Research Team
Professor Renata Kokanović led the multidisciplinary research team who have collaborated across different phases of the project. Researchers include: Dr Jacinthe Flore, Professor Stuart Thomas, Associate Professor Cameron Duff, Professor Daniel X. Harris, Professor Stacy Holman Jones, Professor Andrew Chanen, Associate Professor Sathya Rao, Associate Professor Louise McCutcheon, Dr Laura Hayes, Dr Emma-Louise Seal, and Dr Tamara Borovica. The research represents a collaboration between RMIT University, the University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of Glasgow, and Goldsmiths (University of London), and eight partner organisations listed below. The project is guided by an Advisory Group that includes people with lived experience of mental distress, representatives of collaborating organisations, and researchers using innovative qualitative and arts-based methods in mental health research.
Resource Development
The online resource is an outcome of the Borderline Personality as Social Phenomena research project. The development of the ‘Living with a Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder’ online resource was led by Professor Renata Kokanović in close collaboration with Dr Jacinthe Flore, Dr Emma Seal and Dr Tamara Borovica. Project researchers Dr Emma Seal and Dr Tamara Borovica conducted lived interviews and initial data analysis. They developed the participant scripts and content for the online resource in close collaboration with Professor Renata Kokanović and Dr Jacinthe Flore. Individual sections for the online resource were reviewed by members of the Advisory Group consisting of lived experience representatives, researchers and other practitioners, and members of the research team.
Partner Organisations
Special thanks to the partner organisations on the project who provided significant financial and in-kind support and assisted with data collection: the National Mental Health Commission, the Department of Health (Victoria), Spectrum Personality Disorder and Complex Trauma Service, Orygen, Mind Australia, Mental Health Victoria, Lived Experience Australia, and Neami National.
Advisory Group
Thank you to the Advisory Group, consisting of lived experience representatives, researchers and other practitioners with relevant areas of expertise. Each contributed at various stages of the research and resource development process, including in relation to recruitment, data analysis, review of talking point scripts, and general guidance and feedback as the project progressed. Below, they are listed alphabetically.
- Scientia Professor Jill Bennett, University of New South Wales
- Professor Katherine Boydell, Black Dog Institute
- Associate Professor Jillian Broadbear, Spectrum Personality Disorder and Complex Trauma Service
- Rita Brown, Australian Borderline Personality Disorder Foundation
- Dr Rachel Earl, National Mental Health Commission
- Jacinta Emery
- John Foley, Mental Health Victoria
- Dr Laura Hayes, Mind Australia
- Duncan Large
- Professor Sharon Lawn, Lived Experience Australia
- Helen Lowy, Victorian Department of Health
- Michelle Walter
- Jacklyn Whybrow, Neami National
Acknowledgements
Special thanks go to all the people who generously participated in this project by sharing their personal stories that informed the development of this resource. The resource has been produced in close collaboration with them and for them.
Thank you to the lived experience representatives on the advisory group, and Dr Jillian Broadbear and Dr Louise McCutcheon for completing an overall review of the content, in addition to Dr Jacinthe Flore and Professor Renata Kokanović.
Thank you to Chad O’Brien, Crosswalk Media, for assisting with the conceptualisation and creative development of the online resource as well as its production.
Thank you to the Centre for Social Equity and RMIT University for the support provided to key researchers on this project.
Funding
Borderline Personality as Social Phenomena is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Project grant (LP 190100247, 2021-24), with financial and in-kind contributions from the National Mental Health Commission, the Department of Health (Victoria), Mind Australia, Mental Health Victoria, Spectrum Personality Disorder and Complex Trauma Service, Orygen, Lived Experience Australia, and Neami National.
