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Intervention Trial To Reduce Alcohol Related Harms Among High Risk Young Indigenous Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,553.00
Summary
Indigenous Australians experience disproportionately high rates of drug and alcohol harms and young people are particularly vulnerable: over 50% of 10-17 year old juvenile detainees are Indigenous, despite comprising only 2% of the population. There is no reliable evidence about which interventions might reduce these harms. This study quantifies the benefits/costs of combining cognitive-behaviour therapy with a community-reinforcement strategy to reduce substance-related harms among young Indige ....Indigenous Australians experience disproportionately high rates of drug and alcohol harms and young people are particularly vulnerable: over 50% of 10-17 year old juvenile detainees are Indigenous, despite comprising only 2% of the population. There is no reliable evidence about which interventions might reduce these harms. This study quantifies the benefits/costs of combining cognitive-behaviour therapy with a community-reinforcement strategy to reduce substance-related harms among young Indigenous Australians.Read moreRead less
Neurocognitive And Social Changes Associated With Unleaded Petrol Sniffing And Abstinence From Further Sniffing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$639,570.00
Summary
Currently, there is a poor understanding about the nature and permanence of brain damage associated with sniffing petrol. Previously, we used culturally-appropriate assessments of brain function to test Aboriginal petrol sniffers from remote communities in northern Australia. This showed that recreational petrol sniffers who remained living in their communities showed some degree of brain dysfunction that affected their ability to concentrate, remember things, learn, control their emotions and c ....Currently, there is a poor understanding about the nature and permanence of brain damage associated with sniffing petrol. Previously, we used culturally-appropriate assessments of brain function to test Aboriginal petrol sniffers from remote communities in northern Australia. This showed that recreational petrol sniffers who remained living in their communities showed some degree of brain dysfunction that affected their ability to concentrate, remember things, learn, control their emotions and control their behaviour. Petrol sniffing was then completely stopped in these communities. Two years later, among people who had shown brain dysfunction from sniffing petrol, our assessments showed some recovery of some of the brain damage caused by sniffing petrol. Initially, the current study aims to determine the longer-term outcomes for abstinent petrol sniffers by returning to these communities and assessing social and brain function outcomes in the original study participants, now over 10 years since they stopped sniffing petrol. The second part of the study will focus on the specific effects on the brain, behaviour and social function of sniffing unleaded petrol in comparison to leaded petrol, alcohol, other inhalants and polydrug use. It will also further investigate the time course of recovery of brain function and social outcomes in the immediate period following abstinence from petrol sniffing. This will involve recruiting petrol sniffers who move to outstation communities to stop sniffing, and have them perform brain function tests several times over the months or years that they spend recovering. These findings will enable the development of appropriate programs to minimise the harm from petrol sniffing. It will also establish an assessment protocol for the classification of petrol related brain damage that can be used by health professionals such as Aboriginal health workers, nurses and doctors.Read moreRead less
REDUCING HARMS FROM SUBSTANCE MISUSE IN REMOTE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES REQUIRES INTERVENTIONS DELIVERED AS PROMISED WITH MEASURABLE IMPACTS?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,920.00
Summary
We cannot accurately estimate the occurrence of many diseases and risk factors for remote Indigenous communities where more of the ‘health gap’ is suffered. Interventions targeting substance misuse risk factors have not yet produced the community- and individual-level impacts they were designed to bring about. In this Fellowship, I will improve evaluation methods and measures to produce credible evidence for assessing program implementation and effectiveness in remote communities.
The Etiology Of Child Neglect In Indigenous Families And How This Correlates With Intergenerational Cycles Of Trauma And Social Disadvantage In Indigenous Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$98,387.00
Summary
This research will examine the causes of child neglect in Indigenous families and communities. The project will interview carers of children where there is a risk of child neglect to determine what social factors increase and decrease the chances of children to be neglected. The research will contribute to a better understanding of this problem from the perspective of Indigenous families and communities so that services can better meet the needs of families where there is risk of child neglect.
