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Research
They Told Me “This Isn’t a Hotel”: Young People’s Experiences and Perceptions of Care When Presenting to the Emergency Department with Suicide-Related BehaviourIn Australia, the number of young people presenting to the emergency department with mental health concerns, in particular, suicidal behaviour (defined here as suicidal ideation, thoughts, intent and attempts) is increasing.
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Shared Decision Making With Young People at Ultra High Risk of Psychotic DisorderWhile the majority of young people who meet the criteria for being considered at increased risk of psychosis do not go on to develop a psychotic disorder, young people are currently being identified and treated in early intervention services.
News & Events
Major grants fuel child health researchSix researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia have been awarded $8.9 million in prestigious Investigator Grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Research
Mental health assessment of transgender youth - Should standardised psychological measures be scored by norms of birth-registered sex?Standardised psychometric measures are used in mental health care and research settings to identify risk, assist diagnosis, and assess symptom severity. Standardised scoring of these measures involves transforming respondents' raw scores using binary sex norms. However, scoring manuals offer no guidance as to appropriate scoring methods for trans and non-binary respondents.
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Protocol to implement and evaluate a culturally secure, strength-based, equine-assisted learning program, "Yawardani Jan-ga" (horses helping)Australian Aboriginal people experience stressors from inequalities across crucial social determinants, including deep and entrenched disadvantage and exclusion. The impact of unaddressed historical issues is pervasive and intergenerational. The disproportionate rates of Aboriginal youth suicide, juvenile detention and imprisonment highlight the inadequacy of existing social and emotional wellbeing programs and services for Aboriginal children and young people.
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A Pilot Group Program for Parents of Trans Young People at a Specialized Pediatric Gender Diversity ServiceParental support is strongly associated with protective factors across a range of child health outcomes for trans young people. Commonly, parents report barriers to supporting their child such as lack of understanding and difficulty in accessing information and support regarding gender diversity.
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Mental health profiles and academic achievement in Australian school studentsThis study explored mental health profiles in Australian school students using indicators of well-being (i.e., optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness) and psychological distress (i.e., sadness and worries). The sample included 75,757 students (ages 8-18 years) who completed the 2019 South Australian Wellbeing and Engagement Collection.
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It’s time for change: inequities and determinants of health-related quality of life among gender and sexually diverse young people in AustraliaThis study was guided by three research aims: firstly, to examine the longitudinal trends of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among gender and sexuality diverse (LGBTQA2S+) young people through adolescence (ages 14-19); secondly, to assess longitudinal associations between poor mental health and HR-QoL among LGBTQA2S+ young people through adolescence; and thirdly, to examine differences in HR-QoL among LGBTQA2S+ young people during early adolescence (ages 14 and 15) depending on select school-, peer-, and parent-level factors.
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Pathways of Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Peer Bullying in Children and Youth: A Scoping ReviewGrowing up in socioeconomic disadvantage increases risk of peer bullying at school. Both socioeconomic status and involvement in bullying are predictive of a range of adverse developmental outcomes. However, neither (a) the mechanisms whereby disadvantage increases bullying risk nor (b) the developmental outcomes for which bullying may mediate disadvantage are clear.
Research
A Lifeline to Fill the Silence of Homelessness: Person-Centered Analysis of Digital Coping and Links to Mental and Physical HealthIndividuals experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable population for mental and physical health disparities. Despite navigating numerous stressors on a day-to-day basis, they are vastly underrepresented within coping research. Using a person-centered approach, this study addresses ways in which technology is leveraged to manage ongoing stressors associated with the experience of homelessness.