Melissa O'Donnell

Prof Melissa O'Donnell

Research Professor

Australian Centre of Child Protection

College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Melissa O’Donnell is Professor and Deputy Director, Research at the Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia. Melissa is an internationally recognised researcher in the area of child maltreatment and vulnerable children and families and has utilised population-based linked administrative data for over 15 years to contribute new knowledge and evidence. The main focus of her research program includes: i) risk and protective factors for vulnerability to child abuse and neglect; ii) outcomes for children in care; and iii) infant removals by the child protection system.  Melissa collaborates with government and non-government partners to ensure research addresses areas of policy and practice and to enable effective translation.
 

Year Citation
2025 Mendes, P., Roche, S., Kristo, I., O'Donnell, M., Moore, T., Malvaso, C., . . . McDowall, J. (2025). The Introduction of Extended Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) Until 21 Years in Australia: A Mapping of Policy, Legislation and Programs in Each Jurisdiction. Australian Journal of Social Issues, online(3), 1-12.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6
2025 Atalell, K. A., Pereira, G., Duko, B., Nyadanu, S. D., O’donnell, M., & Tessema, G. A. (2025). Prenatal and early childhood exposure to biothermal stress and developmental vulnerability at school entry in Western Australia: a population-based cohort study. Environment International, 202(109642), 109642-1-109642-8.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2025 Lima, F., O'Donnell, M., Gibberd, A. J., Falster, K., Banks, E., Jones, J., . . . Eades, S. (2025). The physical and mental health of mothers of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care in Western Australia. Australian Journal Of Social Issues, online(3), 1-12.
DOI
2025 Chikwava, F., Cordier, R., Ferrante, A., & O'Donnell, M. (2025). Resilience and mental health among care leavers: Role of social inclusion, self-determination, and independent living skills. Child Abuse and Neglect, 165(107489), 1-16.
DOI
2025 Paulsen, V., Wendelborg, C., Thoresen, S. H., Parsons, L., Chung, D., O'Donell, M., . . . Cordier, R. (2025). Research protocol of a multifaceted, comparative mixed-method study: young people transitioning from out-of-home care in Norway and Australia - Interrelationships between policies, pathways, and outcomes. PLoS ONE, 20(5, article no. 0323948), 1-12.
DOI
2025 Harrap, B., Gibberd, A., Donnell, M. O., Simons, K., & Eades, S. (2025). Potentially preventable hospitalisations for Aboriginal children with experience of out-of-home care: a data linkage study. Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Public Health, 49(3, article no. 100249), 1-9.
DOI
2025 Tucker, E., O'Donnell, M., Krakouer, J., & Octoman, O. (2025). Reinvolvement after returning home: a systematic review of the factors associated with post-reunification child protection involvement. Child Abuse & Neglect, 167(107515), 1-15.
DOI
2025 Bryant, C., Bayliss, D., O'Donnell, M., Usher, R., & Maclean, M. (2025). Young mothers with experience of out-of-home care and intergenerational risk of child removal. Child Abuse & Neglect: the international journal, 167(107599), 1-12.
DOI
2025 Maclean, M. J., Lima, F., Taplin, S., Marriott, R., Krakouer, J., & O'Donnell, M. (2025). Prenatal and infant reports and child protection involvement: a longitudinal cohort study. Child Maltreatment, online, 1-11.
DOI
2025 Hamilton, S., Maslen, S., Jones, L., Penny, M., Pell, C., Michie, C., . . . Farrant, B. (2025). 'I have to jump like a kangaroo … I have to slither like a snake'. A qualitative evaluation of elder-led art workshops in the child protection sector. Studies In The Education Of Adults, online, 1-21.
DOI
2025 Usher, R., Parsons, L., O'Donnell, M., Walter, B., Thain, E., & Chung, D. (2025). "It's not a normal upbringing": Insights from young mothers with care experience to improve parenting support and prevent intergenerational out-of-home care. Children and Youth Services Review, 179(108593), 1-9.
DOI
