Helen Christensen

Helen Christensen
UNSW Sydney | UNSW · Black Dog Institute

PhD

About

687
Publications
238,488
Reads
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59,808
Citations
Introduction
Skills and Expertise
Additional affiliations
January 2012 - present
UNSW Sydney
Position
  • Managing Director

Publications

Publications (687)
Article
Importance Sexuality- and gender-diverse (SGD) young people experience substantial health disparities relative to cisgender heterosexual peers. Little is known about SGD adolescents younger than 15 years. Objective To describe SGD prevalence and associated factors in a population-representative cohort of younger adolescents in Australia. Design,...
Article
Full-text available
Self-harm is when someone hurts themselves on purpose, regardless of the reasons for doing this. Often, shame and stigma stop people from seeking help. Self-harming behaviour increases the risk of death by suicide, and it is a common cause of disability in young people. Currently, people attending health services only represent the tip of the icebe...
Article
Full-text available
Self-harm is when someone hurts themselves on purpose, regardless of the reasons for doing this. Often, shame and stigma stop people from seeking help. Self-harming behaviour increases the risk of death by suicide, and it is a common cause of disability in young people. Currently, people attending health services only represent the tip of the icebe...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction University students are particularly susceptible to developing high levels of stress, which occur when environmental demands outweigh an individual’s ability to cope. The growing advent of mental health smartphone apps has led to a surge in use by university students seeking ways to help them cope with stress. Use of these apps has aff...
Article
Objective To evaluate an online training program for physician supervisors with the aim of promoting a mentally healthy workplace by improving their use of both responsive and preventive mental health support strategies. Study design Cluster randomised, waitlist‐controlled trial. Setting, participants Royal Australasian College of Physicians fell...
Article
Full-text available
Background The process of tailored implementation is ill-defined and under-explored. The ItFits-toolkit was developed and subsequently tested as a self-guided online platform to facilitate implementation of tailored strategies for internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) services. In ImpleMentAll, ItFits-toolkit had a small but positive...
Article
Full-text available
Background More than 50% of people who die by suicide have not been in contact with formal mental health services. The rate of people who fly ‘under the radar’ of mental health services is higher among men than women, indicating a need to improve engagement strategies targeted towards men who experience suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours. In Austr...
Article
Full-text available
Digital phenotyping is a promising method for advancing scalable detection and prediction methods in mental health research and practice. However, little is known about how digital phenotyping data are used to make inferences about youth mental health. We conducted a scoping review of 35 studies to better understand how passive sensing (e.g., Globa...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Depression has a prevalence rate of 8%-15% among teenagers in Australia [1,2]. The Future Proofing Study (FPS) examines factors associated with mental health, including depression, among adolescents in Australia using big data [2]. FPS collected demographic and mental health surveys from 6388 adolescents, as well as smartphone speech recordings fro...
Article
Full-text available
Background The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted global mental health, with adolescents experiencing disproportionate effects. Limited research has explored the impact of different pandemic restrictions on adolescent mental health, and only a few studies have examined the longer-term impacts of the pandemic on adolescent mental health. These in...
Preprint
BACKGROUND With increasing adoption of remote clinical trials in digital mental health, identifying recruitment methodologies that are both cost-effective and time-efficient is crucial for the success of such trials. Past research suggests that overall, there is no consistent evidence on whether web-based recruitment methods are more effective than...
Article
Full-text available
Background Excessive worry during adolescence can significantly impact mental health. Understanding adolescent concerns may help inform mental health early intervention strategies. Objective This study aimed to identify frequent concerns among Australian secondary school students, exploring individual and demographic differences. Whether adolescen...
Preprint
Full-text available
Background Mental health and alcohol and other drug use problems consistently dominate the top causes of disease burden in Australians. eHealth stands to be a key tool in addressing these issues but is not routinely well-integrated into service provision models. This study will evaluate the uptake of the digital ecosystem and website, eCliPSE [elec...
Article
Full-text available
Background Anxiety and depressive disorders typically emerge in adolescence and can be chronic and disabling if not identified and treated early. School-based universal mental health screening may identify young people in need of mental health support and facilitate access to treatment. However, few studies have assessed the potential harms of this...
