McCusker Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Type 1 Diabetes
MClinPsych/PhD
@BebbingtonKeely
she/her/hers
Dr Keely Bebbington is the McCusker Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Type 1 Diabetes. Her work aims to understand and significantly improve mental health and psychosocial functioning in youth with T1D and their families. She has a particular interest in helping young people and their families adjust to living with T1D and to reduce the burden of managing this chronic condition.
Keely completed her Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Western Australia and her PhD focused on understanding the social transmission of negative information by people with elevated levels of anxiety. Keely also spent four year as a Research Assistant to the Western Australian Autism Register, based at Telethon Kids Institute where she was involved in research exploring the behavioural and cognitive characteristics of children and young people diagnosed with autism. In addition to her work as a researcher Keely continues to work part-time in private practice with people across the lifespan.
Keely is currently involved in the following projects:
- Exploring the associations between coping, resilience, well-being and glycaemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents.
- Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to the transition of emerging adults with type 1 diabetes from paediatric to adult care in Western Australia.
- Characterising moment-to-moment fluctuation in stress, anxiety and blood glucose levels in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
- Piloting a self-compassion program to promote physical and psychological wellbeing in youth with T1D.
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Projects
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Publications
November 2023
Wellbeing and distress in young people with chronic conditions: how do positive psychology variables relate to mental health outcomes?
The aim of this study was to determine the unique and shared contributions of various positive psychology constructs (gratitude, optimism, hope, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and emotion regulation) to wellbeing and distress outcomes in young people living with a diverse range of chronic health conditions.
Published research Diabetes and Obesity Early Neurodevelopment and Mental HealthMarch 2023Experiences and Attitudes of Parents Reducing Carbohydrate Intake in the Management of Their Child’s Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study
Reducing carbohydrate (CHO) intake is being used as an approach to manage type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children. This study aimed to investigate the experiences and attitudes of parents of children with T1D who are reducing CHO intake to help manage blood glucose levels.
Diabetes (Type 1) Published research Diabetes and ObesityApril 2023Priority setting for children and young people with chronic conditions and disabilities
The aim of this project was to identify the top 10 priorities for childhood chronic conditions and disability (CCD) research from the perspectives of children and young people with lived experience, their parents and caregivers and the professionals who work with them.
Published research Diabetes and Obesity Youth Mental Health Early Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Child disabilityAugust 2022Diabetes Stigma Predicts Higher HbA1c Levels in Australian Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
Adolescents with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) often need to undertake self-management tasks in public or disclose their diagnosis to others. Therefore, they may be subjected to negative reactions from the public, known as enacted stigma.
Diabetes (Type 1) Published research Diabetes and ObesityJune 2022Mind the distance: experiences of non-face-to-face child and youth mental health services during COVID-19 social distancing restrictions in Western Australia
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, social distancing restrictions limited access to face-to-face mental health services in Western Australia (WA), necessitating a rapid transition to non-face-to-face alternatives, including telehealth. The current study investigated barriers and facilitators to telehealth access and engagement, and preferences for child and youth mental health service delivery during and beyond COVID-19.
Published research Diabetes and Obesity Youth Mental Health Early Neurodevelopment and Mental Health COVID-19 Youth mental healthAugust 2021Selective attention to threat, anxiety and glycaemic management in adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Previous research has established that adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience more anxiety symptoms than their healthy peers and are also more likely to develop an anxiety disorder. Research in cognitive psychology has found that selective attention favouring the processing of threatening information causally contributes to elevated levels of anxiety; however, this process has not been investigated in the context of T1D.
Diabetes (Type 1) Published research Diabetes and Obesity Youth Mental HealthAugust 2021Investigating associations between birth order and autism diagnostic phenotypes
Birth order effects have been linked to variability in intelligence, educational attainment and sexual orientation. First- and later-born children have been linked to an increased likelihood of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, with a smaller body of evidence implicating decreases in cognitive functioning with increased birth order.
Autism Spectrum Published research Academic Biostatistics Child Disability Autism Research Diabetes and Obesity Subsite: CliniKidsNovember 2020Investigating associations between birth order and autism diagnostic phenotypes
Birth order effects have been linked to variability in intelligence, educational attainment and sexual orientation. First- and later-born children have been linked to an increased likelihood of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, with a smaller body of evidence implicating decreases in cognitive functioning with increased birth order. The present study investigated the potential association between birth order and ASD diagnostic phenotypes in a large and representative population sample.
Autism Spectrum Published research Autism Research Subsite: CliniKids -
Education and Qualifications