Clinical and Health Research Group
Overview
The Clinical and Health Psychology group is concerned with the application of psychological science and practice to the prevention and treatment of both physical and mental ill-health and employs research primarily at the strategic and applied levels. At the strategic level, research enquires into factors disposing people to develop and maintain ill-health and poor coping while, at the applied level, research focuses on the effectiveness of strategies derived from strategic research for the promotion of healthy behaviour and the treatment of disorders.
Ill health is associated with varying degrees of distress, disability and impoverishment. Hence its prevention, cure or amelioration is a high priority throughout the world. Psychologists have developed many effective strategies for prevention and treatment, and thus have become vital members of multidisciplinary clinical and research teams in general practice, mental health, and medicine. At the regional level, the research of the Clinical and Health group will help to galvanise local service providers while, through publications and conference presentations, it will contribute to the health of Australians and to the improvement of clinical outcomes internationally.
Research Topics
The current specific research interests of the group include:
- Health behaviour change; Interventions to reduce alcohol, smoking and other drug use (Bowman)
- Behavioural analysis of behavioural problems; psychological adjustment to chronic pain and physical disability (Chorlton)
- Reproductive health psychology, Eustress and coping; Men's health (Johnson)
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy for the prevention or amelioration of psychotic disorders; Cognitive theories of psychotic symptoms (Startup)
- Anxiety disorders particularly Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Webster)