PAEDIATRIC MENTAL HELP FOR CHILDREN OF DEFENCE PERSONNEL, VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS Psychosocial research translated into teaching resources
Filmed in Armidale, New South Wales | November 2024
Dr Marg Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, New South Wales. She is a prominent figure in early childhood education New South Wales, and is also a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Manna Institute, a mental health research organisation within the regional university network across Australia, that is building place based research capacity to improve the mental health of regional, rural and remote Australia.
Dr Rogers has taught across all areas of education: early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary. She researches marginalised voices within families and education, especially in regional, rural and remote communities.
Many Australian Defence Force (ADF) members reside in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) communities, creating significant challenges for their families regarding mental health service access. With 30% of current ADF members living in these areas, families often endure waiting lists for specialised care, which is typically located in metropolitan settings. As a result, children in these families frequently witness trauma, leading to potential mental health issues.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Dr Rogers on her research focusing on paediatric mental health, specifically developing early intervention psychosocial resources for children from veterans, defence families, and first responders.
Dr. Rogers emphasises the need for increased support and resources for these families, advocating for flexible, accessible care that moves with them, including telehealth options. Her work includes developing printed and digital storybooks based on children’s narratives to help families cope with issues like moral injury.
The impact of her work, has also garnered interest overseas, in collaborative efforts with Canadian and UK institutions who are further enhancing these resources for affected families in their own countries.
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Prioritising Oral Health in Aged Care and Disability Support
Leonie Short is a Dental Practitioner and Dental Therapist. She started working as a dental therapist in Rural NSW and then moved into being an academic and researcher. Through her career, Leonie has worked at 6 universities across New South Wales and Queensland, and remaining community focused.
Leonie’s mission is to have improved oral health experiences and outcomes, however she recognises, the health system really needs to work hard to make it happen and for people to understand why it needs to be a priority.
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Improved access to technology needed for people with Type 2 Diabetes needing insulin
The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) provides subsidised products for diabetes management; however, disparities exist in access to technology between those with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. While continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are subsidised for Type 1, they are not available for Type 2 diabetes. ADEA advocates for equitable access to these essential tools, emphasising that all individuals with diabetes deserve the resources necessary for optimal management and reduced risk of complications. Without such technologies, many are forced to rely on finger pricking, which can be inconvenient and unsafe in settings such as the workplace and in higher education.
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Making clinical trials participant friendly
Clinical trials are essential in developing new, improved, and more effective treatments and interventions. Without trials, researchers and professionals in the field cannot properly determine whether these new treatments and interventions are safe and effective.
The Clinials platform is geared towards patient centric trials and reducing site burden. The aim is to accelerate lifesaving medicines coming to market by connecting participants and researchers. The platform allows participants to come to researchers with their eligibility in hand among other capabilities.
