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Research
‘Can you sleep tonight knowing that child is going to be safe?’: Australian community organisation risk work in child protection practiceRisk averse practice has dominated the child protection field for decades, with high-profile child deaths, ever-tightening surveillance, and regulation of families. In this context, the practice of social work as ‘risk work’ including the use of risk assessment tools has been subject to substantial scholarly investigation. Less attention has been paid to the community organisations that play a central role in supporting child protection-involved parents. Based on interviews with Australian community workers, we examine their negotiation of the parent support/parent risk dichotomy.
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Vitamin D status and predictors of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in Western Australian adolescentsUsing prospective data from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, we investigated vitamin D status and predictors of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin...
Research
The use of psychotropic medications in autistic individuals (21 years and younger) in Western Australia: A preliminary investigationPrescriptions and use of medications to treat mental health conditions in young autistic populations are inconsistent worldwide. This makes it hard to compare findings from international studies to the Australian autistic population, where there are limited relevant studies. Apart from risperidone, there are no other medications specified for direct use in autistic persons. This study aims to gain initial broad understanding of the use of medications, commonly prescribed for mental health conditions, specifically by autistics under the age of 21 years.
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Opportunistic adolescent health assessment in the child protection unitAdolescents attending a hospital-based CPU report high rates of health-risk behaviours
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Social environmental risk factors for transition to psychosis in an Ultra-High Risk population.Despite social environmental factors such as deprivation, urbanicity, migration and adversity being established risk factors for psychotic disorders...
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Psychosocial moderators of associations between life events and changes in physical activity after leaving high schoolThis study examines the associations between life events & changes in leisure-time physical activity after leaving high school in young people from rural...
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Low intake of B-vitamins is associated with poor adolescent mental health and behaviourThe current prevalence of mental health problems in Western populations is approximately 20% and half of all adult mental health disorders are estimated to...

News & Events
Parent of a year 7 student? NOW is the best time to talk to your child about drinking alcoholSenior Research Officer from The Kids Research Institute Australia’s Human Development and Community Wellbeing team, Robyn Johnston, says now is actually a good time to start talking to them about alcohol - before they transition to the teenage years.

News & Events
The Kids welcomes new WA youth health policyThe Kids welcomes the launch of WA’s first policy on youth health which will give young people a voice in the planning of health services that affect them.
Research
Can joined-up data lead to joined-up thinking? The Western Australian Developmental Pathways ProjectModern societies are challenged by "wicked problems" - by definition, those that are difficult to define, multi-casual and hard to treat.