2025 Burrow, S., ODonnell, M., Wood, L., Fisher, C., Usher, R., Gayde, R., & Krakouer, J. (2025). Homelessness, family violence and infant removals. Parity, 38(3), 20-22.
2025 Orr, C., Sims, S., Fisher, C. M., O'Donnell, M., Glauert, R. A., & Preen, D. B. (2025). Children exposed to family and domestic violence perpetrated against their mother are at an increased risk of emergency department attendance in childhood. EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, 37(1), 1-9.
DOI
2024 Lima, F., Taplin, S., Maclean, M., & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Infants entering out-of-home care: Health, developmental needs and service provision. Child Abuse and Neglect, 149(106577), 1-14.
DOI
2024 Chikwava, F., Cordier, R., Ferrante, A., O'Donnell, M., & Pakpahan, E. (2024). Trajectories of homelessness and association with mental health and substance use disorders among young people transitioning from out-of-home care in Australia. Child Abuse and Neglect, 149(106643), 1-14.
DOI
2024 Dhamrait, G., O'Donnell, M., Christian, H., Taylor, C. L., & Pereira, G. (2024). Interpregnancy interval and adverse birth outcomes: a population-based cohort study of twins. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24(96 (2024)), 1-13.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2024 Moodie, S., Jones, J., Chenhall, R., Williams, R., Garlett, C., Gibberd, A., . . . Eades, S. (2024). Intersectoral collaboration for supporting the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal families and children in out-of-home care: perspectives from Western Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1-13.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2024 Mitrou, F., Milroy, H., Coffin, J., Hamilton, S. L., Brennan-Jones, C. G., Schurer, S., . . . Zubrick, S. R. (2024). Cohort profile: Understanding the influence of early life environments and health and social service system contacts over time and across generations through the Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey (WAACHS) Linked Data Study. BMJ Open, 14(10), e087522-1-e087522-15.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2024 Harrap, B., Gibberd, A., O'Donnell, M., Jones, J., Chenhall, R., McNamara, B., . . . Eades, S. (2024). Mental and neurodevelopmental health needs of Aboriginal children with experience of out-of-home care: a Western Australian data-linkage study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 48(5), 1-8.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2024 Maclean, M. J., Lima, F., & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Positive reading achievement outcomes in children who experience out-of-home care: characteristics and predictors. Child Abuse and Neglect, 149(106282), 1-15.
DOI
2024 Sims, S. A., Pereira, G., Fatovich, D. M., Preen, D., & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Assessing the utility of night-time presentations as a proxy for alcohol-related harm among young emergency department trauma patients. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 36(1), 47-54.
DOI
2024 O'Donnell, M., Burrow, S., Grose, M., Usher, R., Marriott, R., & Taplin, S. (2024). Child protection proceedings for infants: analysis of court files to identify court outcomes and requirements for families in child protection safety plans. Children and Youth Services Review, 157(107376), 1-10.
DOI
2024 Sims, S. A., Pereira, G., Fatovich, D., Preen, D., & O'Donnell, M. (2024). The hidden impact of alcohol on young victims: an analysis of alcohol-related police offences resulting in hospitalisation. BMC Public Health, 24(1, article no. 206), 1-10.
DOI Europe PMC1
2024 Lima, F., O'Donnell, M., Gibberd, A. J., Falster, K., Banks, E., Jones, J., . . . Eades, S. (2024). Aboriginal children placed in out-of-home care: pathways through the child protection system. Australian Social Work, 77(4), 471-485.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2024 Johnsen, M., O'Donnell, M., Harries, M., & Fisher, C. (2024). Hospital-based healthcare workers' experiences of involvement in perinatal child protection processes: a scoping literature review. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 25(4), 3388-3404.
DOI
