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Research

The prevalence of psychosis has been shown to be disproportionately high amongst sexual and gender minority individuals. However, there is currently little consideration of the unique needs of this population in mental health treatment, with LGBTQA+ individuals facing barriers in accessing timely and non-stigmatising support for psychotic experiences. 

Research

Among the increasing threats to the healthcare of transgender and gender-diverse people globally, are efforts to deny gender-affirming medical care to people under age 25 typically justified by stating that the human brain is not developed until the mid-to-late 20's. Thus, this line of reasoning states young adults are not sufficiently mature to be responsible for autonomous healthcare decision-making— at least in regard to gender-affirming care.

News & Events

Congratulations to Head of Youth Mental Health at The Kids Research Institute Australia, Dr Yael Perry, who has received a Telstra Health 2023 Brilliant Women in Digital Health Award in recognition of her innovative use of technology to achieve positive mental health outcomes for marginalised young people.

News & Events

Prominent consultant psychiatrist and Western Australia’s 2021 Australian of the Year, Professor Helen Milroy AM, has been recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia (General Division).

News & Events

With mental health issues an escalating problem among young people, looking after the mental health of future generations has never been more

The Youth Mental Health team is looking for a diverse group of young people to help inform research into mental health in LGBTIQ+ young people.

Research

Natural Language Sampling (NLS) offers clear potential for communication and language assessment, where other data might be difficult to interpret. We leveraged existing primary data for 18-month-olds showing early signs of autism, to examine the reliability and concurrent construct validity of NLS-derived measures coded from video-of child language, parent linguistic input, and dyadic balance of communicative interaction-against standardised assessment scores. Using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software and coding conventions, masked coders achieved good-to-excellent inter-rater agreement across all measures.

Research

Parental support is strongly correlated with protective factors for trans youth yet most experience parental rejection or ambivalence regarding their gender. Many parents report a desire to support their child but indicate lack of understanding and support as key barriers. We aimed to develop a nuanced understanding of the challenges and facilitators experienced by Australian parents in developing understanding, support and acceptance of their child’s gender and their needs to do so.

Research

Parental support is strongly correlated with protective factors for trans youth, however, most experience unsupportive parental attitudes. We aimed to better understand how youth perceive parental reactions to their gender identity disclosure and what they consider to be barriers to, and facilitators of, support.

Research

Research has shown that parents of trans children face numerous challenges as they navigate their parenting role, however, little is known about the impact of these challenges on parents’ psychological wellbeing.