Our research

In Western Australia, more young people aged 15 to 24 years die by suicide than by any other cause. 

Embrace researchers believe that suicide is preventable and seek to better understand the life stressors, social determinants, and clinical factors that can best prevent youth suicide.  This includes identifying what works, for whom, and where, in order to deliver effective and acceptable suicide prevention interventions and, ultimately, save lives.  We value lived experience and strive to deliver research of the highest integrity. We partner with young people, mental health service providers, education services and our community organisations to research what needs to happen to reduce self-harm and suicide in young people, and their peers affected by suicide.

Research projects:

Youth Suicide Prevention Modelling Project

LGBTQIA+ Guidelines Development

Optimising the delivery of universal suicide prevention education programs among young people

Preventing the social transmission of self-harm in school aged peers

Access to healthcare services and the prevention of suicide clusters

LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or gender diverse, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexualities and genders) young people are at higher risk for poor mental health and suicide compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Research on the needs of LGBTQIA+ young people to support their mental health is limited.

Embrace researchers want to better understand the needs of LGBTIQIA+ youth so that we can develop interventions to improve their mental health.  

Research projects:

Trans Pathways

Walkern Katatdjin

SPARX-T

GENTLE

LGBTQIA+ Guidelines Development

Stigma and mental health in teenagers who are attracted to the same gender

Resources for trans and gender diverse young people

Coping with gender dysphoria

The Facilitation of Acceptance in Trans and Gender Diverse Young People

Traumatic stress, in general terms, can be defined as a psychological, physiological and/or emotional response to an event or an experience that is deeply distressing, disturbing or overwhelming. Loss, grief, and the experience of multiple stressful life events all contribute to the experience of traumatic stress. Traumatic stress can develop into mental health concerns.

Embrace researchers aim to identify responses to trauma and understand the impact of trauma on children and young people and develop interventions that promote psychological recovery to reduce the development of mental illness. 

Research projects:

IMproving Psychosocial and Activity outcomes after Childhood burn Trauma (IMPACT study)

Digital Health describes the use of digital technologies to improve health and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Digital mental health is focused on the application of digital technology to mental health specifically. Embrace researchers utilise a range of digital technologies (including web-based interventions, videoconferencing and mobile apps) to improve access to, engagement with and effectiveness of mental health interventions for young people. We are particularly interested in developing and evaluating digital mental health interventions to close the gap in service access and quality for marginalised groups of young people, for whom traditional mental health services are not always accessible or acceptable.

Research projects:

SPARX-T

Mindful Self-Compassion for LGBTQIA+ youth

Uplift: Online self-compassion training for young people with chronic conditions

Young people with chronic physical illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, asthma, and auto-immune diseases experience much higher rates of mental illness, social exclusion and challenges with schooling compared to their physically healthy peers.  

Embrace researchers are passionate about supporting the wellbeing and quality of life of young people with chronic illness and disability through research and translation.

Research projects:

Priority-setting in youth with chronic conditions

Uplift: Online self-compassion training for young people with chronic conditions

Piloting a self-compassion program to promote physical and psychological wellbeing in youth with T1D

Embrace researchers want to better understand how children can get the best possible start in life by identifying the early life factors that contribute to the development of mental health concerns across the lifespan. This research focuses on perinatal mental health, early life chronic illness, and prevention and early intervention for early life influences that contribute to childhood mental illness.

Research projects:

Mums Minds Matter

ASCEND Program

While many Aboriginal young people are well supported by their families, peers, and communities in times of need, a disproportionate number are chronically exposed to stressors in their day-to-day lives.

Stress arising from recurrent experiences of grief and loss, complex family environments, racism, and poverty can have profound consequences for cognitive, emotional and social development and wellbeing.  

Our work aims to inform fundamental questions that remain unanswered about the type of services, characteristics and approaches that can successfully engage Aboriginal young people and enhance their social and emotional wellbeing.  Our efforts are driven by the history of limited program 'success' in reducing the high incidence of social, emotional, and behavioural problems among Aboriginal youth.

Research projects:

Yawardani Jan-ga (Horses Helping)

Solid Kids Solid Schools

Walkern Katatdjin (Rainbow Knowledge)