Prof Louise Newman - Researcher Profile

Biography

Louise Newman is the Professor of Developmental Psychiatry and Director of the Monash University Centre for Developmental Psychiatry & Psychology.  Prior to this appointment she was the Chair of Perinatal and Infant Psychiatry at the University of Newcastle and the previous Director of the New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry. In January 2011 she was appointed as a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

 

She is a practising infant psychiatrist with expertise in the area of disorders of early parenting and attachment difficulties in infants.  She has undertaken research into the issues confronting parents with histories of early trauma and neglect.  Her current research is focussing on the evaluation of infant-parent interventions in high-risk populations, the concept of parental reflective functioning in mothers with borderline personality disorder and the neurobiology of parenting disturbance

 

She has published in the areas of infant mental health, attachment disorders trauma, and prevention of child abuse. She is co-author of the textbook Clinical Skills in Infant Mental Health and the forthcoming Contemporary Approaches in Child and Adolescent Mental health.

 

She is the Convenor of the Alliance of Health Professions for Asylum Seekers and an advocate for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. She is the Chair of the Detention Expert Health Advisory Group an independent body providing advice to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on the health needs of asylum seekers. She has been involved in research into the impact of immigration detention on child asylum seekers. 

 

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Related Links:

• Psych: Research Theme
• Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology

Keywords

Borderline personality disorder, Infants, Refugees, Trauma, asylum seekers, infant mental health, infants; attachment; parenting, parenting; child development; motivation; emotions; borderline personality disorder , personality disorder

Qualifications

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Institution: University of Sydney

Year awarded: 2006

CERTIFICATE IN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

Institution: RANZCP

Year awarded: 1994

FELLOWSHIP

Institution: RANZCP

Year awarded: 1993

BACHELOR OF MEDICINE, BACHELOR OF SUGERY

Institution: University of Sydney

Year awarded: 1988

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Institution: The University of Sydney

Year awarded: 1981

Publications

Books

Newman, L.K., Mares, S. (eds), 2012, Contemporary approaches to infant and child mental health, IP Communications Pty Ltd, Australia.

Mares, S., Newman, L.K., Warren B., 2005, Clinical Skills in Infant Mental Health, ACER Press, Camberwell, Victoria.

Book Chapters

Newman, L.K., 2012, Infant development and developmental risk, in Contemporary approaches to infant and child mental health, eds Louise Newman and Sarah Mares, IP Communications Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 3-9.

Newman, L.K., 2012, Interventions for vulnerable parents and infants, in Contemporary approaches to infant and child mental health, eds Louise Newman and Sarah Mares, IP Communications Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 92-102.

Newman, L.K., 2012, Questions about gender: Children with atypical gender development, in Disorders of Sex Development: An integrated approach to management, eds John M Hutson, Garry L Warne and Sonia R Grover, Springer, Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 31-39.

Newman, L.K., 2012, Sex and gender: biology, culture, and the expression of gender, in Mental Health and Human Rights: Vision, praxis, and courage, eds Michael Dudley, Derrick Silove and Fran Gale, Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, pp. 496-504.

Newman, L.K., 2012, The impact of sexualisation - Knowing and seeing too much, in Growing up fast and furious: reviewing the impacts of violent and sexualised media on children, eds Wayne Warburton and Danya Braunstein, Federation Press, Sydney, pp. 145-158.

Newman, L., 2011, Children seeking asylum: the psychological and developmental impact of the refugee experience, in International Perspectives on Children and Mental Health: Volume 1 Development and Context, eds Hiram E Fitzgerald, Kaija Puura, Mark Tomlinson and Campbell Paul, Praeger, USA, pp. 217-224.

Newman, L.K., 2008, Trauma and ghosts in the nursery, in Infants of Parents with Mental Illness, eds Anne Sved Williams and Vicki Cowling, Australian Academic Press, Bowen Hills, Australia, pp. 212-227.

Steel, Z., Mares, S., Newman, L.K., Blick, B., Dudley, M., 2004, The politics of asylum and immigration detention: advocacy, ethics, and the professional role of the therapist, in Broke Spirits: The Treatment of Traumatized Asylum Seekers, Refugees, War and Torture Victims, eds John P. Wilson and Boris Drozdek, Brunner-Routledge, New York, USA, pp. 659-688.

