Research winners focused on saving lives: Suicide Prevention Australia announces new post-doctoral fellowships
Suicide Prevention Australia is announcing four new post-doctoral fellowships funded through the Commonwealth’s Suicide Prevention Research Fund.
From a wide variety of backgrounds and specialisations, these four researchers will develop evidence to support innovative interventions across the spectrum of suicide prevention.
CEO of Suicide Prevention Australia, Nieves Murray, says that the four recipients will contribute greatly to knowledge building in suicide prevention, generated through evidence-based research.
“Over 3,000 lives are lost to suicide each year in Australia and research plays a critical role in helping save lives.
“There is a lot of momentum behind suicide prevention right now, and it’s great to see the future of suicide prevention programs through these four post-doctoral research fellowships,” said Ms Murray.
Federal Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, welcomed the announcement by Suicide Prevention Australia of the four post-doctoral fellowships.
“The four grant recipients all have a strong focus on evidence-based outcomes. Understanding how we can apply the research is a key to success.
“The grants will facilitate a closer alignment between new research, immediate applications and improvement in suicide prevention programs and community services,” said Minister Hunt.
Fellowship recipient, Dr Stephanie Louise will undertake research on an intervention based on mindfulness, which can provide clinicians with an evidence based, cost effective therapeutic tool for treating young Australians.
“There is an urgent need for innovative therapeutic tools for working with young people experiencing suicidal ideation and behaviour in early psychosis,” she said.
“The intervention will be trialled with both inpatient and outpatient mental health services, to assess the impact of using different tools.”
Dr Darren Hedley of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre at La Trobe University will be researching suicidal behaviour in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
“There’s a particularly high rate of suicidal ideation and behaviour in this population which is generally under-researched, particularly in adults.”
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Recipients:
| Dr Monika Ferguson University of South Australia Implementation of a safety planning suicide intervention in a major Australian hospital: consumer, carer and clinician outcomes | Dr Jin Han Black Dog Institute – The University of New South Wales Cognitive and behavioural response styles to negative affect precipitating youth suicidal thoughts |
| Dr Darren Hedley Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre – La Trobe University Understanding and preventing suicidal behaviour in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder | Dr Stephanie Louise Swinburne University of Technology An investigation of mindfulness as a therapeutic tool in the prevention of suicide in early psychosis |
