Black Dog Institute Annual Report 2017/2018
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Black Dog Institute Annual Report 2017/2018 Published October 2018 How to use this Annual Report A report to interact with For the first time, the Black Dog Institute’s annual report has become digital-first. This means you’ll get to see our achievements come alive in ways that a traditional paper report doesn’t allow for: • Follow hyperlinks to view the full versions of our research papers and web articles • Click on our researchers’ names to find out more about their work or how to get in touch with them • Hit ‘play’ on our videos to delve into the details of a project or news piece Creating a mentally healthier world. | 2 Guide to our Research innovation and expertise: Strategic to be a leader in world-class mental health research Knowledge translation: to use our integrated knowledge translation (KT) model to create and deliver innovative, high-quality, evidence-based tools, models and services that lower the impact of mental Priorities illness and are suitable for delivery to consumers, clinicians and researchers The case studies over the next few pages highlight some of the Black Dog Institute’s unique Technology: achievements throughout 2017-18. Each of these pages includes certain icons that correspond to use tech to fast-track research translation into innovative mental health programs to the strategic priorities to the right, so that at a glance you’ll be able to tell how that particular and clinical services, and to build outstanding community and supporter engagement project has helped us meet our goals. Guiding principles Our people: 1. Science and research evidence are central to everything we do. to be a workplace of choice that values the uniqueness and diversity of its employees, maximises their potential and focuses on their development, engagement and wellbeing 2. We build collaborative relationships and partnerships to maximise our impact. 3. We deliver outcomes in mental health through our translational research model. Financial and operational sustainability: to expand and diversify our sources of income to invest in BDI’s growth, and achieve long-term financial and operational sustainability Creating a mentally healthier world. | 3 Contents 1. About the Black Dog Institute 5 2. Key statistics 7 3. Messages from the Chair & Director 8 4. Digital mental health services 9 5. Improving mental health amongst Australian workers 11 6. Exploring new frontiers in depression treatment 12 7. LifeSpan: a suicide prevention research trial 13 8. BiteBack: youth positive psychology site relaunched 14 9. Growing mental health resilience in regional WA 15 10. Riding into the record books 16 11. FGG investing in youth suicide prevention 17 12. Shaping our work through the voice of lived experience 18 13. Research with impact 19 14. Research grants 21 15. Awards 29 16. Our people 30 17. Major funding partners 36 18. Financials 37 Creating a mentally healthier world. | 4 About the Our vision Black Dog A mentally healthier world. Our mission Enabling mentally healthier lives through innovations in science, Institute medicine, education, public policy and knowledge translation. What we do The Black Dog Institute is a global leader in mental While Australia has come a long way in the detection health research and one of only two Medical and treatment of mental illnesses, the statistics Research Institutes in Australia to focus on mental below highlight the work that still needs to be done: health and suicide prevention. Uniquely, Black Dog • Each year 1 in 5 Australians experience a has a strategic priority to use the latest technology mental illness.1 and other tools to quickly turn its world-class research findings into clinical services, educational • Suicide is the leading cause of death for 2 programs and e-health products that improve the Australians between 15 and 44 years of age. lives of people with mental illness. • The annual cost of mental ill-health in Australia is over $60 billion.3 Our aim is to reduce the severity and incidence of mental illness, actively reduce suicide rates, remove the stigma around mental illness, and empower everyone to look after their mental health. 1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). ‘National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results, 2007’. 2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2018). ‘Causes of Death Data, Australia, 2017’. 