inexplicable anxiety which are very unpleasant and accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, palpitations, tremor and a sensation of suffocation. Recurring attacks over a period of months, or years, forms the basis for the diagnosis of panic disorder. It has until recently been felt that although panic disorder was distressing and disabling, it did not constitute a risk to life. Sufferers often fear that they have heart disease, be ....Some people are subject to episodes of recurring, often inexplicable anxiety which are very unpleasant and accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, palpitations, tremor and a sensation of suffocation. Recurring attacks over a period of months, or years, forms the basis for the diagnosis of panic disorder. It has until recently been felt that although panic disorder was distressing and disabling, it did not constitute a risk to life. Sufferers often fear that they have heart disease, because of the nature of their symptoms, but have been reassured that this is not the case. Recent epidemiological studies, however, indicate that there is an increased risk of heart risk in patients with panic disorder. Our hypotheses in this research are as follows: That panic disorder is characterised by increased release of the brain chemical messenger, serotonin, which is reversed by drug treatment with the most widely used class of drugs for this disorder, selective serotonin reuptake blockers That changes in an automatic stimulatory part of the nervous system, has primary importance in the disorder, in both genetically predisposing to panic disorder, and in mediating heart risk. That weight gain during therapy, a very common problem, is due to inhibition of brain serotonin release. We will test all these propositions using state of the art clinical scientific methods. Panic disorder has an important cardiological dimension which needs to be better understood for cardiac protection to be achieved in panic disorder patients. Our study of the mechanisms of cardiac risk should provide this. We will also provide very direct, valid measurements of chemical messenger release in the brain of panic disorder sufferers, using our unique methods. These should give a new understanding of the brain chemistry abnormalities of panic disorder, and the mechanism of action of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.Read moreRead less
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Genes, Cognition And Brain Activity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,602.00
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder of childhood that is marked by age-inappropriate levels of inattention and-or hyperactivity-impulsivity. The disorder appears genetic with a number of different genes likely contributing risk for ADHD. I will use a multi-modal (genetic, cognitive, neurochemical, physiological) approach to increase our understanding of the biological mechanisms leading from gene to disorder in ADHD.
Solving The Jigsaw! Understanding Biological And Environmental Effects On ADHD Through Discordant Mononozygotic Twins
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$557,500.00
Summary
The recent Child and Adolescent component of the National Mental Health Survey identified Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) as the most common behavioural problem among Australian children. Since 1991 our Australian Twin ADHD Project (ATAP) has developed as one of the world's largest programs on the genetics of ADHD, and in 2001 we published the first text on this topic. In this grant we turn the focus onto environmental influences with the question Why can one identical twin have A ....The recent Child and Adolescent component of the National Mental Health Survey identified Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) as the most common behavioural problem among Australian children. Since 1991 our Australian Twin ADHD Project (ATAP) has developed as one of the world's largest programs on the genetics of ADHD, and in 2001 we published the first text on this topic. In this grant we turn the focus onto environmental influences with the question Why can one identical twin have ADHD, while the other twin has no difficulties? Using the unique resources of the Australian Twin Registry and the WA Twin Child Health Study, we shall work across the country to find over 100 identical twin pairs who are very different in ADHD. In this way, each ADHD affected twin has an unaffected 'control twin', offering a powerful means for comparing the two. Such a study is really only possible in Australia, as no other country has such twin resources for research. The questions we want to consider with these children include the following 1- Twins have a more difficult time before and at birth. To what extent do these problems contribute to differences between the twins? 2- Are there differences in specific aspects of brain functioning? 3- Is it that one twin grows out of their ADHD but the other does not? If so, what distinguishes the children? 4- What is it like growing up with a twin who has ADHD, when you have no difficulties yourself? 5- When one twin has ADHD symptoms, is the family more likely to seek help, as they can see how different this child is form the other twin? Obviously identical twins in wehich only one has ADHD are a very unique group. By covering all aspects of development, from brain functioning to service utilisation, the hope is that this study will provide invaluable insights into this common condition which will help all children and families where the diagnosis of ADHD has been made.Read moreRead less
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
A Randomised Controlled Trial Of Internet-based Therapy For Panic Disorder.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$202,575.00
Summary
Approximately 9.7% of the adult population have an anxiety disorder with one of the more common, panic disorder, often with agoraphobia, afflicting 2.4% of the community. Around 8% of patients consulting a GP also have panic disorder (PD). A further 10% of the community experience spontaneous panic, but do not have full PD (termed non-clinical panic). People with PD frequently experience clinical depression, about 15% abuse alcohol and non-prescription drugs and PD is associated with an increase ....Approximately 9.7% of the adult population have an anxiety disorder with one of the more common, panic disorder, often with agoraphobia, afflicting 2.4% of the community. Around 8% of patients consulting a GP also have panic disorder (PD). A further 10% of the community experience spontaneous panic, but do not have full PD (termed non-clinical panic). People with PD frequently experience clinical depression, about 15% abuse alcohol and non-prescription drugs and PD is associated with an increased risk of suicide. Over time people with PD appear to have an increased risk of heart problems. They also have substantial financial burdens through multiple attendances at doctors' rooms and through restricted employment opportunities. Only just over one in four people with an anxiety disorder consults a health professional for their problems, with most going to their GP. It has been estimated that less than 10% of these people seek the services of a mental health specialist such as a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. Therefore because of blocks to do with access, cost or embarrassment, many people with mental health problems do not seek face-to-face specialised mental health treatment. People in rural and regional Australia are particularly disadvantaged by limited access to these specialists. We have developed an internet-based treatment program on panic and anxiety for people in the community, and particularly in regional Australia. Early evaluation of this program has found it is more effective than other types of therapist-assisted self-help treatment. The aim of this research project is to compare it to best-practice face-to-face psychological and pharmacological treatment for PD. If the effectiveness of our internet-based treatment is comparable to best-practice face-to-face treatment, its availability will assist the many Australians who suffer from debilitating panic but who are unable to access specialised mental health assistance.Read moreRead less