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Bigiswun Kid Project: a longitudinal study of adolescents living with high rates of prenatal alcohol exposure, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and early life trauma in remote Australian Aboriginal communities

The Lililwan Project was the first Australian population-based prevalence study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) using active case ascertainment. Conducted in 2010-2011, the study included 95% of all eligible children aged 7-9 years living in the very remote Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia.

Pineal morphology of the clinical high-risk state for psychosis and different psychotic disorders

Pineal volume reductions have been reported in schizophrenia and clinical high-risk states for the development of psychosis, supporting the role of melatonin dysregulation in the pathophysiology of psychosis.

Prospective effects of positive resilience resources during young adulthood: Predicting daily stress responses three years later amidst a changing world

With young adults' rates of mental health problems alarmingly high, understanding resilience characteristics that help young people adapt, adjust, and even thrive in the face of stress is a pressing need. This study takes a daily diary approach, examining four resilience factors, measured a priori, covering multiple domains. Young adults' daily stress responses (reactivity, recovery, inertia) during the globally stressful lockdown period three years later were then explored as key outcomes.

“We Need Community-Centred, Strongly Ethical Genetic Research”: A Qualitative Investigation of Community Attitudes Toward Autism Genetics

Autism genetics has historically attracted a substantial proportion of autism research funding internationally. However, more recently, several controversies centered on ethical conduct and lack of community consultation have emerged. This has triggered Autistic-led protests for the functional and meaningful inclusion of Autistic voices in the research design.

Characterising symptomatic substates in individuals on the psychosis continuum: a hidden Markov modelling approach

To improve early intervention and personalise treatment for individuals early on the psychosis continuum, a greater understanding of symptom dynamics is required. We address this by identifying and evaluating the movement between empirically derived attenuated psychotic symptomatic substates-clusters of symptoms that occur within individuals over time.

Analysis of risk factors associated with suicidality in children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Western Australia

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are at an elevated suicide risk compared with those in the general population. This public health issue warrants further research attention to help inform the development of prevention and intervention efforts. Our study is the first to characterize suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation/suicide attempt) and explore associated risk factors in young individuals with FASD within the Australian context.

“Society really does not like people with psychosis”: A thematic analysis of the stigma and self-stigma experiences of young people at-risk for psychosis

Stigma and self-stigma reduce self-esteem and increase hopelessness and suicidality. While psychotic disorders are widely recognized as the most stigmatizing of all mental health disorders, there is a dearth of research investigating how stigma and self-stigma are experienced by young people at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis.

Predicting Problem Gambling in Young Men: The Impact of Sports Gambling Frequency and Internalizing Symptoms

Young men aged 18-25 years are at disproportionately increased risk for gambling problems compared to their older or female counterparts. The unique mechanisms that precipitate these problems in this group remain unclear. Data from the largest longitudinal cohort study on Australian men's health (the Ten to Men Study) were used to identify the psychosocial, health-related, and gambling-related behavioral predictors of problem gambling severity in 265 young men aged 18-25 years. Hierarchical multiple ordinal logistic regression analyses found these predictors to explain a moderate proportion of variance in problem gambling severity. 

“I don't think either of us have really got over the diagnosis.” Caregiver perspectives on medical trauma in adolescent type 1 diabetes; a trauma-informed qualitative investigation

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is a 'family illness'; diagnoses and management can be perceived as invasive or traumatic. Caregivers bear the brunt of the diagnostic shock, influencing their child's experience. Children and adolescents may grapple with the psychological effects of past/ongoing medical trauma. Additionally, adolescents may struggle with their mental health as they navigate tensions between caregiver involvement and their developmental need for autonomy.

“I don't really exist here”: A reflexive thematic analysis of dissociative symptoms described by adolescents and their parents and clinicians

Dissociative symptoms are associated with a range of negative outcomes, yet little is understood about how adolescents experience dissociation in their daily lives. This study aimed to describe adolescents’ dissociative symptoms from the perspective of adolescents, their parents, and their treating clinicians.