Mechanisms of Mental Health

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  Head of Lab
  Dr Caitlin Hitchcock

  Caitlin.hitchcock@unimelb.edu.au

  View researcher's webpage

Research Overview

Treatment of mental health issues has not improved in decades, despite our scientific understanding of the mechanisms which drive mental ill health being the best that it has ever been.

Led by Dr Caitlin Hitchcock, our research group works across the research trajectory to translate our basic science understanding of the mechanisms which predict and maintain psychological difficulties into innovative mental health interventions. Our program spans from experimental work, which elucidates how cognitive processes promote psychological disturbance, to trials of novel psychological interventions. We have a particular interest in the transdiagnostic cognitive mechanisms which predict the primary onset of mental illness and response to psychological interventions.

With members based at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, and the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, we work in a global context to improve mental health interventions. We work closely with Australian and international treatment services to ensure that the latest research advances are used to inform clinical practice, and to increase access to evidence-based treatment in underserved communities.

Would you like to take part in research?

If you are interested in participating in future research projects completed by our team, you can register for our participant mailing list here.

Staff

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  Alicia Smith, PhD student

  Alicia Smith

  

  Alicia is a PhD student enrolled at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, and visiting student at the University of Melbourne. The focus of her PhD is on the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that drive the formation of intrusive memories - a transdiagnostic symptom experienced across various mental health problems.

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  Patrick Haylock, PhD student

  Patrick Haylock

  

  Patrick Haylock (he/him) is completing a Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)/Doctor of Philosophy. He is researching the relationship between young people's ability to recall different types of autobiographical memories, and their ability to solve problems, regulate their emotions and socialise with others. Patrick also has interests in psychotherapy for people with hearing conditions.

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  Uyen Doan, PhD student and Research Assistant

  Uyen Doan

  

  Uyen is currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy, and is exploring the different ways people remember their past experiences and how these differences may impact their future mental wellbeing. Uyen has an interest in understanding the mechanisms that underlie chronic mental health conditions.

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  Leo Marcus, Masters student

  Leo Marcus

  

  Leo Marcus is completing his Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) and is investigating the phenomenon of insight during mental navigation and its clinical relevance for patients engaging in therapy. Leo has broad interests in cognitive neuroscience and depression research.

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  Amelia Kirkpatrick, Research Assistant

  Amelia Kirkpatrick

  

  Amelia Kirkpatrick (she/her) is supporting projects in the lab as a research assistant with lived experience of mental illness.

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  Ning An, Honours student

  Ning An

  

  Ning An (she/her) is completing a Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced). Her research topic is focused on investigating the relationship between autobiographical memory specificity and eating disorders and the effect of locus of control.

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  Laura Broadbent, Honours student

  Laura Broadbent

  

  Laura Broadbent (she/her) is completing a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology. Her research project is investigating reduced recall of specific autobiographical memories as a potential risk factor for self harming behaviours in adolescents, and if people's control-related beliefs are implicated in such relationships. Laura is particularly interested in emotion recognition and regulation, and neurodivergent-affirming care.

We welcome expressions of interest from aspiring researchers and clinicians from disadvantaged backgrounds, and individuals with lived experience of mental ill health who may like to contribute to our research.

Alumni

• Dou Hong, former Research Assistant, currently a PhD student, University of Oxford.
• Steph Raad, former Research Assistant, currently works at Orygen.

Funding

• Australian Research Council
• National Health and Medical Research Council
• UK Economic and Social Research Council

Research Outcomes

Examples of our research, written for the general community:

• PTSD looks different in young children but it's still treatable
• Past Imperfect: Exploring the Challenges—and the Promise—of Memory’s Malleability