Senior Research Fellow
MBMSc, PhD
@NicoleTMHill
she/her/hers
Dr Nicole Hill is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leader and Senior Research Fellow in Suicide Prevention at the Telethon Kids institute.
Nicole’s research program spans Universal, Selective, and Indicated suicide prevention interventions with a focus on postvention and the prevention of suicide clusters and contagion.
She is currently leading the development of a state-wide model of aftercare for West Australians who have experienced a suicidal crisis, funded by the WA Mental Health Commission.
In 2022 Nicole was one of five nominees for the WA Premiers science award for her research on youth suicide prevention; a winner of the 40Under40 award for her work in suicide prevention in Western Australia, the 2022 Society for Mental Health Research ECR potential award, and the 2021 Medical Journal of Australia Medical Research Excellence award.
She currently serves as an expert advisor for suicide prevention in Western Australia and is co-chair of the International Association for Suicide Prevention special interest group on suicide clusters and contagion.
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Projects
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Publications
December 2022
Reach and perceived effectiveness of a community-led active outreach postvention intervention for people bereaved by suicide
Postvention is a core component of suicide prevention strategies, internationally. However, the types of supports provided to people impacted by suicide vary widely. This study examines the perceived effectiveness of the Primary Care Navigator (PCN) model for people bereaved by suicide. The PCN model was implemented in response to a suicide cluster.
Published research Youth Mental Health Geospatial Health and Development Youth mental healthFebruary 2022Researching the researchers: psychological distress and psychosocial stressors according to career stage in mental health researchers
Although there are many benefits associated with working in academia, this career path often involves structural and organisational stressors that can be detrimental to wellbeing and increase susceptibility to psychological distress and mental ill health. This exploratory study examines experiences of work-related psychosocial stressors, psychological distress, and mental health diagnoses among mental health researchers.
Published research Youth Mental Health Youth mental healthSeptember 2022Cost-effectiveness of media reporting guidelines for the prevention of suicide
Media guidelines for the responsible reporting of suicide are a recognized universal suicide prevention intervention. While implemented in numerous countries, including Australia, little is known about whether they are cost-effective.
Published research Youth Mental Health Youth mental healthJune 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 healthApril 2022Responding to Suicide Clusters in the Community: What Do Existing Suicide Cluster Response Frameworks Recommend and How Are They Implemented?
Suicide clusters involve an excessive number of suicides, suicide attempts, or both, that occur close in space or time or involve social links between cluster members. Although suicide clusters are rare, evidence documenting the implementation of suicide cluster response activities in communities is required yet remains limited.
Published research Youth Mental Health Youth mental healthDecember 2021The psychological impact of paediatric burn injuries: a systematic review
To review and synthesise qualitative literature regarding the psychological outcomes following paediatric burn injuries, and to determine if children and adolescents who experience a burn injury have elevated risk of psychopathology following the injury.
Published research Youth Mental Health Youth mental healthDecember 2021A Pilot Case-Control Study of the Social Media Activity Following Cluster and Non-Cluster Suicides in Australia
Social media may play a role in the "contagion" mechanism thought to underpin suicide clusters. Our pilot case-control study presented a novel methodological approach to examining whether Facebook activity following cluster and non-cluster suicides differed.
Youth Mental Health Youth mental healthJune 2021Can a social media intervention improve online communication about suicide? A feasibility study examining the acceptability and potential impact of the #chatsafe campaign
There is a need for effective and youth-friendly approaches to suicide prevention, and social media presents a unique opportunity to reach young people. Although there is some evidence to support the delivery of population-wide suicide prevention campaigns, little is known about their capacity to change behaviour, particularly among young people and in the context of social media. Even less is known about the safety and feasibility of using social media for the purpose of suicide prevention.
Published research Youth Health Youth Mental HealthDecember 2020Development of a Self-Harm Monitoring System for Victoria
The prevention of suicide and suicide-related behaviour are key policy priorities in Australia and internationally. The World Health Organization has recommended that member states develop self-harm surveillance systems as part of their suicide prevention efforts. This is also a priority under Australia's Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a state-based self-harm monitoring system in Victoria, Australia. In this system, data on all self-harm presentations are collected from eight hospital emergency departments in Victoria. A natural language processing classifier that uses machine learning to identify episodes of self-harm is currently being developed.
Published research Youth Health Youth Mental HealthNovember 2020Suicide by young Australians, 2006-2015: a cross-sectional analysis of national coronial data
Objective: To assess the demographic, social, and clinical characteristics of young Australians who die by suicide.
Published research Youth Health Youth Mental HealthNovember 2020Risk factors associated with suicide clusters in Australian youth: Identifying who is at risk and the mechanisms associated with cluster membership
It is unclear who is at risk of being involved in a suicide cluster and whether suicide clusters are influenced by the social transmission of suicidal behaviour, assortative relating, or a combination of both. Suicide clusters involving two or more young people were identified from the free text of electronic police and coroners reports in Australia's National Coronial Information System in a nationwide cross-sectional study.
Published research Youth Health Youth Mental HealthMarch 2020Association of suicidal behavior with exposure to suicide and suicide attempt: A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis
prior exposure to suicide and prior exposure to suicide attempt in the general population are associated with increased odds of subsequent suicidal behavior
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Education and Qualifications
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Awards and Honours