Breaking the intergenerational cycle of mental disorder: A longitudinal study of the social determinants of childhood psychosocial adjustment problems

  • Research program: Prevention and early intervention
  • Project status: Completed
  • Start date: January 2018
  • Expected end date: December 2020
  • Completion date: December 2020
  • Funded by: Australian Rotary Health
  • Lead organisation: Deakin University

Aims: The objective of this research is to undertake an 8-year follow-up of offspring born to parents of the Triple B Pregnancy Cohort Study to examine antenatal and postnatal predictors of psychosocial adjustment in middle childhood. Specifically, the study aims to examine parental risk profiles (mental disorder, substance misuse, and conflict) and infant risk profiles (temperamental reactivity, bonding problems, early socio-emotional, cognitive and language delays) in the perinatal periods, and their impacts on offspring:

  1. Mood and Behaviour Problems – internalising (depressed, anxious, withdrawn states) and externalising (aggressive, hyperactive and oppositional).
  2. Cognitive and Social Problems – executive function (behavioural regulation) and problems in interpersonal relationships (poor parent-child relationship quality, peer friendship difficulties, and delayed emotional literacy/recognition).
  3. Education and Learning Problems – poor school achievement (NAPLAN linkage) and adjustment.

Name & Contact Details Role Research Program Location
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Professor Steve Allsop
Tel: 61 (0)8 9266 1606
s.allsop@curtin.edu.au
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Chief Investigator

Alcohol policy and strategies

Perth

  • Chief Investigator: Delyse Hutchinson, University of New South Wales
  • Chief Investigator: Craig Olsson, Deakin University
  • Chief Investigator: George Youssef, Deakin University
  • Chief Investigator: Richard Mattick, University of New South Wales
  • Chief Investigator: Lucinda Burns, University of New South Wales
  • Chief Investigator: Elizabeth Elliott, University of Sydney
  • Chief Investigator: Jake Najman, University of Queensland
  • Chief Investigator: Peter Enticott, Deakin University
  • Chief Investigator: Jennifer McIntosh, Deakin University

This project aligns with the following Sustainable Development Goals and Targets: