The projects and initiatives listed here were identified through an environmental scan focusing on mental health and wellbeing in aged care settings and are current as of May 2023. This list is not likely to be comprehensive. Please contact us if you would like us to consider an Australian study, project, or initiative for inclusion on this page.
For a complete overview of projects funded by ARIIA to address important gaps in the aged care workforce’s capability and knowledge, please refer to ARIIA Projects.
Research studies
The findings of these research projects may not yet be available. However, awareness of work in progress can inform other projects in the planning phase and facilitate connections between researchers and potential participants or collaborators. To see all registered clinical trials on dementia care topics, try searching the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry.
EMBED: A stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of a tailored, integrated model of care to reduce symptoms of depression in home aged care (2022-2025)
Lead organisation: Monash University
Status: In progress
Funding organisation: Medical Research Future Fund, 2021 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission
Older people who receive aged care services at home are at a high risk of depression but lack access to effective treatments. Aged care staff are mostly not trained to recognise or manage symptoms of depression. This research will evaluate Enhanced Management of home-Based Elders with Depression. (EMBED)—a new model of care that is expected to reduce symptoms of depression, address stigma and enable older Australians to access evidence-based, tailored treatment at home.
Cluster randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Enhanced Management of home-Based Elders with Depression (EMBED) program in reducing depression among older adults receiving in-home aged care.
Lead organisation: Silverchain, Monash University
Status: In progress
Funding organisation: Medical Research Future Fund, 2021 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission
Older adults who receive aged care services within their own home commonly experience depression, where physical health is often prioritised and mental health concerns can remain undertreated. This trial aims to evaluate not only the effectiveness of the Enhanced Management of home-Based Elders with Depression (EMBED) model care for home aged care recipients but also the costs and benefits of this approach.
A preventative care program to optimise mental health during transition into residential aged care (2022-2022)
Lead organisation: University of Newcastle
Status: In progress
Funding organisation: Medical Research Future Fund, 2021 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission
The transition from living in the community to residential aged care (a nursing home), is a stressful experience for the person and their family that can lead to poor mental health. We designed a program to assist the new resident (PEARL), the family (aSTART), and to provide additional training for staff (Dignity of Choice). We expect the combination of programs will reduce and prevent symptoms of depression in the resident. We will evaluate the impact of the program to guide national rollout.
Meeting psychological needs to improve the quality and safety of aged care (2020-2025)
Lead organisation: Flinders University
Status: In progress
Funding organisation: 2019 Investigator Grants: Medical Research Future Fund Priority Round
Improving the quality and safety of aged care is in best the interests of us all: two-thirds of us will access an aged care service in our lifetime. Innovative models of care that could achieve this aim exist, but a fundamental lack of expertise about how to implement them into the complex aged care sector gets in the way. This research will trial new approaches and identify the key ingredients to assist the aged care sector to implement the best-quality care.
Technology assisted and remotely delivered anxiety psychotherapy intervention for people living with dementia and their care partners (Tech-CBT) (2021-2025)
Lead organisation: University of Queensland
Status: In progress
Funding organisation: Medical Research Future Fund, 2020 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission
Anxiety is a rising concern and a largely unmet need in people living with dementia and their carers. This research evaluates whether a new technology assisted psychotherapy intervention to reduce anxiety in individuals with dementia and carers (Tech-CBT), is an effective, scalable and cost-effective tool for improving quality of life and for decreasing adverse health outcomes for those living with dementia and their carers. We will also assess the potential and ease of its future uptake.
The impact of befriending on depression, anxiety, social support and loneliness in older adults living in residential aged care facilities (BEFRIENDAS)
Lead organisation: National Ageing Research Institute
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): -
Funding organisation: NHMRC and Beyond Blue
About half of people living in residential aged care facilities may have significant depression symptoms. Many residents are socially isolated in RACFs even though they are in communal living, and social isolation is a contributor to depression. We propose a trial of befriending which is emotional and social support from trained volunteers. Volunteers will be trained using Beyondblue resources and a manual developed by the investigators. Published protocol available here.
MHICare: Mental health benchmarking industry tool for residential aged care
Lead organisation: University of Queensland
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): -
Funding organisation: Unknown
This project aims to improve the care and management of resident’s mental health in Residential Aged Care. MHICare will achieve this by developing a unique tool to help aged care homes identify how well they are performing at meeting the needs of resident’s mental health. This will help aged care homes identify their own strengths and weaknesses for future improvement.
Towards better mental health of people with dementia within Residential Aged Care: Co-design of a performance measurement tool to aid RAC organisational governance
Lead organisation: University of Queensland
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): -
Funding organisation: Dementia Australia Research Foundation Project Grants
This study will co-design a performance measurement tool to aid RAC organisational governance
Australian Government initiatives
Talking Mental Health Project
Lead organisation: Uniting AgeWell
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): Flinders University, National Ageing Research Institute (NARI)
Funding organisation: Department of Health and Aged Care
The Talking Mental Health Project focuses on developing better organisational systems and increasing skills and confidence among home care workers, to enable better identification and response to mental health needs of older adults receiving care in the community. The Project have applied both co-design and test care protocols enabling identification of our customers' mental health needs and provide improved access to interventions.
Co-designing a model of care for depression in elderly care recipients
Lead organisation/s: Silverchain, Monash University
Status: In progress
Funding organisation: , Ageing and Aged Care Mission, Silverchain
Partnering with Silverchain, Monahs University ’s Design Health Collab have co-designed a model of care for recognising, identifying and treating depression in older people who are recipients of ageing in place services. The outcome of the co-design process was the Enhanced Management of Home-Based Elders with Depression Model of Care (EMBED MoC), which was developed then refined with the support of care providers from across Australia.
Primary Health Networks (PHN) mental health care guidance – psychological treatment services for people with mental illness in residential aged care facilities
Lead organisation: Department of Health and Aged Care
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): -
Funding organisation: Department of Health and Aged Care
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) on expectations and strategies for commissioning psychological services targeting the mental health needs of people living in residential aged care facilities.