Symptom comorbidity networks in psychiatry
- Research Opportunity
- PhD students, Masters by Research, Post Doctor Researchers
- Department / Centre
- Psychiatry
- Location
- Royal Melbourne Hospital
Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr Vanessa Cropley | vcropley@unimelb.edu.au | 83441876 | Personal web page |
Co-supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
---|---|---|---|
Associate Professor Andrew Zalesky | azalesky@unimelb.edu.au | +61390357747 | Personal web page |
Summary Investigate causal links between psychiatric symptoms and cognition across mental illnesses
Project Details
Network theories of psychopathology suggest that psychopathology is the result of cyclic and causal relationships between individual symptoms, which may also be influenced by distinct environmental, biological or clinical factors. For example, a network framework might identify that a certain symptom (e.g. anxiety) triggers other symptoms (e.g. paranoia), that certain symptoms reinforce each other through feedback systems (e.g. sleep disturbance leading to worry, and worry leading to sleep disturbance), or indirectly through a third symptom (e.g. sleep disturbance influencing depression through worry), and that certain symptoms (e.g. inattention or arousal) may be particularly important, connecting to a number of different symptoms in a network. These models have important implications for understanding unique and causal relations between symptoms or other psychobiological factors, and for identifying potential symptoms for intervention.
Early-life adversity or childhood trauma is a well-known risk factor for psychopathology, including the development and course of psychotic disorders. Network analysis provides an advanced method to understand the relationship between different forms of early-life adversity and psychotic symptoms in young people.
Check out our lab website for further details: www.sysneuro.org
Further research and key questions
- Understand causal links between psychopathology and environmental factors, including childhood trauma and early-life adversity
- Identify modifiable risk and resilience factors that exert a causal influence on psychopathology
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
Research Opportunities
PhD students, Masters by Research, Post Doctor Researchers
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department / Centre
Research Node
Royal Melbourne HospitalMDHS Research library
Explore by researcher, school, project or topic.