Read our reports on the negative mental health impacts of COVID-19 on frontline workers, and what we can do to prevent burnout and psychological distress. Please click on the reports:
Research Area Leader:
Professor Russell Roberts
The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Workshop Wellness Research Unit offers a comprehensive suite of expertise in research, education, policy advice and effective interventions designed to enhance the wellness and productivity of organisations.
The Workforce Wellness Research Unit offers state of the art professional advice, support and research in:
The Workforce Wellness Research Unit Team offers a holistic and comprehensive approach to workplace wellness. Our team has the expertise and capacity to distil the relevant learning from contemporary workplace practice and policy and apply it to unique occupational contexts. Our CSU team is a not-for-profit group, committed to conducting quality research and contributing to the good of the community. With expertise in HR, psychology, economic benefit, communications and marketing, trauma, bullying and harassment, law, statistics, education and research, our team works closely together to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to enhancing workplace wellness.
Find out more about workplace wellness and the team.
| Photo | Name | Title/Position | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larissa Bamberry | Associate Professor, School of Business | Albury | lbamberry@csu.edu.au |
 | Donna Bridges | Senior Lecturer, School of Social Work and Arts | Bathurst | dbridges@csu.edu.au |
| Arnela Ceric | Senior Lecturer, School of Business | Bathurst | aceric@csu.edu.au |
| Marcelle Droulers | Lecturer, School of Business | Bathurst | mdroulers@csu.edu.au |
| Abhishek Dwivedi | Associate Professor, School of Business | Albury | adwivedi@csu.edu.au |
| Mark Frost | Senior Lecturer, School of Business | Bathurst | mfrost@csu.edu.au |
| Jenni Greig | Research Officer, Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences | Bathurst | jgreig@csu.edu.au |
| Gene Hodgins | Associate Professor, School of Psychology | Wagga Wagga | ghodgins@csu.edu.au |
| Rachel Hogg | Lecturer, School of Psychology | Wagga Wagga | rhogg@csu.edu.au |
| Zahidul Islam | Professor, School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering | Bathurst | zislam@csu.edu.au |
| Stacey Jenkins | Executive Director, Safety, Security and Wellbeing | Wagga Wagga | sjenkins@csu.edu.au |
| Sonja Maria | Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences | Bathurst | smaria@csu.edu.au |
| Tahmid Nayeem | Senior Lecturer, School of Business | Albury | tnayeem@csu.edu.au |
| Alain Neher | Senior Lecturer, School of Business | Bathurst | aneher@csu.edu.au |
| Rod Pope | Professor, School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences | Albury | rpope@csu.edu.au |
| Russell Roberts | Professor, School of Business | Bathurst | rroberts@csu.edu.au |
| Rachel Rossiter | Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences | Orange | rrossiter@csu.edu.au |
| Clare Sutton | Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences | Bathurst | csutton@csu.edu.au |
| Rachel Verin | Honours Student, School of Psychology | Wagga Wagga | rachel.e.verin@gmail.com | |
| Alfred Wong | Senior Lecturer, School of Business | Bathurst | awong@csu.edu.au |
Some of the current and recent projects undertaken by the WWRU team members include:
