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Strengthening student social and emotional wellbeing and preventing bullying behaviours: Insights from 20 years of Friendly Schools research in Australian schools.Strong evidence supports our current understandings of student bullying behaviours and ways schools can prevent and respond effectively to bullying behaviour. In the late 1990’s, however, little was understood about the most effective ways to reduce bullying in Australian schools. In response to schools’ need for evidence-informed action, a pipeline of research called Friendly Schools was initiated in 1999 which for the past twenty years, has provided robust whole-school evidence-based knowledge and skills to support policy makers, school staff and other practitioners working in schools and families across Australia.
Research
Evidence that infant and early childhood developmental impairments are associated with hallucinatory experiences: Results from a large, population-based cohort studyCognitive and motor dysfunction are hallmark features of the psychosis continuum, and have been detected during late childhood and adolescence in youth who report psychotic experiences (PE). However, previous investigations have not explored infancy and early childhood development.
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Pioneering mental health researcher named a 2021 Human Rights Medal finalistCongratulations to trailblazing mental health researcher Professor Helen Milroy, who has been announced as a finalist for the 2021 Human Rights Medal.
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Skill Enactment Among University Students Using a Brief Video-Based Mental Health Intervention: Mixed Methods Study Within a Randomized Controlled TrialMental health problems are common among university students, yet many students do not seek professional help. Digital mental health interventions can increase students' access to support and have been shown to be effective in preventing and treating mental health problems. However, little is known about the extent to which students implement therapeutic skills from these programs in everyday life (ie, skill enactment) or about the impact of skill enactment on outcomes.
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Protective factors, risk factors, and intervention strategies in the prevention and reduction of crime among adolescents and young adults aged 12–24 years: A scoping review protocolEvidence indicates that criminal behaviour in youth is linked with a range of negative physical, mental, and social health consequences. Despite a global decrease over the last 30 years, youth crime remains prevalent.
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Combining Clinical With Cognitive or Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data for Predicting Transition to Psychosis in Ultra High-Risk Patients: Data From the PACE 400 CohortMultimodal modeling that combines biological and clinical data shows promise in predicting transition to psychosis in individuals who are at ultra-high risk. Individuals who transition to psychosis are known to have deficits at baseline in cognitive function and reductions in gray matter volume in multiple brain regions identified by magnetic resonance imaging.
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Trauma-informed prevention programmes for depression, anxiety, and substance use among young people: protocol for a mixed-methods systematic reviewMental ill-health and substance use bear a substantial burden and harm on young people and often arise from co-occurring and compounding risk factors, such as traumatic stress. Trauma-informed prevention of mental ill-health and substance use demonstrates significant promise in reducing this burden.
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Contextualising Experiences of Co-Occurring Mental Ill-Health and Substance Use Among Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Diverse Young People: Implications for Tailored Harm Reduction ApproachesThough significant research highlights higher rates of mental ill-health and substance use among trans, non-binary and gender diverse (henceforth 'trans') young people, little research has considered patterns, contextual characteristics, and correlates of co-occurring experiences of mental ill-health and substance use among trans young people.
Research
Loneliness and Emotional and Externalizing Problems in Early Adolescence: Moderating and Mediating Effects of Coping SkillsLoneliness is an unavoidable facet of human existence. When chronic and intense, adolescent loneliness is associated with maladjustment over time. A prospective multiple-cohort study examined the links between child-reported loneliness and coping skills and parent-rated child mental health in early adolescence, with a total of 266 students from 75 primary and 152 secondary schools.