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Government funding boost for Macquarie University childhood anxiety research
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Apr 16, 2025
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Psychology researchers from the Macquarie University Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre have received a combined $1,933,935 in Australian Government funding for studies to improve treatment for anxiety in children.
Two Macquarie projects have been funded over two years under the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) 2023 Childhood Mental Health Research Scheme.Anxiety is the second most common mental health disorder in children and young people in Australia, affecting about one in 14 four-to-17-year-olds, but current treatment outcomes are suboptimal.
Associate Professor Carly Johnco receives $979,838 for her project, ‘Making it stick: Using memory rehearsal to improve exposure therapy outcomes for childhood anxiety disorders’.
Exposure therapy is the key technique to reduce anxiety. It involves facing the feared situation to learn that it is safe, but this ‘safety learning’ can be forgotten, resulting in the fears coming back.
Associate Professor Johnco and her team will conduct a clinical trial to assess whether rehearsal of safety learning after exposure therapy enhances outcomes and prevents relapse.
The research team includes investigators from Macquarie University, the University of California Los Angeles and the University of NSW, with in-kind contributions from partners WayAhead Mental Health Association NSW, North Sydney Local Health District Child Youth Mental Health Service, Sydney North Health Network and The Talbot Centre.
Dr Ella Oar receives $954,097 for her project, ‘Advancing Childhood Anxiety Treatment with Intensive Exposure Therapy’.
Traditional psychological treatments for anxiety disorders in children are time-consuming and costly, often involving up to 10 weekly sessions.
For phobias, a single-session treatment has been found to work, and the team hopes to build on this to develop a two-session treatment for a range of anxiety disorders, then compare this to traditional treatment.
Their goal is to develop a more accessible and affordable treatment option for anxious young Australians, helping bridge the gap in mental health care.
The research team includes investigators from Macquarie University, Virginia Tech, University of NSW and the University of Kansas, with in-kind support from partners the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy, Australian Psychology Society Sydney Branch, Sydney North Health Network, Northern Sydney Local Health District Child Youth Mental Health Service and WayAhead Mental Health Association NSW.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Sakkie Pretorius congratulated the researchers.
“With only about one in five children who have anxiety currently receiving help for the condition, improving the available treatment options is clearly a major priority,” Professor Pretorius says.
“The Macquarie University Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre has a strong track record in advancing evidence-based, accessible treatment for anxiety in children through its Cool Kids program, which has been exported to a number of countries.
“I look forward to these latest trials advancing that body of knowledge and contributing to improved treatment outcomes for young people.”
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