Expert Insights – Black Dog Institute Podcasts

The term dMH (digital mental health) covers a wide range of online resources for mental health care.  This includes, but is not limited to, the CBT-based treatment programs that Australia has led the world in developing.   The scientific evidence is important for practitioner confidence but sometimes our patients and clients want to know about it too. This webinar will make it easier for you to explain why you are recommending an online treatment program. 

Please join Dr. Jan Orman and Prof Nick Titov, founder of the Mindspot Clinic at Macquarie University, who will discuss the evidence to support online CBT delivery.  They will talk about the evidence to support the use of online mental health treatment programs in general as well as the Mindspot Clinic specifically. 

Learning outcomes:

1. By the end of the webinar participants will be able to:
2. Describe some of the research that supports the use of online mental health treatment programs
3. Describe the situations in which they may consider recommending an online program
4. Explain how they would talk to a patient about the evidence base for these programs and the best ways to get benefit from them

Nick Titov is a Professor of Psychology at Macquarie University.  He is also a Clinical Psychologist and Executive Director of the Australian MindSpot Clinic. MindSpot is a digital psychology service, which provides psychological assessments and treatments to adults across Australia. MindSpot employs mental health professionals to deliver care, it is accredited under the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards, and it has been funded by the Australian Government since 2012.

Nick has worked on >100 trials of psychological interventions and has published numerous reports of outcomes of digital psychology services in peer reviewed papers including in the Lancet Digital Health. Nick serves on multiple advisory groups to national and international organisations.

Dr Jan Orman MBBS MPsychMed is a Sydney GP with a special interest in mental health and psychological medicine. She has a Masters in Psychological Medicine (CBT) from the University of NSW and has combined general practice and specialised work in mental health for over two decades.  Jan has also worked for more than 10 years as a facilitator in Black Dog Institute’s Professional Education team. She is currently responsible for developing the content of, and delivering, the GP education programs for the Black Dog Institute’s arm of the e-Mental Health in Practice Project.

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Can engagement with the arts improve children's wellbeing? In this episode, we talk to Dr Diane Macdonald (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Black Dog Institute/School of Psychiatry, UNSW) about her research on Culture Dose for Kids, an arts engagement program for children and their caregivers that has been designed to improve mental health and wellbeing in children who are experiencing anxiety.

Joining on the panel is Art Therapist, Jennifer Blau, and Lucia Barrera, a Culture Dose for Kids parent participant, researcher, and UNSW Scientia PhD Scholar (Mental health and arts-based knowledge creation/translation).

Listen to explore the promise of an arts-based intervention for childhood anxiety that highlights the value of the role of community and cultural care in children’s mental health and well-being.

Panel Members
Dr Diane Macdonald - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Black Dog Institute/School of Psychiatry, UNSW)
Jennifer Blau - Art Therapist, Art of Wellbeing
Lucia Barrera - Parent Participant.

Facilitator
Dr Sarah Barker

To celebrate the 2024 NAIDOC week (7 - 14 July) theme, Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud (www.naidoc.org.au), this Expert Insights session focuses on the enduring wisdom, vitality, and strength in First Nations communities, passed down through generations. We explore the power of cultural healing approaches within suicide prevention, with a particular focus on what works, achievements, and excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention. 

Listen and learn from the rich contributions and wisdom of First Nations cultural healing approaches, which can be leveraged to promote positive wellbeing for Indigenous communities and beyond.

Panel Members

· Maddison O'Grady-Lee, Clinical Psychology PhD candidate (UNSW/Black Dog Institute), Dalai Lama Peace Fellow, and winner of The Diana Award

· Shannon McNeair, a proud Malgana woman and a Psychologist from McNeair Aboriginal Psychological Services

· Uncle Monwell Levi - First Nations Lived Experience Representative

Facilitator

· Dr Sarah Barker, Clinical Psychologist

Research evidence clearly supports exposure as a key ingredient in first line treatment for anxiety, yet practitioners can be reluctant to use it with children and young people.

In this episode, Professor Jennie Hudson from Black Dog Institute will share her research findings on exposure therapy for anxious children and adolescents as part of an app and programs she has developed for them and their caregivers. We will be joined by clinical psychologist, Anna McKinnon, who will share her clinical insights from extensive exposure therapy with children and families over the years about how we can use it effectively and by a lived experience panelist who will share their experience as a caregiver of an anxious young person.

Listen to the conversation about the benefits of exposure therapy for anxious children, young people, and their caregivers and about approaches that practitioners can take to successfully introduce and effectively use exposure in order to have the best chance of children and their families achieving lasting, positive outcomes in anxiety management.

Panel Members

• Jennie Hudson – Professor and Director of Research at Black Dog Institute
• Anna McKinnon – Clinical Psychologist
• Emma – Lived Experience Representative

Facilitator

• Dr Sarah Barker, Clinical Psychologist

With the plethora of digital CBT apps and programs available, how do you select one that's effective, safe, and engaging for teens?

