Identifying Specific Risk Factors For Intimate Partner Violence Amongst Women Refugees During And After Pregnancy: Associations With Mental Health And Capacity For Resettlement.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$829,242.00
Summary
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has been identified as a public health epidemic of critical concern to Australia and to societies worldwide. There is a growing consensus that there are specific psychosocial factors including past exposure to trauma that may place women from refugee background at risk of IPV, particularly during settlement. Pregnancy is a particular period of vulnerability for all women, and there is evidence that the risk of IPV increases during pregnancy.
Displaced Twice? Investigating The Impact Of The Queensland Floods On The Wellbeing And Settlement Of A Cohort Of Men From Refugee Backgrounds Living In Brisbane And Toowoomba
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$259,771.00
Summary
What can we learn from resettled refugees' ability to adapt to extreme weather disasters? Between 2008 and 2010, the SettleMEN project documented the health and settlement outcomes of 233 refugee men living in urban and regional areas of Southeast Queensland. Some of these men lived in or close to areas that were affected by the January 2011 floods. This follow-up study aims at investigating longer-term settlement and the impact of the floods on this group of refugee men and their families
Genetic And Environmental Contributions To The Life Course Of The Common Mental Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,529,567.00
Summary
The common mental disorders (anxiety, depression, substance use) constitute a major disease burden and cost on the health system. Little is known about their causes and patterns of occurrence over the life span. This study follows a sample of 4000 persons from birth to 30 years of age to determine the environmental and genetic factors that lead to the onset and recurrence of the common mental disorders. It will provide important information to influence the treatment and prevention of these diso ....The common mental disorders (anxiety, depression, substance use) constitute a major disease burden and cost on the health system. Little is known about their causes and patterns of occurrence over the life span. This study follows a sample of 4000 persons from birth to 30 years of age to determine the environmental and genetic factors that lead to the onset and recurrence of the common mental disorders. It will provide important information to influence the treatment and prevention of these disorders.Read moreRead less
A Longitudinal Study Of Depression, Anxiety, Substance Use And Cognitive Change: PATH Through Life Wave 3
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,068,954.00
Summary
The PATH Through Life study is a longitudinal study of depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use. It is also a study of normal cognitive development, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. PATH involves three cohorts of adults who were aged 20-24, 40-44 and 60-64 at baseline. They are followed up at four yearly intervals. This application seeks funding for Wave 3 of the study, which will allow for 8 years of follow-up of the baseline sample to be conducted. The key aims are to discover the rela ....The PATH Through Life study is a longitudinal study of depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use. It is also a study of normal cognitive development, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. PATH involves three cohorts of adults who were aged 20-24, 40-44 and 60-64 at baseline. They are followed up at four yearly intervals. This application seeks funding for Wave 3 of the study, which will allow for 8 years of follow-up of the baseline sample to be conducted. The key aims are to discover the relationships between biological and psychological processes in depression, anxiety, substance abuse and cognitive ageing; to identify the socio-demographic factors contributing to these disorders, and to quantify more fully the range of social and economic consequences of mental illness and cognitive decline. Such consequences include reduced workforce participation, relationship breakdown, family and carer burden, suicide attempts, use of health services and need for social welfare. Wave 3 will also focus on transitions into parenthood, fertility and mental health, menopause, and retirement. Factors in early and mid-adulthood that influence healthy ageing and cognitive decline in late life will be identified. Information is obtained on physical health, health habits , social networks, employment and work stress, lifestyle activities, personality, family structure, physical function and cognitive performance. DNA has also been obtained and a sub-sample of the oldest cohort also participate in a study of brain MRIs. Longitudinal analysis is the only means of distinguishing the causes of disorders and tracking their development within individuals. PATH is unique in its narrow age-group design and breadth of measures, allowing for detailed understanding of the pathways to mental health and illness, and for identification of how to prevent mental illness and dementia.Read moreRead less
The Evaluation of Stuctures and Processes for Effective Client, Carer and Community Outcomes: A Model for Rural Mental Health Services. The South West Healthcare Area Mental Health Service ( Warnambool) has demonstrated according to key performance indicators, an effective system of service delivery. This evaluative research project seeks to identify key components within the organisational structures and processes of a rural mental health service that contribute to these effective outcomes fo ....The Evaluation of Stuctures and Processes for Effective Client, Carer and Community Outcomes: A Model for Rural Mental Health Services. The South West Healthcare Area Mental Health Service ( Warnambool) has demonstrated according to key performance indicators, an effective system of service delivery. This evaluative research project seeks to identify key components within the organisational structures and processes of a rural mental health service that contribute to these effective outcomes for clients. The research process will test these key components against other rural and urban mental health services in Victoria and will result in the development of a model for rural mental health service delivery of both local and national significance.Read moreRead less
