Suzanne is a Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Family Studies and has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.

Her areas of expertise include longitudinal research and the development of risk-taking and adjustment difficulties in adolescents and young adults.

For the past fifteen years Suzanne has worked on the Australian Temperament Project (ATP), an internationally renowned longitudinal study that has followed the development of a large cohort of Victorian children from infancy into adulthood. From 2008 to 2012, Suzanne was the ATP Project Manager.

Presentation Title: What can birth cohort studies tell us about mental health from childhood to early adulthood?

Abstract:

Mental health problems are a leading cause of disability in Australia, affecting approximately one-in-five people each year, and almost one-in-two Australians (45%) at some point during their lifetime. Prevalence rates vary across the lifespan, but for most people, the onset of their mental health difficulties can be traced back to childhood and adolescence. Longitudinal research can enhance our understanding of how mental health problems develop and how they may be prevented. By following the same group of individuals over time, longitudinal studies can identify patterns and pathways to socioemotional adjustment and maladjustment, how these differ between people, optimal periods for intervention and the many influences that shape mental health for better or for worse. Drawing on data from one of Australia’s longest running studies of psychosocial development (the Australian Temperament Project), and Australia’s national longitudinal study of child development (Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children), this presentation will highlight some key learnings about risk and resilience against mental health difficulties at different life stages, with a particular focus on childhood, adolescence and the early adult years.