Research Area Leader
Associate Professor Andrew McGrath
Co-Research Area Leader
Dr Rachael Fox
This research group investigates mental health and community well-being in rural and regional areas. Current research conducted by this group has a broad focus on services that can promote the functioning and mental health of people in their communities. Specific research project are evaluating team care for people suffering from severe mental illness in rural areas, the interrelation between physical and mental health, effective response to natural disasters in rural areas available, as well as a number of projects that look at conceptualisation and measurement of various psychological conditions and their treatment. A further area of research conducted by this group is the focus on mental health and community wellbeing of children and students in rural areas. This includes ethical practice at all levels of education, including effective pastoral care.
A specific strength of the research conducted by this group is the focus on the psychological health and wellbeing of rural communities. By rural communities we mean inner and outer regional areas, and inner and outer remote areas of Australia, including regional centres, small towns, villages, and farming areas. People living in regional and remote areas face increasing challenges, including drought and climate change, and Charles Sturt, as a large regional University, is ideally situated to investigate and respond to these developing and serious challenges.
Funding for this research has been provided by the Australian Research Council, Criminology Research Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network.
Research on mental health and wellbeing issues in a work context is covered by the Workforce Wellness Research Unit.
Photo | Name | School | Location |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | A/Prof Philip Birch | Centre for Law & Justice | Port Macquarie |
![]() | Prof Rylee Dionigi | School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Science | Port Macquarie |
![]() | Dr Keith Harris | School of Psychology | Port Macquarie |
![]() | A/Prof Andrew McGrath | School of Psychology | Bathurst |
Dr Ruth Delaforce | Centre for Law & Justice | Bathurst | |
![]() | Dr Mir Rabiul Islam | School of Psychology | Bathurst |
![]() | Dr Rachael Fox | School of Psychology | Wagga |
![]() | A/Prof Gene Hodgins | School of Psychology | Wagga |
![]() | Dr Sarah Hyde | School of Rural Medicine | Orange |
![]() |
Caroline Roberston, Research Fellow | Three Rivers | Orange |
![]() | Dr Rachael Jefferson-Buchanan | School of Education | Albury |
![]() | A/Prof Herbert Jelinek | School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences | Albury |
![]() | A/Prof Amber McKinley | Australian Graduate School of Policing & Security | Canberra |
![]() | Dr Holly Randell-Moon | School of Indigenous Australian Studies | Dubbo |
Project Name | Brief Description | Funding Body | Investigators |
---|---|---|---|
Workforce Wellbeing in Family and Community Services 2018-2019 | Family and Community Services | Prof Russell Roberts, A/Prof Larissa Bamberry, Dr Arnela Ceric, A/Prof Gene Hodgins, Dr Tamara Cumming, A/Prof Rachel Rossiter |
Project Name | Brief Description | Funding Body | Investigators |
---|---|---|---|
Assets for older adults: Creation of an inventory to measure psychosocial outcomes of sport participation 2013-2015 | This study applies conceptual frameworks from developmental psychology (that are being used to understand youths’ positive development through sport) to the context of sport as an avenue for positive psychosocial development in older people. | Insight Development Grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Cat. 3A) | Prof Rylee Dionigi |
NewAccess Program Evaluation. 2017-2018 | Mixed methods project to evaluate a light CBT programme running through headspace which is being run for the first time with 12-17 year olds. | Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network. (MPHN) | Prof Oliver Burmeister, Prof Russell Roberts, Dr Rachael Fox and Dr Brona Nic Giolla Easpaig |
Team care for people experiencing severe mental illness – Program Evaluation 2017-2018 | Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) | Prof Russell Roberts, A/Prof Rachel Rossiter, Prof Oliver Burmeister, A/Prof Gene Hodgins |
Student | Topic/Area Research | Supervisor |
---|---|---|
Miss Catherine Strods | Studies in Human Society | Dr Mir Islam |
Miss Leighann Spencer | Criminology | Dr Ruth Delaforce |
Miss Louise Sicard | Examining the role of music therapy as a component for treatment: What works for high risk offenders with complex needs. | Dr Philip Birch |
Miss Sheree Moore | Educational Psychology | Dr Rachael Fox |
Miss Yin Hourigan | Australian Children, Adolescents and Parents' Understanding of Mental Illness and Psychological Interventions | Dr Andrew McGrath |
Mr Andrew Williams | Causes and Prevention of Crime | Dr Mir Islam Dr Philip Birch |
Mr Bradley Wright | Police Administration, Procedures and Practice | Dr Amber McKinley |
Mr Brett Biles | An Exploration of a Tailored Cardiovascular Exercise and Education Program for Indigenous Australian Men in a Regional Centre | A/Prof Herbert Jelinek |
Mr Grant Brechney | Effects of Weight Cutting and Weight Recovery on Exercise Performance, Neuromuscular Fatigue and Cognitive Function and the Influence of a Rehydration Treatment in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes | Prof Rylee Dionigi |
Mr John David Moy | Policy and Administration | Dr Mir Islam |
Mr Michael Lollback | Policy and Administration | Dr Philip Birch |
Mr Mitchell Kunnen | Psychological readiness to return to sport after ACL reconstruction in elite and sub-elite rugby league and Australian rules football players | Prof Rylee Dionigi |
Mr Nathan Beehag | Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology | Dr Andrew McGrath |
Mrs Charrissa Chew-Moriarty | Police Administration, Procedures and Practice | Dr Philip Birch |
Mrs Christina Farrell | Psychology | Dr Rachael Fox |
Mrs Rachael Haynes | When daydreams become harmful: Emerging themes from an Australian Maladaptive Daydream Population | A/Prof Gene Hodgins |
Mrs Ruth Crawford | Public Nutrition Intervention | A/Prof Herbert Jelinek |
Mrs Santhi Chigurupati | Motor evoked potential (MEP) from vocal cords to minimise voice loss during Anterior cervical decompression and fusion | A/Prof Herbert Jelinek |
Ms Ann-Maree Fardell Hartley | The use of social media to communicate suicidality by young people and the implications in rural and remote New South Wales. | A/Prof Herbert Jelinek |
Ms Caroline Hare | Forensic Psychology | Dr Andrew McGrath |
Ms Genevieve d'Ament | Sensory Processes, Perception and Performance | Dr Rachael Fox |
Ms Ineke Romeyn | Examining Multiple Victimisation: Re-theorising Child Abuse | Dr Philip Birch |
MS Jen Schwarz | Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology | A/Prof Gene Hodgins |
Ms Katrina Andrews | Social and Community Psychology | A/Prof Gene Hodgins Dr Rachael Fox |
Ms Michelle Grigg | Rehabilitation and Therapy (excl. Physiotherapy) | Prof Rylee Dionigi |
Ms Tammy Orreal | Moral dumbfounding: Does intuition find no reason? | Dr Andrew McGrath |
Ms Yvette Eriksen | Ecological evaluation, acceptability and effectiveness of the standard Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) protocol for posttraumatic symptoms with an Aboriginal Australian community: A collaborative mixed methods enquiry. | A/Prof Gene Hodgins Dr Rachael Fox |