Dr Elspeth Macdonald

PhD (La Trobe) B. Occ. Thy. (U of Qld.)

Director

 

Dr Macdonald has extensive research experience in issues of mental health related to children and youth, particularly child and adolescent trauma, loss and grief experiences.

Her research examines the nature and extent of child and adolescent mental health problems, psychosocial recovery and trajectories, vulnerabilities and resilience/protective factors, mental health promotion and prevention and models of care for complex problems. Dr Macdonald’s PhD focused on the vulnerabilities and resilience/protective factors in adolescents and young adults.

She has worked clinically with children and adolescents in individual psychotherapy and with adolescents and young adults using skills training and psychoeducation.

Her research publications relate to mental health issues for infants, children, adolescents and young adults. She has been published in a number of national and international refereed journals and has also prepared and reviewed reports for a number of health, government and consumer organisations.

Dr Macdonald has facilitated research and service-based projects in a range of health and mental health organisations across a number of different sectors. She has been a Senior Research Fellow at the Kids in Mind Research, Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Service. More recently she has based herself at the Centre for Mental Health Research and the Medical School at the Australian National University. 

From 1989 to 2004, Dr Macdonald was responsible for the child and adolescent mental health curriculum at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University. She was also responsible for the development of research and evidence-based practice curriculums in these programs.