| Project Name | Timeline | Funding Body | Investigators | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The mental health impacts of COVID-19 on frontline workers | Apr 2020 - Dec 2020 | This research was funded from Charles Sturt University (CSU) grant program to support communities during COVID-19 through socially relevant research. | Chief investigator, Professor Russell Roberts; Co-chief investigator, Dr Abhishek Dwivedi; Investigators: Dr Mark Frost, Dr Stacey Jenkins, Dr Alain Neher, Professor Peter O'Meara, Ms Clare Sutton, Dr Alfred Wong; Research Assistant, Ms Robyne Young |
| NSW Family and Community Services workforce wellness, benchmark development and validation | Mar 2018 - Mar 2019 | ... | Bamberry, L Ceric, A Hodgins, G Roberts, R Nikidehaghani, M Sowden,J Greig,J Rossiter, R Cumming, T Sutton, C Kulmar, C Droulers, M |
| Medic Fit Research Project | Oct 2017 - Oct 2018 | NSW Ambulance Insurer | Hunter, J MacQuarrie, A |
| International Paramedic Anxiety and Wellbeing Study (IPAWS) | Dec 2017 - 2023 | ... | Sutton, C |
| Women in Trades: Understanding Resilience | Jan 2018 - Jul 2019 | Cross faculty funding from FOBJBS & FOAE, and ILWS | Bridges, D Bamberry, L Krivokapic-Skoko, B Jenkins, S |
| Cultural Change in the Australian Defence Force: Perspectives of Diversity and Gender Equality | Oct 2016 - ongoing | FOAE Income and Initiatives Funding | Bridges, D Wadham, B Mundkur, A |
| Gendered Narratives in Social Work and Social Welfare Practice and Education Contexts | 2017 - ongoing | FOAE Income and Initiatives Funding | Mlcek, S Healy, J Bridges, D |
| Early childhood educator well-being: A pilot study | 2017 - 2018 | CSU Faculty of Arts and Education Research Incomes Initiative Grant | Wong, S Cumming, T Wang, A Crane, J MacQuarrie, A |
| CSU and Royal Far West: Clever Partnering for Social Impact | Jan 2018 - Dec 2018 | ... |
Cumming, T Jackson, D |
| The Preschool Experience of Children in Disadvantaged Communities: Tracking Progress towards School Rediness | 2016 | ... | Wang, C Cumming, T Murray, E Dwyer, J Harrison, L |
Recent publications of the WWRU team members include:
- Asbury, E., Rasku, T., Thyer, L., Campbell, C., Holmes, L., Sutton, C. & Tavares, W. (2018). IPAWS: The International Paramedic Anxiety Wellbeing and Stress study, EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, 30(1), 1. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.12918
- Al-Yateem, N., & Rossiter, R. (2017). Nutritional knowledge and habits of adolescents aged 9 to 13 years in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates: Cross sectional study. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 23(8), 551-558. doi: 10.26719/2017.23.8.551
- Al-Yateem, N., Rossiter, R. C., Robb, W. F., & Slewa-Younan, S. (2018). Mental health literacy of school nurses in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 12(1), 6. doi: 10.1186/s13033-018-0184-4
- Al-Yateem, N., Rossiter, R., Robb, W., Ahmad, A., Elhalik, M., Albloshi, S., & Slewa-Younan, S. (2017). The Mental Health Literacy of Pediatric Hospital Staff in the United Arab Emirates BMC Psychiatry, 17(390), 1-12. doi: 10.1186/s12888-017-1556-z
- Bridges, D., Mundkur, A. & Wadham, B. (2016). The roles of women in UN peacekeeping: moving on from gendered norms to problematizing masculinity. Paper presented at Gender, Work and Organisation 9th Biennial International Interdisciplinary conference, Keele University, UK.
- Bridges, D., Wadham, B., Mundkur, A. & Connor, J. (2016). Women's Integration into the Australian Defence Force - The Lifting of the Combat Exclusion and The Social and Cultural Legitimacy of the Feminine. Paper presented at ISME Conference 2016: Women Serving in the Armed Forces: Shaping Modern Values and Beyond. Annapolis, Marylands.
