Mental Health Outcomes

Priorities aims to reduce body image concerns, prevent eating disorders, bolster self-esteem, and promote mental and emotional health by helping participants identify and nurture alternative sources of self-worth. Priorities would use group discussions, role-plays \& behavioral challenges, homework assignments \& letter-writing, and self-worth activism to achieve this. The Priorities intervention will be compared to The Body Project (an existing and successful harm reduction and eating disorder prevention program) for its effectiveness of reducing body image concerns and eating disorder outcomes. This study aims to evaluate whether there is a more effective eating disorder prevention program than The Body Project.

Traumatic injuries from events like car crashes, falls, or fires are a leading cause of disability. Survivors often face not only physical challenges but also long-lasting pain, mental health challenges and difficulty returning to work and family life. Although medical care focuses on physical recovery, survivors frequently report that their emotional and social needs are overlooked and unmet. Peer support-guidance from people who have lived through similar injuries-can reduce distress and improve coping. However, no programs in Canada currently provide peer support to trauma survivors across their recovery journey, from hospital to rehabilitation to community living. The investigators worked with trauma survivors, caregivers, and healthcare providers to co-design a Peer Support Program (PSP) that offers support throughout these stages. This pilot study will test whether the program is feasible and acceptable, and explore its early impact on recovery. Results will guide a future larger trial to expand peer support in trauma care.

This study hypothesize that school safety strategies may contribute to poor mental health and distress among various school populations and proposes the following research questions to be answered through this study: 1. Is there a significant difference in the prevalence of mental health outcomes, perceived school safety, and academic engagement between early adolescent and adolescent students (grades 6 - 12) at schools that have experienced a school shooting and those that have not? 2. Are existing interventions to promote school safety and security associated with poor mental health outcomes among students and school staff? 3. Does the strength of this association between school safety interventions and mental health outcomes differ among students and teachers in those schools who have experienced a school shooting versus among students and teachers in those schools who never experienced a school shooting? And, among our sample of students, are these associations moderated by their ACE history? Participants will be asked to self-report data on their mental health and wellness, and perceived school safety through a survey. Researchers will compare the surveys from the participants from exposure schools (those who experienced a gun shooting incident) with surveys from the participants from non-exposure schools (those who have not experienced a gun shooting incident)

In this project, researchers are exploring different ways to support the wellbeing and relationships of families with young children (0-12 years). People in regional and rural communities often live with the threat of bushfires, floods, drought, severe storms, and other extreme weather events. Some families have been affected by these disasters and are still trying to recover. Researchers will test two different ways of supporting families in regional and rural Victoria: Family Foundations (FF): An 8-session program to promote parent wellbeing, parenting partnerships, and communication. All parents/caregivers/parenting partners in the family participate in sessions delivered by a health professional online. Family Life Check-In: A brief 30-minute telephone call with a health professional to discuss family wellbeing and relationships, and identify any supports needed. The goal of this trial is to learn whether FF works to reduce mental health difficulties for regional and rural families. The main question it aims to answer is: Compared to Family Life Check-In, does Family Foundations lead to fewer mental health difficulties? Participants will: Complete an online survey before randomisation, after they have received FF or Family Life Check-In, and six months after starting the project. Take part in either Family Foundations or Family Life Check-In.