The Centre for Child, Parenting and Family Research conducts applied research that supports improved mental health and wellbeing outcomes for families, parents and children. With an emphasis on early intervention and prevention, the Centre focusses on parenting and understanding how to identify, assess and support children, parents and families at risk of diminished mental health and wellbeing. Our wholistic approach extends to factors that influence child, parent and family mental health and wellbeing and the people, such as health professionals, who provide care to them.
> 30 Publications
> 5 Projects
> 4 Collaborations
Key Research Priorities
Prevention and Early Intervention
Supporting families at risk of mental ill-health
Improving the mental health of families
Understanding the impact of pregnancy and parenting on brain function
Supporting health professionals who care for families, parents and children
Members
Professor Kathryn von Treuer
Professor Tess Knight
Dr Sasha Davis
Coming Soon
Coming soon
Current Projects
Key Outputs
Buultjens, M., Milgrom, J., Taket, A., Vonderling, K., Wilkinson, J., & von Treuer, K. (2022) Maternity Care During a Pandemic: Can a hybrid telehealth model comprising group interdisciplinary education support maternal psychological health? Women and Birth, In Press
Smith, I., Youssef G. J., Shatte, A., Teague, S. J., Knight, T., Macdonald, J. A. (2022). “You are not alone”: A big data and qualitative analysis of men’s unintended fatherhood. SSM – Qualitative Research in Health.
Kuswara, K., Knight, T., Campbell, K. J., Hesketh, K. D., Zheng, M., Bolton, K. A., & Laws, R. (2020). Breastfeeding and emerging motherhood identity: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of first time Chinese Australian mothers’ breastfeeding experiences. Women and Birth https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2020.03.005
Macdonald, J. A., Greenwood, C., Francis, L., Harrison T., Graeme, L., Youssef, G. J., Di Manno, L., Skouteris, H., Fletcher, R., Knight, T., Williams, J., Olsson, C. A. (2020). Profiles of depressive symptoms and anger in men: Associations with postpartum family functioning. Frontiers in Psychiatry. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.578114
Burn, M., Knight, T., Taylor, L., & Toumbourou, J. W. (2019). Parents’ Perceptions of Changes in Family Functioning After Participation in a Strengthening Families Intervention: A Qualitative Analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 100, 428-436. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.028
Smith, I., Knight, T., Fletcher, R., Macdonald, J. A. (2019). When men choose to be childless: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (IF 1.742) DOI: 10.1177/0265407519864444
Fletcher, R., Knight, T., Macdonald, J. A., & St George, J. (2019). Process evaluation of text-based support for fathers during the transition to fatherhood (SMS4dads): Mechanisms of impact. BMC Psychology Open Access https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-019-0338-4
Navarro, C., Knight, T., Sharman, S. J., & Powell, M. B. (2019). Challenges in translating interview protocols for alleged child victims of sexual abuse to different languages: A case study. Child Abuse and Neglect, doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104033
Bailey, C., Knight, T., Koolmatrie, J., Brubacher, S., & Powell, M. (2018). Indigenous stakeholders; evaluation of a community engagement initiative to address child sexual abuse in remote Indigenous communities. Australian Psychologist. Doi:10.1111/ap.12349
Riley, K., Gent, A., McLaren, S., Caunt, J., & Stavropoulos, V. (2018). The Fatigue and Depressive Symptom Relationship in Mothers of Young Children: The Moderating Role of Mindfulness. Mindfulness, 9 (6), 1955–1965. doi: 10.1007/s12671-018-0941-0
Davies, S. J., Lum, J. A., Skouteris, H., Byrne, L. K., & Hayden, M. J. (2018). Cognitive impairment during pregnancy: a meta\analysis. Medical Journal of Australia, 208(1), 35-40.
Kings, C. A., Knight, T., Ryan, D., & Macdonald, J. A. (2017). The “Sensory Deprivation Tank”: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of men’s expectations of first-time fatherhood. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 18, 112-122. doi.org/10.1037/men0000046
Poole, L. A., Knight, T., Toumbourou, J. W., Lubman, D. I., Bertino, M. D., & Lewis, A. J. (2017). A randomized controlled trial of the impact of a family-based adolescent depression intervention on both youth and parent mental health outcomes. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1-13. DOI 10.1007/s10802-017-1292-7.
Smith, I., Macdonald, J. A., Demmer, D., Knight, T., Coles, L., Cain, K., Criagie, G., Francis, L., D’Souza, L. (2020). Fatherhood desire, paternal mental health and fater-infant bonding: A systematic review. Poster presented at World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH), Brisbane, Australia. Accepted.
Kuswara K., Knight T., Campbell K., Bolton K., Zheng M., Hesketh K., Laws R. (2019). “It makes me feel motherly” – Breastfeeding and motherhood identity. Paper presented at the World Public Health Nutrition Congress, Brisbane, Australia.
Kambouropoulos, A. (2018) Personal and Societal Challenges in Facilitating Hope with Children. Presented at the World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling Conference Austria, Vienna
Taylor, M., Thompson, C., & von Treuer, K.M. (2018). The Big Tent Program; targeted supervision, education and enhancing experience and knowledge of health and education professionals in early childhood settings. Family Relationships Services Australia- First 1000 days, National Conference, Cairns, Nov.
Gibson, M., Francis, A.J.P. (2017). Intergenerational Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Role of Parenting Styles in Mother-Daughter Dyads. Paper session presented at The Cairnmillar Institute 2017 Research and Practice Conference, Melbourne.
Kelly, E.L. & Francis, A.J.P. (2017). Parental Divorce and BPD Symptomatology: Early Maladaptive Schemas as a Mediator. Poster session presented at The Cairnmillar Institute 2017 Research and Practice Conference, Melbourne.