Borderline Personality as Social Phenomena. Mental disorders attract social stigma and those diagnosed are widely misunderstood. This project aims to collect and analyse accounts of people living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) - mainly women - and perspectives of social support practitioners. The intended outcome is to provide a sophisticated understanding of BPD as a social phenomenon, develop sociological evidence based on lived experiences and generate Australian digital resources ....Borderline Personality as Social Phenomena. Mental disorders attract social stigma and those diagnosed are widely misunderstood. This project aims to collect and analyse accounts of people living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) - mainly women - and perspectives of social support practitioners. The intended outcome is to provide a sophisticated understanding of BPD as a social phenomenon, develop sociological evidence based on lived experiences and generate Australian digital resources including narratives of BPD, creative outputs and practitioner perspectives. The anticipated goal of this project is to inform policy and community responses addressing stigma and marginalisation, and the improvement of social support for those affected by BPD.Read moreRead less
Testing for scale up: An Indigenous social and emotional learning program . This project takes key learnings from prior research that conceptualised, set up, and tested a social and emotional learning program, Skills for Life (SFL), with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in grades 7-9 in remote Northern Territory and Queensland schools. It aims to: establish the process and necessary conditions for scaling up SFL to diverse remote schools with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander s ....Testing for scale up: An Indigenous social and emotional learning program . This project takes key learnings from prior research that conceptualised, set up, and tested a social and emotional learning program, Skills for Life (SFL), with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in grades 7-9 in remote Northern Territory and Queensland schools. It aims to: establish the process and necessary conditions for scaling up SFL to diverse remote schools with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across Australia's top end. Further evidence for the program’s effectiveness will also be built by measuring students’ resilience, help seeking, and psychological distress; and teachers’ cultural awareness; quality of teacher-student relationships, and perceptions of students’ emotional and behavioural difficulties. Read moreRead less
Strengthening Indigenous adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Using Continous Quality Improvement processes, the research will collaboratively conceptualise, design, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches to mental health service delivery for adolescents aged 10-24 in three regionally diverse Indigenous Primary Healthcare Services. Expected research outcomes are a rigorous assessment of the impact and economic benefits of making quality improvements to mental health servic ....Strengthening Indigenous adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Using Continous Quality Improvement processes, the research will collaboratively conceptualise, design, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches to mental health service delivery for adolescents aged 10-24 in three regionally diverse Indigenous Primary Healthcare Services. Expected research outcomes are a rigorous assessment of the impact and economic benefits of making quality improvements to mental health services for Indigenous adolescents, Key benefits are 1) A locally-responsive adolescent mental health screening instrument; 2) Comprehensive evidence-informed service model in adolescent mental healthcare; 3) Best practice protocol for developing and managing adolescent mental health as a service delivery stream. Read moreRead less
Suicide prevention and management of deliberate self-harm: randomised control trial of an assertive engagement, brief psychotherapy and community linkage model. Suicide is the second commonest cause of death by injury in Australia. Suicide prevention is an important public health priority but rates remain high. People who have previously attempted suicide are most likely to kill themselves. Most suicidal people attend emergency departments where they get inadequate treatment for their psychologi ....Suicide prevention and management of deliberate self-harm: randomised control trial of an assertive engagement, brief psychotherapy and community linkage model. Suicide is the second commonest cause of death by injury in Australia. Suicide prevention is an important public health priority but rates remain high. People who have previously attempted suicide are most likely to kill themselves. Most suicidal people attend emergency departments where they get inadequate treatment for their psychological and social problems and remain depressed and suicidal. This project will test the effectiveness of a new psychological and social treatment to reduce the depression and link suicidal people with community supports. If successful, this treatment could be provided in any emergency department and help decrease suicide rates in Australia.Read moreRead less
A Study Of The Impact Of Psychological Distress And Disadvantage On The Educational Outcomes Of Tertiary Students
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$70,511.00
Summary
The study will examine differences in psychological distress over time between socio-economically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged tertiary students and, in turn, the potential role of psychological distress in explaining any differences between these groups in course non-completion or completion. The knowledge gained from the study can inform programs and interventions designed to prevent or reduce tertiary student mental health problems and course non-completion.