Dr Hannah Thomas is a Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and has academic affiliations with both The University of Queensland and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. She completed a PhD on adolescent bullying and cyberbullying, which was recognised by the Australian Psychological Society as the best original contribution to knowledge. As a psychologist she has experience in the delivery of evidence-based treatments for mental health and social difficulties with children and adolescents and their families. Dr Thomas developed and validated the Bullying and Cyberbullying Scale for Adolescents [BCS-A] and co-led the work to have bullying victimisation included as a risk factor for mental disorders in the Global Burden of Disease Study. She is also a co-investigator on the Australian Child Maltreatment Prevalence Study, which is the most comprehensive study the prevalence, health, and economic burden of child maltreatment in Australia. Her ongoing research is focused on the prevention of adverse childhood experiences and mental illness in the population.
Journal Article: A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action
Mathews, Ben, Thomas, Hannah J. and Scott, James G. (2023). A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S47-S51. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51872
Journal Article: Child maltreatment and health service use: findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study
Pacella, Rosana, Nation, Alexandra, Mathews, Ben, Scott, James G., Higgins, Daryl J., Haslam, Divna M., Dunne, Michael P., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Malacova, Eva, Lawrence, David M. and Monks, Claire (2023). Child maltreatment and health service use: findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S40-S46. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51892
Journal Article: The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS), a national survey of the prevalence of child maltreatment and its correlates: methodology
Haslam, Divna M., Lawrence, David M., Mathews, Ben, Higgins, Daryl J., Hunt, Anna, Scott, James G., Dunne, Michael P., Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Finkelhor, David, Pacella, Rosana, Meinck, Franziska and Malacova, Eva (2023). The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS), a national survey of the prevalence of child maltreatment and its correlates: methodology. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S5-S12. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51869
(2019–2023) Queensland University of Technology
The effects of climate change on youth mental health
Doctor Philosophy
Outcomes and Predictors of Adult Attachment
Doctor Philosophy
Ecological and psychological perspectives of bullying
Thomas, Hannah J (2021). Ecological and psychological perspectives of bullying. The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Bullying. edited by Peter K. Smith and James O'Higgins Norman. London, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1002/9781118482650.ch71
Prevention of alcohol-related harm for children and adolescents
Thomas, Hannah J., Kelly, Adrian B. and Toumbourou, W. John (2015). Prevention of alcohol-related harm for children and adolescents. Psychosocial dimensions in medicine. (pp. 291-304) edited by Jennifer Fitzgerald and Gerard J Byrne. Melbourne Australia: IP Communications.
A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action
Mathews, Ben, Thomas, Hannah J. and Scott, James G. (2023). A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S47-S51. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51872
Child maltreatment and health service use: findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study
Pacella, Rosana, Nation, Alexandra, Mathews, Ben, Scott, James G., Higgins, Daryl J., Haslam, Divna M., Dunne, Michael P., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Malacova, Eva, Lawrence, David M. and Monks, Claire (2023). Child maltreatment and health service use: findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S40-S46. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51892
Haslam, Divna M., Lawrence, David M., Mathews, Ben, Higgins, Daryl J., Hunt, Anna, Scott, James G., Dunne, Michael P., Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Finkelhor, David, Pacella, Rosana, Meinck, Franziska and Malacova, Eva (2023). The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS), a national survey of the prevalence of child maltreatment and its correlates: methodology. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S5-S12. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51869
Lawrence, David M., Hunt, Anna, Mathews, Ben, Haslam, Divna M., Malacova, Eva, Dunne, Michael P., Erskine, Holly E., Higgins, Daryl J., Finkelhor, David, Pacella, Rosana, Meinck, Franziska, Thomas, Hannah J. and Scott, James G. (2023). The association between child maltreatment and health risk behaviours and conditions throughout life in the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S34-S39. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51877