Article
Full-text available
Suicide has a devasting and far-reaching effect on our communities. In developed countries, most people who die by suicide are male. Understanding men’s mental health and what they experience in a suicidal state is key to preventing future attempts. Our paper explores how a group of 37 men in Australia describe the leadup to their suicidality. Unde...
Preprint
BACKGROUND Self-guided digital interventions can reduce the severity of suicidal ideation, although there remain relatively few, rigorously evaluated, smartphone apps targeting suicidality. OBJECTIVE This trial evaluated whether the BrighterSide® smartphone app intervention was superior to a waitlist control group at reducing the severity of suici...
Article
Full-text available
Background Self-guided digital interventions can reduce the severity of suicidal ideation, although there remain relatively few rigorously evaluated smartphone apps targeting suicidality. Objective This trial evaluated whether the BrighterSide smartphone app intervention was superior to a waitlist control group at reducing the severity of suicidal...
Article
Objective: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of digitally delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) have demonstrated reductions in insomnia severity, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and suicidal ideation. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-guided, digital CBT-I to improve sleep-specific outcom...
Article
Full-text available
Background The factors that influence transition from suicidal ideation to a suicide attempt or remission of suicidal thoughts are poorly understood. Despite an abundance of research on risk factors for suicidal ideation, no large-scale longitudinal population-based studies have specifically recruited people with suicidal ideation to examine the me...
Article
Full-text available
Background Cognitive control problems have been implicated in the etiology and maintenance of mental health problems, including depression, in adults. Studies in adolescents have been more equivocal, with some showing changes in cognitive control in adolescents with mental health problems, whereas others fail to show an association. This study exam...
Article
Full-text available
Background Advances in smartphone technology have allowed people to access mental healthcare via digital apps from wherever and whenever they choose. University students experience a high burden of mental health concerns. Although these apps improve mental health symptoms, user engagement has remained low. Studies have shown that users can be subgr...
Article
Background: Two of the most common modifiable barriers to help-seeking for mental health problems during adolescence are stigma and poor mental health literacy. However, relatively little is known about stigma as it relates to suicide, and knowledge about suicidality in this age group. Aims: To assess levels of suicide literacy and suicide attit...
Preprint
Full-text available
University students are particularly susceptible to developing high levels of stress, which occur when environmental demands outweigh an individual's ability to cope. The growing advent of mental health smartphone apps has led to a surge in use by university students seeking ways to help them cope with stress. Use of these apps has afforded researc...
Article
Full-text available
Background Suicide is a global public health problem. Digital interventions are considered a low-threshold treatment option for people with suicidal ideation or behaviors. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) targeting suicidal ideation has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing suicidal ideation. However, suicidal ideation often is r...
Article
Full-text available
There is a strong relationship between the symptoms of insomnia and depression, however, little is understood about the factors that mediate this relationship. An understanding of these underlying mechanisms may inform the advancement of existing treatments to optimise reductions in insomnia and depression when they co-occur. This study examined ru...
Article
Globally, too many people die prematurely from suicide and the physical comorbidities associated with mental illness and mental distress. The purpose of this Review is to mobilise the translation of evidence into prioritised actions that reduce this inequity. The mental health research charity, MQ Mental Health Research, convened an international p...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction Meta-analytical evidence confirms a range of interventions, including mindfulness, physical activity and sleep hygiene, can reduce psychological distress in university students. However, it is unclear which intervention is most effective. Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven adaptive trials may be an efficient method to determine what w...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction Omega-3 supplements may be efficacious in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults, particularly as an adjunct to antidepressant medication. However, research in young people is limited. Thus, this scoping review aimed to summarise existing evidence on the efficacy of omega-3 supplementation in treating depression and anxi...
Article
Objective: Men are less likely than women to engage with formal mental health services for suicidality. We describe the sources of support, barriers to service use, and coping strategies of men with past-year suicidal ideation who are not receiving formal mental health services. Method: Australian men experiencing past-year suicidal ideation who...
Article
Full-text available
Background Rates of depression are increasing among adolescents. A novel way to reduce depression is by improving sleep. We evaluated whether an app‐based intervention for insomnia improved sleep and depression, and whether changes in insomnia mediated changes in depression. Methods We conducted a 2‐arm single‐blind randomised controlled trial at...
