Index
Clinical and Health Psychology
- Introduction
- Current Areas of Investigation
- People
- Research Facilities and Affiliations
- Major Collaborative Projects
Introduction
Psychology's expertise in clinical and health psychology is diverse. The research outputs of our people are recognised internationally and noted for their dual emphasis on the development of principled models of behaviour and application. We are forging an interdisciplinary team consisting of psychologists and other mental health professionals, drawn from RMIT University and other institutions and agencies, nationally and abroad. Our broad aim is to be recognized for innovative and high quality, internationally-competitive applied and basic research at forefront areas of clinical and health psychology. We are particularly interested in attracting new researchers (including graduate students, post-doctoral, and research fellows) to our group. We have at our disposal a start-of-the-art clinical facility that supports our research purposes.
Types of research
Our research is designed to explore the nature, antecedents and consequences of healthy and pathological human behaviour, cognition and emotions, with a view to the development of novel biopsychosocial interventions to improve wellbeing and adaptive function in the broadest sense.
Utilizing understandings and methods drawn from behavioural neuroscience, medicine, the social sciences, and psychology and allied disciplines, our research will compare and contrast the efficacy of specific and combined treatment approaches for psychological issues of individual, social, and economic relevance. These issues include stress, depression, anxiety, hormonally-related conditions and other selected Axis I disorders, as well as disorders of development.
The group also considers the integration of new technologies in the assessment and management of clinical and sub-clinical conditions and for enhanced learning (e.g., web-based learning and therapy; use of virtual therapeutic environments, and so on). This involves understanding how new technologies can be integrated within a multi-modal treatment model, how the use of new technologies influences the interaction between practitioner and client, and how the therapeutic effect of these new technologies can be evaluated at multiple levels of function.
Current areas of investigation
- Behaviour management of childhood disorders such as ADHD and Conduct Disorder
- Aetiology and treatment of clinical psychological disorders, including eating disorders, postnatal depression, addiction, and anxiety disorders
- Learning Disabilities, including dyslexia and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) - see section on Educational and Developmental Psychology for details
- Rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Aetiology and treatment of headache and migraine
- Psychological correlates of health and well being
- Psychological effects of exercise
- Professional practice
- Attitudes toward and treatment of sex offenders
People
- Assoc Prof David Smith (Group leader)
- Assoc Prof Andrea Chester
- Assoc Prof Andrew Francis
- Assoc Prof John Reece
- Dr Sophie Xenos
- Postgraduate research students
Research facilities and affiliations
- RMIT Psychology Clinic
- Research Centre for Health and Behaviour
- Parenting Research Centre
Major collaborative projects
Major collaborations exist with a number of local and international institutions including the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK.
|
Investigator |
Project Title and Funding |
Collaborators |
|---|---|---|
|
Assoc Prof. John Reece |
The Role of Breakfast and Exercise in the Fitness of Adolescent Boys. Research sponsored by Kelloggs. |
A/Prof. Jeff Walkley, RMIT |