Scott, James G., Malacova, Eva, Mathews, Ben, Haslam, Divna M., Pacella, Rosana, Higgins, Daryl J., Meinck, Franziska, Dunne, Michael P., Finkelhor, David, Erskine, Holly E., Lawrence, David M. and Thomas, Hannah J. (2023). The association between child maltreatment and mental disorders in the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S26-S33. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51870
The prevalence and nature of multi-type child maltreatment in Australia
Higgins, Daryl J., Mathews, Ben, Pacella, Rosana, Scott, James G., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Lawrence, David M., Haslam, Divna M., Malacova, Eva and Dunne, Michael P. (2023). The prevalence and nature of multi-type child maltreatment in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S19-S25. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51868
The prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia: findings from a national survey
Mathews, Ben, Pacella, Rosana, Scott, James G., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Higgins, Daryl J., Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Lawrence, David M., Haslam, Divna M., Malacova, Eva and Dunne, Michael P. (2023). The prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia: findings from a national survey. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S13-S18. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51873
Mathews, Ben, Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E., Tran, Nam, Lee, Ha, Kellard, Karen, Pacella, Rosana, Scott, James G., Finkelhor, David, Higgins, Daryl J., Thomas, Hannah J. and Haslam, Divna M. (2023). Adaptation and validation of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2 for a national study of child maltreatment in Australia. Child Abuse and Neglect, 139 106093, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106093
The clinical implications of climate change for mental health
Crandon, Tara J., Dey, Cybele, Scott, James G., Thomas, Hannah J., Ali, Suhailah and Charlson, Fiona J. (2022). The clinical implications of climate change for mental health. Nature Human Behaviour, 6 (11), 1474-1481. doi: 10.1038/s41562-022-01477-6
Sarala, Marian, Miettunen, Jouko, Alakokkare, Anni-Emilia, Mustonen, Antti, Scott, James G., Thomas, Hannah J., Hurtig, Tuula and Niemela, Solja (2022). Substance use confounds associations between peer victimization and aggression in adolescence with mental disorders in adulthood: a prospective birth cohort study. Journal of Adolescence, 94 (7), 996-1007. doi: 10.1002/jad.12080
Biswas, Tuhin, Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G., Munir, Kerim, Baxter, Janeen, Huda, M. Mamun, Renzaho, Andre M.N., Cross, Donna, Ahmed, Helal Uddin, Mahumud, Rashidul Alam and Mamun, Abdullah A. (2022). Variation in the prevalence of different forms of bullying victimisation among adolescents and their associations with family, peer and school connectedness: a population-based study in 40 lower and middle income to high-income countries (LMIC-HICs). Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 15 (4), 1-11. doi: 10.1007/s40653-022-00451-8
Healy, Karyn L., Thomas, Hannah J., Sanders, Matthew R. and Scott, James G. (2022). Empirical and theoretical foundations of family interventions to reduce the incidence and mental health impacts of school bullying victimization. International Review of Psychiatry, 34 (2), 1-14. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2045260
A social–ecological perspective on climate anxiety in children and adolescents
Crandon, Tara J., Scott, James G., Charlson, Fiona J. and Thomas, Hannah J. (2022). A social–ecological perspective on climate anxiety in children and adolescents. Nature Climate Change, 12 (2), 123-131. doi: 10.1038/s41558-021-01251-y
Mathews, Ben, MacMillan, Harriet L., Meinck, Franziska, Finkelhor, David, Haslam, Divna, Tonmyr, Lil, Gonzalez, Andrea, Afifi, Tracie O., Scott, James G., Pacella, Rosana E., Higgins, Daryl J., Thomas, Hannah, Collin-Vézina, Delphine and Walsh, Kerryann (2022). The ethics of child maltreatment surveys in relation to participant distress: Implications of social science evidence, ethical guidelines, and law. Child Abuse and Neglect, 123 105424, 105424. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105424
Economic evaluation of an intervention designed to reduce bullying in Australian schools
Jadambaa, Amarzaya, Graves, Nicholas, Cross, Donna, Pacella, Rosana, Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G., Cheng, Qinglu and Brain, David (2021). Economic evaluation of an intervention designed to reduce bullying in Australian schools. Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 20 (1), 79-89. doi: 10.1007/s40258-021-00676-y