Article
Full-text available
Background When COVID-19 spread to Australia in January 2020, many communities were already in a state of emergency from the Black Summer bushfires. Studies of adolescent mental health have typically focused on the effects of COVID-19 in isolation. Few studies have examined the impact of COVID-19 and other co-occurring disasters, such as the Black...
Preprint
Full-text available
BACKGROUND Suicide is a global public health problem. Digital interventions are considered a low-threshold treatment option for people with suicidal ideation or behaviors. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) targeting suicidal ideation has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing suicidal ideation. However, suicidal ideation often is r...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) services for common mental health disorders have been found to be effective. There is a need for strategies that improve implementation in routine practice. One-size-fits-all strategies are likely to be ineffective. Tailored implementation is considered as a promising approach. The self...
Article
Full-text available
Suicide is a global problem, ranking among the leading causes of death in many countries across the world. Most people who die by suicide are “under the radar”, having never seen a mental health professional or been diagnosed with a mental illness. This article describes the protective factors for men experiencing suicidal thoughts, plans, and/or a...
Article
Full-text available
Background There is increasing evidence that depression can be prevented; however, universal approaches have had limited success. Appropriate targeting of interventions to at-risk populations has been shown to have potential, but how to selectively determine at-risk individuals remains unclear. Workplace stress is a risk factor for depression and a...
Preprint
BACKGROUND Mental disorders are prevalent during adolescence. Among the digital phenotypes currently being developed to monitor mental health symptoms, typing behaviour is one promising candidate. However, few studies have directly assessed associations between typing behaviour and mental health functioning, and whether this relationship differs be...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Mental disorders are prevalent during adolescence. Among the digital phenotypes currently being developed to monitor mental health symptoms, typing behavior is one promising candidate. However, few studies have directly assessed associations between typing behavior and mental health symptom severity, and whether these relationships dif...
Preprint
Full-text available
Advances in smartphone technology have allowed people to access mental healthcare via digital apps from wherever and whenever they choose. University students experience a high burden of mental health concerns. Although these apps improve mental health symptoms, user engagement has remained low. Studies have shown that users can be subgrouped based...
Preprint
Full-text available
Introduction: Meta-analytic evidence confirms a range of in- terventions, including mindfulness, physical activity and sleep hygiene, can reduce psychological distress in university stu- dents. However, it is unclear which intervention is most ef- fective. Artificial intelligence (AI) driven adaptive trials may be an efficient method to determine w...
Article
Background : The majority of suicide deaths occur in men. Men are also less likely to receive formal mental health services prior to dying by suicide compared to women. Identifying correlates of non-receipt of services among men at risk of suicide may aid the development of tailored interventions and service pathways. Methods : A total of 415 Aust...
Article
Full-text available
Question: Digital interventions based on cognitive-behavioural therapy (iCBT) is associated with reductions in suicidal ideation. However, fine-grained analyses of effects and potential effect-moderating variables are missing. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of iCBT on suicidal ideation, effect moderators, effects on suicide atte...
Article
Full-text available
Objectives The Future Proofing Study (FPS) was established to examine factors associated with the onset and course of mental health conditions during adolescence. This paper describes the design, methods, and baseline characteristics of the FPS cohort. Methods The FPS is an Australian school‐based prospective cohort study with an embedded cluster‐...
Preprint
Objectives: The Future Proofing Study (FPS) was established to examine factors associated with the onset and course of mental health conditions during adolescence. This paper describes the design, methods, and baseline characteristics of the FPS cohort. Methods: The FPS is an Australian school-based prospective cohort study with an embedded cluster...
Article
Full-text available
There has been significant disruption to the lives and mental health of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychological and lifestyle impact of the pandemic on Australian adolescents, using an online survey, administered during the outbreak. Self-report surveys were administered online to a sample...
Preprint
Full-text available
BACKGROUND Digital programs are increasingly being implemented in schools for student mental health. Schools are complex environments and contextual factors impact the implementation of these digital programs. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current study by was to examine the contextual factors that influence implementation of the Future Proofing Pr...
Article
Full-text available
Background Depression is common during adolescence and is associated with adverse educational, employment, and health outcomes in later life. Digital programs are increasingly being implemented in schools to improve and protect adolescent mental health. Although digital depression prevention programs can be effective, there is limited knowledge abo...
