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Research

Maternal death and the onward psychosocial circumstances of Australian Aboriginal children and young people

This study sought to determine the social and emotional impact of maternal loss on Aboriginal children and young people using data from the Western...

Research

Examining the risk factors for suicidal behaviour of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children...

While the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are travelling on track or exceeding across all developmental domains...

Research

Psychosocial characteristics and predictors of health-care use in families of young children with cystic fibrosis in Western Australia

This study aimed to identify psychosocial predictors in cystic fibrosis that may inform intervention strategies.

Research

The Prevalence of Stimulant and Antidepressant Use by Australian Children and Adolescents

A minority of 4- to 17-year-olds with ADHD and major depressive disorder were being treated with stimulant or antidepressant medication

Childhood Depression

It's normal for children and teenagers to experience a range of emotions, including sadness, however childhood depression is more than just feeling sad.

Research

Effectiveness, efficacy, acceptability, and feasibility of trauma-informed depression, anxiety, and substance use prevention programs for young people aged 12–25 years

Mental ill-health and substance use bear significant public health burden on young people. Prevention is key. Trauma-informed approaches to prevention of mental ill-health and substance use demonstrate significant promise, yet it is unclear how well existing approaches work for young people targeting mental ill-health and substance use. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of trauma-informed mental ill-health and/or substance use prevention programs for young people.  

Research

Understanding parent perspectives on engagement with online youth-focused mental health programs

Online youth-focused health programs often include parent modules—that equip parents with skills to assist their child in improving their health—alongside youth-specific content. BRAVE Self-Help, an evidence-based program designed for children and teenagers with early signs of anxiety, is a popular Australian program that includes six parent modules.

Research

Maternal diet, depression and antidepressant treatment in pregnancy and across the first 12 months postpartum in the MPEWS pregnancy cohort study

There is increasing interest in the association between perinatal depression and diet including whether diet may have an impact on depressive symptoms and equally whether depression influences diet. Furthermore, whether pharmacological treatment of depression with antidepressant medication also may influence diet.

Research

Group mindful self-compassion training to improve mental health outcomes for LGBTQIA+ young adults: Rationale and protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Young adults who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse genders and sexualities (LGBTQIA+) are more likely to experience mental health difficulties and are at significantly elevated risk of substance abuse, self-harm and suicide, relative to their heterosexual, endosex and cisgender peers. There is a need for effective mental health interventions for LGBTQIA+ young adults. Mindful Self-Compassion training is a promising approach; among LGBTQIA+ individuals, self-compassion accounts for more variation in mental health outcomes than bullying, victimization, and adverse childhood experiences combined. Furthermore, LGBTQIA+ individuals with high self-compassion report more positive identity and happiness, less self-stigma, and lower suicidality than those with low self-compassion.