PhD Lead

Hannah Forbes

Hannah graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with Honours from the Australian Catholic University (Brisbane) in 2017. Hannah has key interests in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, child and youth mental health, creative arts, animal assisted therapies, paediatrics, health promotion and prevention, research and academics. Hannah's undergraduate honours thesis investigated occupational therapists' perceptions and utilisation of creative activities in child and youth mental health services across Australia. Hannah has previously worked as a paediatric and adult occupational therapist at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) in Brisbane and as an occupational therapist at Psychology and Animal Assisted Wellbeing (PAAW). Hannah is currently working as a sessional academic/tutor at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane. Hannah is a PhD candidate at the Australian Catholic University and member of the GrandSchools project, investigating the influence of co-operative spaces for living and learning pathways on the health and well-being of adolescents and older adults in urban and regional Australia.

PhD Project

The co-operative spaces project aims to adopt an ecological perspective to examine the influence of individual, environment, and task constraints/factors on health and well-being outcomes in intergenerational programs in creative arts (co-creation), horticulture/hospitality (co-care), IT/media (co-learning), and/or exercise (co-fitness) involving youth (aged 12-19) and older adults (aged 55 and over). The project includes a systematic review of health and well-being measures applied to evaluate intergenerational program health and well-being outcomes, qualitative interviews and focus groups to explore youth and older adult's thoughts, perspectives and experiences  and engagement in intergenerational programs, and exploration of the dynamic interactions of individual, environment, and task factors that may influence health and well-being outcomes for youth and older adults engaging in intergenerational programs. Findings may inform evidence-based approaches and recommendations to maximise participation, health, and well-being in intergenerational programs and will contribute to the design of co-operate living and learning spaces that support all generations ageing well together.

Overarching Research Project Aims

1. Ecological perspective to examine individual-environment-task constraints on participation, health, and well-being in intergenerational programs.
2. Support future development of intergenerational living and learning models that support intergenerational connections and promote generational groups ageing well together. 

Presentations, Studies and Publications

2019 Indigenous Allied Health Australia Conference Presenter (Darwin, Australia)
2017 Occupational Therapy Australia Mental Health Forum Conference Presenter (Sydney, Australia)
2017 International Mental Health Conference Presenter (Gold Coast, Australia)

Work in Development: ‘The perception and utilisation of creative activities by child and youth mental health occupational therapists in Australia’.