Preprint
BACKGROUND Internet-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (iCBT) services for common mental health disorders have been found to be effective. There is a need for effective strategies to improve implementation in routine practice. One-size-fits-all strategies are likely to be ineffective and tailored implementation is considered as a promising approach....
Article
Full-text available
Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44, with fifty to sixty per cent of individuals who die by suicide ‘flying under the radar’, dying in this way without receiving formal mental health care or treatment. This paper explores how people bereaved by suicide interpret and narrate the lead-up to, act and aftermath of a male...
Article
Full-text available
Despite decades of research on suicide risk factors in young people, there has been no significant improvement in our understanding of this phenomenon. This study adopts a positive deviance approach to identify individuals with suicide resilience and to describe their associated psychological and sociodemographic profiles. Australian young adults a...
Preprint
Introduction Emerging evidence suggests that omega-3 supplements may be efficacious in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults, particularly as an adjunct to antidepressant medication. However, research on its efficacy in young people is limited. Thus, this scoping review aimed to summarise existing evidence on the efficacy of omega-3...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Although digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) offer a potential solution for increasing access to mental health treatment, their integration into real-world settings has been slow. A key reason for this is poor user engagement. A growing number of studies evaluating strategies for promoting engagement with DMHIs means that a rev...
Article
Full-text available
Background Suicidal ideation is a major risk for a suicide attempt in younger people, such that reducing severity of ideation is an important target for suicide prevention. Smartphone applications present a new opportunity for managing ideation in young adults; however, confirmatory evidence for efficacy from randomized trials is lacking. The objec...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Mood disorders are burdensome illnesses that often go undetected and untreated. Sensor technologies within smartphones may provide an opportunity for identifying the early changes in circadian rhythm and social support/connectedness that signify the onset of a depressive or manic episode. Objective: Using smartphone sensor data, this...
Preprint
BACKGROUND Mood disorders are burdensome illnesses that often go undetected and untreated. Sensor technologies within smartphones may provide an opportunity for identifying the early changes in circadian rhythm and social support/connectedness that signify the onset of a depressive or manic episode. OBJECTIVE Using smartphone sensor data, this stu...
Article
Background Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians, therefore identifying factors that increase risk is important. The aims of this study was to investigate the association between personality domains and suicidal ideation, plans and attempts in a community-based sample of adolescents. Methods 1428 students from thirteen seco...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction Youth suicidal ideation and behaviour is concerning due to its widespread prevalence, morbidity and potentially fatal consequences. Digital mental health interventions have been found to improve access to low-cost and high-quality support for a range of mental health issues, yet there are few digital interventions available for suicide...
Article
Objective Each year, around one million people die by suicide. Despite its recognition as a public health concern, large-scale research on causal determinants of suicide attempt risk is scarce. Here, we leverage results from a recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of suicide attempt to perform a data-driven screening of traits causally associ...
Article
Background The uptake of professional mental health services among people with suicidal ideation remains low, yet few community-based studies have characterised modifiable individual barriers to service use. Our aims were (1) to identify factors associated with use of professional mental health services among people experiencing suicidal ideation,...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Adolescence is a sensitive period for the onset of mental health disorders. Effective, easy-to-disseminate, scalable prevention and early interventions are urgently needed. Affective control has been proposed as a potential target mechanism. Training affective control has been shown to reduce mental health symptoms and improve emotion r...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction The majority of people who die by suicide have never seen a mental health professional or been diagnosed with a mental illness. To date, this majority group has largely been ignored, with most existing research focusing on predictors of suicide such as past suicide attempts. Identifying the characteristics of people who die by suicide...
Article
Background The majority of people who die by suicide are unknown to formal mental health services. The current review identified predictors of non-receipt of mental health services among individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviours. Such data provides insight into the needs and preferences of these individuals and inform improvements to...
Preprint
Full-text available
Despite decades of research on suicide risk factors in young people, there has been no significant improvement in our understanding of this phenomenon. This study adopts a positive deviance approach to identify the individuals with suicide resilience and to describe their associated psychological and sociodemographic profiles. Australian young adul...
Article
Full-text available
Background Since the COVID-19 outbreak, few studies have investigated the positive psychological consequences on young people. This study examined resilience, positive experiences, and coping strategies reported by Australian adolescents during COVID-19. Methods Self-report surveys were administered online to a sample of 760 Australian adolescents...