Projects aiming to improve anorexia treatment and boost the mental health of those with chronic disease and disabilities have received Federal Government grants.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s (MCRI) Dr Louise Crowe and Dr Michele Yeo have each received Childhood Mental Health Research grants from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) worth a collective $1.6 million.

Dr Yeo and her team will work alongside young people with anorexia and their families to improve the current, standard model of care.

“While family-based treatment (FBT) is considered the primary treatment for anorexia in childhood and adolescence, it’s only considered effective for a minority of patients,” she said. There have been adaptations of FBT in the past, but none of them have been grounded and shaped by the lived experiences of children, adolescents and their families.

“By co-designing a better approach with children and young people, their carers and clinicians, we can help those who have not responded to traditional treatments that remain a higher risk of ongoing severe disease.”

Image: Dr Michele Yeo

Dr Yeo said the project, known as Co-designing Anorexia Support and Treatment (CoAST), could help inform the care and support of young patients with eating disorders in Australia and globally. 

Dr Crowe and her team will focus on addressing the high rates of anxiety and depression among young people with epilepsy, asthma, diabetes, brain injury, neuromuscular disorders, cystic fibrosis and other chronic illnesses. 

The study will design and test a structured, holistic mental health program for those with chronic illness that combines cognitive behaviour therapy with emotion regulation and mindfulness.

Image: Dr Louise Crowe

“Children and adolescents with a chronic disease or disability have much higher rates of anxiety and depression than their typically developing peers and it’s crucial that their mental wellbeing is supported,” Dr Crowe said.

“These young people often face invasive or challenging medical procedures, fatigue and pain associated with these medical conditions which can be exacerbated by poor mental health.”

Dr Crowe said she hoped the program could become a common, useful treatment for this vulnerable group to help them manage and better balance their physical and psychological health.

Read more about MCRI’s research in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.