Research

Melbourne Children’s Campus has a proud history of conducting world-leading research that improves the health and wellbeing of children and their carers.

Utilising lived experience is crucial in informing research activities into the mental health of children and young people, their families, and other carers at the Royal Children's Hospital, MCRI, and Melbourne University. Lived experience provides invaluable insights into mental health's subjective and nuanced aspects, offering a unique perspective that complements traditional research methods. By incorporating the perspectives of those directly affected, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by patients and their support networks. This approach enhances the relevance and applicability of research findings and fosters a more patient centered and holistic mental health care. Additionally, involving individuals with lived experience promotes collaboration, reduces stigma, and ensures that interventions and policies are informed by real-world experiences, ultimately leading to more effective and compassionate healthcare practices.

Please visit our -

Campus Mental Health Research Strategy activities build on this foundation to ...

  • Unite colleagues to create opportunities for novel research. 
  • Provide skills and resources to ensure rapid translation of high quality research into practice. 
  • Support staff to engage in research in their areas of expertise. 
  • Have lived experience at the heart of our activities, from inception to implementation of research ideas.

Our campus mental health strategy will sustain evidence-based mental health care through innovative, translatable clinically-led research projects which are co-designed with people with lived experience. We will enhance and foster a culture of excellence by supporting our teams to participate in collaborative research that partners with Experts by Experience (children, young people, families, and carers) and Experts by Profession (healthcare providers and policy makers).

Our Mental Health Research Network

People on our campus are dedicated to generating knowledge that improves mental health and wellbeing of children in our care, their families and healthcare providers.

Our Mental Health Research Network unites those people and enables them to design, deliver, and implement evidence-based mental health care. 

Teams within the Network drive our strategic goals, develop our campus-wide initiatives, and foster the skills and achievements of our teams of scientists and clinicians.

Our teams:

  • Mental Health Research Network Steering Group 
  • Mental Health Research Network Core Outcome Measures Group 
  • Mental Health Research Network Peer Researchers Group 
  • Mental Health Research Network Scientific Forum 

Strategy-funded research projects

Generous support from the RCH Foundation enables our Campus Mental Health Strategy to fund specific research projects, which are underway. Further projects will be funded on the basis of work with campus staff and our Lived Experience experts which identifies areas of importance and need.

Click to view our research activities.

 

 

  • Screening for Mental Health in Children with Chronic Illness   
  • Evaluating Interventions to Psychological Distress For Children with Chronic Medical Conditions  
  • Improving mental health among transgender, gender diverse, and non-binary adolescents  
  • Clinical feasibility of ‘Take a Breath’  
  • COVID Clinical Mental Health Follow Up  
  • COVID Wellbeing study 
  • A Randomised Control Trial of Psychological intervention for Severe Irritability 

Get involved in research on campus.

We value the contribution that people of lived experience make to our research. Please click here for details of our KAYACR and Parent Advisory Group who help us to define, refine, and decide on Campus Mental Health Research. If you are interested in contributing then please click here for details of how to become involved.

Campus Mental Health Research Network is an initiative to bring together interested colleagues for formal and informal discussions 

Melbourne Children’s Campus has an array of resources for colleagues wishing to become involved in research. Whether you are just starting out, need help with a recently awarded bid, want research methods support then the Melbourne Children’s Research Incubator Hub is the place to start!
Research Hub RCH web site.  

Are you a person with lived experience and want to be involved in research?
Please watch this space as we will be placing links to all studies and also for mental-health specific studies. 

Acknowledgement of Country

Australian Aboriginal Flag
Progress Pride Flag
Torres Strait Islander Flag

At Mental Health Central we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, gather and work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

We acknowledge all people with a lived or living experience of mental ill-health and recovery. At the Campus, we particularly acknowledge children, young people, families, carers, and supporters. We recognise their vital contribution and value the courage of those who share this unique perspective for the purpose of learning and growing together to achieve better outcomes for the Campus, staff, sector, and all people of lived experience.

 

Proudly supported by The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation