Prevention and Management of Youth Mental Illness (2016-2019)

Mental and substance use disorders are the leading cause of disability in Australian youth. This fellowship will allow me to progress an established, productive research programme addressing mental disorders in youth that is underpinned by clinical and research expertise and mature, synergistic collaborations. Firstly, this programme extends the internationally renowned birth cohort in which I have had a central role as a psychiatrist and epidemiologist for the past decade. Secondly, this programme will finalise the development of a scale which will reliably measure traditional and cyberbullying enabling intervention studies to reduce bullying in schools. Furthermore, in my role as expert advisor to the Global Burden of Disease Studies (GBD), I will establish bullying as a risk factor for mental illness ensuring allocation of funding for effective bullying prevention programmes. Thirdly, this programme will continue the cutting edge research I have lead in Queensland examining the role of immune system in those with early psychosis. Finally, this fellowship will enable me to lead clinical trials of novel agents to treat young people with early psychosis. The fellowship will enable me to focus on my clinical research progressing a programme that will improve the mental health and wellbeing of young Australians.