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As a member service, the APS includes on this website details of research being conducted by members who are seeking participants in research surveys.

If you are interested in participating, please contact the individual cited in the 'Contact details' section under each project listing. Please do not contact the APS directly.

Please note: The APS in no way endorses, has no involvement in, and is not responsible for the research projects listed. Your participation in any of the projects listed is entirely voluntary.

Current research projects

 

Perfectionism, expectations of the mother and the development of postnatal depression

We are looking for women over 18 years of age to participate in a 15 minute online study.

This research is part of the Masters of Psychology (Clinical) program at the University of New England (UNE).

Aim of the study: This research will focus on identifying factors that affect the development of Postnatal Depression (PND). The main aim of this study is to identify how society influences the development of ideals such as perfectionism and these how these ideals affect the development of PND.

Questionnaire: The questionnaire will ask questions around the following participant information; demographics, types and levels of perfectionism as well as their opinion regarding perinatal issues. Participation is anonymous and completely voluntary. Information provided by all participants will be invaluable in developing our understanding of PND.

Participant Qualities:

  • women who have had a child within the last 12 months
  • women who have children over 12 months of age
  • women who have not had children.

This research has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England (Approval No. HE12-103).

For more information and to complete this survey please click on the following link;
http://unebcss.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9Bx7veEIQCUP8I4

 

Please pass this survey link on to friends/family/partners who you think may be willing to participate.

If you have any questions regarding this research, please contact:

Researcher: Natasha Lindros
Email: nlindros@une.edu.au

Research Supervisor: Dr Tanya Hanstock
Email: thansto2@une.edu.au

[posted 24 July 2012; closes 31 August 2012]

Autism research: Diagnostic practices and instrument utility

Samantha Ward, is conducting a PhD research project through Queensland University of Technology that aims to investigate current diagnostic practices amongst health care professionals who are involved in the early assessment and diagnosis of young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Your participation in this research project would involve completing an online anonymous practitioner questionnaire, which can be accessed via http://survey.qut.edu.au/survey/174464/10ce/

The current research is also aiming to build on previous research to establish the utility of an Autism Specific instrument (Autistic Behavioural Indicators Instrument – ABII; Ward & Gilmore, 2010) in detecting young children with Autism.

It is hoped that this research will help to facilitate earlier identification and diagnosis of ASD, and in doing so, allow for earlier entry into intervention programs and improve developmental outcomes for children with ASD.  It would also be greatly appreciated if you could help to distribute information about the research project to prospective families.  If you would be happy to do this, please feel free to contact Samantha on samantha@steppingstonesqld.com or 3902 1572.

The research has received ethical clearance, Approval Number: 0900001353
[posted 19 July 2012; closes 14 December 2013]

Seeking grief participants

The purpose of this University of the Sunshine Coast Honours (Psychology) study is to investigate the differences in post-death grief experienced after the loss of a loved one, particularly by people who have had to act as a surrogate decision-maker for a decisionally incapacitated palliative loved-one of any adult age. The study will investigate the difference in grief experienced by family/friends who:

a) prioritised comfort in end-of-life care above other factors
b) prioritised longevity of life in end-of-life care above other factors, and
c) did not have to make an active decision about a loved-ones end-of-life care in the last days/weeks

If you were at least 30 years old at the time your adult palliative friend or loved one passed away, and if it is now 6 months - 10 years since this time, you may be eligible to participate.

To proceed, go to the following link to complete the survey online:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/76G7SX



For information, email Trish Smith tjs022@student.usc.edu.au
or Dr. Geoff Lovell, PhD APS (Supervisor) glovell@usc.edu.au

This project has been approved by the University of the Sunshine Coast Human Research Ethics Committee, approval number S/12/388.

[posted 18 July 2012; closes 30 August 2012]

Anger regulation in trauma study, Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University

Carmen Germain, a psychologist and Doctor of Clinical Psychology candidate (supervised by Dr Maria Kangas) from the Centre of Emotional Health at Macquarie University is currently conducting research into anger regulation after exposure to a traumatic event. This research aims to identify ways that current interventions for anger problems may be enhanced to achieve better outcomes for this population.

Participation in the study involves:

  1. Attending a individual interview (approximately 1 hour), to:
    • complete a series of questionnaires about your emotional-wellbeing and coping styles,
    • participate in a memory recall task about a recent anger-provoking event,
    • complete an attention exercise, and
  2. A 10 minute phone interview the following day.

Participants will receive $30  and a package of self-help anger-management resources for participating.

Carmen is seeking people 18 years of age and over, who have experienced a traumatic life experience and may be experiencing difficulties managing anger.  For further information please contact Carmen on carmen.germain@students.mq.edu.au  or 0432 020 669.

All ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 5201100755).

[posted 12 July 2012; closes 30 Nov 2012]

Mindfulness and coping resources as predictors of depression for individuals with cardiovascular disease

APS Members are invited to participate in a research project being conducted at RMIT University by a psychology honours student.

The aim of this research is to determine whether being mindful, and reporting high levels of internal ‘coping resources’, reduces the likelihood of feeling negative, for individuals who either have a form of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or who might be at risk of CVD.