3. National Mental Health Commission. (2016). ‘Economics of Mental Health in Australia’. Creating a mentally healthier world. | 5 We’re proud of the strides Black Dog researchers and staff are making to tackle these problems. They work within the following seven key research priority areas: • suicide prevention • e-mental health • workplace mental health • novel treatment approaches • prevention in young people • trauma and mental health • knowledge translation and implementation science. The voice of lived experience Our Lived Experience Advisory Panel informs the development of everything we do. The panel reflects the diversity of those in the general population with a lived experience of mental illness, including those who have a mental illness and those who care for them. Panel members offer perspective and advice on a range of Black Dog activities, including research priorities, research methods, implementation and delivery of programs and services, and dissemination of information. Currently, there are also 97 lived experience presenters sharing their stories with the wider community. Knowledge translation – driving innovation At the Black Dog Institute, we don’t just want our research to be ground-breaking – we want it to be life- changing. That’s why knowledge translation is so important in what we do. It’s the difference between Kate Wright LIVED EXPERIENCE PRESENTER research that fosters innovation, and research that sits on a shelf. We work hard to turn the findings of our research teams into e-mental health products, educational resources and clinical services. Creating a mentally healthier world. | 6 Key statistics 2017/2018 mer o ae reear de Creating a mentally healthier world. | 7 Message from the Director We completed a trial demonstrating that depression could be reduced prior to the Higher School Certificate. Message from Message from We also implemented a school based digital service in NSW to empower students to learn and respond to the Chair the Director their mental health issues, while also supporting those at risk through face to face services. For the sixth consecutive year, the Black Dog Institute has This year the Black Dog Institute has once again grown in The stark fact is suicide remains the leading cause of continued to grow rapidly. I would like to acknowledge Black both its achievements and aspirations. Black Dog exists death in young people. Dog’s superb team and our Board, led so well by our Chair, Peter because in our hearts we believe everyone deserves peace This year, we commenced the LifeSpan Project, Joseph AM, for steering our organisation through this period of mind, and we want to harness the power of science to do an ambitious four site trial, designed to test the and making us stronger and sustainable. effectiveness of a systems approach to suicide something about it. With our world-leading LifeSpan trials prevention in communities. Led by Rachel Green, this we are building the tools that may reduce suicide deaths At Black Dog, our belief in the power of community and our Throughout 2017/18 Black Dog has continued to trial and generation activity trackers, then access information and project is supported by a $14.7m donation from the by up to 20%. While significant progress has been made in vision of a mentally healthier world motivate us to equip people deliver a range of e-healthPaul Ramsayservices, Foundation, including and support by commitments and from strategies to turn things around if necessary. In the youth the prevention and treatment of mental illness globally, the at all levels of our local communities with the skills they need to therapy after a suicide attempt,the NSW programs Mental Health in schools Commission to prevent and NSW Health. space, BITE BACK has been updated with new interactive exploration of “inner space” has only just begun, especially support others. depression and sleep problems,We want to and target workplace the suicide prevention. and attempted suicide elements following input from young Australians. The considering we have learnt more about the brain in the last 30 Digital technologies allowrate us into NSW. scale Onceup and the reach LifeSpan more trial people is complete, popular online positive psychology program for teens Our workplace research team, for example, focuses on we will provide a sustaining blueprint for action and years than in all of human history. It is an enormous privilege quickly. We are also pleased to receive funding for prevention delivers quizzes, activities and tools designed to increase how workplace cultures can improve mental health among implementation, in addition to a data repository that is to witness the work of the entire Black Dog community as work from the Commonwealth Department of Health alongside resilience and mental fitness. employees. Workplace mental wellbeing constitutes a key second to none in the world. they go on this mission of discovery and hope. Everymind through the Prevention Hub. initiative of the Australian Government’s Fifth Mental Health More investment is needed to drive a proactive and All of us at Black Dog find it rewarding to see how committed united approach to delivering mental health programs Under the skilled and inspiring leadership of Director and and Suicide Prevention Plan, and wasFor therecognised fifth consecutive by KPMG’s year, BlackIn Dog2017, continues Black toDog joined Neuroscience Research Australia Australians are to creating a mentally healthier world. So that resonate with young people. The United Nations Scientia Professor Helen Christensen, her highly committed 2018 Investing to Save report as agrow strategy quickly.