Alcohol management in Indigenous north Australia: policies and responses. Using mixed methods, this project aims to develop knowledge partnerships with Indigenous communities in three regions across northern Australia to build on understandings of how to respond to alcohol misuse more effectively, ensuring that alcohol is managed in ways that are relevant and useful to communities in a wide range of contexts. Alcohol is a major cause of social, legal and health concerns for Indigenous Australian ....Alcohol management in Indigenous north Australia: policies and responses. Using mixed methods, this project aims to develop knowledge partnerships with Indigenous communities in three regions across northern Australia to build on understandings of how to respond to alcohol misuse more effectively, ensuring that alcohol is managed in ways that are relevant and useful to communities in a wide range of contexts. Alcohol is a major cause of social, legal and health concerns for Indigenous Australians. This has led to significant political involvement in the regulation of alcohol in communities where Australian Indigenous people live. Alcohol management plans have most recently been used as a central device for reducing alcohol-related harms, particularly in remote areas. The project case study results may provide significant benefit at the community level, empowering community groups to effectively engage in and respond to alcohol-related harms.Read moreRead less
Cannabis Withdrawal Among Indigenous Inmates In North Queensland
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$285,920.00
Summary
In withdrawal, many Indigenous cannabis users ‘stress out’ leading to violence and self harm. Among Indigenous prisoners in a north Queensland corrective centre, 69% have been cannabis users and 57% of these suffered ‘stressing out’. We will investigate and address cannabis withdrawal symptoms by documenting their onset and severity and by devising culturally acceptable, low-cost resources and support to assist new inmates to manage ‘stressing out’.
Substance Misuse And Mental Disorders In A Remote Arnhem Land And Urban New South Wales Aboriginal Population
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,972.00
Summary
Experience of trauma and violence affect one in four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and can put them at risk of later mental illness or substance misuse. This Fellowship investigates the prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder and its association with substance misuse among Indigenous Australians in a remote and urban setting. Better understanding these associations will help in designing interventions to reduce individual and community suffering.
Impacts of Banned Drinkers Register Re-introduction in Northern Territory. This project aims to investigate the impact of the re-introduction of the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory, where rates of alcohol-related harm are more than twenty times that seen in other Australian states.
This interdisciplinary team will use qualitative and quantitative methods across urban and remote locations to answer complex questions about policy impact.
This Project expects to provide evidence ....Impacts of Banned Drinkers Register Re-introduction in Northern Territory. This project aims to investigate the impact of the re-introduction of the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory, where rates of alcohol-related harm are more than twenty times that seen in other Australian states.
This interdisciplinary team will use qualitative and quantitative methods across urban and remote locations to answer complex questions about policy impact.
This Project expects to provide evidence to inform future policy introduction and refinement. It aims to enhance Aboriginal research capacity for investigating alcohol policy.
Benefits should include world’s best evidence on the impact of supply restriction policies on treatment needs and the massive levels of harm seen in the Northern Territory.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal And Non-Aboriginal Women Perpetrators Of Violence: A Trial Of A Prison-based Intervention (Beyond Violence)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,411,825.00
Summary
The proposed study will be the first of its kind in Australia to test a violence prevention program (Beyond Violence) targeting mental health, substance use and violence among incarcerated female offenders with a history of violence. This research responds to the rapidly escalating imprisonment rates among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women (particularly for violent offences), and focuses intervention efforts on improving well-being and decreasing reoffending among this vulnerable group.
Indigenous Mental Health Model Of Care: RCT Based On A Trans-diagnostic CBT Program Co-designed With Community
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$996,217.00
Summary
We propose to develop an Indigenous Model of Mental Health Care (IMMHC) that encompasses psychological therapy and cultural healing practices developed in consultation with local, participating Indigenous communities, that will for the first time treat highly prevalent mood and anxiety disorders in Indigenous Australians.