Journal Articles

Dudley, M., Steel, Z., Mares, S., Newman, L.K., 2012, Children and young people in immigration detention, Current Opinion in Psychiatry [P], vol 25, issue 4, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, United States, pp. 285-292.

Kowalenko, N.M., Mares, S.P., Newman, L.K., Williams, A.S., Powrie, R.M., van Doesum, K.T.M., 2012, Family matters: infants, toddlers and preschoolers of parents affected by mental illness, Medical Journal of Australia [E], vol 1, issue Supp 1, Australasian Medical Publishing Company Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 14-17.

Newman, L.K., 2012, Getting in early: identification of risk in early childhood, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry [E], vol 46, issue 8, Sage Publications Ltd, Australia, pp. 697-699.

Hewitt, J., Paul, C., Kaslannan, P., Grover, S., Newman, L.K., Warne, G., 2012, Hormone treatment of gender identity disorder in a cohort of children and adolescents, Medical Journal of Australia [E], vol 196, issue 9, Australasian Medical Publishing Company Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 578-581.

Newman, L.K., Birleson, P., 2012, Mental health planning for children and youth: is it developmentally appropriate?, Australasian Psychiatry [E], vol 20, issue 2, Sage Publications Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 91-97.

Catania, L., Hetrick, S.E., Newman, L., Purcell, R., 2011, Prevention and early intervention for mental health problems in 0-25 year olds: Are there evidence-based models of care?, Advances in Mental Health [E], vol 10, issue 1, eContent Management, Australia, pp. 6-19.

Newman, L., 2010, Child abuse and neglect - counting the costs, Medicine Today [P], vol 11, issue 4, Medicine Today Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 75-78.

Gordon, M., Newman, L., Melvin, G., Veevers, C., Symeonides, C., Efron, D., Tonge, B., 2010, Child and Adolescent Behaviour, Check [P], vol 465, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Australia, pp. 1-33.

Crittenden, P., Newman, L., 2010, Comparing models of borderline personality disorder: Mothers' experience, self-protective strategies, and dispositional representations, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry [P], vol 15, issue 3, Sage Publications Ltd, UK, pp. 433-451.

Newman, L., Harris, M., Allen, J., 2010, Neurobiological basis of parenting disturbance, Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Psychiatry [P], vol 45, issue 2, Informa Healthcare, United Kingdom, Australia, pp. 109-122.

Newman, L.K., Dudley, M., Steel, Z., 2008, Asylum, detention, and mental health in Australia, Refugee Survey Quarterly [P], vol 27, issue 3, UNHCR, UK, pp. 110-127.

Newman, L.K., 2008, Atttachment theory and personality disorder: approaches to high-risk families, Communities, Children and Families Australia [P], vol 3, issue 2, Australian College for child and Family Protection Practitioners Inc, Australia, pp. 4-18.

Newman, L.K., Stevenson, C., 2008, Issues in infant-parent psychotherapy for mothers with borderline personality disorder, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry [P], vol 13, issue 4, Sage, UK, pp. 505-514.

Gerull, F., Meares, R., Stevenson, J., Korner, A., Newman, L.K., 2008, The beneficial effect on family life in treating borderline personality, Psychiatry [P], vol 71, issue 1, Guilford Publications, UK, pp. 59-70.

Newman, L.K., Steel, Z., 2008, The child asylum seeker: psychological and developmental impact of immigration detention, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America [P], vol 17, Elsevier, UK, pp. 665-683.

Newman, L.K., Stevenson, C., Bergman, L.R., Boyce, P., 2007, Borderline personality disorder, mother-infant interaction and parenting perceptions: preliminary findings, Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Psychiatry [P], vol 41, issue 7, Informa healthcare, UK, pp. 598-605.

Newman, L.K., Mares, S., 2007, Recent advances in the theories of and interventions with attachment disorders, Current Opinion in Psychiatry [P], vol 20, issue 4, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA, pp. 343-348.

