The Effectiveness Of Mindfulness Practices In Reducing Distress In Children Diagnosed With Cancer And Their Parents.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$22,019.00
Summary
This research project aims to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness based cognitive therapy, an intervention using specific meditation and thought techniques, to reduce psychological distress in children who have been diagnosed with cancer and their parents. Specifically, symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress related to the experience of the illness will be targeted.
Creating An Empirically Based Classification System For Mental Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Mental disorders are typically diagnosed using a set of strictly agreed diagnostic criteria. For example, in the DSM-5 a major depression diagnosis requires at least five of nine symptom criteria to be met. However, the DSM-5 is now widely agreed to have important limitations for the work of researchers and clinicians. My research will overcome those limitations by completing a data-driven classification system based on the patterns in the ways people experience symptoms of mental illness.
Characterising Neurobiological Abnormalities In Cannabis Use Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$731,571.00
Summary
Severe Cannabis Use Disorders cause significant harms to quality of life and outcomes including mental health, cognition, motivation and general well being. We will characterise, for the first time, the neuroadaptations associated with cannabis dependence relative to regular use via advanced imaging techniques and examine links between neural alterations and quality of life. This study will help to identify new treatment targets and develop a new neural model of cannabis addiction.
An Integrated Model Of Environmental, Neurodevelopmental, And Epigenetic Resistance And Responsiveness To Early Intervention In Childhood Psychopathology.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$846,110.00
Summary
The foundations of mental health problems are present early in life. This project will map stability and change in a sample of children with common mental health problems receiving an intervention targeting the quality of the home environment. It will produce a road map of how the child’s strengths and vulnerabilities are affected by treatment, protect against future mental health problems, and suggest new intervention targets for children who fail to benefit from existing treatments.
Modelling The Characteristics And Symptoms In First-episode Psychosis From Baseline To Long-term Follow-up
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$22,257.00
Summary
Relatively little is known about the progression of first-episode psychosis over the longer term. This research will investigate the course and evolution of psychiatric symptoms in over 600 psychotic patients up to 10 years following initial admission. It may be possible to identify groupings of patients with similar patterns of change in symptoms, along with factors underlying different patterns of symptom course, which may help distinguish the fundamental mechanisms underlying psychosis.
Mapping The Specific Pathways To Early-onset Mental Health Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,287,730.00
Summary
The foundations of mental health versus disorder are laid early. Individual differences in vulnerability can be identified early in the child's emotionality, social attention, impulsivity, and quality of parenting. This study examines how these systems emerge to coalesce into the major forms of psychopathology in the first 5 years of life.The results will identify critical variables in the early prevention of psychiatric disorders.
An Investigation Of Cortical Function In Autism Spectrum Disorders Using TMS, FMRI And EEG
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$324,480.00
Summary
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are severe psychiatric conditions, but our neurobiological understanding of these disorders is limited. Using an array of modern neuroscience techniques, this study investigates aspects of brain functioning that may contribute to social and behavioural impairments in ASD. While enhancing our neurobiological knowledge, this research also provides exciting new directions for ASD assessment and treatment.