Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and a member of the Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre. I have a background in clinical psychology, especially the understanding and development of mental disorders. I have a history of developing treatment programs and evaluating their efficacy through clinical trials. Foremost among these has been the Cool Kids suite of programs. The Cool Kids programs are now translated into over 25 languages and used in over 30 countries.
Research interests
- Anxiety, depression and related disorders across the lifespan.
- Development and risk factors for internalising distress.
- Prevention of internalising disorders.
- Treatment of anxiety and related disorders.
Additional interests in body image, mental health literacy and stigma, and methods of delivering mental health services.
Research student supervision
It has been my pleasure to mentor a very large number of students over the years, most of whom have moved on to stellar careers. Much of my best work has been conducted along with my research students and I take great pride in helping to facilitate a love of research. Unfortunately, this period has now come to an end and I am no longer taking any new research students.
Community engagement
I regularly present to schools, parents, and community groups in addition to my professional talks and training workshops. I often provide information to the media in all forms and enjoy educating the public about anxiety and related issues. I currently sit on the Anxiety Disorders Advisory Committee for WayAhead - the mental health association of NSW.
Research engagement
I regularly sit on professional committees and a number of journal editorial boards. I frequently consult with researchers around the world to provide advice and feedback on their research directions.
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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MRFF: Making it stick: Using memory rehearsal to improve exposure therapy outcomes for childhood anxiety disorders.
Johnco, C. (Primary Chief Investigator), Rapee, R. (Chief Investigator), Craske, M. (Chief Investigator), Sicouri, G. (Chief Investigator), Bisby, M. (Chief Investigator), Graham, P. (Chief Investigator) & Francis, H. (Chief Investigator)
1/05/25 → 30/04/27
Project: Research
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TCR: Targeting mechanisms underlying loneliness in chronic conditions
Wuthrich, V. (Primary Chief Investigator), Dear, B. (Chief Investigator), Sharpe, A. L. (Chief Investigator), Rapee, R. (Chief Investigator), Willcock, S. (Chief Investigator), Costa, D. S. J. (Chief Investigator), Gandy, M. (Chief Investigator), Scott, A. (Chief Investigator), Fisher, A. (Chief Investigator), Chen, J. (Chief Investigator), Brogden, L. (Chief Investigator), Walker, C. (Chief Investigator) & Jones, M. (Chief Investigator)
1/01/24 → 31/12/28
Project: Research
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Making INROADS: RCT of a web-based early intervention to interrupt the vicious cycle of co-occurring anxiety and alcohol use among young adults
Stapinski, L. (Chief Investigator), Baillie, A. (Chief Investigator), Prior, K. (Chief Investigator), Teesson, M. (Chief Investigator), Lee, Y. Y. (Chief Investigator), Deady, M. (Chief Investigator), Rapee, R. (Primary Chief Investigator), Hudson, J. (Chief Investigator) & Kay-Lambkin, F. (Chief Investigator)
1/07/22 → 30/06/27
Project: Research
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Victorian Schools Mental Health Fund Menu - Cool Kids
Rapee, R. (Primary Chief Investigator), McNiece, N. (Primary Chief Investigator) & McLellan, L. (Primary Chief Investigator)
1/06/22 → …
Project: Consultancy
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Who am I? Disrupted self-identity development in early adulthood and intrusive thoughts and behaviours
Wong, S. F. (Primary Chief Investigator) & Rapee, R. (Sponsor)
1/01/22 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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A cluster randomized trial of the impact of school-based, universal, mental health screening and feedback on students' mental health and help-seeking
Rapee, R. M., Kuhnert, R.-L., Bowsher, I., Burns, J. R., Coen, J., Dixon, J., Kotselas, P., Lourey, C., McLellan, L. F., Mihalopoulos, C., Peters, L., Prendergast, T., Roos, T., Thomas, D. & Wuthrich, V. M., Nov 2025, In: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 64, 11, p. 1295-1304 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
A comparison of the long and short forms of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in adults with generalised anxiety disorder
Wilson, E. J., Abbott, M. J., Norton, A. R., Berle, D., Stapinski, L. & Rapee, R. M., Mar 2025, In: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. 47, 1, p. 1-12 12 p., 24.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile38 Downloads (Pure) -
Adolescent body dysmorphic disorder: insight, executive function, and rates of ADHD and Autistic traits
Lavell, C. H., Oar, E. L. & Rapee, R. M., Nov 2025, In: Journal of Psychiatric Research. 191, p. 393-401 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Downloads (Pure) -
A hierarchical model of the symptom-level structure of psychopathology in youth
Forbes, M. K., Watts, A. L., Twose, M., Barrett, A., Hudson, J. L., Lyneham, H. J., McLellan, L., Newton, N. C., Sicouri, G., Chapman, C., McKinnon, A., Rapee, R. M., Slade, T., Teesson, M., Markon, K. & Sunderland, M., Mar 2025, In: Clinical Psychological Science. 13, 2, p. 278-300 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Citations (Scopus)30 Downloads (Pure) -
Barriers to accessing and engaging with mental health services for low-income families in australia: a qualitative evaluation
Dickson, S. J., Bussey, K., Kangas, M., Grocott, S. & Rapee, R. M., Nov 2025, In: Journal of Child and Family Studies. 34, 11, p. 2862-2877 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Data from two schools within Insights trial exploring changes in IU
Einstein, D. (Owner), McMaugh, A. (Contributor), McEvoy, P. (Contributor), Rapee, R. (Contributor), Fraser, M. (Contributor), Abbott, M. J. (Contributor), Mansell, W. (Contributor) & Karin, E. (Contributor), Macquarie University, 5 Jul 2023
DOI: 10.25949/23582805.v1
Dataset
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Abbreviated FOMO and social media dataset
Einstein, D. (Owner), Dabb, C. (Contributor), Ferrari, M. (Contributor), McMaugh, A. (Contributor), McEvoy, P. (Contributor), Rapee, R. (Contributor), Karin, E. (Contributor) & Abbott, M. J. (Contributor), Macquarie University, 5 Jul 2022
DOI: 10.25949/20188298.v1
Dataset
Prizes
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Member in the General Division, Order of Australia
Rapee, R. (Recipient), 11 Jun 2012
Prize: Honorary award
Activities
- 2 Presentation
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Improving Mental Health and Social Participation Outcomes in Older Adults with Depression and Anxiety
Chen, J. (Speaker), Wuthrich, V. (Speaker), Rapee, R. (Speaker), Draper, B. (Speaker), Cutler, H. (Speaker), Lowe, L.-F. (Speaker), Georgiou, A. (Speaker), Johnco, C. (Speaker), Jones, M. (Speaker), Meuldijk, D. (Speaker) & Partington, A. (Speaker)
2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
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Necessary but Not Sufficient: Examination of Older Adults’ Connectedness with their Online Social Contact during COVID-19
Chen, J. (Speaker), Wuthrich, V. (Speaker), Matovic, D. (Speaker) & Rapee, R. (Speaker)
Oct 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
Impacts
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Cool Kids
Rapee, R. (Participant), McLellan, L. (Participant) & Lyneham, H. (Participant)
Impact: Health impacts
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School-based, mental health check-in and follow-up
Rapee, R. (Participant), McLellan, L. (Participant) & Kuhnert, R. (Participant)
Impact: Health impacts, Organisation impacts