Aliza Werner‐seidler
Biographic Data
| ID | 4460491 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Aliza Werner‐seidler |
| GIVEN NAMES | Aliza |
| FAMILY NAME | Werner‐seidler |
| SIGNATURE | SEIDLER A W |
| AFFILIATIONS | Black Dog Institute |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9046-6159 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Pilot Study and Evaluation of a Sleep Health Education Program for Early High School
Background Sleep education remains largely absent from high school health curricula, despite widespread insufficient sleep in adolescents. This pilot study evaluated Sleep Ninja for the Classroom , a curriculum‐aligned sleep health education program for Australian high schools. Methods Participants were teachers ( N = 12) and students in Year 7–8 ( N = 428). Using a single‐arm pre–post design, all students received the three‐lesson program during…
Multilevel risk and protective factors for self‐harm, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in adolescents
BACKGROUND: Better characterising risk and protective factors for suicidal distress and self-harm in adolescents may facilitate better targeting of interventions that address underlying vulnerabilities. However, few previous longitudinal studies have: (1) sufficient power to identify key risk and protective factors, (2) limited representativeness to the community and (3) accounted for multilevel factors (individual, family, community). This study…
Randomised controlled trial of a web‐based mental health, self‐harm and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers
BACKGROUND: Parents and caregivers play key roles in recognising early signs of mental distress and facilitating access to support, yet often lack the confidence and knowledge to respond effectively. Gatekeeper training programs can improve skills, but few are specifically designed for parents. The aim of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of the Recognise, Respond and Support - A Parent's Guide to Youth Mental Health resource in i…
Evaluation of a suicidality and self-harm training program for Australian school counsellors
The rate of suicidality and self-harm in adolescents has risen sharply over the last decade. Adolescents with suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviours frequently present to school counsellors, yet many counsellors report feeling ill-equipped to support these students. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a face-to-face training program developed specifically for school counsellors that aimed to improve their knowle…
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Mental Health Symptoms
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor mental health. Evidence suggests that positive peer interactions may buffer these effects, while negative peer interactions may exacerbate this relationship. This longitudinal study assessed Australia adolescents in Year 8 at baseline ( N = 4074, mean age 13.89 years) who reported ACEs, internalising and externalising symptoms, and peer interactions (positive and negative) between Augu…
Identifying and supporting school-aged children and young people with anxiety and depressive disorders
Objective: School-aged children (4 to 18 years) are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression, highlighting the urgent need for effective support systems. This commentary explores school-based approaches for identifying and supporting students with anxiety and depression. School-aged children (4 to 18 years) are experiencing higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms and disorders than ever before. This highlights the critical ne…
Browse or broadcast? The influence of active and passive social media use on mood
Associations between screen time and mental health may be driven by increased use in young people with heightened symptoms as a means of modifying negative mood. However, the direct effect of technology use on mood remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of active and passive social media use on an induced sad or neutral mood by randomising young people (16-24 years; N = 116) to a sad or neutral mood induction task and assessi…
Teachers’ workload, turnover intentions, and mental health
Self-Reported Concerns among Australian Secondary School Students
‘Very little is done other than the odd reminder’…‘look after yourself’
School teachers have demonstrated poor mental health and low levels of wellbeing, globally. Despite the high prevalence of depression, burnout, stress, and anxiety, few programs have been developed in collaboration with teachers that are appropriate for their needs and circumstances. The current mixed-methods study involved consultation with members of the teaching workforce in Australia to understand their preferences for a program to address th…
Intense and problematic social media use and sleep difficulties of adolescents in 40 countries
INTRODUCTION: Social media has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life; however, evidence suggests patterns of social media use can affect sleep health in children and adolescents. This study aimed to examine the associations of intense and problematic social media use (SMU) with sleep-onset difficulties in adolescence. METHODS: We analysed data from 212,613 adolescents aged 11-15 years (51.1% girls) from 40 European and North American countrie…
The effects of a sleep‐focused smartphone application on insomnia and depressive symptoms
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 the Black Dog Institute in Australia. Adolescents 12-16 years experiencing insomnia symptoms were r…
The early course and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in very young children
BACKGROUND: The introduction of developmentally adapted criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has improved the identification of ≤6-year-old children with clinical needs. Across two studies, we assess predictors of the development of PTSD in young children (PTSD-YC), including the adult-led acute stress disorder (ASD) diagnosis, and provide proof of principle for cognitive-focused therapy for this age range, with the aim of increasing…
A New Normal
