Dr Joanne Brooker - Researcher Profile

We do not have a photograph of this person yet.

Address

School of Psychology and Psychiatry
Building 17, Clayton

Biography

Jo Brooker is a Research Fellow and Coordinator of the Health Services Program at Southern Synergy (the Southern Health Adult Psychiatry Research, Training and Evaluation Centre) in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University. She also works as a Research Fellow with Cabrini Monash Psycho-oncology. Her research interests include psycho-oncology, treatment decision making processes, health literacy, and mindfulness. Jo is also involved in the development and evaluation of training programs in mental health settings.

In 2009, Jo completed her PhD in the Psycho-oncology Research Unit, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University.  Her thesis centred on factors associated with quality of life, anxiety, depression and treatment decision-making in people diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma.

At Southern Synergy, Jo has been involved in the development and evaluation of the Occupational Mindfulness (OM) training program, a mindfulness-based intervention for staff in human services settings.  In a pilot study of the OM program in residential services for people with intellectual disabilities, the program was associated with significant reductions in the use of restrictive interventions.  Following the receipt of additional funding from the Victorian Office of the Senior Practitioner, Jo is currently developing a proposal for a cluster randomised controlled trial to further evaluate the benefits of the OM program for clients and staff in the disability sector.

With funding from the Department of Health and Ageing through the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 2011, Jo managed the Better Mental Health Treatment Plans Project, the purpose of which was to develop a suite of documentation to improve the documentation and communication of mental health treatment plans used within the Better Access program.  Following focus groups with a broad range of stakeholder groups, a range of templates underpinned by the recovery philosophy were developed.

In her role at Cabrini Monash Psycho-oncology Jo supervises research and placement students undertaking projects in areas ranging from screening in the general population to palliative care.

Jo is keen to collaborate with researchers and clinicians with interests in psycho-oncology, treatment decision making processes, health literacy, and mindfulness.

She is based at Cabrini Health Malvern and Monash University Notting Hill campus.

Qualifications

PHD
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 2010
HONOURS IN PSYCHOLOGY
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 2004
GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN PSYCHOLOGY
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 2002
GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COMPUTING STUDIES
Institution: University of Melbourne
Year awarded: 1991
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 1988

Publications

Journal Articles

Brooker, J.E., Julian, J., Webber, L.S., Chan, J., Shawyer, F., Meadows, G.N., 2012, Evaluation of an occupational mindfulness program for staff employed in the disability sector in Australia, Mindfulness [P], vol 1, Springer, USA, pp. 1-15.

Brooker, J.E., Fletcher, J.M., Dally, M., Briggs, R.J., Cousins, V.C., Malham, G.M., Smee, R.I., Kennedy, R.J., Burney, S., 2012, Factors associated with anxiety and depression in the management of acoustic neuroma patients, Journal of Clinical Neuroscience [P], vol 19, issue 2, Churchill Livingstone, United Kingdom, pp. 246-251.

Brooker, J., Fletcher, J., Dally, M., Briggs, R.J.S., Cousins, V., Smee, R., Malham, G., Kennedy, R., Burney, S., 2010, Quality of life among acoustic neuroma patients managed by microsurgery, radiation, or observation, Otology and Neurotology [P], vol 31, issue 6, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA, pp. 977-984.

Brooker, J.E., Burney, S., Fletcher, J., Dally, M., 2009, A qualitative exploration of quality of life among individuals diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, British Journal of Health Psychology [P], vol 14, The British Psychological Society, UK, pp. 563-578.

Conference Proceedings

Brooker, J.E., 2006, A qualitative exploration of quality of life among individuals diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, Asia-Pacific Journal Of Clinical Oncology, 29 November 2006 to 1 December 2006, Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, p. 104.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Examining the Construct of Demoralisation in Palliative Care.
Supervisors:
Kissane, D (Main), Brooker, J (Associate), Burney, S (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
The effect of stress on ratings of life satisfaction.
Supervisors:
Conduit, R (Main), Brooker, J (Associate), Burney, S (Associate), Fletcher, J (Associate).