Associate ProfessorLeesa Van Niekerk

Project Total: $181,659; This research will provide a foundation for evidence-informed policy, enable enhanced service delivery, and guide targeted communication strategies for gambling support services in Tasmania. Funded by: Department of Premier and Cabinet ($181,658); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $36,691; Direct partnership requesting research support to evaluate the outcome of Endometriosis Australia's Nursing Scholarship program. Funded by: Endometriosis Australia ($36,691); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $549,755; This project will partner with the West Coast community to design, develop and deliver a financial literacy program, which could be incorporated through schools, pop up clinics, workshops and into existing community activities with a focus on children and young people aged 8-19 that can also engage their families and their communities in order to continue learning outside of the school setting. Funded by: Tasmanian Community Fund - Grant-Connected & Educated Children & Young People ($499,753); Bank of Us ($50,000); West Coast Council ($4,737); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $15,000; Given the lack of understanding, and subsequent consensus, regarding what constitutes interdisciplinary management of persistent pelvic pain (PPP) for women and gender diverse people, and the recommended but limited inclusion of consumers in the development of healthcare services, this project aims to develop a set of guiding principles to inform the development of an interdisciplinary management program for PPP. The development of the program will be guided by evidence-based practice guidelines, research, and the lived experiences of women and gender diverse people with PPP. The Double Diamond co-design approach will be used as an overarching framework to guide the research activities. This research aims to explore the lived experience expertise of women and gender diverse people with PPP and to develop therapeutic tools and resources to guide interdisciplinary care, underpinned by co-design processes. The project will include a scoping review of interdisciplinary management of PPP in women and gender diverse People, a series of qualitative interviews, the iterative design of an interdisciplinary PPP Program, and feasibility and acceptability testing of the developed program. Funded by: Physiotherapy Research Foundation - Grant-Beryl Haynes Memorial Fund ($15,000); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $30,447; Approximately 1 in 9 individuals, assigned female at birth, are diagnosed with endometriosis which is associated with lowered health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological wellbeing, and body image. Treatment guidelines recommend the development of co-designed multimodal management protocols in recognition of the significant biopsychosocial impacts of endometriosis. Understanding how people living with endometriosis perceive the condition, and engage in multimodal treatment, is important given that conditions associated with higher symptom burden and chronicity have been associated with poorer health outcomes. The current project aims to address the gap in research regarding the relationship between illness perception, HRQoL, psychological wellbeing, and body image in people living with endometriosis and to develop a multimodal protocol via an iterative co-design research paradigm with endometriosis consumers and stakeholders. The multimodal protocol will incorporate psychology, physiotherapy, and nutrition components with a focus on the theoretical foundation of body compassion, designed to enhance HRQoL, psychological wellbeing and body image in people living with endometriosis. Funded by: Endometriosis Australia - Research Grant ($30,447); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $300; The purpose of the medicinal cannabis and endometriosis study is to alleviate the impact of pain symptoms on the health and wellbeing of people with endometriosis through effective pain management strategies. Primarily the research will focus on the Endocannabinoid system (ECM) and the use of medicinal cannabis as alternative to opioid analgesics to manage persistent pain that impacts the social activities, mental and emotional health, work and finances, and sexual relationship of women with endometriosis. Funded by: University of Western Sydney - Grant; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $5,691,013; Our project will co-design resources for and models of student activity, supervision, and organisational support to address these and other barriers that will then be implemented as a part of our training delivery stage. Funded by: Department of Health and Aged Care - Grant-National Mental Health Pathways to Practice; Monash University; University of South Australia; University of Newcastle; Alfred Health; Mind Australia; Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association; First Peoples' Health and Wellbeing; Hand-n-Hand Services Ltd; Peninsula Health; Rural Health Connect; University of Tasmania ($19,000).

Project Total: $9,966; The physical, psychological, personal, financial and occupational burden experienced by women diagnosed with persistent pelvic pain (PPP) is significant. Tasmanian women face additional barriers to accessing treatment due to a lack of available services. This project will reduce this burden by providing evidence-based group psychological therapy for Tasmanian women living with persistent pelvic pain (PPP). Funded by: Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation - Grant-Incubator ($9,966); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $3,000; Endometriosis has been found to have a significant negative impact on psychological distress (e.g., Vannuccini et al. 2017) and quality of life (e.g., Tripoli et al. 2010). A systematic review of the effectiveness of psychological treatment (including CBT and mindfulness) in the management of Endometriosis has identified significant deficiencies in the quality of the research, including weak study design, poorly defined interventions and variability in treatment within study groups (Weaver-Pirie, Van Niekerk & Matthewson, unpublished manuscript). The access to CBT and mindfulness interventions for women diagnosed with endometriosis is complicated by a lack of evidence-based treatment protocols, cost of individual psychological treatment, and availability/access to Clinical Psychologists with specific training and knowledge of endometriosis and the interventions most suitable for this population. Based on the systematic review of the literature, a pilot program utilizing CBT and mindfulness in the management of endometriosis was developed by the researchers. The current study aims to: 1) examine the effectiveness of an 8-session group CBT and mindfulness intervention in reducing psychological distress and improving quality of life, 2) compare the efficacy of intervention delivery method (group versus self-instruction) and 3) produce a CBT and mindfulness treatment protocol that is evidence-based and cost-effective for both practitioners and clients. Funded by: APS College of Clinical Psychologists - Grant-Research ($3,000); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $75,000; Funded by: Department of Health and Aged Care - Scholarship-Pharmaceutical Benefits Branch ($75,000); University of Tasmania.