Tresillian has several research programs

Tresillian currently has several research studies that are underway or are completed as detailed below. Several other projects are being done with other organisations. For further information contact our Education & Research Unit on (02) 9787 0869.

1. Outcomes for Families Study

Funding: Tresillian Family Care Centres

Researchers: Tresillian Penrith
M Everett (Psychologist), M. McDonald (Educator) and L. Daggar (Centre Manager)

Aim: This study has monitored the changes that occur in family functioning at admission, at discharge and at three follow up points. The data collected will allow a better understanding of the factors that contribute to a positive outcome for the identified client (the baby or toddler) and the family as a whole during and after a residential stay at Tresillian Wentworth.

For further information please contact Dr. Cathrine Fowler <cathrine@email.cs.nsw.gov.au>

2. Tresillian Home Visiting Intervention Program

Funding: The Home Visiting Intervention component is funded by Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services Early Intervention Parenting Grants. This was initially for 3 years. Due to the positive outcomes of the research additional funding has been received to extend the project until 2007 through the Commonwealth Government REACH Grant. The comparison component of the project has been funded by Macquarie University.

Researchers: Dr Cathrine Fowler (Tresillian), Dr Catherine McMahon (Macquarie University) and Dr Nick Kowalenko (RNSH, Tresillian & University of Sydney).

Aim: To improve parent-child relationships, to optimise children's cognitive and emotional development, and to enhance family functioning within targeted high-risk groups through the use of extended home visiting. Tresillian clinicians have identified these women/parents as having unmet psychosocial needs and as requiring more intensive support with their parenting.

In addition this project has been designed to improve:

• the mother's mental and physical health and wellbeing
• uptake of professional and informal support in the community
• the mother's perception of competency in caretaking
• her perception of the relationship with her baby
• her emotional availability to her infant during interactions
• her reports of positive infant temperament and positive toddler behaviour

For further information please contact Dr. Cathrine Fowler <cathrine@email.cs.nsw.gov.au>

3. Dioxins and Dioxin Like Compounds in Pooled Human Milk Samples Study

Funding: This project is part of the National Dioxins Program of Environment Australia

Researchers: Dr Jochen Mueller, Dr Fiona Harden (National Centre for Environmental Toxicology) and Professor Michael Moore (Queensland Health Scientific Services).

Aim: To determine the level of dioxin-like compounds in human milk in Australia. Analysis of human milk is essential to assess the risk of the exposure of infants to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds, to assess the exposure of mother and help identify specific contamination sources.

Tresillian's involvement was to recruit mothers interested in participating in the research and assisting in the collection of breast milk. All mothers have now been recruited and Tresillian's involvement has now ceased.

For further information please contact Dr. Cathrine Fowler <cathrine@email.cs.nsw.gov.au>

4. Evaluation of Family Partnerships Model training and its possible impact on Child and Family Health nurses' practice and client care.

Funding: Grant from Hunter Children's Research Foundation

Researchers: Professor Diana Keatinge (University of Newcastle), Dr Cathrine Fowler (Tresillian), Ms Carolyn Briggs (University of Technology), Ms Marian Clark (Families First Hunter)

Research and Ethics Approval: gained from the joint Human Research Ethics Committee, the University of Newcastle and Hunter Area Research Ethics Committee, Hunter Health

New South Wales has started to introduce the Family Partnerships model (FPM). The FPM promotes 'family friendly' communication between people attempting to support families and families themselves. This project aims to evaluate training in the FPM delivered to 16 Child and Family Health (CFH) nurses in October 2002.

Project objectives include identification of:

• the impact, if any, of training in this model on participants perceptions of their practice,
• participant's perceptions about the relevance of the FPM and its likely impact on their practice (and thereby their clients);
• whether or not participants have trained other CFH nurses in the FPM since their participation in the initial training,
• barriers to participants' achieving this.

The introduction of the FPM is a NSW Health initiative therefore the project is important from an evaluation point of view and for its provision of base line data against which to measure ongoing evaluation. The project was completed in early 2005.

For further information please contact Dr. Cathrine Fowler <cathrine@email.cs.nsw.gov.au>

5. Understanding Motherhood and Mothering from Inside

This project is in collaboration with NSW Department of Corrective Services.

Funding: NSW Government Women's Grant program.

Researchers: Dr Cathrine Fowler (Tresillian): Ms Belinda McInnes (NSW Department of Corrective Services); Dr Catherine McMahon (Macquarie University); Dr Nick Kowalenko (Tresillian & Royal North Shore Hospital)

Research and Ethics Approval: gained from the NSW Department of Corrective Services Research and Ethics Committee

The main purpose of this project is to implement and evaluate two ten week groups that will enhance the mother and infant relationship by:

• increasing maternal sensitivity and appropriate responsiveness to infant's signals
• increasing mother's ability to reflect on her own and infant's behaviour, thoughts and feelings in regard to attachment & caregiving interactions
• identifying and building on maternal & infant strengths
• increasing mother's knowledge and skills to care for her infant to enhance the positive impact of their current caregiving patterns and behaviours
• reducing negative (punitive) parenting interactions.

The group program is based on strength and relationship based approaches for working with the women and children.

The two 10 week groups have been completed. The groups required 4 facilitators (3 from Tresillian and 1 from NSW Department of Corrective Services). Weekly clinical supervision was provided. Pre and post data has been collected.

For further information please contact Dr. Cathrine Fowler <cathrine@email.cs.nsw.gov.au>

>>top