Your participation would assist in increasing our understanding of the factors that protect against negative states such as depression and that potentially improve health outcomes for people living with CVD.

Should you choose to participate, you will be asked to answer questions about your age, gender, medical history and other health related information. Surveys of mindfulness, coping resources, and current negative feelings will also be completed. The survey will take 20 minutes to complete. You will not be asked to provide your name or contact details, and the research is completely anonymous.

To proceed, go to the following link to complete the survey online:

https://rmit.asia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_egQvpRiwP3FGH2I

 

For further information, contact Jonathan Rasmussen (e-mail: s3316361@student.rmit.edu.au) or Andrew Francis (ph: 9925 7782).

Ethics Approval Number: BSEHAPP 18 -12

[posted 3 July 2012; closes 22 Nov 2012]

The impact of resilience on coping with retrenchment.

I would like to invite you to participate in my study that is investigating the ways in which individuals cope with voluntary job loss and retrenchment. Participation involves completing a 20 minute online survey and is anonymous and confidential.

The study is under the supervision of Dr Doris McIlwain from the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University and is being conducted by Doctor of Organisational Psychology student, Penelope Faure. Dr McIlwain can be contacted on 9850 9430 or doris.mcilwain@mq.edu.au and Ms Faure at penelope.faure@students.mq.edu.au for further details of the study.

If you are 18+ and would like to take part in this study, please click below: https://macquariehs.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3meD2NwwFzYhIO



I would also be very grateful if you would forward this email to friends/family/partners 18 years of age or older who you think may be willing participants.

To thank you for your time if you complete the online survey or interview, you'll go into the draw to win a $100 Westfield gift card.

[posted 20 June 2012; closes 1 Oct 2012]

Helping kids cope with pain

Candice Loopstra (supervisor: Dr Esben Strodl), a registered psychologist from the Queensland University of Technology is conducting her psychology doctoral thesis on how parents help children under the age of three years cope with acute pain (both from medical procedures and everyday accidents). Candice has already conducted a qualitative study using grounded theory to analyse interviews with parents to identify the strategies parents use and the factors that influence their helping behaviour in acute pain.

The second part of the research aims to further explore and elaborate on the strategies and identified influencing factors using an online survey with a larger parent population who have children under the age of three years and one month. This quantitative data will provide support for the model conceptualised in the first qualitative study.

This project has received approval from the Queensland University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 1100001481).

The online survey can be found at: http://survey.qut.edu.au/survey/173393/1703/

 

For more information:
Candice Loopstra at candice.loopstra@connect.qut.edu.au
Dr Esben Strodl at e.strodl@qut.edu.au.

[posted 18 June 2012; closes 1 Dec 2012]

Beliefs and burnout amongst Australian psychologists

Psychologists have been found to have significantly higher levels of depersonalisation and emotional exhaustion compared to norms of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and to other health care professions.  Specific beliefs relating to need for control, rigidity, and inflexibility have been identified as being particularly unhelpful when applied to a therapeutic setting or client-therapist relationship.

This study investigates the relative importance of beliefs to burnout in Australian psychologists.  To explore beliefs as a predictor for burnout, this study examines demographic and workplace factors, as well as social supports, nutrition and physical activity.

If you would like to participate, the survey questionnaire and more information is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/burnout_survey . The survey is anonymous and takes 10-15 minutes to complete.



The Charles Sturt University School of Psychology’s Ethics Committee has approved this study.

Chief Investigator: Perri Carlson, Bachelor of Social Science (Psych) Honours Student.

Phone: 0421 507 236
Supervisor: Dr Matthew Thomas, Psychology, Charles Sturt University

[posted 18 June 2012; closes 30 Sept 2012]

Self-injury in secondary schools

Secondary school psychologists are invited to complete an anonymous online survey in a study that will examine their views in the area of student self-injury.
The topics raise in the survey include: 1) knowledge of student self-injury; 2) experience and training in self-injury; 3) typical presentation of students who self-injure; 4) typical response to students who self-injure; and 5) issues in managing student self-injury.

Participants who complete the survey may choose to enter a draw to win 2 Gold Class movie tickets. The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

If you are a school psychologist and would like to have your say about self-injury among secondary school students, we ask that you please use the following link to access the survey:
http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?DCF8948EDB9A8C86D9


This project is being conducted by Emily Berger towards completion of a Masters in Psychology (Educational and Developmental)/PhD at Monash University under the supervision of Dr Penelope Hasking and Dr Andrea Reupert. This research has been approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee.

Thank you for your time and consideration of the project.

If you would like more information please do not hesitate to contact Emily Berger at Emily.Berger@monash.edu.

[posted 18 June 2012; closes 31 Aug 2012]

Prescription of exercise for patients with mental health challenges.

Recruiting practitioners for a 15 minute online survey.

We are interested in your experiences and thoughts whether you have or have not prescribed exercise.

Although the benefits of exercise as a treatment for mental illness are well documented, research examining practical challenges of such interventions is sparse.

This survey examines what issues are considered to be key road-blocks to the prescription of exercise for mental health by practitioners treating patients with mental health concerns.