Mathews, Ben, Pacella, Rosana, Dunne, Michael, Scott, James, Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Higgins, Daryl J, Erskine, Holly, Thomas, Hannah J., Haslam, Divna, Tran, Nam, Le, Ha, Honey, Nikki, Kellard, Karen and Lawrence, David (2021). The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS): protocol for a national survey of the prevalence of child abuse and neglect, associated mental disorders and physical health problems, and burden of disease. BMJ Open, 11 (5) e047074, e047074. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047074
Gray, Emma J., Scott, James G., Lawrence, David M. and Thomas, Hannah J. (2021). Concordance between adolescents and parents on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: analysis of an Australian nationally representative sample. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55 (11), 48674211009610-1070. doi: 10.1177/00048674211009610
The economic cost of child and adolescent bullying in Australia
Jadambaa, Amarzaya, Brain, David, Pacella, Rosana, Thomas, Hannah J., McCarthy, Molly, Scott, James G. and Graves, Nicholas (2021). The economic cost of child and adolescent bullying in Australia. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 60 (3), 367-376. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.010
Correlates of help-seeking behaviour in adolescents who experience bullying victimisation
Matuschka, Lori K., Scott, James G., Campbell, Marilyn A., Lawrence, David, Zubrick, Stephen R., Bartlett, Jennifer and Thomas, Hannah J. (2021). Correlates of help-seeking behaviour in adolescents who experience bullying victimisation. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 4 (2), 99-114. doi: 10.1007/s42380-021-00090-x
Systematic review: anxiety in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions
Cobham, Vanessa E., Hickling, Anna, Kimball, Hayley, Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G. and Middeldorp, Christel M. (2020). Systematic review: anxiety in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59 (5), 595-618. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.10.010
Biswas, Tuhin, Scott, James G., Munir, Kerim, Thomas, Hannah J., Huda, M. Mamun, Hasan, Md. Mehedi, David de Vries, Tim, Baxter, Janeen and Mamun, Abdullah A. (2020). Global variation in the prevalence of bullying victimisation amongst adolescents: role of peer and parental supports. EClinicalMedicine, 20 100276, 100276. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100276
Gardner, M. J., Thomas, H. J. and Erskine, H. E. (2019). The association between five forms of child maltreatment and depressive and anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 96 104082, 104082. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104082
Jadambaa, Amarzaya, Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G., Graves, Nicholas, Brain, David and Pacella, Rosana (2019). The contribution of bullying victimisation to the burden of anxiety and depressive disorders in Australia. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29 e54, 1-23. doi: 10.1017/s2045796019000489
Jadambaa, Amarzaya, Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G., Graves, Nicholas, Brain, David and Pacella, Rosana (2019). Prevalence of traditional bullying and cyberbullying among children and adolescents in Australia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 53 (9), 878-888. doi: 10.1177/0004867419846393
Stanaway, Jeffrey D., Afshin, Ashkan, Gakidou, Emmanuela, Lim, Stephen S., Abate, Degu, Abate, Kalkidan Hassen, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbasi, Nooshin, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdela, Jemal, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abdulkader, Rizwan Suliankatchi, Abebe, Molla, Abebe, Zegeye, Abera, Semaw F., Abil, Olifan Zewdie, Abraha, Haftom Niguse, Abrham, Aklilu Roba, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M.E., Accrombessi, Manfred Mario Kokou, Acharya, Dilaram, Acharya, Pawan, Adamu, Abdu A., Adane, Akilew Awoke, Adebayo, Oladimeji M., Adedoyin, Rufus Adesoji ... Murray, Christopher J.L. (2019). Erratum: Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (The Lancet (2018) 392(10159) (1923–1994), (S0140673618322256), (10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32225-6)). The Lancet, 393 (10190). doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31429-1
Improving Australia's population mental health: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Scott, James G., Thomas, Hannah J. and Erskine, Holly E. (2019). Improving Australia's population mental health: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 53 (5), 470-471. doi: 10.1177/0004867418814960
Stanaway, Jeffrey D., Afshin, Ashkan, Gakidou, Emmanuela, Lim, Stephen S., Abate, Degu, Abate, Kalkidan Hassen, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbasi, Nooshin, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdela, Jemal, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abdulkader, Rizwan Suliankatchi, Abebe, Molla, Abebe, Zegeye, Abera, Semaw F, Abil, Olifan Zewdie, Abraha, Haftom Niguse, Abrham, Aklilu Roba, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M. E., Accrombessi, Manfred Mario Kokou, Acharya, Dilaram, Acharya, Pawan, Adamu, Abdu A., Adane, Akilew Awoke, Adebayo, Oladimeji M., Adedoyin, Rufus Adesoji ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2018). Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392 (10159), 1923-1994. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(18)32225-6
Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G., Coates, Jason M. and Connor, Jason P. (2018). Development and validation of the Bullying and Cyberbullying Scale for Adolescents: a multi-dimensional measurement model. The British Journal of Educational Psychology, 89 (1), 75-94. doi: 10.1111/bjep.12223
Why do children and adolescents bully their peers? A critical review of key theoretical frameworks
Thomas, Hannah J., Connor, Jason P. and Scott, James G. (2018). Why do children and adolescents bully their peers? A critical review of key theoretical frameworks. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 53 (5), 437-451. doi: 10.1007/s00127-017-1462-1
Thomas, Hannah J., Connor, Jason P., Lawrence, David M., Hafekost, Jennifer M., Zubrick, Stephen R. and Scott, James G. (2017). Prevalence and correlates of bullying victimisation and perpetration in a nationally representative sample of Australian youth. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 51 (9), 909-920. doi: 10.1177/0004867417707819
Two sides to the story: adolescent and parent views on harmful intention in defining school bullying
Thomas, Hannah J., Connor, Jason P., Baguley, Chantelle M. and Scott, James G. (2017). Two sides to the story: adolescent and parent views on harmful intention in defining school bullying. Aggressive Behavior, 43 (4), 352-363. doi: 10.1002/ab.21694
Moore, Sophie E., Norman, Rosana E., Suetani, Shuichi, Thomas, Hannah J., Sly, Peter D. and Scott, James G. (2017). Consequences of bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Psychiatry, 7 (1), 60-76. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v7.i1.60
Thomas, Hannah J., Chan, Gary C. K., Scott, James G., Connor, Jason P., Kelly, A.B. and Williams, Joanne (2016). Association of different forms of bullying victimisation with adolescents’ psychological distress and reduced emotional wellbeing. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 50 (4), 371-379. doi: 10.1177/0004867415600076
Moore, Sophie E., Scott, James G., Thomas, Hannah J., Sly, Peter D, Whitehouse, Andrew J. O., Zubrick, Stephen R. and Norman, Rosana E. (2015). Impact of adolescent peer aggression on educational achievement and employment in an Australian cohort. Journal of Adolescence, 43 (1), 39-49. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.05.007
Martin, G., Thomas, H., Andrews, T., Hasking, P. and Scott, J. G. (2015). Psychotic experiences and psychological distress predict contemporaneous and future non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts in a sample of Australian school-based adolescents. Psychological Medicine, 45 (2), 429-437. doi: 10.1017/S0033291714001615
Thomas, Hannah J., Connor, Jason P. and Scott, James G. (2014). Integrating traditional bullying and cyberbullying: challenges of definition and measurement in adolescents - a review. Educational Psychology Review, 27 (1), 1-18. doi: 10.1007/s10648-014-9261-7
Parent-child relationship quality and adolescent alcohol use
Thomas, Hannah J. and Kelly, Adrian B. (2013). Parent-child relationship quality and adolescent alcohol use. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47 (11), 1093-1093. doi: 10.1177/0004867413492226
Hocking, Julia, Thomas, Hannah J., Dzafic, Ilvana, Williams, Rebecca J., Reutens, David C. and Spooner, Donna M. (2013). Disentangling the cognitive components supporting Austin Maze performance in left versus right temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy and Behavior, 29 (3), 485-491. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.08.020
White, A., Scott, J. and Thomas, H. (2018). Chronic physical illness in childhood and adolescence and the association with mental illness: An Australian population-based study. RANZCP 2018 Congress, Auckland, New Zealand, 13 – 17 May 2018. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications . doi: 10.1177/0004867418764980
Thomas, Hannah Jane (2017). Bullying and cyberbullying among Australian adolescents: definition, prevalence, clinical correlates, and dimensional measurement. PhD Thesis, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2017.823
The Austin Maze: A marker of right temporal lobe function in epilepsy patients?
Hannah Thomas (2011). The Austin Maze: A marker of right temporal lobe function in epilepsy patients?. Honours Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland.
(2019–2023) Queensland University of Technology
The effects of climate change on youth mental health
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Outcomes and Predictors of Adult Attachment
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: