Social & Mental Health Aspects of Serious Illness

Research overview

The Social and Mental Health Aspects of Serious Illness Group was formed in 2005 by the amalgamation of two clinical research groups – one from the Infant Mental Health Program at the Royal Children’s Hospital and the other from the Social Work Department. Since then other clinicians and researchers have joined this group which focuses on practice-based research addressing the psychosocial aspects of acute and chronic paediatric illness.

The intended outcomes of our research are

• to develop a better understanding of the impact of infants’ emotional life and relationships on development
• to develop an evidence base of the psychological and social experience of hospital patients and their families
• the development of evidence-based innovative clinical interventions for infant emotional and relationship problems especially within the paediatric health setting
• to translate knowledge into effective Social Work clinical practice interventions to assist patients and their families
• ensuring clinical care in hospital and other health and welfare settings supports infants’, children’s and adolescents’ healthy emotional and social development and relationships

The main focus of infant mental health research is on the emotional and social development of infants within the context of family relationships, particularly in relation to babies who present to paediatric settings with feeding and crying problems and those coping with severe medical illness and /or trauma. 

A particular interest within the research group is marginalized or socially excluded patients and their families, including the experience of fathers and the role of social and cultural factors in the experience of patients with serious illness.

Associate Professor Brigid Jordan Associate Professor Paediatric Social Work Social and Mental Health Aspects of Serious Illness 4th Floor, Front Entry Building Royal Children's Hospital Flemington Road Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia T   +61 3 9345 4144 F   +61 3 9345 6667 E  brigid.jordan@rch.org.au