Dr Catherine Quinn

Major research themes include substance use, mental health and wellbeing, particularly in youth populations, which is evidenced by Dr Quinn being the lead investigator on 1) A purpose built website for counsellors delivering telehealth substance use treatment; 2) a longitudinal school-based project with over 2000 students, following students from Grade 7 to 12, examining social cognitive and peer factors associated with substance use, bullying, depression, anxiety and wellbeing; 3) a controlled trial, in partnership with Red Frogs, comparing the impact of three interventions on substance use, mental health and wellbeing 334 post-schoolies and O-week, as well as co-investigator for five randomized control trials (RCTs) focused on young people’s substance use, psychosis and wellbeing; an evaluation of the PTSD Coach Australia mobile application with the Department of Veterans Affairs and a project with YMCA, implementing a wellbeing program for disengaged youth.

In her current role, working with Lives Lived Well (LLW), a large drug and alcohol treatment service, Dr Quinn has assisted LLW to select and implement evidence-based screening tools for clients entering their service; has also worked with LLW staff to improve understanding of comorbid gambling in substance using populations; while also concurrently working on a controlled trial examining the efficacy of the Grit Wellbeing program for young people entering substance use treatment; and the development of a brief intervention that has the potential to be disseminated across their organisation for all clients entering the service. Dr Quinn has also been project managing QuikFix, a large randomized control implementation trial for 16-25 year olds with alcohol, cannabis or methamphetamine concerns, and has recently begun a project to examine the impact of organizational factors on implementation and client outcomes.