Monash University
Research Field: Clinical Psychology/Population Mental Health’
Dr. Yap’s primary research interest lies in parenting and young people’s mental health, and in the translation of research evidence into resources and the interventions readily accessible to parents.
Her work involves four longitudinal projects examining modifiable parental behaviours. Two of these projects examine the role that child neuroanatomy and the family environment play in the development of child and adolescent depression in community samples. The other two examine whether equipping parents with specific skills (eg emotion socialisation, mental health first aid) would lead to better adolescent mental health.
To communicate her research she developed an online parenting resource called Parenting Strategies (www.parentingstrategies.net), which support parents in protecting the mental health of young people. This is currently being expanded to cover childhood and adolescent depression, anxiety and eating disorders. The Parenting Strategies program was recently recognised with and Australian Rotary Health Knowledge Dissemination Award.
Dr. Yap has been an invited keynote speaker at national conferences and professional development forums. She has been interviewed for various state and national radio programs, including 2GB, the National Suicide Prevention Program and Community Broadcasting Australia.