Celebration marks halfway point for lifespan study
Australia’s only longitudinal lifespan study will celebrate its tenth anniversary today, marking the half way point of the research project that has tracked the health and welfare of more than 7,000 people from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Queanbeyan.
The Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project began in 1999. Over the 10 years that the project has been running, the study has made important contributions towards understanding depression, suicide, volunteering and mental health and the effects of bushfires on cognitive functioning.
The data collected from the participants has seen PATH researchers publish 102 articles in peer-reviewed journals.
“PATH provides information on the health and wellbeing of the Canberra and district communities, allowing us to plan for services and identify areas where public health strategies can be targeted,” said the project’s principal investigator, Professor Kaarin Anstey.
“This valuable data resource allows us to track the effects of the events such as the Canberra bushfires, and evaluate their long term impact on mental health and services.
“This study is a work of international significance, and one that’s only possible because of the countless hours of time provided by participants, without whom the research would not be possible,” she said.
