How are researchers working to alleviate the mental health issues affecting Australians in 2024? With Queensland Mental Health Week from 5-13 October, experts from the University of the Sunshine Coast and its Thompson Institute are available for interviews on a range of topics:
Excitement, anxiety and uncertainty: primary to high school transitions
The transition to high school can be challenging for young people. As Term 4 commences and Year 6 students prepare for high school next year, they may be feeling a mix of excitement, anxiety and uncertainty about the significant changes and increased expectations. For those already experiencing mental health issues, the transition may exacerbate symptoms and challenge their coping mechanisms during a critical developmental period. Research has identified ways to help.
Dr Michelle Kennedy is a research fellow at UniSC’s Thompson Institute focused on youth mental health, particularly regarding school transitions.
New dads can feel perinatal and postnatal stress too
Becoming a father for the first time comes with highs and lows. Some men feel isolated, confused and inadequate in this role, which can lead to mental health issues such as depression along with family conflict and/or domestic violence. Research is uncovering more about men’s mental health span over their lifetime, finding benefits in connecting with other men and seeking support.
Dr Barnaby Dixson is a lecturer in psychology with an interest in men’s mental health in the perinatal period, including understanding protective factors to prevent isolation and mental decline in new fathers. He is speaking at UniSC on Wednesday 2 October at a Thompson Institute Alliance for Suicide Prevention panel event.
Languishing? How to look after your mental health
Working to improve your mental health is not just for people diagnosed with an illness. Many people feeling the pressures of daily life in 2024 are languishing, at risk of declining, when they could be thriving. From stretched company employees and time-poor university students to lonely seniors at home, there are simple tips for enhancing mental wellbeing, including new digital interventions to promote behavioural change and ‘top up your toolbox’ in tough times.
Dr Dan Fassnacht, a UniSC associate professor in psychology and Dr Kathina Ali, a UniSC senior lecturer in clinical psychology, co-lead the Be Well Lab, a collaboration developing innovative, scientifically validated tools to help people monitor and build mental health and wellbeing.
How and why are young people who self-harm falling through system cracks?
The rate of self-harm among young people is increasing but they are often reluctant to seek help. We need to change the way this challenge is tackled. Research is investigating the big picture, looking beyond the young people who need support to the environments around them: schools, work, the government, the community. The performance of our mental health system depends on everyone. (Journal publications here and here.)
Dr Jolene Cox is a research fellow in human factors and complex systems who is examining help-seeking and the impacts of mental health system complexity on people’s health and wellbeing.
How ‘fake’ food, screens, social media and nature-time affect young brains
Many facets of modern living are affecting the mental health of young people. We’re replacing food with ultra high processed “food products", reducing human time spent in nature, and watching screen-time and social media impact the interpersonal skills development of children, adolescents and young adults. How can families help the next generation navigate these issues?
Dr Rachael Sharman is a UniSC senior lecturer and researcher in psychology focused on the optimal and healthy development of the paediatric brain.
Hearing voices is common, virtual reality can help
Have you ever heard something that others cannot – such as your name being called? Hearing voices or noises that aren’t there is common. About 10 percent of people report it at some point in life. For some, particularly those with a mental health diagnosis, voices can be critical, nasty, threatening and distressing. Virtual reality offers a promising treatment called ‘avatar therapy’, where people create and interact with a virtual representation of their voices to regain power.
Dr Rachel Brand, a senior lecturer in clinical psychology with 15 years of experience in delivering therapies for people with psychosis, is one of the chief investigators on AMETHYST, a collaborative national trial of a virtual reality assisted therapy for people who hear voices.
Managing a child’s emotions starts with the parent’s childhood experience
The mental health of a parent contributes greatly to their child’s wellbeing – and it all starts in the parent’s childhood. To foster family wellbeing, we need to better understand the factors very early in life that contribute to mental positivity or problems. Research is investigating precursors such as self-regulation and the ability to manage emotions, behaviours and thoughts, as well as socioeconomic influences. Prevention and intervention strategies include music therapy.
Professor Kate Williams is a developmental scientist who has been researching early childhood development and intersections with mental health, parenting, and education for more than 15 years. Kate is also a registered music therapist with clinical expertise in working with families with young children to build positive parenting and family relationships.
How changes in the brain relate to wellbeing – or distress – in teens
Adolescence can be a tumultuous time but MRI scans are starting to reveal what’s really going on in developing brains. A world-first longitudinal study is tracking these brain changes in more than 150 people aged 12 to 17 years old. It’s important to identify the neurobiological differences that make young people more positive and resilient to challenges, as well as those that lead to distress.
Dr Amanda Boyes is a neuroscientist and research fellow in youth mental health at UniSC’s Thompson Institute, leading the Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study research team. (Journal publication here.)
The ‘good mother’ myth – take the pressure down
Motherhood is complicated by society’s expectations as well as biological, psychological and social factors. Despite these challenges, the ‘good mother’ myth continues to put pressure on mothers, contributing to their sense of overwhelm, failure and guilt. As a society, a raw and honest unravelling of the realities of motherhood is needed to support women during their mothering journey. (Journal publication here.)
Dr Zalia Powell is a lecturer in social work whose qualitive, lived experience research focuses on motherhood across diverse experiences including perinatal anxiety, young mothers, parenting transgender and gender diverse youth, domestic violence, and perinatal bereavement.
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