Youth Mental Health

Research Focus

Led by Professor Jennifer Rodger, Professor Anthony Akkari and Professor Sean Hood, the Perron Institute’s Youth Mental Health team has four research priorities:

1. Partnering with young people
   We work with young people who have lived experience of mental health challenges to understand their experiences of seeking care, considering treatment options and living with depression and anxiety. Their perspectives help ensure that our research is relevant, respectful and responsive to community needs.
2. Partnering with medical professionals
   We collaborate with GPs, psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals to identify gaps in existing care pathways and understand the practical challenges involved in delivering personalised mental healthcare.
3. Advancing personalised mental healthcare
   We are investigating how biological information, including Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing, could support more individualised treatment decisions. Our research examines not only whether these approaches may improve care, but also how they can be implemented safely, equitably and effectively across Western Australia.
4. Expanding treatment options
   We investigate the safety, acceptability and potential benefits of different treatment approaches for young people, including non-invasive brain stimulation interventions such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

Current Youth Mental Health Studies