- Brownie, S., Rossiter, R., Hamad, A., & Aqtash, S. (2017). The Role and Value of Nurses in Care Provision: Views and Expectations of Emirati Nationals in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, UAE. Journal of Hospital Administration, 6(6), 42-50. doi: 10.5430/jha.v6n6p42
- Brownie, S., Scott, R., & Rossiter, R. (2016). Therapeutic communication and relationships in chronic and complex care. Nursing Standard, 31(6), 54. doi: 10.7748/ns.2016.e9847
- Crowe, K., Cumming, T., McCormack, J., Baker, E., McLeod, S., Wren, Y., ... & Masso, S. (2017). Educators’ perspectives on facilitating computer-assisted speech intervention in early childhood settings. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 33(3), 267-285. doi: 10.1177/0265659017717437
- Cumming, T. (2015). Early childhood educators’ experiences in their work environments: Shaping (im)possible ways of being an educator? Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education (Special Issue: Early Childhood Landscapes and Portraits in Complex Times), 12(1), 52-66
- Cumming, T. (2016). Early childhood educators’ well-being: An updated review of the literature, Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(5). doi: 10.1007/s10643-016-0818-6
- Cumming, T., Sumsion, J., & Wong, S. (2015). Rethinking early childhood workforce sustainability in the context of Australia's early childhood education and care reforms. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 9(2), 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s40723-015-0005-z
- Cumming, T., & Wong, S. (2015). Changing and sustaining transdisciplinary practice through research partnerships. In P. Gibbs, (Ed), Transdisciplinary Professional Learning and Practice. Switzerland: Springer. [invited chapter]
- Everson, N., Levett-Jones, T., Pitt, V., Lapkin, S., Van Der Riet, P., Rossiter, R., . . . Courtney Pratt, H. (2018). Analysis of the Empathic Concern Subscale of the Emotional Response Questionnaire in a Study Evaluating the Impact of a 3D Cultural Simulation. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 15(1). doi: 10.1515/ijnes-2017-0003
- Hazelton, M., & Rossiter, R. (2016). ‘Talk about Trouble’: Practitioner Discourses on Service Users Who Are Judged to Be Resisting, Contesting, or Evading Treatment. In M. O’Reilly & J. N. Lester (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Adult Mental Health: Discourse and Conversation Studies (pp. 419-440). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
- Hunter, J., Gordon, B., Lythgo, N., Bird, S., & Benson, A. (2018). Exercise at an onsite facility with or without direct exercise supervision improves health-related physical fitness and exercise participation: an 8-week randomised controlled trial with 15-month follow-up. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 29(1), pp. 1-9. doi: 10.1002/hpja.2
- Rossiter, R. C., Clarke, D. K., & Shields, L. (2018). Supporting Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing During The Transition To Secondary School In Regional Australia. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 28(1), 73 - 85.
- Rossiter, R., Clarke, D. K., Kent, K., Judge, T., & Shields, L. (2017). Transition from Primary School to High School: Developing a framework to guide future Centacare delivered interventions for young people transitioning from primary to secondary school: School of Nursing, Midwifery & Indigenous Health, Charles Sturt University.
- Rossiter, R. C., & Stone, T. E. (2016). “Buyer Beware!” predatory conferences: Avoiding an expensive mistake. Nursing & Health Sciences, 18(4), 414-415. doi: 10.1111/nhs.12318
- Wadham, B., Bridges, D., Mundkur, A. & Connor, J. (2016). War-Fighting and left-wing feminist agendas: gender and change in the Australian Defence Force. Critical Military Studies, 1-17. doi: 10.1080/23337486.2016.1268371
Upcoming publications of the WWRU team members include:
- Bridges, D., Bamberry, L., Krivokapic-Skoko, & Jenkins, S. “Women in masculine Jobs: the roles of resilience and capital. Paper accepted for the Gender Work and Organisation conference in June 2018.
- Bridges, D., Wadham, B., & Mundkur, A. (under review). Gender on the frontline: renderings of military women in Australian media. Feminist Media Studies.
- Bridges, D., & Wulff, E. (under review) Making the invisible visible: Using Bourdieu to understand why gender equality in the ADF is thwarted by masculine privilege. Journal of Gender Work and Organisation.
- Cumming, T. & Wong, S. (in press). Educator well-being: Why does it matter? Voice, Early Childhood Australia.
- Cumming, T., & Wong, S. (in press).Towards a holistic conceptualisation of early childhood educators’ well-being. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood.
- Cumming, T. & Wong, S. (under review). What does well-being mean for early childhood educators? Every Child. Early Childhood Australia.
- Hunter, J., Gordon, B., Bird. S. & Benson, A. (Under review). Perceived barriers and facilitators to workplace exercise participation. International Journal of Workplace Health Management.
- Hunter, J., Gordon, B., Bird. S. & Benson, A. (Under review). Exercise supervision is important for cardio-metabolic health improvements: a 16-week randomised controlled trial. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.