The Global and Cultural Mental Health Unit works to improve mental health and suicide prevention in low- and middle-income countries as well as working in Australia on migrant and refugee mental health and First Nations social and emotional wellbeing projects. We strengthen leadership and build capacity in government and non-government sectors to develop mental health and suicide prevention services that are high quality, equitable and affordable.
Key research projects
Preventing suicide by improving media reporting of suicide in South Asia
Irresponsible media reporting of suicide has been shown to be associated with increases in suicide rates, including in low-resource settings. Improving media reporting of suicide in low-resource settings is appealing as a low-cost population-level intervention. This research aims to address international evidence gaps around this intervention in low-resource settings in the Asia-Pacific region, by generating robust knowledge, guidance and resources. It draws on a mix of methodologies, including qualitative research, media content analyses, laboratory experiments on the effects of exposure to media content, co-design of culturally adapted media guidance, and trials of the population-level effects of introducing this intervention in low-resource settings.
Impact: Our research has been used by the Press Council of India (a statutory body overseeing ~100,000 print publications and ~400 news channels) to develop media guidelines. Our research and expert advice has also been used by the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy in Pune, India, to develop a media scorecard tool that has been adopted by some media outlets to publicly rate their own practices. The Ministry of Health in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh has also used our research and expert advice to develop training for 12 local media outlets.
Responding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family aspirations to foster self-determination and social and emotional wellbeing
This research involves a trial of a holistic Indigenous-led coaching intervention for tenants of social housing administered by Aboriginal Housing Victoria. This population are among the most disadvantaged in Victoria, and many live with multiple health and social issues. The coaching intervention provides an opportunity for culturally safe strengths-based conversations around goal setting and resourcing, drawing on a mix of disciplinary elements including from psychology, social work, community development and beyond.
Impact: Although the trial is still underway, this project is of significant interest to the Victoria Government and it strongly aligns with their “Balit Murrup: Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Framework 2017-2027”, which aims to reduce the health gap between Aboriginal Victorians and the general population. The Victorian Government has expressed interest in exploring models of funding sustainability for the intervention.
Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a digital, app-based intervention for depression (VMood) in community-based settings in Vietnam
This is a stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial of a mobile phone app known as VMood. VMood is a digital version of an in-person supported self-management program for depression that was demonstrated to be effective in Vietnam in a previous randomised controlled trial conducted by our team in collaboration with Simon Fraser University (Canada).
Impact: The broader collaboration has resulted in substantial transformation of Vietnam’s social protection system for people with severe and persistent mental disorders. If the current randomised controlled trial shows that VMood is as effective as the in-person intervention on which it is based, the Ministry of Social Affairs has committed to implementing it nationwide.