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.
-
Raising awareness, engagement and inclusion of Allied Health
Anita Hobson-Powell holds the position of Chief Allied Health Officer for the Australian Government within the Department of Health and Aged Care. With a background as an exercise physiologist and extensive experience leading allied health professional associations*, she has been entrusted with three main priorities. First, she aims to raise awareness about the significance of allied health professionals and their role in the healthcare system. This involves ensuring that decision makers and individuals engaging with health services understand the contributions of allied health professionals.
-
New research papers show productivity gains and gaps
Commissioner Catherine De Fontenay talks about the Productivity Commission’s new approach to analysing health productivity, shifting the perspective from the unit measurement of individuals using the health system to the actual improvement of health. This has shown Australia’s health treatment productivity is improving, but identifies gaps in preventative health measures and duplication, where digital technology needs to be more effectively used.
-
Lasers in dental treatment without needles and drills
In 2017, Dr. Omar Zuaiter and Alaa Habeb launched Dentroid, a dental technology startup with a mission to make dentistry a kinder and friendlier experience for patients and dentists using photonics (using laser technology) and robotics, as alternatives to needles, drills and sprays. The vision for the startup is to have dentistry adopt laser technology, addressing the root causes of dental pain & anxiety, and create a pain-free dental experience.
