New Executive Director appointment

November 2012
News and Events
“Doctors estimate at least 2 million Australians self-injure.”
(60 Minutes story 25 October 2012)
Giving teens a clear head start
Prof Graham Martin recently completed the world’s largest
survey, where the prevalence of self-injury was an alarming
8.1%. High rates were seen in the 15-19 year age group
(females being 16.6% and males 11.6%).
See full article about Prof Martin’s research work on page 4.
New Executive Director appointment
ClearThinking is pleased to welcome our
new Executive Director, Tracey Hunter.
Tracey is joining the ClearThinking team at
an exciting time as we continue to build
our organisation through the generous
support of the community. Her
appointment will ensure ClearThinking
moves to the next level of growth as we
strengthen our advocacy, fundraising and
research efforts aimed at bringing change
to young people and their families
impacted by mental illness.
Tracey’s experience encompasses senior
leadership roles in private, public, and not
for profit sectors – both here in Australia
and internationally. She brings an
expertise in fundraising, ‘start up’, and
stakeholder engagement, and believes
strongly in the capacity of single
individuals to bring significant change
when highly motivated by a cause.
Tracey is deeply passionate about the
issues relating to youth mental illness, and
believes one of her greatest opportunities
with ClearThinking is to mobilise others
around the issues – to bring real change
today in the lives of many of our young
people. Through ClearThinking’s approach
and focus around research and
assessment of young people, Tracey
believes positive change can occur now,
not just in the distant future.
Tracey can be contacted at
tracey.hunter@clearthinking.com.au
“Tracey is deeply passionate about the issues relating to youth mental illness,
and believes one of her greatest opportunities with ClearThinking
is to mobilise others around the issues.”
Page 2
55 hours in the ClearThinking Cube
To make the invisible suffering of
young people with mental health
issues visible, three volunteers
camped out in a 6 x 3m clear cube
for 55 hours at the Queen Street
Mall from the 7 - 9 October.
It was the third cube camp out for
Louise Bellchambers, who first
camped out for 100 hours while 20
weeks pregnant. This year she was
joined by 20-year-old Mikaela
Moore who volunteers with
Brisbane based group Youth Voice
and the CYHMHS Beautiful Minds
Advisory group.
Mikaela said “Overall I really
enjoyed living in the cube. I had a lot
of fun! I met some amazing and
inspirational people including my 2
fellow cubees.”
Our third “cubee” Nate Hamon has
delivered programs that help young
people with mental health issues
find ability and confidence in
activities they enjoy. Nate is the
lead singer of his band Mayan Fox,
who played their blend of exotic
pop as the “cubees” exited the cube
after 55 hours. Thanks Mayan Fox!
178 members of the public also “got
cubed” by writing down what helps
them to feel mentally healthy on
squares of paper, and folding them
into origami cubes. Thanks to the
volunteers from Youth Voice for
running this activity.
ClearThinking would like to thank
the VIP Visitors who were
interviewed at the Cube, and the
major supporters of the event:
Shingle Inn, Carlosus, Fantastic
Furniture, Exhibition Display Service
and Action Air Conditioning Hire.
The ClearThinking team would like
to thank these supporters for
donating prizes to our raffle:
Fantastic Furniture, Strike Bowling
Bar, Jo Jo's Restaurant, Story
Bridge Adventure Climb, Lone Pine
Koala Sanctuary, MAD Dance
House, Funhouse Family
Entertainment Centres, Shingle Inn
and Event Cinemas, Myer Centre.
Thank you to Chifley at Lennons
Hotel, Officeworks Windsor and our
ClearThinking volunteers for also
supporting the event.
Page 3
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Kickin
Youth Hip Hop, B-Boy, B-Girl and
Freestyle artists from all over
Brisbane came to the
ClearThinking Cube to ‘Make their
Move’, launching this year’s camp
out. The showcase celebrated the
resilience, capabilities and
empowerment of young people.
ClearThinking would like to thank
MnB Entertainment, Zenith HipHop Troupe, Brisbane Krump
Movement, Genesis Dance Troupe
and Aspley SHS for participating in
the group showcases.
A big shout out to all the solo
performers who went head-tohead in the hip-hop and
breakdance battles. The audience
really enjoyed the high energy and
remarkable skills of the dancers.
More pics and videos @:
clearthinking.com.au
facebook.com.ClearThinkingQSRF
ClearThinking would like to thank
Francis Owusu our ‘MC’ and KG
our ‘DJ’ from Kulture Break, Errol
Cenita from Prince Academy for
‘MC’ing, Rap Artist ‘Blind Sight’
John Araneda, Raw Dance for
supplying the tarquet mat, and
our judges Tomomi Nishizawa,
Matty Balaba, Matt Gavet and
Steez.
A big thank you goes out to these
supporters for donating prizes to
the Hip-Hip and Break Dance
Competition:
Zen Zen Zo, AMART All Sports
Queen St Mall, Strike Bowling
Bar, MAD Dance House,
McDonald's and Grill'd Burgers
Wintergarden.
Page 4
Research News
Self Injury - the unseen epidemic
Prof Martin recently completed the
world’s largest survey to determine the
prevalence of self-injury in a
representative sample of 12,006
randomly selected Australians.
Key Findings:



