Dr Amanda Baker
Senior Lecturer
The University of Newcastle
Head: Drug and Alcohol Research unit, CMHS
Amanda.Baker@newcastle.edu.au |
Dr Amanda Baker is a Senior Clinical Psychologist who has
practiced in both mental health and alcohol and other drug
treatment settings in the United Kingdom and Australia. Her
Master of Psychology thesis involved the evaluation of cognitive-behaviour
therapy (CBT) among people with depression, and her PhD thesis
involved the evaluation of CBT among injecting drug users.
Since taking her position as Senior Lecturer at the University
of Newcastle in 1995, Dr Baker has successfully initiated
and developed a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and
Master of Drug and Alcohol Studies (via distance learning
mode). She was awarded a National Teaching Grant in 1997,
together with the National Centre for Education and Training
on Addiction, for the project titled "Clinical Skills
Training: Effective Approaches to Alcohol and Other Drug Problems".
|
She is currently supervising Several PhD students, a Master
of Medical Science student, two Master of Clinical Psychology
students and one Psychology Honours student. During the last
two years significant committee work has involved: membership
of the Expert Committee of the National Comorbidity Workshop;
Specialist Advisor on the Accreditation Committee of the NSW
Institute of Psychiatry postgraduate mental health courses;
and a member of the NSW Psychostimulant Strategy Steering
Group. Dr Baker is on the Editorial Board of the Drug and
Alcohol Review and is its book review editor. She leads a
consortium who successfully tendered for updating the Commonwealth
Department of Health and Aged Care's Monograph entitled "Models
of intervention and care for psychostimulant users" and
related clinical guidelines for ambulance officers, accident
and emergency workers, general practitioners and police. She
is a member of the successful tender group awarded by the
Australian National Council on Drugs for Rural and Regional
Comorbidity Workshops. She has been a Chief Investigator on
seven competitive national grants and has published over 30
articles. |
Dr Amanda Baker has recently been awarded the prestigious
National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical
Career Development Award for 2003. This award, which provides
an annual sum of $93 500 over five years, will allow Dr Baker
to further develop her important research with people with
psychosis, depression and anxiety who may also have comorbid
disorders |
The Clinical Career Development Award will be utilised by
Dr Baker to establish a clinical research structure within
Hunter Mental Health, NSW. The research will take an evidence-based
approach to the design of clinical treatment programs for
patients with severe psychiatric disorders (including schizophrenia,
major depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders,
severe anxiety, and eating disorders) and/or substance abuse
disorders. Previous research from the Australian National
Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing has revealed high rates
of alcohol and drug abuse in people with mental disorders.
Despite the wide prevalence of this form of comorbidity and
its association with increased disability and service utilisation,
there is a paucity of empirical research on the treatment
of concurrent mental illness and substance use disorders.
Dr Baker's research is dedicated to improving health and substance
use outcomes for patients with these disorders and their families
by providing investigations of the efficacy and effectiveness
of therapeutic interventions, and the development and dissemination
of therapy manuals. An emphasis of Dr Baker's research will
be placed on developing interventions that are applicable
to most chronic, relapsing disorders (such as compliance therapy,
family interventions, and lifestyle enhancement) and to interventions
for resistant symptoms (such as cognitive-behaviour therapy).
It is hoped that the establishment of this clinical research
structure within Hunter Mental Health will provide a means
by which research can be translated into health practice.
|
|
Current Research Activities and Interests
- Comorbidity Workshops
- Amphetamine Guidelines/Review Collaboration (with Melbourne/Brisbane)
- Tobacco Dependence & Psychosis (with Sydney)
- Regular Amphetamine Users Study (with Brisbane)
- Health Sketch (Dual Diagnosis): CBT for Comorbid mental
illness and Alcohol & other drug problems,
- Substance Abuse & Crime
- Cognitive therapy for Psychosis
- Cognitive therapy for Depression
- Cognitive therapy for Anxiety & Eating disorders
|
|
Current
Staff & Students | Home | Search
| Quick Find
