CRC Member: Professor Michael Sawyer

A member of the Children's Research Centre's Mental Health Program, Professor Michael Sawyer (OAM, MBBS, PhD) has an impressive track record in clinical and academic child and adolescent psychiatry in SA and indeed across Australia and internationally. Professor Sawyer is Head of the Research and Evaluation Unit, Division of Clinical Governance, Education and Research at the Children and Women's Health Service, a Co-Convenor of Healthy Development Adelaide and is on the International Advisory Board of the journal Quality of Life Research. He is Chair of the Research Committee of the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund and the Beyond Blue Schools Research Initiative, is a member and past chair of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes Expert Group (part of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council) and holds advisory positions on the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry and the South Australian Child Psychiatry Training Committee.  Professor Sawyer is a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

In 2008, Professor Sawyer was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to medicine in the field of child and adolescent mental health as a researcher and educator, particularly through contributions to the design of new programs of intervention and through the promotion of community awareness.  He is also a past recipient of the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund Medal.  

Professor Sawyer’s research has attracted funding from numerous competitive, peer-reviewed sources, including NHMRC/PHRDC, Research and Development Grants Committee, Anti-Cancer Foundation, Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Research Foundation.

Michael Sawyer has published 2 books, 10 book chapters, numerous reports and reviews and 115 peer-reviewed publications (found on MedLine by searching under 'Sawyer MG').  A selection of recent peer-reviewed publications are listed below:

• Sawyer MG, Pfeiffer S, Spence SH. Life events, coping and depressive symptoms among young adolescents: A one-year prospective study. Journal of Affective Disorders (In press).
• Scott J, Martin G, Bor W, Sawyer M, Clark J, McGrath J. The prevalence and correlates of hallucinations in Australian adolescents: Results from a national survey. Schizophrenia Research (In press).
• Sawyer MG, Pfeiffer S, Spence SH.  Life events, coping and depressive symptoms among young adolescents: A one-year prospective study.  Journal of Affective Disorders (In press).
• Scott J, Martin G, Bor W, Sawyer M, Clark J, McGrath J.  The prevalence and correlates of hallucinations in Australian adolescents: Results from a national survey.  Schizophrenia Research (In press).
• Spurrier, NJ, Magarey AA, Golley R, Curnow F, Sawyer MG. Relationships between the home environment and physical activity and dietary patterns of preschool children: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2008;5:31
• Wake M, Hardy P, Sawyer MG, Carlin JB. Comorbidities of overweight/obesity in Australian preschoolers: A cross-sectional population study.  Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2008;93(6):502-507
• Burns J, Boucher S, Glover S, Graetz B, Kay D, Patton G, Sawyer M, Spence SH. Preventing depression in young people. What does the evidence tell us and how can we use it to inform school-based mental health initiatives? Advances in School Mental Health Promotion, 2008;1(2):5-16
• Sawyer MG, Giesen F. Walter G. Child psychiatry curricula in undergraduate medical education: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2008;47(2):139-147
• Arney FM, Rogers H, Baghurst PA, Sawyer MG, Prior MR.  The reliability and validity of the Parenting Scale for Australian mothers of preschool-aged children. Australian Journal of Psychology, 2008;60(1):44-52
• Sawyer MG, Giesen F. Walter G. Child psychiatry curricula in undergraduate medical education: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2008;47(2):139-147.
• Sawyer MG, Carbone JA, Searle, AK, Robinson P. The mental health and well-being of children and adolescents in home-based foster care. Medical Journal of Australia, 2007;186(4), 181-184.
• Miller-Lewis LR, Baghurst PA, Sawyer MG, Prior MR, Clark JJ, Arney FM, Carbone JA. Early childhood externalising behaviour problems: Child, parenting, and family-related predictors over time. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2006;34:891-906.
• Sawyer MG, Miller-Lewis L, Guy S, Wake M, Canterford L, Carlin JB. Is there a relationship between overweight and obesity and mental health problems in 4- to 5- year-old Australian children? Ambulatory Pediatrics, 2006;6(6):306-311.
• Graetz B, Sawyer MG, Baghurst P, Ettridge K. Are ADHD gender patterns moderated by sample Source? Journal of Attention Disorders, 2006;10(1):36-43.
• Sawyer MG, Rey JM, Arney FM, Whitham JK, Clark JJ, Baghurst PA. Use of Health and School-Based Services in Australia by Young People With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2004, 43(11):1355-1363.
• Sawyer MG, Whaites L, Rey JM, Hazell PL, Graetz BW, Baghurst P. Health-Related Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents With Mental Disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2002;41(5):530-537.