Critical outcomes informed by lived experience and clinical practice
The research of the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research and Education Group at UniSA is focused on improving the lives of people with mental health issues across the lifespan. It encompasses approaches and techniques for clinical and non-clinical contexts, and the experience of the individual and groups in settings including acute care and the community. Our researchers represent a lived experience and multidisciplinary knowledge base and have years of experience working with mental health consumers, clinicians and policymakers.
Research dissemination is a vital part our work. This occurs through traditional means such as peer-reviewed journal articles, books, policy documents and standards, non-traditional means including conferences, electronic and print media interviews and social media.
Our team welcomes interest in partnerships and collaborations from entities with aligned interests. Please contact us for more information. Recent examples of our research partnerships include:
Safety Planning Intervention in a South Australian Hospital
Implementation of a safety planning suicide intervention in a major Australian hospital: Consumer, carer and clinician outcomes: Australia loses nearly 10 people to suicide each day. Preventing suicide is a community-wide, multi-sector responsibility. Emergency departments play an important part in supporting people in suicide-related distress, but often have limited capacity and resources to respond, leaving many people feeling unsatisfied with the care received. We need a better understanding of how to support people who seek support from emergency departments. One strategy gaining momentum in emergency departments is safety planning.
In partnership with SA Health, the aim of this project is to conduct a fine-grained, Australian-first evaluation of safety planning as an indicated suicide prevention strategy at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Emergency Department and Short Stay Unit. The project seeks to understand consumer, carer and clinician experiences with, and acceptability and value of, safety planning.
Key People: Dr Monika Ferguson, Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Mark Loughhead
Funding Body: Suicide Prevention Australia (Post-Doctoral Fellowship)
Clinical Supervision Mentorship Program for South Australian Mental Health Nurses
Mental health nurses work in challenging, stressful and complex environments. Clinical supervision is a psychologically safe practice that aims to provide support and training for mental health nurses across a range of practice settings. Over the years, clinical supervision has been cited as a practice to improve workforce outcomes for both individual mental health nurses and the organisations they work in. Supportive, strengths-based clinical supervision (involving discussion of professional development issues, clinical experiences, professional boundaries, caseload, decision making and interpersonal issues) can assist staff with managing workplace issues, develop deeper nursing competence and knowledge, and reduce exhaustion and burnout.
In partnership with the sector, our team designed, facilitated and is evaluating a seven-module online clinical supervision mentorship program for four groups of mental health nurse leaders who have opted into the program. Content is designed to support staff as they become or continue in their work as clinical supervisors and promote clinical supervision networks across SA. On completion of the program, participants receive ongoing support, networking and peer review through Communities of Practice facilitated by the MHSPRE team.
Key People: Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Kate Rhodes, Dr Joshua McDonough
Funding Body: SA Health
Activating Lived Experience Leadership (ALEL)
Action research focused on how Lived Experience advocacy and leadership can be defined, recognised, and further embedded within in South Australia’s mental health ecosystem: The aim of this research was to influence and effect ongoing system change for the improved recognition, valuing and action of lived experience leadership, including action research on defining lived experience leadership and bringing together key stakeholders to identify key pathways for systems change. The ALEL project resulted in Model of Lived Experience Leadership, a Consensus Statement, and Roadmap for systems transformation in South Australia to grow, better support and resource lived experience leadership. The project continues to have influence in shaping national level thinking and action, including how lived experience operates at governance levels as well as promoting support networks, and training resources for people with lived experience as led by LELAN. Academic writing on the results and reflections of ALEL continues.
Key People: Ellie Hodges (Lived Experience Leadership and Advocacy Network), Professor Nicholas Procter, and research team members from the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research and Education Group.
Funding Body: Fay Fuller Foundation
Suicide Prevention Education for NGO Case Workers
Asylum seekers who are found to be refugees are granted a visa that entitles them to temporary residency. This may be a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV). Upon commencement of this project, there were approximately 30,000 asylum seekers living in the Australian community who were in this category. The impermanent nature of these temporary visas and the processes associated with their renewal mean that TPV and SHEV holders face considerable anxiety; specifically, mental distress and uncertainty about their continuing personal circumstances. This project delivered and evaluated training to address mental deterioration and related vulnerabilities for asylums seeker and refugee population who are on temporary visas.
Key People: Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Monika Ferguson, Associate Professor Mary Anne Kenny (Murdoch University), Mr Noel Clement (former Director Migration, Emergencies and Movement, Australian Red Cross).
Funding Bodies: Australian Red Cross, AMES Australia, MDA Ltd.
Research Degree Projects
The Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research and Education Group is committed to supporting the next generation of mental health and suicide prevention researchers. Candidates in our team work on projects aligned with industry, government and non-government priorities in supporting people with mental health issues across the lifespan.
Current Research Degree Projects
NDIS and the lived experience of presenting to the emergency department for people with a psychosocial disability: A mixed methods study. PhD Candidate: Heather McIntyre, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Mark Loughhead, Laura Hayes. Funded by Mind Australia.
Acute interventions for borderline personality disorder in emergency and community settings: A mixed methods collaborative inquiry. PhD Candidate: Kristy Acres, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Mark Loughhead, Dr Monika Ferguson, Dr Dianna Bartsch. Funded by SA Health’s Borderline Personality Disorder Collaborative (BPD Co).
Aged care residents with secrets: Staff experiences and management of private disclosures. PhD Candidate: Kiriaki Stewart, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Kate Rhodes.
Drivers of mental distress and suicide for female construction workers. An investigation of both work-related and non-work-related factors. PhD Candidate: Shanika Vidana Gamage, supervised by Professor Rameez Rameezdeen, Dr Aparna Samaraweera and Professor Nicholas Procter. Funded by Mates in Construction.
Recently Completed Research Degree Projects
Understanding the context, influence and sustainability of lived experience workforce in mental health service delivery: A mixed methods collaborative inquiry. PhD Candidate: Verity Reeves, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Mark Loughhead, Mr Matthew Halpin. Funded by UnitingSA.
Nature and extent of suicide ideation among construction workers. PhD Candidate: Simon Tyler, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Kate Gunn, Mr Bob Clifford. Funded by MATES in Construction through the Allison Milner Memorial Fund scholarship.
The mental health consequences of the Fast Track Assessment of protection claims: The perspectives of legal professionals and asylum seekers. PhD Candidate: Associate Professor Mary Anne Kenny, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Professor Carol Grech.
The use of situation awareness by mental health nurses to inform the involuntary admission decision: An ethnographic study. PhD Candidate: Christopher Patterson, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Dr Monika Ferguson.
The experience of attempted suicide by older people: Within and between the meaning of protection. PhD Candidate: Kate Deuter, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Associate Professor David Evans, Dr Katrina Jaworski.
A qualitative study of family carers of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder: What are carer’s views and experiences of preferred nursing practices in the emergency department setting? Honours Candidate: Kristy Acres, supervised by Dr Mark Loughhead, Professor Nicholas Procter.
Barriers and enablers experienced by police officers when responding to individuals in suicidal crisis: An exploratory study based on Australian coronial findings. Honours Candidate: Kelly Pusey, supervised by Professor Nicholas Procter, Professor Carol Grech, Dr Amy Baker.
