Improving mental health nurses’ retention and quality of nursing practice. This project aims to improve mental health nurses’ resilience, retention and quality of practice through implementation of a resilience-building program. There is a critical national shortage of nurses in mental health, and attrition of the mental health nursing workforce is due in large part to workplace stressors. As a world-first in the field, the study will compare outcomes for mental health nurses who participate in ....Improving mental health nurses’ retention and quality of nursing practice. This project aims to improve mental health nurses’ resilience, retention and quality of practice through implementation of a resilience-building program. There is a critical national shortage of nurses in mental health, and attrition of the mental health nursing workforce is due in large part to workplace stressors. As a world-first in the field, the study will compare outcomes for mental health nurses who participate in the resilience program with a group of nurses who do not. Extending on a successful pilot, we expect the outcomes to be improved nurse resilience, turnover intention, and quality of nursing practice, and reduced negative psychological impacts of workplace stress. Read moreRead less
A critical psychological investigation of nurses' experiences, understandings and perceptions of nursing eating disordered patients. This innovative project will investigate the experiences, understandings and perceptions of nurses working with eating disordered patients in hospital contexts. Nurses currently nursing eating disordered patients will be interviewed in depth using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatum. The interview transcr ....A critical psychological investigation of nurses' experiences, understandings and perceptions of nursing eating disordered patients. This innovative project will investigate the experiences, understandings and perceptions of nurses working with eating disordered patients in hospital contexts. Nurses currently nursing eating disordered patients will be interviewed in depth using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatum. The interview transcripts will then be systematically analysed using a qualitative discourse analytic methodology. The aim will be to identify the specific discursive resources that nurses use to frame and make sense of their experiences, understandings and perceptions of nursing eating disordered patients. The project has clinical and social scientific significance, and will contribute to improved treatment outcomes.Read moreRead less
Creating effective employment solutions for youth with psychosis. Young people with severe mental illness face the general difficulty of finding paid work, and the specific difficulty of finding employment which can accommodate their health needs. Without early intervention, and access to supported employment, health and rehabilitation services, these young Australians face long-term welfare dependency. This Project will identify leading international models that provide supported employment for ....Creating effective employment solutions for youth with psychosis. Young people with severe mental illness face the general difficulty of finding paid work, and the specific difficulty of finding employment which can accommodate their health needs. Without early intervention, and access to supported employment, health and rehabilitation services, these young Australians face long-term welfare dependency. This Project will identify leading international models that provide supported employment for young people with psychosis and examine why such effective and integrated support models have not been implemented domestically. The Project will then develop a detailed policy and funding framework to facilitate the adoption or adaptation of international best practice in Australia.Read moreRead less
Building resilience in Aceh. The poor health, academic, and mental health functioning of Acehnese people is one of the major public health problems in the Asian Pacific region. This project will identify the specific factors that lead to these problems and provide an evidence base to shape future empirically-informed interventions to reduce mental health problems in Acehnese communities. This project directly addresses the priority of safeguarding Australia by establishing an empirical platform ....Building resilience in Aceh. The poor health, academic, and mental health functioning of Acehnese people is one of the major public health problems in the Asian Pacific region. This project will identify the specific factors that lead to these problems and provide an evidence base to shape future empirically-informed interventions to reduce mental health problems in Acehnese communities. This project directly addresses the priority of safeguarding Australia by establishing an empirical platform to shape future policies for enhancing the social and emotional well-being of one of Australia's important northern neighbours.Read moreRead less
Separation anxiety in pregnancy: associations with oxytocin release, attachment styles and mother-infant interactions. This world's first longitudinal study will investigate the role of the hormone oxytocin in maternal anxiety and mother-infant interactions. This project aims to better understand and address the transmission of anxiety and bonding difficulties across generations.
Policing services and the mentally ill: An evidence-based good practice model. Community safety is at the forefront of policing policy and procedure. As gatekeepers to the criminal justice (and to a lesser extent the mental health) systems, the police play a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of the community. This programme of research will provide much needed quality information and empirical evidence about the current practices, policies, and procedures ....Policing services and the mentally ill: An evidence-based good practice model. Community safety is at the forefront of policing policy and procedure. As gatekeepers to the criminal justice (and to a lesser extent the mental health) systems, the police play a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of the community. This programme of research will provide much needed quality information and empirical evidence about the current practices, policies, and procedures for dealing with the mentally ill who come into contact with the police. In a broader sense the research will have dramatic, wide-reaching practical outputs for all of Australia, and help contribute to increased levels of community safety and reduced levels of victimisation of some of the most vulnerable in our society.Read moreRead less
Adolescent mental health and supportive classroom environments: investigating organizational supports as mediators to a sustainable reduction in aggressive classroom management. Making classrooms safe and supportive for all students enables young Australians to lead healthier and more productive lives through social inclusion and economic participation. Finding effective ways to reduce teachers' use of non-productive, aggressive strategies in interactions with challenging students offers importa ....Adolescent mental health and supportive classroom environments: investigating organizational supports as mediators to a sustainable reduction in aggressive classroom management. Making classrooms safe and supportive for all students enables young Australians to lead healthier and more productive lives through social inclusion and economic participation. Finding effective ways to reduce teachers' use of non-productive, aggressive strategies in interactions with challenging students offers important social and economic benefits to Australia. These include reductions in adolescent anxiety and depression, greater engagement in schooling, a reduction in student withdrawals and exclusions, increasing parent, community and international confidence in Australia's schools, and a reduction in the number of young teachers leaving the profession.Read moreRead less
A prospective study investigating factors related to foster placement stability and the developmental outcomes of foster children. The study will aim to identify factors that influence the stability of placements and the developmental outcomes of children in foster care. The results of the study will have implications for the recruitment, training and support of foster carers. The study will lead to the refinement of procedures for the recruitment of appropriate foster carers, and the developmen ....A prospective study investigating factors related to foster placement stability and the developmental outcomes of foster children. The study will aim to identify factors that influence the stability of placements and the developmental outcomes of children in foster care. The results of the study will have implications for the recruitment, training and support of foster carers. The study will lead to the refinement of procedures for the recruitment of appropriate foster carers, and the development of an intervention for foster families relevant to the Australian context. Improving the developmental outcomes of children in foster care will help to reduce the intergenerational transmission of abuse and neglect and thus promote the mental health of the nation.Read moreRead less
Understanding and preventing mental health difficulties in young Australian men using the Internet. Mental health is a major public health problem in Australia. Young men are particularly vulnerable to suicide, drug and alcohol problems and yet fail to seek appropriate help. The Internet is currently accessed by 85% of Australia's youth and yet very little evidence exists which examines the capacity of the Internet to engage young men and promote help seeking. This project will build an evidence ....Understanding and preventing mental health difficulties in young Australian men using the Internet. Mental health is a major public health problem in Australia. Young men are particularly vulnerable to suicide, drug and alcohol problems and yet fail to seek appropriate help. The Internet is currently accessed by 85% of Australia's youth and yet very little evidence exists which examines the capacity of the Internet to engage young men and promote help seeking. This project will build an evidence base which explores how innovative on-line strategies and social marketing can effectively promote help seeking behaviour and improve mental health outcomes for young men. Read moreRead less
Influences on farmer suicide in Queensland and New South Wales. Australian farmers have been identified as being at high-risk of suicide. This project will provide direction for targeted suicide prevention strategies by quantifying the individual and environmental factors that place farmers at higher risk of suicide, as well as the protective factors that may buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviours.