Understanding the long term impact of childhood emotional abuse. This project will generate new knowledge about the social dimensions of childhood emotional abuse. Experiences of childhood emotional abuse are extremely common, with many affected individuals going on to face long term health problems, social marginalisation, intergenerational family violence and re-victimisation. This project will investigate how different social contexts influence childhood emotional abuse itself and the interco ....Understanding the long term impact of childhood emotional abuse. This project will generate new knowledge about the social dimensions of childhood emotional abuse. Experiences of childhood emotional abuse are extremely common, with many affected individuals going on to face long term health problems, social marginalisation, intergenerational family violence and re-victimisation. This project will investigate how different social contexts influence childhood emotional abuse itself and the interconnected problems flowing from it that often persist over the life course. The findings of this project will increase the evidence base and inform the future development of policy and practice that aims to prevent the intergenerational transmission of violence and abuse, and improve health and social outcomes. Read moreRead less
Emotion Regulation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can affect 7-12% of Australians in their lifetime. It is a chronic disorder with enormous personal, social and economic costs. In the current climate of increasing mass violence and natural disaster, the health burden of PTSD is expected to rise. This project will help us identify core processes and mechanisms involved in PTSD, and help us to develop more effective and specialized treatments. It will al ....Emotion Regulation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can affect 7-12% of Australians in their lifetime. It is a chronic disorder with enormous personal, social and economic costs. In the current climate of increasing mass violence and natural disaster, the health burden of PTSD is expected to rise. This project will help us identify core processes and mechanisms involved in PTSD, and help us to develop more effective and specialized treatments. It will also extend our understanding of how the brain inhibits emotion, which has wider relevance for many anxiety disorders in terms of their development and prevention.Read moreRead less
Rumination and Memory Functioning in Depression. By investigating and identifying the cognitive processes underlying symptom maintenance, this research will advance cognitive conceptualisations of depression. The findings will result in the generation and empirical evaluation of psychological treatment procedures for depression by taking a strong science-practitioner approach, ultimately enhancing: (i) the efficacy and cost effectiveness of psychological treatments for depressive disorders, and ....Rumination and Memory Functioning in Depression. By investigating and identifying the cognitive processes underlying symptom maintenance, this research will advance cognitive conceptualisations of depression. The findings will result in the generation and empirical evaluation of psychological treatment procedures for depression by taking a strong science-practitioner approach, ultimately enhancing: (i) the efficacy and cost effectiveness of psychological treatments for depressive disorders, and (ii) the provision of mental health services to the Australian community. In applying rigorous experimental methodologies to answer theoretically driven questions about depression maintenance, these studies represent the interface of empirically sound and clinically-oriented experimental research.Read moreRead less
Controlling Unwanted Thoughts: A Hypnotic Study of Suppression. Controlling unwanted thoughts is central to maintaining good mental health, and failed mental control underpins many mental disorders. This project aims to enhance the capacity to control unwanted thoughts by adopting hypnosis as an investigative tool. By identifying the strategies that assist thought control, the project will directly shape ways to enhance mental health of Australians. Through improved mental health, Australia ....Controlling Unwanted Thoughts: A Hypnotic Study of Suppression. Controlling unwanted thoughts is central to maintaining good mental health, and failed mental control underpins many mental disorders. This project aims to enhance the capacity to control unwanted thoughts by adopting hypnosis as an investigative tool. By identifying the strategies that assist thought control, the project will directly shape ways to enhance mental health of Australians. Through improved mental health, Australia can enjoy fewer demands on health services and increased productivity. Read moreRead less
Developing strategies to ameliorate the aversive effects of ostracism. By investigating and identifying strategies to ameliorate the aversive effects of ostracism, this research will permit exciting advances that will extend existing conceptual models in the ostracism literature. Further, given the prevalence of ostracism across societal, occupational and community domains, these studies will yield outcomes with significant and far-reaching practical implications. By applying rigorous experiment ....Developing strategies to ameliorate the aversive effects of ostracism. By investigating and identifying strategies to ameliorate the aversive effects of ostracism, this research will permit exciting advances that will extend existing conceptual models in the ostracism literature. Further, given the prevalence of ostracism across societal, occupational and community domains, these studies will yield outcomes with significant and far-reaching practical implications. By applying rigorous experimental methodologies to answer theoretically driven questions about the impact of ostracism, these studies represent the interface of empirically sound and clinically and socially-oriented experimental research.Read moreRead less