Findings from this project should assist practitioners, researchers, as well as policy makers, to design more appropriate initiatives utilising exercise in real world situations to help treat and manage mental illness.

What are we asking for?

We’re asking you to please complete an anonymous online survey that takes less than 15 minutes. More details are provided at the start of the survey.

If you would like further information please feel free to contact us at glovell@usc.edu.au.

Please feel free to forward this email and link to any contacts or web-pages you feel would be appropriate.

To complete the survey please go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WY2PJ3Z


Thank you, Dr Geoff Lovell and Dr Lee Kannis, University of the Sunshine Coast.

[posted 8 June 2012; closes 31 July 2012]

Ever joked in therapy?

Are you a Registered Psychologist with experience in therapy?

Are you willing to share your experience of using humour in the therapy room?
Yes? Then I’m looking for you to participate in a research project.

If you are interested and can spare 10-15 minutes of your precious time, click on the link to access an anonymous questionnaire that will fill a large gap in the current literature. Your experiences will help identify what is happening in the therapy room, how humour is being used, and how beneficial or detrimental it may be.

Participant qualities:

  • Registered psychologist
  • Have experience in therapy
  • English speaking

To participate in this research, please click below:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/humourtherapy


If you have any questions regarding this research, please contact:

Research Supervisor: Dr Katie Seidler
email: Katie.Seidler@acap.edu.au.

Researcher: Nicolee Beaumont
email: nbeaumont@iinet.net.au

[posted 8 June 2012; closes 23 November 2012]

Helping, health, and happiness survey

The University of Queensland (UQ) School of Psychology seeks participants in an online study of volunteering in Australia. The current research investigates attitudes and motivations towards volunteering. We believe that this information would be useful to organizations that depend on recruiting volunteers as well as organizations that lobby for better support and standards for volunteer workers.

This online survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Volunteers and non-volunteers over 18 years of age are eligible to participate.

For more information and to complete the survey please follow this link; http://uqpsych.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eK9oDXMOwZ0dpPu.

For more information contact Stacey Parker (Ph: 07 3346 9510; Email: s.parker@psy.uq.edu.au).

This study has been approved by the UQ School of Psychology Research Ethics Committee (#11-PSYCH-PHD-23-JJ) and is open until the end of July 2012.

[posted 4 June 2012; closes 31 July 2012]

Are you 18-25 years old and have parents who separated in your childhood?

Evelyn Tan, a Master of Counselling Psychology student at La Trobe University, is conducting a research study exploring how young adults (18-25 years old) understand a ‘meaningful relationship’ with their parents based on the Family Law Act Amendment 2006. The 2006 amendment states that in determining the child’s best interests in a case of parental separation, one of the primary considerations is “the benefit to the child of having a meaningful relationship with both of the child’s parents” (Section 60CC 2(a)). The phrase ‘meaningful relationship’ is not defined. Findings of this research may help to improve understanding of this concept, and aid decision-making about parenting arrangements. 

Participation in this study involves completion of a confidential 20-minute online questionnaire. Please note that participants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, and must have English as their first language.

The questionnaire is available at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/meaningfulrships


For further information, please contact Evelyn Tan (evelyn.sytan@gmail.com).

Participants are eligible to enter a draw to win a pair of Village Cinema movie tickets!

Participation is voluntary and participants’ information will remain anonymous. This project has been approved by La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee.

Name: Dr Melissa Monfries (Supervisor), Dr Jennifer McIntosh (Supervisor), Evelyn Siyun Tan (Student)  Email: evelyn.sytan@gmail.com

[posted 4 June 2012; closes 15 July 2012]

Antecedents and consequences of workplace civility

This research is being undertaken as part of an honours and masters research project and aims to explore the relationship between workplace civility and factors such as workplace civility climate, employee well-being, basic need satisfaction, and pro-social behaviours.
Participants must be over 18 years of age and be employed for work more than 30 hours per week.

If you would like to participate in the survey, please click on the link below and it will direct you to the web-based survey. You will be required to complete a consent form to confirm your participation.

The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation. Access the survey https://psych.sci.usq.edu.au/ols?ACWC2012

Principal Researcher: Prof. Tony Machin, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Queensland

Student Researchers: Caroline Gillespie (Email: w0102887@umail.usq.edu.au) and Marisa Bertello (Email: w0025213@umail.usq.edu.au).
USQ HREC Approval Numbers: H12REA062 and H12REA101

[posted 4 June 2012; closes 31 December 2012]

Seeking parents of children aged 5-9 years with eating concerns

I am a Psychology Honours student at The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and am seeking parents of children aged 5 to 9 years who are concerned about their child’s eating or mealtime behaviour to participate in a study. This project is looking at how healthy, normally developing children of different ages eat, strategies used by parents, and what parents think and feel about their children’s eating behaviours, in order to inform better assessment and treatment of children with eating issues of various ages.

Participation involves completing an on-line survey, which takes approximately 30 minutes. All responses are anonymous. Parents who complete the survey go into a draw to win a cash prize ranging from $50 to $100. This project has received ethical approval from USQ (H13REA060).

