Megan Ansell
PhD Student
BSc (Hons), BA
megan.ansell@telethonkids.org.au
she/her/hers
Megan is a PhD student under the supervision of Dr Amy Finlay-Jones in the Early Neurodevelopment and Mental Health team, and Dr Jeneva Ohan and Dr Donna Bayliss at the University of Western Australia. The focus of her PhD project is on understanding how stigma impacts the way adolescents with mental health disorders perceive of themselves, specifically their self-stigma, and how they can cope with this challenge.
Her clinical and research interests are in improving the Mental Health of children and adolescents to improve their outcomes across the lifespan. She has previously worked as a research assistant on the Health Promotion and Education Team and Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Team.
Megan holds a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and International Relations) from the University of Western Australia. She is currently completing her Master of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy.
Education and Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) in Psychology
- BA (Political Science and International Relations)
Projects
Piloting a self-compassion program to promote physical and psychological wellbeing in youth with T1D
Published research
“It Just Makes You Feel Horrible”: A Thematic Analysis of the Stigma Experiences of Youth with Anxiety and Depression
Experiencing stigma is associated with a range of negative outcomes for people with mental health disorders. However, little is understood about the contemporary stigma experiences of young people with anxiety and depression. This study aimed to describe these experiences using semi-structured qualitative interviews.
The effectiveness of a day hospital mentalization-based therapy programme for adolescents with borderline personality traits: Findings from Touchstone—Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are at a substantial risk of harm to themselves and others, experience high levels of functional impairment and typically are high users of tertiary healthcare to address their mental health concerns. As indicators for BPD typically emerge in adolescence, a day therapy service in Bentley, Western Australia, Touchstone Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), was developed as an intensive intervention for adolescents with indicators for BPD and its associated symptomology.