Establishment
The Department of Paediatrics - University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and the Department of Psychiatry - University of Melbourne/ Orygen Youth Health have supported the establishment of an academic child psychiatry clinical research unit that has three primary aims:
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Firstly, to establish and maintain high quality clinical research into high prevalence and high risk child and adolescent onset psychiatric disorders: conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-CT), dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder are current key areas of systematic enquiry.
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Secondly, to establish and maintain high quality clinical research into mental health aspects affecting the onset, progression and treatment responsiveness of paediatric medical disorders: Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis, new daily persistent headache, chronic epilepsy and dermatitis are current areas of systematic investigation.
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Thirdly, to collaborate with Orygen Youth Health and adult mental health clinical research groups to investigate childhood antecedents, biologically, psychologically and socially of adult onset psychiatric disorders: disorganised and paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder type I and II and antisocial and borderline personality disorders are the main current areas of systematic inquiry.
This new clinical research unit is consonant with national and state mental health directions and serves as a ‘backbone’ for ongoing clinical initiatives within the greater paediatric and adolescent mental health field from primary through to quaternary clinical care (Level 1- 4).