Research interests of the research team offering the project

The suicide prevention research program at Orygen comprises a number of discrete projects that together seek to examine the efficacy, safety and acceptability of interventions specifically designed for at-risk young people.

The suicide prevention team also has a strong focus on informing and evaluating national, and state-based, suicide prevention policy. This area of research is important because suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young people and our knowledge of effective interventions is currently limited.

A core question in our research is what types of interventions are effective at reducing suicide risk among young people?

Details of the project

The Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) project aims to reduce suicide risk and increase help-seeking among young people via an integrated program delivered to year 10 students in schools across north-west Melbourne.

The program combines three different suicide prevention approaches:

1. SafeTALK educational workshops – a 3.5-hour program that teaches students to recognise and respond to the warning signs of suicide in themselves and others.
2. Screening to identify students at risk of suicide, embedded into the questionnaires used to evaluate the safeTALK program.
3. A randomised control trial of the Reframe IT online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program, an eight-module internet-based intervention developed specifically for young Australians at risk of suicide.

There is currently an opportunity for a masters student in the MAPSS project to evaluate the efficacy of the SafeTALK training and the factors that influence the program outcomes. This is a fantastic opportunity for a student who is interested in youth suicide prevention and education-based interventions.

Project references

1. Byrne SJ, Bailey E, Lamblin M, McKay S, Pirkis J, Mihalopoulos C, Spittal MJ, Rice S, Hetrick S, Hamilton M, Yuen HP. Study protocol for the multimodal approach to preventing suicide in schools (MAPSS) project: a regionally based randomised trial of an integrated response to suicide risk among secondary school students. Trials. 2022 Dec;23(1):1-6.

Scholarships and fees

A stipend is not available for this masters project.

Scholarships are available through the University of Melbourne. More information here.

Other scholarship opportunities may also be available but are highly competitive. Please speak to the contact person below for more information.

Domestic Master of Philosophy students do not incur fees. Information on University of Melbourne fees for 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.
1. 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).
2. Once you’ve gained supervisor support, submit your application here.

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

Contact

[email protected]