Recipients: Peter Kelly (University of Wollongong), Alison Beck (UOW), Martin Clements (Western NSW Local Health District)

Area of Study: Western NSW 

Men, and rural men in particular, experience a disproportionate level of burden from mental health concerns and problematic use of alcohol and other drugs. Of concern, men do not typically access support for mental health. However, use of addiction services is typically higher. This includes SMART Recovery mutual support groups. SMART Recovery groups utilise principles and strategies (e.g. motivational interviewing, cognitive behaviour therapy) that can help with both mental health concerns and problematic use of alcohol and other drugs. Importantly, such action-oriented, self-management approaches are more likely to be acceptable to males. These groups have the added benefit of accessibility, with no cost or waiting list, and availability online and face-to-face. Evidence supports the benefits of attending mutual support groups. However the role of SMART Recovery groups for improving the mental health and wellbeing of rural men has yet to be evaluated. This mixed-methods evaluation will address this gap. Qualitative and quantitative data will be used to examine the experiences, patient reported outcomes and characteristics of rural men who attend SMART Recovery groups, and how links to mutual support groups and the broader treatment sector could be better facilitated.

AIR Therapy intervention for adolescents with signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder: Piloting a therapist-assisted internet-delivered treatment.

Recipients: Michelle Townsend (University of Wollongong), Brin Grenyer (UOW),  Kathleen Manning (Murrumbidgee LHD), Samantha Reis (UOW), Nicholas Day (UOW), Emily Matthews (UOW), Amanda Gigliotti (UOW), John Dean (MLHD). 

Area: Murrumbidgee 

AIR Therapy is a clinician-assisted online intervention for adolescents with complex mental health difficulties such as self-harm, emotional dysregulation and impulsive behaviours. This innovative therapist-assisted internet-delivered treatment is the first to specifically target emerging personality disorder in adolescence and associated complex mental health presentations. AIR Therapy was developed from an existing manualised approach, and is comprised of six online modules which target domains including managing distress and emotions, building sense of self and identity, strengthening relationships and self-care. These modules are delivered over 6 weeks and accompanied by online psychotherapy sessions.

This research aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of AIR Therapy among a sample of adolescents and their clinicians in Murrumbidgee Local Health District. Furthermore, this project will provide preliminary data on the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing mental health symptoms and improving quality of life for the adolescents. The outcomes from this project aim to provide more cost-effective, accessible treatment of emerging borderline personality disorder in adolescence, particularly in rural and remote environments where adolescents who may not otherwise have access to psychotherapy.

Addressing unmet mental health service needs in rural/regional New South Wales: Assessing the impact of a university-based e-therapy training clinic

Recipients: Bruce Christensen (Australian National University), Julia Reynolds (ANU), Erin Parker (ANU)

Area: Southern NSW and Murrumbidgee

Rural and regional communities are experiencing substantial mental ill-health. Mental health services in these areas are scarce, hard to access, and do not always uniquely consider rural and regional contexts. To address these gaps, the Australian National University’s e-Therapy Clinic (e-TC) delivers low-cost, evidence-based, high-quality psychological treatment using a blended model of videoconferencing with a limited number of in-person therapy sessions. The treatment is delivered by postgraduate psychology trainees (supervised by Clinical Psychologists) and offered through local primary care settings. Feedback on pilot projects has been extremely positive. However, the impact of the e-TC has yet to be formally evaluated to determine how well treatment is working and for whom, and whether it is meeting the needs of consumers and primary care referrers. Accordingly, this project will conduct a rigorous evaluation of the e-TC using RE-AIM to assess its reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. It will utilise both qualitative (i.e., community interviews) and quantitative (i.e., routine clinical outcome measures) methods. Findings will be fed-back to stakeholders for validity-checking and refinement. Increased understanding of the effectiveness and optimal delivery of the service will guide improvements to treatment delivery and help identify opportunities to expand the ANU e-TC to other rural and remote communities.

Supporting First Nations Mental Health Trainees

Recipients: Brian Sengstock (Charles Sturt University), Jola Stewart-Bugg (CSU)

Student Stipend

Funding from the Peregrine Centre will be used to support the development of an online Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) module that can be delivered in the on-line environment to Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) students enrolled at Charles Sturt University. The SEWB module will be delivered on line, prior to students undertaking clinical placement and is designed to provide students with an understanding of the need to consider self-care when providing counselling services in the clinical setting. The SEWB module will identify strategies that First Nations students have found useful and how they manage the complex education, social and cultural elements in their clinical role.