sponsorship: AW-S was supported by a NSW Health Fellowship. The funders had no role in the conceptualization of the perspective piece, writing the manuscript, or decision to decision to submit the paper for publication. (NSW Health Fellowship)
A randomised controlled trial of a relationship‐focussed mobile phone application for improving adolescents’ mental health
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of a relationship-focussed mobile phone application (WeClick) for improving depressive symptoms and other mental health outcomes in adolescents. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial involving 193 youth (M age: 14.82, SD: 0.94, 86.5% female) from Australia was conducted. Youth were recruited via the Internet and randomly allocated to the intervention or a 4-week wait list contr…
Practitioner review
BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in digital technologies to help improve children and young people's mental health, and the evidence for the effectiveness for these approaches is rising. However, there is concern regarding levels of user engagement, uptake and adherence. Key guidance regarding digital health interventions stress the importance of early user input in the development, evaluation and implementation of technologies to help en…
The Social and Emotional Impact of Involving Individuals With Mental Illness in the Research Process
There is a need to involve individuals with a lived experience in health and medical research. Some organizations have developed mechanisms to seek the input of people with a lived experience. However, there are few examples of qualitative research into the impacts of participation. In this study, we investigate the social and emotional impact of participation on individuals, as well as the perceived impact on the organization, in an advisory pan…
Affective enhancement of working memory is maintained in depression
We currently know little about how performance on assessments of working memory capacity (WMC) that are designed to mirror the concurrent task demands of daily life are impacted by the presence of affective information, nor how those effects may be modulated by depression-a syndrome where sufferers report global difficulties with executive processing. Across 3 experiments, we investigated WMC for sets of neutral words in the context of processing…
Mood repair and processing mode in depression
Recalling positive autobiographical memories is a powerful emotion regulation strategy that can be used to repair low mood and alleviate negative affect. Unlike healthy individuals, those with current or past depression do not experience an improvement in mood as a consequence of recalling positive memories. We tested whether differences in processing mode might account for this impairment. Following mood induction procedures designed to ensure e…
The Social and Emotional Impact of Involving Individuals With Mental Illness in the Research Process
There is a need to involve individuals with a lived experience in health and medical research. Some organizations have developed mechanisms to seek the input of people with a lived experience. However, there are few examples of qualitative research into the impacts of participation. In this study, we investigate the social and emotional impact of participation on individuals, as well as the perceived impact on the organization, in an advisory pan…
Mood repair and processing mode in depression
Recalling positive autobiographical memories is a powerful emotion regulation strategy that can be used to repair low mood and alleviate negative affect. Unlike healthy individuals, those with current or past depression do not experience an improvement in mood as a consequence of recalling positive memories. We tested whether differences in processing mode might account for this impairment. Following mood induction procedures designed to ensure e…
Affective enhancement of working memory is maintained in depression
We currently know little about how performance on assessments of working memory capacity (WMC) that are designed to mirror the concurrent task demands of daily life are impacted by the presence of affective information, nor how those effects may be modulated by depression-a syndrome where sufferers report global difficulties with executive processing. Across 3 experiments, we investigated WMC for sets of neutral words in the context of processing…
The Social and Emotional Impact of Involving Individuals With Mental Illness in the Research Process
There is a need to involve individuals with a lived experience in health and medical research. Some organizations have developed mechanisms to seek the input of people with a lived experience. However, there are few examples of qualitative research into the impacts of participation. In this study, we investigate the social and emotional impact of participation on individuals, as well as the perceived impact on the organization, in an advisory pan…
A randomised controlled trial of a relationship‐focussed mobile phone application for improving adolescents’ mental health
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of a relationship-focussed mobile phone application (WeClick) for improving depressive symptoms and other mental health outcomes in adolescents. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial involving 193 youth (M age: 14.82, SD: 0.94, 86.5% female) from Australia was conducted. Youth were recruited via the Internet and randomly allocated to the intervention or a 4-week wait list contr…
Practitioner review
BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in digital technologies to help improve children and young people's mental health, and the evidence for the effectiveness for these approaches is rising. However, there is concern regarding levels of user engagement, uptake and adherence. Key guidance regarding digital health interventions stress the importance of early user input in the development, evaluation and implementation of technologies to help en…
A New Normal
sponsorship: AW-S was supported by a NSW Health Fellowship. The funders had no role in the conceptualization of the perspective piece, writing the manuscript, or decision to decision to submit the paper for publication. (NSW Health Fellowship)