Newman, L.K., O'Connor, M., 2005, Fighting for a childhood in Africa, ADF Health [P], vol 6, Australian Government, Department of Defence, Australia, pp. 72-75.

Newman, L.K., Stevenson, C., 2005, Parenting and borderline personality disorder: ghosts in the nursery, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry [P], vol 10, issue 3, Sage, UK, pp. 385-394.

Steel, Z., Momartin, S., Bateman, C., Hafshejani, A., Silove, D., Everson, N., Roy, K., Dudley, M., Newman, L.K., Blick, B., Mares, S., 2004, Psychiatric status of asylum seeker families held for a protracted period in a remote detention centre in Australia, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health [P], vol 28, issue 6, Wiley, USA, pp. 527-536.

Other

Newman, L., 2010, How to Treat, Personality Disorders, vol journal, Australian Doctor, Australia, pp. 29-36.

Newman, L., 2010, Personality Disorders - part 2, Australian Doctor, vol journal, Reed Business Information Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 29-36.

Newman, L., 2010, The neurobiology of parenting disturbance - the study of early interactional disturbance in high-risk parents, Ab Inito, Brazelton, USA.

Newman, L., 2006, Infant-parent interaction: The beginnings of attachment, Community Paediatric Review, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Australia.

Grants

Title:

An attachment-based group parenting intervention for substance dependent mothers and infants.

Investigators:

Newman, L

Funding:

(2010 - 2015). Health Administration Corporation.

(2011 - 2015). Hunter New England Area Health Services, Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services.

Title:

The neurobiology of parenting. An fMRI pilot study to further understand PND.

Investigators:

Newman, L

Funding:

(2009 - 2013). Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Title:

Treating trauma in refugee youth: an Australian Experience.

Investigators:

Melvin, G, Levi, M, Newman, L, Locamini, A

Funding:

(2010 - 2013). Beyond Blue: the national depression initiative.

Title:

Enhancing mental health in Aboriginal children.

Investigators:

Newman, L, Bryant, R, Weston, R, Whyman, N, Files, J, Silove, D, Brooks, R, Steel, Z, Senior, K

Funding:

(2009 - 2013). Australian Research Council (ARC).

Title:

Small mercies, big futures: Enhancing law, policy and practice in the selection, protection and settlement of refugee children and youth.

Investigators:

Newman, L, Crock, M, Rubenstein, K, Gifford, S, Saul, B, Kenny, M

Funding:

(2010 - 2014). Australian Research Council (ARC).

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Adaptation and coping in adolescents from refugee backgrounds.

Supervisors:

Melvin, G (Main), Newman, L (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Evaluation of CAMHS & Schools Early Action (CASEA) Exploring Together Early Primary School Program.

Supervisors:

Gray, K (Main), Newman, L (Associate), Gordon, M (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Influence of psychosocial factors on the mental health of Bosnian refugees in Australia and Austria.

Supervisors:

Kiropoulos, L (Main), Newman, L (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Multiple Origins for Auditory Hallucinations.

Supervisors:

Allen, J (Joint), Newman, L (Joint-co).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Parenting with feeling - A randomized controlled study evaluating an attachment-based parenting intervention for mothers with borderline personality symptomatology.

Supervisors:

Allen, J (Joint), Newman, L (Joint-co).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Screening and treatment for post trauma symptoms in adolescent refugees.

Supervisors:

Melvin, G (Main), Newman, L (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Socio-emotional correlates of attchment in children with high-functioning autism and Asperers disorder.

Supervisors:

Newman, L (Main), Gray, K (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

TBA.

Supervisors:

Hasking, P (Joint-co), Newman, L (Joint).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

The relationship between attachment and emotion-processing in Autism Spectrum Disorers and attachment-related maltreatment.

Supervisors:

Newman, L (Joint), Rinehart, N (Joint-co).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

The role of parental factors in school refusal.

Supervisors:

Melvin, G (Main), Newman, L (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Trauma Recovery and Existential Meaning in Refugee Mental Health.

Supervisors:

Melvin, G (Joint), Newman, L (Joint-co).