In this episode, Dr. Aliza Werner-Seidler, Scientia Associate Professor and Head of Population Mental Health at Black Dog Institute, delves into her research on digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and its impact on teen mental health. Aliza shares the latest research findings and insights on navigating interventions to ensure they're evidence-based and prioritise the safety of teens' data and privacy, among other considerations.

Joining her on the panel is Hazel McKenzie, a psychologist specialising in teen mental health, who discuss how clinicians currently integrate digital CBT into practice. Additionally, Ruby, a teenager serving as a lived experience representative, will offer invaluable perspectives on her firsthand experiences with digital CBT, shedding light on its impact and usability.

Panel Members

· Dr. Aliza Werner-Seidler - Scientia Associate Professor and Head of Population Mental Health at Black Dog Institute

· Hazel McKenzie - Psychologist in private practice

· Ruby - Lived Experience Representative

Facilitator

· Dr Sarah Barker, Clinical Psychologist

How do lengthy mental health service wait times affect service delivery to young people in Australia? In this episode, Bridianne O'Dea, Associate Professor and NHMRC MRFF Investigator at Black Dog Institute, will share her research on wait times for mental health treatment for young people in Australia. Bridi will discuss her research on the impact of long wait times on service provision to young people and upon their coping capacity while they wait. Also on the panel is Anna Ricciardello, psychologist, who will speak to how clinicians are managing lengthy wait times and by Emily, a lived/living experience representative who will share their experience of lengthy wait times while waiting for much needed mental health services. This discussion will focus on the impact of wait times as well as strategies and ideas for how both clinicians and services consumers can respond to this important complex issue.

Panel Members

· Bridianne O'Dea - Associate Professor and NHMRC MRFF Investigator at Black Dog Institute

· Anna Ricciardello - Psychologist in private practice

· Emily - Lived Experience Representative

Facilitator

· Dr Sarah Barker, Clinical Psychologist

The effect of loneliness on mental health: How can we strengthen meaningful connections?

Loneliness is a growing community health concern which has been associated with social anxiety and mood concerns as well as physical health complaints and disturbed sleep. End of year rituals and celebrations can serve to exacerbate a sense of loneliness, particularly in socially vulnerable and isolated people who can be more prone to its effects. In this episode, Dr Alexis Whitton (Senior Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist, Black Dog Institute) will share her research findings on loneliness and mental health. Dr Diana Chan (Clinical Psychologist, Black Dog Institute) and a lived experience panellist will discuss the varied experiences and effects of loneliness, reflecting with Alexis on helpful, practical approaches to strengthen opportunities for meaningful connections and activities.

Moderator – Dr Sarah Barker, Clinical Psychologist

Researcher – Dr Alexis Whitton, Senior Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist, Black Dog Institute

Clinician – Dr Diana Chan, Clinical Psychologist, Black Dog Institute

Lived experience representative - Stephanie

Join us for the conversation! Screens tend to be a regular part of many young people's lives - to connect, play, learn, and to get news and information. To what extent does screen time affect young people's mental health? Dr Sophie Li, Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist at the Black Dog Institute will share her research on this topic to help us understand the various nuances of the effect of screen time on young people's wellbeing as well as helpful considerations, and practical approaches we can take to this issue. Dr Li will be joined by a clinician who works with young people and also by a lived experience panellist. This session will be moderated by Dr Sarah Barker.

Mental Health Treatment Adherence: What can clinicians do to support clients and patients to stick to treatment for mental health concerns?

Listen to our discussion with Dr Matthew Coleshill (Postdoctoral Fellow, Black Dog Institute) where we will delve into his recent research findings on treatment adherence, particularly regarding how to increase adherence to medication. Professor Sam Harvey (Psychiatrist and Executive Director and Chief Scientist, Black Dog Institute) will also share his experiences of what is helpful from a clinical perspective, and we will also be joined on the panel by the powerful voice of lived experience as to what helps and hinders adherence to treatment.

Moderator – Dr Sarah Barker, Clinical Psychologist

Researcher - Dr Matthew Coleshill, Postdoctoral Fellow, Black Dog Institute

Clinician - Professor Sam Harvey, Psychiatrist and Executive Director and Chief Scientist, Black Dog Institute

Lived experience representative – Cass.

In this episode, Black Dog Institute researcher Dr Chloe Watfern, will share her findings about the links between climatic change and climate distress, with research informed by her personal responses to climate crises. She will also be joined by Dr Charles Le Feuvre and a lived experience representative who will discuss the impact of climate change on individual and community wellbeing; collective, creative, and meaning-focused approaches to coping with climate distress and how clinicians, communities, and others can effectively support those experiencing climate distress.

Panel members:

• Dr Chloe Watfern – Post Doctorate Fellow, Black Dog Institute.
• Dr Charles Le Feuvre – Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Psychology for Safe Climate.
• Karla – Lived experience representative.

Moderator

• Dr Sarah Barker -Clinical Psychologist and facilitator with the Black Dog Institute