Graham Martin OAM is Professor
of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry at the University of
Queensland and Clinical Director
of the Royal Children’s Hospital
and Health Service District Child
and Youth Mental Health Service.
Graham’s research is dedicated
to suicide prevention. He played
a formative role in Australia’s
National Youth Suicide
Prevention Strategy. Graham
currently chairs Queensland
Health’s Mental Health
Promotion Prevention and Early
Intervention Committee. His main
passion is working in the area of
self-injury in young people.





The prevalence of self-injury was an
alarming 8.1%.
High rates were seen in the 15-19
year age group (females being
16.6% and males 11.6%).
Males used different methods of
self-injury deliberately hitting a
body part against a hard surface or
punching, hitting or slapping self.
Females tended to cut or severely
scratch themselves.
The most common motivation for
self-injury was management of
emotions.
It was almost always done in private
to avoid drawing attention to the
self-injuring behaviour, which
occurred on average seven times
per month.
Nearly two-thirds of those who selfinjure never ask for help; only 14%
receive medical treatment.
The cost of this care was estimated
to be between $5 million and $10
million per month.

Those who self-injure are more than
11-times more likely to experience
recent suicidal thoughts and more
than 8-times more likely to attempt
suicide than those who do not selfinjure.
Prof Martin concluded that much of selfinjury is hidden though it causes distress
for family, friends, and carers, and when
it escalates into more serious harm,
places a financial burden on the health
system through emergency medical care
and hospital admission.
A new type of group therapy for young
people who self-injure is being
developed. Preliminary results suggest
the treatment is remarkably effective in
reducing self-injury and improving the
well-being of young people. A research
paper is currently in press in the journal
“Music and Medicine”. A Clinical trial
must be carried out to accurately assess
the effectiveness of this approach in a
broader group of young people.
To watch the 60 minutes story “The
Hidden Epidemic” about self-injury
featuring Prof Graham Martin go to
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/
article.aspx?id=8553846
If you are thinking about self-injury or
suicide Phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or
Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800
The ClearThinking Research Centre is designed to do this sort of research, thereby
making the best treatment available to young people attending the Research Centre
as well as driving the new treatment into standard clinical practice.
Post PO Box 23
Royal Brisbane Hospital PO
HERSTON QLD 4029
Email info@clearthinking.com.au
Phone (07) 3346 5126
Fax (07) 3365 5488
ABN 88 362 932 406
Patron Ms Penelope Wensley AC
ClearThinking™ is an initiative of Queensland
Schizophrenia Research Foundation.
Giving teens a clear head start
Facebook.com/
ClearThinking.QSRF
@_ClearThinking_