Telethon Kids Institute and The University of Western Australia researchers have been awarded funding from Healthway, for projects to improve the mental health of LGBTQA+ young people and encourage early physical activity in childcare centres.
Five projects have been supported by Healthway’s 2022 Open Research Round, which focuses on areas of health research that address some of Healthway’s key strategic priorities to improve health outcomes for West Australians.
Telethon Kids Institute and UWA mental health researcher Dr Yael Perry has received a $415,033 exploratory grant to bolster education and training for health and community services workers dealing with young LGBTQA+ people.
The three-year program will help to improve health practitioner’s understanding of the mental health needs of LGBTQA+ young people and create more inclusive and safer spaces for young people to access quality care.
Dr Perry was also awarded a $74,999 exploratory grant for a project examining the mental health impacts on the siblings of young gender diverse people.
Telethon Kids Institute Professor Hayley Christian, from UWA’s Medical School, has been awarded $388,296 for a project to expand the successful Play Active program, which provides resources and training to childcare centre staff to keep young children active and moving during the day.
Professor Christian was also awarded an additional $74,976 to help develop workshops and an online toolkit to help childcare educators better communicate with parents about their child’s physical activity and health eating.
Telethon Kids Executive Director, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, from UWA’s Medical School, said he was thrilled by the support given to Telethon Kids Institute-led projects.
“Healthway is a key funder of important public health research and interventions in Western Australia and it’s fantastic that so many projects at Telethon Kids have been supported,” he said.
“All of these research projects will have really practical outcomes that will help to improve the health and wellbeing of kids in WA.”
In total, $1.6 million was awarded in the 2022 Open Research Round.
