News & Events

We are coming up to the this year’s major Anika Foundation fundraiser, which will take place on the 8th of August (bookings as usual via Australian Business Economists). This year Philip Lowe, the Governor of the Reserve Bank, will once more speak on policy issues of critical interest to Australian financial market participants.

The well established NSW teachers scholarships are currently being considered for 2018 and, as usual, will be announced in August under the NSW Premier’s Teachers Scholarships Scheme. A teacher's scholarship is also once more being advertised in Western Australia, after the outstanding success in 2017 with Cate Seghezzi – School Psychologist in the Student Support Services in the Department of Education, working in the School Psychology Service Suicide Prevention Team; and Paul Russell Lead Psychologist and Coordinator of the Association of Independent Schools WA (AISWA) School Psychology Service.

The foundation scholar Karl Andriessen has completed his UNSW PhD (on dealing with grief after tragic events). His work has resulted in numerous publications on the subject. This scholarship is currently being advertised. The Black Dog Institute scholarship has also completed and is currently being submitted—by Ally Nicolopoulos on self-reporting of motives for youth suicide (based on a survey of the motives for suicide attempts in an adolescent and young adult population). A new scholarship will replace this one. The idea is to participate in establishing a "Saving Youth Lives Centre of Research Excellence". This project is to do with using social media and 'big data' to understand suicide risk and possibly to improve the timeliness of interventions.

In 2018 the Foundation has also taken further steps to augment work on Indigenous Australian suicide. The idea is that these issues are best addressed with the involvement of young people from remote communities: an “emerging leaders” program. Professors Jill Milroy and Pat Dudgeon of UWA are planning for the 2018 national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Conference and the World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference (back-to-back) in Perth November 2018. There will be a youth stream for both conferences. It is proposed to start the process by enabling indigenous youth to attend and present at these conferences.

So please join us in supporting these intitiatives in adolescent depression and suicide by having your institution come to this year's annual event—it will be invaluable for your work, and it will support a wonderful cause.