Dr Peter Baldwin
Mental Health Research
‘Healthy Mind: A Novel e-Mental Health Tool for Young Australians with an Intellectual Disability (ID)’
University of NSW, Black Dog Institute, NSW
Awarded 2019
“Young Australians who live with an ID are especially vulnerable to mental illness, yet less than 10% have access to appropriate mental health care. Despite e-mental health tool improving access to evidence-based treatments for most Australians, people with an ID cannot use the e-health tools available.”
Researcher Profile
Peter completed his Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology at UNSW Sydney, focusing on neural and cognitive mechanisms in obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. He then moved to the Black Dog Institute where he works as a clinician and researcher, helping to develop e-mental health tools for a variety of populations, from people with chronic illnesses to astronauts.
Peter also teaches undergraduate psychology and collaborates with a team of UNSW academics to support the well-being and success of university students.
Project Summary
This project aims to see if an online mental health tool (named Healthy Mind) designed for people with an intellectual disability (ID) can help young Australians living with an ID to reduce their levels of anxiety and depression while improving their day-to-day well-being. The project also aims to examine if Healthy Mind can help support the mental health of young Australians with an ID as they experience a stressful life transition, such as moving out of home or starting their first job.
Healthy Mind is an automated online cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) program developed by the Black Dog Institute in consultation with clinicians, researchers and people living with an ID. Healthy Mind takes some key aspects of CBT and translates them into accessible and engaging tools that can be used on any internet-connected device.
Co-Investigators: A/Professor Josephine Anderson, Professor Julian Trollor & Professor Helen Christensen