The early course and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in very young children
BACKGROUND: The introduction of developmentally adapted criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has improved the identification of ≤6-year-old children with clinical needs. Across two studies, we assess predictors of the development of PTSD in young children (PTSD-YC), including the adult-led acute stress disorder (ASD) diagnosis, and provide proof of principle for cognitive-focused therapy for this age range, with the aim of increasing…
The effects of a sleep‐focused smartphone application on insomnia and depressive symptoms
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 the Black Dog Institute in Australia. Adolescents 12-16 years experiencing insomnia symptoms were r…
Self-Reported Concerns among Australian Secondary School Students
‘Very little is done other than the odd reminder’…‘look after yourself’
School teachers have demonstrated poor mental health and low levels of wellbeing, globally. Despite the high prevalence of depression, burnout, stress, and anxiety, few programs have been developed in collaboration with teachers that are appropriate for their needs and circumstances. The current mixed-methods study involved consultation with members of the teaching workforce in Australia to understand their preferences for a program to address th…
Intense and problematic social media use and sleep difficulties of adolescents in 40 countries
INTRODUCTION: Social media has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life; however, evidence suggests patterns of social media use can affect sleep health in children and adolescents. This study aimed to examine the associations of intense and problematic social media use (SMU) with sleep-onset difficulties in adolescence. METHODS: We analysed data from 212,613 adolescents aged 11-15 years (51.1% girls) from 40 European and North American countrie…
Evaluation of a suicidality and self-harm training program for Australian school counsellors
The rate of suicidality and self-harm in adolescents has risen sharply over the last decade. Adolescents with suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviours frequently present to school counsellors, yet many counsellors report feeling ill-equipped to support these students. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a face-to-face training program developed specifically for school counsellors that aimed to improve their knowle…
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Mental Health Symptoms
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor mental health. Evidence suggests that positive peer interactions may buffer these effects, while negative peer interactions may exacerbate this relationship. This longitudinal study assessed Australia adolescents in Year 8 at baseline ( N = 4074, mean age 13.89 years) who reported ACEs, internalising and externalising symptoms, and peer interactions (positive and negative) between Augu…
Identifying and supporting school-aged children and young people with anxiety and depressive disorders
Objective: School-aged children (4 to 18 years) are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression, highlighting the urgent need for effective support systems. This commentary explores school-based approaches for identifying and supporting students with anxiety and depression. School-aged children (4 to 18 years) are experiencing higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms and disorders than ever before. This highlights the critical ne…
Browse or broadcast? The influence of active and passive social media use on mood
Associations between screen time and mental health may be driven by increased use in young people with heightened symptoms as a means of modifying negative mood. However, the direct effect of technology use on mood remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of active and passive social media use on an induced sad or neutral mood by randomising young people (16-24 years; N = 116) to a sad or neutral mood induction task and assessi…
Teachers’ workload, turnover intentions, and mental health
Pilot Study and Evaluation of a Sleep Health Education Program for Early High School
Background Sleep education remains largely absent from high school health curricula, despite widespread insufficient sleep in adolescents. This pilot study evaluated Sleep Ninja for the Classroom , a curriculum‐aligned sleep health education program for Australian high schools. Methods Participants were teachers ( N = 12) and students in Year 7–8 ( N = 428). Using a single‐arm pre–post design, all students received the three‐lesson program during…
Multilevel risk and protective factors for self‐harm, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in adolescents
BACKGROUND: Better characterising risk and protective factors for suicidal distress and self-harm in adolescents may facilitate better targeting of interventions that address underlying vulnerabilities. However, few previous longitudinal studies have: (1) sufficient power to identify key risk and protective factors, (2) limited representativeness to the community and (3) accounted for multilevel factors (individual, family, community). This study…
Randomised controlled trial of a web‐based mental health, self‐harm and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers
BACKGROUND: Parents and caregivers play key roles in recognising early signs of mental distress and facilitating access to support, yet often lack the confidence and knowledge to respond effectively. Gatekeeper training programs can improve skills, but few are specifically designed for parents. The aim of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of the Recognise, Respond and Support - A Parent's Guide to Youth Mental Health resource in i…
Psychiatry (13 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Mental health (11 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (7 works) · Clinical Psychology (7 works) · Digital Mental Health Interventions (6 works) · Psychological intervention (6 works) · Developmental psychology (5 works) · Anxiety (4 works)