New Director for CEH | Cool Kid Anxiety Treatment now online

Dear CEH Friend

After 9 years at the helm, I have decided to step down as the Director of the CEH. This is in no way a general resignation from the Centre as I will very much remain an active and devoted member of the CEH. I have made the decision because the time is right. With the recent award of the ARC Laureate fellowship I will be kept very busy for at least the next 5 years and I look forward to focusing my attention mostly on my research.

I am very pleased to be able to say that Professor Jennie Hudson has agreed to take on the role as Director. I know Jennie will be an outstanding Director and is the ideal person to continue the vision and bring a new energy and passion in the next phase of the Centre’s life. I wish her all the best as she takes on this new challenge.

We often hear that children in rural and regional areas find it difficult to access treatment for anxiety disorders. We are pleased to announce that we have launched our Cool Kids Online Anxiety program which is suitable for children 7-12 years. Our research study will examine the efficacy of the tried and proven skills-based Cool Kids program in an online format. If you are aware of communities in rural or regional areas that may be in need of anxiety treatment, you can direct them to more information on our website.

Our Professional Workshop Series for 2015 is almost complete. Our last workshop for the year will be of particular interest to psychologists who are looking for information on the latest evidence-based treatmets and want to learn skills to assist clinical decision making. Please join Associate Professor Andrew Baillie on Friday, 23 October.

For those after parenting information, you may be interested in this article on how to help an anxious child live a full life in which Jennie Hudson was interviewed and a radio interview which discusses children and their emotions. Associate Professor Maria Kangas wrote this article on the physical manifestation of anxiety in children and teens.

In other news, CEH member, Dr Quincy Wong explores whether research has been able to prove a link between creativity and psychological distress.

As I sign off on my final communication as Director, I look back on the past 9 years with fond memories and have truly appreciated (almost) every moment.

All the best for the coming quarter.

Kind regards
Professor Ron Rapee

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Participate in Research

If you or someone you know might benefit from participating in innovative treatment with a focus on research, take a look at these opportunities.

Study 1: Do you feel nervous in social situations? Does the idea of making a speech or meeting new people make you anxious? If so, we'd like your opinion on social anxiety treatments even if you've never completed one yourself. You could win a $500 voucher.

Study 2:The tried and proven Cool Kids Anxiety treatment is now available online, FREE, to children 7-12 years around Australia. Learn more.

Study 3: Girls in Year 4, 6 and 8 are invited to participate in a 45-minute study to help us understand why children sometimes provide dishonest information to parents. The study requires 2 visits to MQU spaced one year apart. Girls will participate in 3 tasks. Parents will complete a questionnaire at the same time. SCHOOL HOLIDAY, SATURDAY & AFTER-SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE. Families receive $15 per visit. Contact talia.carl@mq.edu.au.