Stronger Futures Centre for Research Excellence

The transmission of complex trauma across generations is a global public health and human rights issue.

Despite growing recognition of intergenerational cycles of trauma and family violence there is limited research evidence regarding effective intervention strategies to prevent or reduce intergenerational transmission of complex trauma and/or enable healing and recovery from the effects of trauma.

In this CRE, the team is creating a collaborative, multi-stakeholder program of research and translational activity to reduce the impacts of intergenerational trauma and family violence within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, refugee and socially disadvantaged families and communities.

The voices of children, young people, families, communities and other key stakeholders will inform co-design, implementation and evaluation of innovative ‘best practice’ approaches prioritising engagement of populations commonly excluded from clinical and public health research studies.

The team’s five-year goal is to improve social and emotional wellbeing, family functioning and resilience in families and communities disproportionately impacted by intergenerational trauma and family violence. In the longer term, the aim is to contribute to reversal of the current upward trends in rates of suicide, self-harm and mental health disorders in children and young people.

This project is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council