Research interests of the research team offering the project

This project is being offered by the suicide prevention team at Oyrgen and the Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne.

The suicide prevention team was established by Associate Professor Robinson over 15 years ago and is internationally recognised for its work in youth suicide prevention across community, clinical, and online settings.

It boasts a team of 18 world-class research staff and students.

Details of the project

The over-arching aim of this project is to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the Self-Harm Surveillance System for Victoria – a newly established self-harm surveillance system operating across a number of hospitals in the state.

This system is maintained by Orygen and was established by Associate Professor Robinson and Dr Witt.

We are now looking at conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis to understand what it might take to:

1. Up-scale the existing system further.
2. Provide important information to guide the development of similar systems internationally.

The ideal candidate will therefore have a strong interest and proven track record in health economics or a related discipline, strong epidemiological and/or biostatistics experience, and an interest in mental health systems and suicide prevention.

Project references

1. Robinson J, et al. Development of a self-harm monitoring system for Victoria. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17:9385.
2. Rozova V, et al. Detection of self-harm and suicidal ideation in emergency department triage notes. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2021;29:472-80.
3. Kolves K, et al. Suicide and self-harm surveillance across the Western Pacific: a call to action. Lancet Regional Health. 2022;19:100367.

Scholarships and fees

A stipend is not available for this PhD project.

Scholarships are available through the University of Melbourne – find out more here. Other scholarship opportunities may also be available but are highly competitive, so please speak to the contact person below for further details.

Information on fees for domestic and international students is available here.

How to apply

1. Read information for future students here and check your eligibility here.
2. Read our frequently asked questions here.
3. Liaise with, and gain the support of, the supervisor/s. Please contact them using the details below and attach a copy of your CV and university transcript(s). 
4. Once you’ve gained supervisor support, follow the steps outlined by the University of Melbourne here. You can go straight to Step 3. 

You are strongly encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Contact

Dr Katrina Witt
[email protected]