Search
News & Events
Anaesthesia, suicide prevention and rare disease research supported by Telethon 2022The generous support of West Australians through Channel 7’s Telethon Trust will help support vital child health research at The Kids Research Institute Australia in 2023.
Research
Has the Prevalence of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders in Australia Changed Between 1998 and 2013 to 2014?This study examined whether the 12-month prevalence of major depressive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorder among 6- to 17-year-olds in Australia changed between 1998 and 2013 to 2014. It also investigated whether changes in the prevalence of disorders over this time varied for children living in families containing 2 parents versus single parents, and families with high versus low income.
The Healing Kids, Healing Families team strives to understand how trauma and adverse circumstances can impact a child and their family, and how we can help them to recover from these experiences.
Research
Psychosocial and neurocognitive correlates of suicidal thoughts and behaviours amongst siblings of persons with and without neurodevelopmental conditionsSiblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) have greater incidence of neuropsychiatric diagnoses and neurocognitive difficulties compared to siblings of persons without NDCs. Despite suicidality being labelled a global health crisis (WHO, 2014) and NDC siblings experiencing risk factors implicated in suicidality, no previous studies examined suicidality amongst adolescent and young adult siblings of persons with NDCs. Our study aimed to bridge this gap.
Research
The Addition of Fish Oil to Cognitive Behavioral Case Management for Youth Depression: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Clinical TrialClinical trials suggest that long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) (fish oil) may reduce depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder. Therefore, n-3 PUFAs may be a potential treatment for depression in youth.
Research
Clustering of Wellbeing, Engagement and Academic Outcomes in Australian Primary SchoolsThe mental health and wellbeing of young people has important consequences for students and society. Schools are a logical environment for management and early intervention of wellbeing, mental health and engagement with school. Interventions aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing in education systems requires knowledge of how wellbeing is clustered at a school level. Cluster-randomised trials, and regression analyses of such data also require knowledge of clustering.
Research
“Ngany Kamam, I Speak Truly”: First-Person Accounts of Aboriginal Youth Voices in Mental Health Service ReformAboriginal young people are experts in their own experience and are best placed to identify the solutions to their mental health and wellbeing needs. Given that Aboriginal young people experience high rates of mental health concerns and are less likely than non-Indigenous young people to access mental health services, co-design and evaluation of appropriate mental health care is a priority.
Research
“It Just Makes You Feel Horrible”: A Thematic Analysis of the Stigma Experiences of Youth with Anxiety and DepressionExperiencing stigma is associated with a range of negative outcomes for people with mental health disorders. However, little is understood about the contemporary stigma experiences of young people with anxiety and depression. This study aimed to describe these experiences using semi-structured qualitative interviews.
Research
An evaluation of junior doctors’ experience in smoking cessation training in a rural mental health settingThe extent of lung hypoplasia impacts the survival and severity of Smoking prevalence remains high amongst people with mental illness, however, they are less likely to be screened for tobacco dependence and offered treatment to quit.
Research
Acceptability and Potential Impact of the #chatsafe Suicide Postvention Response Among Young People Who Have Been Exposed to Suicide: Pilot StudyYoung people are more likely to be affected by suicide contagion, and there are concerns about the role social media plays in the development and maintenance of suicide clusters or in facilitating imitative suicidal behavior. However, social media also presents an opportunity to provide real-time and age-appropriate suicide prevention information, which could be an important component of suicide postvention activities.