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Further examination of the reducing transition rate in ultra high risk for psychosis samples: The possible role of earlier interventionThe rate of transition to psychotic disorder in ultra high risk (UHR) patients has declined in recent cohorts. The reasons for this are unclear, but may...
Research
Early childhood caries, primary caregiver oral health knowledge and behaviours and associated sociological factors in Australia: a systematic scoping reviewEarly childhood caries disproportionately affects vulnerable groups and remains a leading cause of preventable hospital admissions for Western Australian children. The Western Australia State Oral Health Plan seeks to improve child oral health through universal and targeted health promotion initiatives with primary caregivers.
Research
The oral and written narrative language skills of adolescent students in youth detention and the impact of language disorderUnmet language and literacy needs are common among young people who are involved with youth justice systems. However, there is limited research regarding the functional text-level language skills of this population with regard to narrative macrostructure (story grammar) and microstructure (semantics and syntax) elements. In this study, we examined macrostructure and microstructure elements in the oral and written narrative texts of 24 adolescent students of a youth detention centre. The students, who were aged 14- to 17- years, were all speakers of Standard Australian English, and 11 (46%) students met criteria for language disorder (LD).
Research
The association between migrant status and transition in an ultra-high risk for psychosis populationMigrant status is one of the most replicated and robust risk factors for developing a psychotic disorder. This study aimed to determine whether migrant status in people identified as Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis (UHR) was associated with risk of transitioning to a full-threshold psychotic disorder. Hazard ratios for the risk of transition were calculated from five large UHR cohorts (n = 2166) and were used to conduct a meta-analysis using the generic inverse-variance method using a random-effects model.
Research
Family structure and childhood mental disorders: new findings from AustraliaThis report provides new evidence of the relationships between family structure and childhood mental disorders in an under-researched context, Australia

News & Events
Fellowship paves way for world-first LGBTQA+ suicide prevention initiativeDr Penelope Strauss will use a prestigious Post-Doctoral Fellowship from Suicide Prevention Australia to develop and trial a world-first intervention.

News & Events
Trans Pathways researcher recognised as one of Australia’s Tomorrow MakersYouth mental health researcher Penelope Strauss has been named an AMP Tomorrow Maker – the first researcher from The Kids Research Institute Australia to win one of the annual AMP Foundation grants.
Research
Mind the distance: experiences of non-face-to-face child and youth mental health services during COVID-19 social distancing restrictions in Western AustraliaFollowing the outbreak of COVID-19, social distancing restrictions limited access to face-to-face mental health services in Western Australia (WA), necessitating a rapid transition to non-face-to-face alternatives, including telehealth. The current study investigated barriers and facilitators to telehealth access and engagement, and preferences for child and youth mental health service delivery during and beyond COVID-19.
Research
A rural ecosystem of recovery: Lessons from substance users' experiences of accessing services in Western Australia's South WestSubstance use is a public health issue with a greater burden in rural areas. Barriers to accessing services are exacerbated for rural substance users, with confidentiality concerns, longer travel distances, workforce issues and limited availability of services. This paper presents results from a study exploring substance users' experiences of accessing services in Western Australia's South West.
Research
The Future Proofing Study: Design, methods and baseline characteristics of a prospective cohort study of the mental health of Australian adolescentsThe Future Proofing Study (FPS) was established to examine factors associated with the onset and course of mental health conditions during adolescence. This paper describes the design, methods, and baseline characteristics of the FPS cohort.