To take part and to access further information, simply follow this link:  https://psych.sci.usq.edu.au/ols?PEAA2012

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Sonya Errington via email feedingconcerns@westnet.com.au or the principal researcher, Michelle Adamson, via telephone 07 4194 3165 or email michelle.adamson@usq.edu.au.

[posted 24 May 2012; closes 31 July 2012]

A biopsychosocial examination of the wellbeing of employees who work within a mental health setting

Mental health professionals are at a greater risk for burnout and psychological distress due to the emotional nature of their work.  There is increasing interest in preventing ill-health and protecting employees by promoting healthy lifestyle behaviour.  We are seeking Counsellors, Psychologists and other mental health professionals who are employed by an organisation to work with clients with mental illness.

This study investigates employee health using a holistic (biopsychosocial) approach to the examination of the factors that contribute to employee wellbeing.  To explore predictors of wellbeing, this study will examine employees’ physical activity levels, preventative health behaviour, nutrition, optimism, self-efficacy, and sense of workplace belongingness.

If you would like to participate, the survey questionnaire and more information are available at the following link:  http://questionpro.com/t/AIoVGZNcs3

This study is being undertaken by Lisa Johnson (lljohn004@myacu.edu.au) as part of her Honours degree at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane.  The project is supervised by Dr Cathryne Lang (Cathryne.Lang@acu.edu.au).  Participation involves completing an online questionnaire. Participation is voluntary and anonymous.

After completing the questionnaire, participants are able to provide their contact details (separate from their questionnaire responses) to go into the draw for one of three $50 Coles/Myers vouchers.  The online survey should take between 20 to 35 minutes.

[posted 29 May 2012; closes 24 August 2012]

The neuropsychology of body dysmorphic disorder

We are looking for people over 18 years of age with body dysmorphic disorder for a research study being conducted at Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), at the Alfred.
 
The aim of our research is to improve understanding of the causes of body dysmorphic disorder, in order to ultimately develop better treatments.
 
Participants will be asked to attend one 3-hour testing session at the Alfred in Prahran. The testing session will include a clinical interview and completion of several tasks. All of the tasks are completely harmless, painless and non-invasive.

Participants will be reimbursed $60 for their time, effort and travel costs.

If you are interested in participating, or for further information, please contact Ryan Kaplan at MAPrc on 9076 6564 or at ryan.kaplan@monash.edu.


This study has been approved by the Alfred Human Research Ethics Committee (project 42/11).

Supervisors: Professor Susan Rossell and Dr Peter Enticott

[posted 24 May 2012; closes December 2012]

Do you work with parents who put a lot of effort into their parenting?

 My name is Judith Locke and I am a clinical psychologist who is undertaking my PhD at QUT on modern, effortful parenting. I am asking mental health professionals, teachers, and school administration team members to help me by completing a survey about their perceptions of modern parenting practices.

You can find this survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012Experts


Alternatively you can contact Judith Locke at judith.locke@qut.edu.au.

The survey is completely anonymous. It takes no more than 20 minutes to complete. I am donating money to Kids Helpline for every response, and hope to raise over $1000.

If you know any professionals who might be interested in participating in this research, please forward them this information.
Thank you for your assistance.

(QUT Ethics Approval Number: 1100001398)

[posted 9 May 2012; closes 30 August 2012]

The relationship between anxiety, food cravings and alcohol within a university population

The current study aims to explore an important step in understanding pathways between the Behavioural Inhibition and Approach Systems, emotion regulation and impulsivity within dysfunctional eating. This will be conducted in a community sample and will compare 2 groups of people: participants who engage in dysfunctional eating and those who do not. Involvement will require completion of several questionnaires which can be done online, and will take 30 minutes.

The survey may be accessed at this website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RFQ3JQS

Student Supervisor: Assistant Professor Peta Stapleton (Clinical Psychologist, Bond University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

Contact email for participation in survey:  Melissa.Whitehead@student.bond.edu.au 

[posted 9 May 2012; closes 30 October 2012]

Who is and is not at risk of compassion fatigue in professional practice

You are invited to take part in a JCU research study about why some Professional Practitioners experience Compassion Fatigue and others do not. This study focuses on individual difference factors that lead to vulnerability or resilience amongst Practitioners who work with traumatised clients/patients.  The study aims to identify risk factors and develop recommendations for prevention prior to Compassion Fatigue developing. If you agree to be involved in the study please complete an anonymous on-line survey which will take less than 30 minutes to complete.

The study is being conducted by Dr Beryl Buckby, with Sophie Bitters, Talitha Ames, Grace Mowczko, and Freya Comerford as partial contribution to their Bachelor of Psychology or PG Dip Psych degrees at James Cook University. If you have any concerns regarding the study please call Dr Buckby on 0747814706.

If you know of other Professional Practitioners who might be interested in this study, we would be very pleased for you to pass on the web-link to the on-line survey which may be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3R59DD

Thank you for taking the time to consider participating in the study.

[posted 9 May 2012; closes 1 December 2012]

Are you a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist who works with complex child and adolescent cases?

