Research, education, and treatment to promote better mental health for young people
We undertake ‘real world’ research to both validate and improve mental health treatments for young people, and to deliver and promote evidence-based treatments to the community.
We do this by:
- Delivering preventative mental health presentations to students, staff and parents in school settings. We offer mental health preventative talks on topics such as adolescent development, recognising and responding to mental health problems, bullying, stress management, self-care and communication. Our most popular presentation is a one-hour stress management talk aimed at students in Year 11 and 12 that are embarking on their HSC. Our talks are practical and interactive, and they have been developed in response to teacher and student feedback. More about our school talks and programs.
- Providing evidence-based psychological treatment to young people and their families through our General Psychology Clinic. We offer psychological support for children, teenagers and young adults across a range of issues, including behavioural problems, anxiety, depression, school-related stress, mood disorders, self-esteem, bullying, trauma, and parenting/family issues. Our private clinic is in Randwick. More about our General Psychology Clinic.
- Evaluating treatments through the application of quality research in ‘real world’ community settings. Our most recent research project, called Side-by-Side: bringing the fun back to family, was a randomised comparison trial involving 130 families with children aged 7 to 14 with emotional and behavioural problems. In this 5-year study, we investigated the effectiveness of Parent Management Training (PMT) with Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) as an alternative therapy for the treatment of children and adolescents with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. More about our research and Collaborative and Proactive Solutions.
- Disseminating our research through community outreach, presentations and training other health and education professionals, including in rural and regional areas where there is a shortage of mental health support services, especially for young people. Our THRIVE program introduces school teachers and staff to the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions approach to managing challenging behaviour in the classroom, equipping them with the necessary skills to provide early intervention, evidence-based treatment for students, and impart social-emotional competencies that will better place students to deal with emotional challenges in the future. More about our THRIVE program.