Mental health research projects investigating Tourette Syndrome (Tourette’s), Aboriginal children’s social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB), the affect of top surgery on trans young people’s quality of life, and the impact of problem sport gambling behaviour on young people will all launch this year after the Embrace 2024 Seeding Grant winners were announced today.
Four projects relating to Embrace’s three community-led research priorities were chosen from a strong application field by an independent judging panel to receive up to $25,000 in funding.
Among the successful applications was a project investigating the experiences navigating mental health challenges in young people with Tourette’s and their families.
The Kids Research Institute Australia Senior Research Fellow Dr Melissa Licari will lead the work, which will progress alongside Impact for Tourette’s, the first national survey characterising the unmet mental health needs of young people with tic disorders and explore what support is needed for young people and their families.
Senior Research Officer Dr Renee Teal’s project will identify the determinants of SEWB among Aboriginal children aged 5 and under in Western Australia. These linked factors will be workshopped with parents and caregivers in the Derby area with future plans to inform a culturally co-designed population-level measure of SEWB among Aboriginal children aged 5 and under.
Research Fellow Dr Penelope Strauss will lead a pilot project assessing how top surgery affects the mental health, wellbeing, dysphoria and quality of life of trans individuals aged 16 and above.
The first-of-its-kind study will expand the evidence base by investigating the impact on lifestyle factors including barriers to accessing top surgery, psychosocial support, relationships, workplaces and physical activity.
Finally, Senior Research Fellow Dr Vincent Mancini’s project will identify the factors that can increase the risk of problem sport gambling behaviour in Australian young people. Next, Dr Mancini will partner with stakeholders including community organisations to design a strategy and key priorities to mitigate the normalisation of sports gambling and the subsequent mental health risks for young people.
Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto.
A big thank you to our two Embrace Community Group members who participated on the independent selection panel alongside Institute researchers.
Clockwise from top left: Dr Penelope Strauss, Dr Renee Teal, Dr Melissa Licari, Dr Vincent Mancini