I would like to invite you to participate in my Master of Psychology (Clinical) Research at the University of New England (UNE). My research is investigating the diagnostic decisions you make in complex child and adolescent clinical presentations. Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatrists from all backgrounds are welcome to participate. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire lasting approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The questionnaire will ask you questions about your clinical work and your clinical opinion in 2 child and 2 adolescent clinical vignettes. The results of this research will provide directions for improving diagnostic accuracy in our field.

To complete the survey, please click on this link:
http://unebcss.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0dFwjgc3vtMB2Pq

Your time and sharing of your clinical knowledge is greatly appreciated.

For further information, you can contact me (Julia Caldwell, Student Researcher, UNE) by email at jcaldwel@une.edu.au or my supervisor, Dr Tanya Hanstock (Senior Clinical Psychologist and Director of Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychology Program, School of Behavioural, Cognitive, and Social Sciences, UNE, Armidale, 2351) by email at thansto2@une.edu.au or by phone on 02 6773 2871.

[posted 9 May 2012; closes 31 July 2012]

Factors influencing capacity assessment

You are invited to take part in a research project about situations in which a lawyer may suspect that a client may not be able to make a competent decision or may otherwise need to be asked more detailed questions. Both psychologists and legal practitioners are being invited to participate in this study.

If you agree to be involved in the study, you will be invited to read four vignettes and answer some questions about those vignettes through an internet based survey. The questions relate to the capacity of the person in the vignettes to make the decision under consideration. The vignettes are of clients of lawyers and the situation that involves the lawyer. You will also be asked to answer some demographic questions and questions about your work experience. The survey should take approximately 20 to 45 minutes of your time.

To participate in this study, please click on the link below;
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L8C663X

The study is being conducted by Natalie Walker and will contribute to the completion of the Doctor of Psychology (Forensic) program at James Cook University.  If you have any questions about the study, please contact either Natalie Walker (0417 232 628; Natalie.walker@my.jcu.edu.au) or supervisor Professor Edward Helmes (07 4781 5159; Edward.Helmes@jcu.edu.au).

This study has ethical approval from JCU Ethics Committee (H3218).

[posted 9 May 2012; closes 31 August 2012]

How are mood, stress, and our sex lives related?

This is a study of the relationships between low mood, stress, and sexual problems, over time. While it's commonly known that the three go hand-in-hand, there is little research on how they relate to each other over time. We can apply what we learn about the relationships between these everyday difficulties to new treatment programs for depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunctions.

If you decide to participate in this online study, you will be asked to answer some questions about negative emotions and some aspects of sexual function at six separate time points – either once a week for six weeks, or once a month for six months. This repeated measurement is necessary to fully understand the direction of the relationships.
The first time you complete the survey will take twenty minutes, on average, and subsequent time points will take about ten minutes to complete.

Every time you complete the survey you will automatically be entered into the draw to win a $100 MasterCard Cash Card!

Come get involved, and help us understand this under-researched problem.

Go to the study website: www.moodstressandsex.com for more information.

Start date: 11 April 2012. End date: 30 November 2012

Investigating social cognition and attention capabilities in children with autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Claire Forsyth, a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology student, is currently conducting a study investigating attention capabilities and social cognition in children aged 7 to 12 with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and / or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Attention difficulties are common in children during some point in their lives; however, children with ADHD and ASD may experience persistent attentional problems that interfere with their daily functioning. Research suggests that attention difficulties may be associated with social problems for this group of children, for example, difficulties maintaining social interaction, indentifying the emotions of others, and behaving in a socially appropriate manner.

Participation will involve a single assessment using tasks and activities designed to test cognitive abilities and social skills. We are inviting Melbourne-based practitioners working with children with a diagnosis of ASD or ADHD to refer eligible clients to the study or advertise this study in their practice. This research has been approved by La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee (Approval numer: 10-085).

For further information, please contact Claire Forsyth at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe Unvierstiy on 9479 3271 or via email: cl2forsyth@students.latrobe.edu.au.

 

Project end date: 31 July 2012

Appearance and body image research

Nearly everyone worries about their appearance. Sadly, many individuals with very serious body image concerns are often too embarrassed or uncomfortable to openly discuss them with their psychologist. The University of Western Sydney is therefore investigating the distribution of body image concerns to better understand issues that may otherwise go unreported. We are currently seeking volunteers to participate in one of two studies. The first is an investigation of body image among individuals presenting to their psychologist. Participation involves the completion of an anonymous self-report survey and requires about 20 - 25 mins. Adults aged 18+ are invited to participate. The second study is a qualitative investigation of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a debilitating and pervasive disorder of body image. Participation involves a one-to-one interview with a registered psychologist and requires about an hour to complete.

If you would like to participate in the first study please follow this link to the online survey: http://qualtrasia.asia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0IXl2AAYoGagOpK.

If you experience body dysmorphic disorder and would like to participate in the second study please contact James Collison for more information at j.collison@uws.edu.au or on 0417 531 492.

 

Project end date: 31 July 2012

Are you a vlinical psychologist with 25+ years of experience? Would you like to share the story of your career with others? Would you like to share your career challenges, successes and survival tips with new and existing Clinical Psychologists?