The rise of complementary self-care: A national sociological study of women's strategies for coping and living with chronic illness. Conventional approaches to chronic illness in Australia have failed to meet the complex needs of sufferers, leading to an exponential rise in interest in and use of complementary self-care, particularly amongst women. In this study, drawing on a unique national sample of women suffering from chronic illnesses will provide critical insight into women’s complementary ....The rise of complementary self-care: A national sociological study of women's strategies for coping and living with chronic illness. Conventional approaches to chronic illness in Australia have failed to meet the complex needs of sufferers, leading to an exponential rise in interest in and use of complementary self-care, particularly amongst women. In this study, drawing on a unique national sample of women suffering from chronic illnesses will provide critical insight into women’s complementary self-care practices and structures of disadvantage. This study will be the first worldwide to document previously ‘hidden’ complementary self-care practices, providing a new framework for understanding and promoting women's health and wellbeing in the context of chronic illness. Read moreRead less
Young women's experiences of cigarette smoking: a qualitative examination of the intersection of gender, class, cultural and sexual identity. The effects of smoking unique to women, the slow decline in women's smoking rates and the lack of anti-smoking strategies that are sensitive to gender, social class, cultural, and sexual identity means that this project addresses a significant issue for young women smokers, the Australian government and the health and wellbeing of Australians.
Expressive Writing: An Investigation of How Writing About Stressful Experiences Can Be Used to Enhance Psychological and Physical Health Benefits. An experimental writing technique that involves writing about one's personal stressful experiences by using emotive descriptive words has been found to be helpful in improving mental health and physical functioning in various populations. This study will test how this expressive writing task leads to health benefits in two distinct samples; cancer sur ....Expressive Writing: An Investigation of How Writing About Stressful Experiences Can Be Used to Enhance Psychological and Physical Health Benefits. An experimental writing technique that involves writing about one's personal stressful experiences by using emotive descriptive words has been found to be helpful in improving mental health and physical functioning in various populations. This study will test how this expressive writing task leads to health benefits in two distinct samples; cancer survivors and healthy individuals. By identifying the methods by which this writing task can improve health functioning, this project will assist in adapting this task for use as a therapeutic technique in clinical settings to enhance the well-being of Australians. This will place less demands on health services, reduce absenteeism, and improve productivity. Read moreRead less
A longitudinal examination of the contribution of specific risk factors to the development of anxiety disorders during adolescence. The aims of this project are to follow a group of adolescent girls from around 12 to 16 years of age to examine possible predictors for developing anxiety disorders. A large group of girls and their parents will complete questionnaires in the first year of high school and a smaller group will be assessed through interviews and direct observation. The girls will be ....A longitudinal examination of the contribution of specific risk factors to the development of anxiety disorders during adolescence. The aims of this project are to follow a group of adolescent girls from around 12 to 16 years of age to examine possible predictors for developing anxiety disorders. A large group of girls and their parents will complete questionnaires in the first year of high school and a smaller group will be assessed through interviews and direct observation. The girls will be reassessed at yearly intervals over three years. The project will tell us a great deal about factors that are important in the development of anxiety. This will help to plan prevention programs in the future.Read moreRead less
Popping the Bubblewrap, Unleashing the Power of Play. The long-term costs of childhood obesity, bullying and poor mental health are staggering. Despite the investment of billions of dollars for prevention and intervention, the statistics continue to worsen. We offer a simple, sustainable, cost-effective programme of prevention aimed at important national priorities within health and research. We expect to demonstrate a significant effect on children's activity levels, coping and social skills th ....Popping the Bubblewrap, Unleashing the Power of Play. The long-term costs of childhood obesity, bullying and poor mental health are staggering. Despite the investment of billions of dollars for prevention and intervention, the statistics continue to worsen. We offer a simple, sustainable, cost-effective programme of prevention aimed at important national priorities within health and research. We expect to demonstrate a significant effect on children's activity levels, coping and social skills through strategies that are replicable in every school playground in the nation and to contribute to policy regarding play, health, and education.Read moreRead less