Rural Mental Health (Bendigo)

Personnel

Team Leader
Professor Fiona Judd

Research Assistants
Angela Komiti
Cait Fraser

Postgraduate Students
Danielle Orton
Dennis Mazalin
Ian Lochland
Natalie Robbins
Rebecca Wood
Shona Wright

Other members of the Team
Biliana Agin
Jodi DeAraugo
Julian Davis
Michelle Menzel
Tim Lenten

Research Activities

The goal of the research program is to promote, support and conduct research focusing on the nature, causes, prevention and treatment of mental health problems in rural populations. The Centre's research program falls into four broad streams: mental wellbeing and mental disorder in rural residents, primary care psychiatry, anxiety and depression, and service evaluation and outcomes.

• Mental wellbeing and mental disorder in rural residents
  • Place effects on mental wellbeing and mental disorder
  • Social network characteristics and mental health/mental disorder (SCID)
  • Mental health and mental health problems of farmers
  • Schizophrenia - rural and urban residents - sense of community and social networks
  • Suicide in rural residents
  • The role of psychological variables in help seeking by rural residents
  • Needs of male carers of individuals with mental illness
• Primary Care Psychiatry
  • Consultation-liaison arrangements with GPs
  • Knowledge, attitudes and practices of GPs in management of people with mental illness
  • Use of focused psychological strategies by GPs
• Anxiety and Depression
  • Depression farmers and farming families
  • Group therapy for Post Natal Depression
  • Psychological therapy for individuals with ID and depression
  • Use of online resources in treatment of anxiety and depression
• Service Evaluation and Outcomes
  • Homelessness amongst the mentally ill in rural Victoria
  • Use of cognitive behavioural strategies by case managers in treating individuals with anxiety and depression
  • Treatment outcome in eating disorders
  • Understanding dual relationships in rural mental health clinicians
  • Psychiatric nurses' attitudes towards supervision
  • Development of a model to enhance service delivery for families with parental mental health issues who are involved with the Department of Human Services Protective Services

Collaborations

We have collaborative links with the University of Melbourne Departments of Psychiatry (Prof M Berk) and Psychology (Prof H Jackson, Prof P Pattison & Dr. G. Robins), Swinburne University of Technology (Dr. G. Murray) and Latrobe University Bendigo Schools of Nursing (Mr. T. Lenten, Prof R. Endacott) and Public Health (Dr. E James). We also work closely with the Monash School of Rural Health.