The aim of this research project is to explore the career journeys of Western Australian Clinical Psychologists over the last three decades. Eight Clinical Psychologists in Perth will be invited to take part in a single 1 to 1.5 hour interview. Interview questions will cover topics like career challenges, university training, changes in theory and changes to Medicare coverage and how these have impacted on your career. Participants will be helping new and existing Clinical Psychologists to understand and plan for the journey ahead. Participants will be reimbursed $75 for their time.

This research has been approved by Curtin Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval No. HR170/2011). If you wish to speak with an independent person about the conduct of the project, please contact Curtin Research and Development on 9266 2784, email hrec@curtin.edu.au, quoting Approval No. HR170/2011.

Taking a LEAP Forward in the treatment of anorexia nervosa & strong without anorexia nervosa: Two randomised control studies in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth

We are inviting practitioners working with eating disorders to refer eligible clients (adult males and females) to two studies investigating new treatments for anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a leading cause of early death among women and has high relapse rates. These studies will introduce new psychological treatments, focused on normalising eating behaviours and addressing the factors that maintain eating disorders, including the knowledge and skills to regain control of exercise behaviour.

An estimated 300 participants will be recruited for these double-blind studies, and randomly allocated to treatment groups. Treatment consists of 25 to 40 outpatient sessions with a psychologist over a 10-month period, and is available in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth in 2012. Before, during and after treatment, participants will complete questionnaires and their body mass index will be recorded.

For further information, or to make a referral, please contact the study research officer, Andreea Heriseanu (02 4620 3726 / treatmenttrials@uws.edu.au) or the Sydney Chief Investigators, Professor Phillipa Hay (02 4620 3838 / p.hay@uws.edu.au) and Professor Stephen Touyz (02 9351 5428 / stephen.touyz@sydney.edu.au).


This research has been approved by Universities of Sydney and Western Sydney Human Research Ethics Committees (LEAP approval numbers: 12660 and H7732; SWAN approval numbers: 12645 and H7711), and is funded by NHMRC grants.

End date: 31 December 2013

Why did you become a psychologist?

This research will explore The Relationship Between Motivation for Becoming a Psychotherapist and Empathy. Increase your self-awareness by becoming aware of your personal motivation for wanting to enter this helping profession, and ways in which this may affect how you relate to clients. It is hoped that results will address the overlooked need for systematic empirical research into the effect of therapist motivations: beneficial for improving the quality of psychotherapy, as well as practitioner training and supervision.

We are seeking registered Counselling or Clinical psychologists. Participation involves completion of an anonymous 25 minute online survey. Questions address relationship, personality, family of origin, and motivational factors.

For more information, please contact Kim Gillbee on (03) 9902 4878 or Kim.Gillbee@monash.edu , or click the link to take the survey: 

 

End date: 4 January 2013

Are you a parent of at least one child aged between 5 and 18?

Judith Locke, a PhD student at QUT, is currently conducting a survey on modern parenting. The first stage of the research is concerned with establishing new measures of modern parenting. Eventually we will be determining the relationship between certain parenting approaches and child resilience.

In this survey, conducted through online research, participants are asked to complete a questionnaire about their beliefs about parenting, their beliefs about certain parenting actions, their experience of parenting, and brief background information. This survey typically has taken participants 20 - 25 minutes and can be completed at a time of convenience.

If you would like to participate, the survey questionnaire and more information are available at the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/modernparenting

 

Alternatively you can contact Judith Locke at judith.locke@qut.edu.au or 0421 165 255.
Rather offer prizes given to only one or two participants who would have to identify themselves along with their responses, we are donating money to Kids Help-line per response and hope to raise over $1000.

Also, if you know any parents who might be interested in participating in this research, please send them this information.

Thank you for your assistance.
(QUT Ethics Approval Number: 1100001398)

End date: 30 August 2012

The body as a voice: A biopsychosocial understanding of deliberate self-harm

We are inviting any practitioners (e.g. Psychologists, Social Workers, Counsellors, Psychiatrists, Youth Workers) working with individuals who deliberately self-harm to take part in this study, which aims to generate an understanding of deliberate self-harm within a subclinical population.  Specifically, this study aims to explore what personal, psychological, social and relationship factors influence the commencement of deliberate self-harming behaviours. This survey also explores the beliefs, practices and training of practitioners who work with individuals who deliberately self-harm. However, as we seek to understand how members of the mental health profession approach this issue, we are interested in your opinions even if you have never worked with clients who deliberately self-harm.

This study will recruit three groups, those who deliberately self-harm, those who do not self-harm, and those who treat individuals who self-harm.

This anonymous online survey involves completing a questionnaire that should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Participation in this research is entirely voluntary, and you may withdraw from the study at any time. Your survey responses will be completely anonymous and you will not be asked to provide your name, or any identifying information at any point in the survey.

The survey link for this project is:
http://vuaehd.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8HBp6r3BLXHaBZW

This study is being conducted by Madeline Wishart for her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Victoria University. The study is supervised by Associate Professor Adrian Fisher and Dr. Karen Hallam in the School of Psychology at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia.
This research has been approved by Victoria University Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number:  HRETH 11/141).

If you have any questions or you require further information about this study, please don't hesitate to contact the principal investigators, Dr. Karen Hallam (Karen.Hallam@vu.edu.au ) or Associate Professor Adrian Fisher (Adrian.Fisher@vu.edu.au ).

End date: 24th of August 2012

The role of rumination as an emotional regulatory strategy in cancer and diabetes: An exploration of affective and behavioural outcomes

This study aims to examine the extent to which the style and content of a person’s thinking can influence their emotional and behavioural reactions to illness, with a specific focus on cancer and diabetes. Identifying thinking styles that may increase psychological distress or affect adherence to treatment and recommended health protective behaviours will allow the earlier identification of individuals at risk and the provision of early intervention.

For this project, I am seeking English-speaking people, resident in Australia, aged over 18, who have either been diagnosed with cancer (breast, gynaecological, colorectal, prostate, or skin cancer (melanoma)) and who are not in palliative care or have been diagnosed with Type I or Type II diabetes.

If you decide to participate in the study, you will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires about personal characteristics, cancer or diabetes and feelings and thoughts about illness. It is estimated that the initial questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. You will be contacted at three monthly intervals for a period of one year to complete further questionnaires. These questionnaires will be considerably shorter and will require only 15 minutes to complete. You may elect to receive either email or SMS reminders for subsequent questionnaires or to elect to have a paper version of the questionnaires mailed out to you for completion.

You may choose to enter a draw to win one of seven iPod Shuffles (one per disease group) on completion of the study, with one chance in the draw allocated for each questionnaire completed.
This study has been approved by the Macquarie University Ethics Review Committee (Human Subjects).

If this project is of interest to you, please go to the following website to start the questionnaire:
http://www.mris.com.au/

If you would like more information about the project, please read the explanatory statement on the website or contact:

Heather Soo, Department of Psychology
Email: Heather.Soo@students.mq.edu.au
Phone: 0412 155208

Closing date: December 2012

OCD STOP! - Online treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder

The Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre and the National e-Therapy Centre are conducting an NHMRC-funded clinical trial of OCD STOP!, our online cognitive-behavioural treatment program for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

To be eligible, participants must:

  • be aged 18 years or older
  • reside in Australia, and
  • experience symptoms of OCD

Participants will receive at no cost:

  • A comprehensive telephone assessment
  • Access to OCD STOP! with weekly email contact from clinical psychologist OR access to PRT Online with weekly email contact from a clinical psychologist
  • Follow-up reviews for 6 months following the completion of treatment.
For further information, please contact the trial coordinator Sam Mancuso on 9214 4628 or semancuso@swin.edu.au .


This study has received ethics approval from the Swinburne University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee (SUHREC) (Project Number 2010/104).

End date: 31 December 2014

Does public speaking make you feel anxious? Would you like to be more confident when speaking in front of others?

Researchers at the Centre for Emotional Health (CEH) at Macquarie University are currently carrying out a scientific study to test some of the best ways of overcoming public speaking fears.

The treatment will be conducted with a qualified registered psychologist over 6 sessions and you will be required to take a single, very low dose antibiotic tablet. You will also be asked to complete some questionnaires about your emotions, imagination abilities and attitudes, before treatment, during treatment and once treatment has been completed. Treatment is free of charge. In fact you will be paid $25 when you complete all of the questionnaires.

The treatment will be conducted at Randwick Psychology Centre in Randwick. You will first be required to complete some preliminary questionnaires in order to determine whether you eligible to participate. 

This research has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Macquarie Univeristy (approval number 5201000760), and is being conducted by Natasha Galovic (natasha.galovic@students .mq.edu.au) to meet the requirements of a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) degree under the supervision of Professor Ron Rapee (ron.rapee@mq.edu.au).

If you would like to participate in the study, or would like more information please call Natasha on:  0401 965 440  or email natasha.galovic@students.mq.edu.au


Start Date: 1 August 2011

Closing Date: November 2012

ATTENTION: Psychologists of clients experiencing complex trauma

We are seeking adults who identify as surviving a history of childhood abuse and who access/ have accessed a support service (e.g. psychologist) in relation or partly related to this history.

We respectfully ask you to consider inviting any of your clients who may identify in this way to take part in an Intergenerational PhD study into Relationships and Functioning. This is the first research of its kind, looking at potential intergenerational effects of child abuse on adult functioning.

This study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Australian Catholic University.

The online or pen-on-paper questionnaire takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Participants may access the survey by going to the following link:

https://www.psychdata.com/s.asp?SID=136939

For paper copies, please contact the Student Researcher

We will be seeking participants until 01/06/2012. Please extend this invitation to any of your clients or other persons whom you think might be interested in participating.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Student Researcher: Joanna Menger Leeman, PhD Candidate
Email: joleem001@myacu.edu.au
Australian Catholic University Supervisors:
A/Professor Cecelia Winkelman, Email: Cecelia.Winkelman@acu.edu.au
Dr. Helen Aucote, Email: Helen.Aucote@acu.edu.au

End date: 1 Aug 2012  

Are you an Australian aged 50 or older?

Would you be interested in participating in our research?  

Researchers in the School of Psychology, Deakin University are currently conducting a survey to examine the different aspects of drinking patterns in Australian adults, and how these are affected by other aspects of human behavior and lifestyle.

