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
A Multiple Health Behaviour Approach To Prevent Common And Emerging Risk Factors For Chronic Disease: Development And Evaluation Of A Novel Online Intervention For Australian Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
Chronic disease is the major cause of death in Australia. This fellowship will develop and evaluate the first online program to simultaneously target the “Big 6” risk factors for chronic disease: smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol use, poor diet, sedentary behaviour and unhealthy sleep among adolescents. This program not only has the potential to improve the health of young Australians, but also to make a substantial public health impact by reducing the incidence of chronic disease.
Using Broadcast Media And Internet To Increase Public Understanding And Participation In Randomized Controlled Trials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$88,442.00
Summary
Around the world consumers use the media and search the internet for information regarding health and medical care. This research program aims to evaluate the validity and applicability of internet based randomized controlled trials compared to traditional methods of conducting randomized trials. The results will help determine the future direction of internet based trials, and will enhance public awareness of methods to assess the effectiveness of health care interventions.
Improving Internet-delivered Psychological Therapies For Depression And Anxiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,034.00
Summary
Depression and anxiety affect 3 million Australians. While effective psychological treatments exist, even the best only help 50% recover, and relapse is common. My research aims to improve the treatment of adult depression and anxiety, through developing more effective, efficient and accessible internet-delivered psychological therapies and identifying the conditions that promote optimal long-term outcomes.
The Effectiveness Of A Comprehensive ‘universal’ And ‘targeted’ Intervention To Prevent Substance Use And Related Harms In Adolescents: The CAP Project
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$755,906.00
Summary
Alcohol and other drug use are common amongst Australian adolescents and the disability associated with this use is considerable. Prevention is clearly needed, yet we have few models of well implemented prevention programs that are effective in maximisising prevention outcomes.The current proposal addresses this gap by evaluating a novel approach to preventing substance use and related harms in adolescents by combining effective 'universal' and 'targeted' school-based prevention programs in a su ....Alcohol and other drug use are common amongst Australian adolescents and the disability associated with this use is considerable. Prevention is clearly needed, yet we have few models of well implemented prevention programs that are effective in maximisising prevention outcomes.The current proposal addresses this gap by evaluating a novel approach to preventing substance use and related harms in adolescents by combining effective 'universal' and 'targeted' school-based prevention programs in a sustainable delivery platform.Read moreRead less
WEB-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY FOR WOMEN WITH POSTNATAL DEPRESSION
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$713,714.00
Summary
Postnatal depression (PND) affects more than 1 in 10 women, with serious consequences for maternal mental health and infant development. This project will evaluate our newly developed Web-based psychological intervention for PND and compare it to traditional face-to-face psychological treatment. Poor uptake of traditional treatment relates to fear of stigma, access and expense. The potential public health impact of Web-based treatment is enormous given the 300,000 annual births in Australia.
Transdiagnostic Internet Therapy For Internalizing Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,348.00
Summary
Anxiety and depressive disorders account for 58% of the burden of mental disorders, or 7.5% of the burden of human disease. Internet treatments for the individual disorders are effective but require careful diagnosis. We intend to develop and prove the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic Internet treatment program that will be easily used by primary care clinicians. We will disseminate and evaluate the developed and proven program to general practitioners and psychologists.