This research is conducted through a simple survey and participants are asked to complete a questionnaire with several questions about their drinking habits, lifestyle, social network and background information. This can take approximately 25-30 minutes and can be completed at a time of convenience.

If you would like to participate, the survey questionnaire and more information are available at the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/deakinu

Hard copies and digital versions of the survey are also available.  For further information, please contact:

Jose Molina Toledo in the School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood Highway, Burwood, 3125. Mob: 0401967833 or email: jmmol@deakin.edu.au

Participants are eligible to enter a draw for four $50 Myers gift cards! 

Also, if you know somebody who might be interested in participating in this research please send them this information.
Thank you very much!

End date: July 2012

Understanding emotion abnormalities in bipolar disorder  

Healthy adults and those living with bipolar disorder (BD) are invited to participate in a research study examining the relationship between cognition, mood and genes in BD. If you fall into either of these two groups then please contact us.

The study involves participation in two four-hour sessions that include an interview, questionnaire battery, cognitive and emotion related computerised, verbal and written tasks, and an optional donation of blood. There is also an option for a 3rd session in which an EEG will be conducted.

Main inclusion criteria (patients)

  • Aged between 18-65 years
  • Current DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of bipolar disorder
  • Ability to provide informed consent
  • No hearing or visual impairments
  • Not pregant or substance dependent
  • No history of neurological disorder

Main inclusion criteria (controls)

  • Aged between 18-65 years
  • No personal or immediate family history of affective psychiatric illness
  • No current diagnosis of mental disorder
  • Not taking mood or psychotropic medications
  • Ability to provide informed consent
  • No hearing or visual impairments
  • Not pregant or substance dependent
  • No history of neurological disorder

You will be reimbursed at $50 per session.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Tamsyn Van Rheenen on 9076 6593 (T.Rheenen@alfred.org.au) or David Elliot on 9076 6581 (D.Elliot@alfred.org.au).

This study has been approved by the Alfred Human Research Ethics committee (project 304/10) and the Swinburne Human Research Ethics committee (project 2010/310)

Supervisors: Professor Susan Rossell and Associate Professor Greg Murray

End date: December 2012

Are you a signposts for building better behaviour program facilitator?  

Fiona May, a PhD student from the Faculty of Education, Monash University is conducting a further evaluation of the Signposts for Building Better Behaviour program. Fiona is conducting this research under the supervision of Dr Angelika Anderson and Dr Louise McLean from Monash University, and in partnership with the Parenting Research Centre. This research has been approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee.

The aim of the research is to learn more about the factors that might affect father involvement in the Signposts program, and also to further investigate the possible outcomes associated with father participation in the program with mothers. It is hoped that this research will provide information that will help us to better understand how the Signposts program meets the needs of families, and to help make the program more available to fathers of children with a disability.

Signposts practitioners who will be delivering the program to families at any time from February to September 2011 are invited to participate in this research project, which consists of two stages - Phase One and Phase Two. Participation in Phase One of the study involves the completion of a brief practitioner survey and the dissemination of research information packs to parents participating in Signposts. Participants in the first phase of the research will also be invited to take part in the second phase, which will involve a semi-structured interview or focus group. Your participation in this research will be extremely valuable by helping to build our knowledge about the involvement of fathers of children with a disability in parenting programs such as Signposts.

If you are interested in participating, or would like any further information, please contact Fiona May at fiona.may@monash.edu.au.

End date: July 2012

Adolescent anorexia nervosa treatment study

The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne is conducting a randomised controlled trial of two types of family treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa. Adolescents aged 12-18 years with anorexia nervosa can take part. Participation involves an intake assessment interview and random allocation to one of two outpatient treatments, either family-based treatment or parent-focused treatment. Both treatments are provided free of charge and involve parents and adolescents attending 18 treatments sessions over six months. Treatment progress is monitored via interviews and written questionnaires.

This project has received approval from the Royal Children’s Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 30035).

For more information, please contact Dr Libby Hughes on (03) 9345 4738 or email edp.research@rch.org.au.

Website: www.rch.org.au/cah/services.cfm?doc_id=13464

End date: 5 July 2013

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How to add a research project

If you are an APS member* conducting research, or supervising a research student, and would like to invite other APS members to be involved in the project, please email the following details for consideration by the APS:

  • A copy of the research proposal;
  • A brief (no longer than 200 words) explanation of the project, for the website;
  • For students, the name of the supervisor;
  • A phone number or email address so that members can contact you to take part in the research;
  • A start date and a closing date for the project; and

  • A hard copy of your final ethics approval documentation. (If your ethics committee only provides electronic confirmation of permission, you will need to contact us for more information.)

Please note that copies of the survey and consent form will not be added to the APS website. Members who are interested in taking part will contact you using the details provided.

The above details should be emailed to science@psychology.org.au. The APS reserves the right to not list research projects that are deemed not to be in keeping with its scientific and professional aims.

When new research projects are added, members will be alerted via the fortnightly APS Matters email, which is sent to more than 18,000 psychologists.

*Member, Associate Member, Honorary Fellow or Fellow

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