2024 Maclean, M., Lima, F., & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Investigating positive reading trajectories among children who experienced out-of-home care. Children and Youth Services Review: an international multidisciplinary review of the welfare of young people, 163(107728), 1-12.
DOI
2024 Orr, C., Kelty, E., Belinelo, P., Fisher, C., Glauert, A. R., O'Donnell, M., & Preen, D. B. (2024). Exposure to family and domestic violence in the prenatal period is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years. Journal Of Public Health, 46(3), 448-457.
DOI
2024 Hamilton, S. L., Jones, L., Penny, M., Pell, C., Ilich, N., Michie, C., . . . Farrant, B. (2024). Ngulluk Moort, Ngulluk Boodja, Ngulluk Wirin (our family, our country, our spirit): An Aboriginal Participatory Action Research study protocol. PLoS ONE, 19(7, article no. e0301237), 1-16.
DOI
2024 Lima, F., Taplin, S., Maclean, M., Octoman, O., Grose, M., & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Child protection and developmental trajectories of children who entered care as infants. Child Abuse Review, 33(5, article no. e2900), 1-18.
DOI
2024 Parsons, L., Cordier, R., Chikwava, F., O'Donnell, M., Chung, D., Ferrante, A., . . . Thoresen, S. (2024). Shedding light on the social and health realities of care-experienced young people in Western Australia: a population-level study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 157(107053), 1-17.
DOI
2024 Burrow, S., Wood, L., Fisher, C., Usher, R., Gayde, R., & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Parents' experiences of perinatal child protection processes: a systematic review and thematic synthesis informed by a socio-ecological approach. Children and Youth Services Review, 166(107960), 1-22.
DOI WoS3
2023 Orr, C., Fisher, C., Bell, M., O'Donnell, M., Martin, K., Glauert, R., & Preen, D. (2023). Exposure to family and domestic violence is associated with lower attendance and higher suspension in school children. Child Abuse and Neglect, 142(105594), 1-13.
DOI
2023 Orr, C., Kelty, E., Fisher, C., O'Donnell, M., Glauert, R., & Preen, D. B. (2023). The lasting impact of family and domestic violence on neonatal health outcomes. Birth-Issues In Perinatal Care, 50(3), 578-586.
DOI
2023 Trew, S., Taplin, S., O'Donnell, M., Marriott, R., & Broadhurst, K. (2023). Parents' experiences with child protection during pregnancy and post-birth. Child & Family Social Work, 28(2), 549-562.
DOI
2023 Orr, C., Kelty, E., O'Donnell, M., Fisher, C. M., Glauert, R., & Preen, D. B. (2023). Reproductive and sexual health of Australian adolescents exposed to family and domestic violence. Bmj Sexual & Reproductive Health, 49(4), 245-253.
DOI
2023 Robinson, S., Foley, K., Moore, T., Valentine, K., Burton, J., Marshall, A., . . . Brebner, C. (2023). Prioritising Children and Young People with Disability in Research About Domestic and Family Violence: Methodological, Ethical and Pragmatic Reflections. Journal of Family Violence, 38(6), 1191-1204.
DOI Scopus16 WoS12 Europe PMC3
2023 Harrap, B., Gibberd, A., O'Donnell, M., Simons, K., Jones, J., Lima, F., . . . Eades, S. (2023). Cumulative incidence of child protection system contacts among a cohort of Western Australian Aboriginal children born 2000 to 2013. Child Abuse and Neglect, 143(106297), 1-11.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC3
2023 O'Donnell, M., Lima, F., Maclean, M., Marriott, R., & Taplin, S. (2023). Infant and pre-birth involvement with child protection across Australia. Child Maltreatment, 28(4), 608-620.
DOI
2022 Orr, C., Fisher, C., O'Donnell, M., Glauert, R., & Preen, D. B. (2022). Epilepsy in children exposed to family and domestic violence in the first 5 years of life. Journal Of Paediatrics And Child Health, 58(12), 2183-2189.
DOI
2022 Sims, S. A., Pereira, G., Preen, D., Fatovich, D., & O'Donnell, M. (2022). Young people with prior health service contacts have increased risk of repeated alcohol-related harm hospitalisations. Drug and Alcohol Review, 41(5), 1226-1235.
DOI Europe PMC2
2022 Dhamrait, G., O'Donnell, M., Christian, H., & Pereira, G. (2022). Is early childhood development impeded by the birth timing of the younger sibling?. PLoS ONE, 17(5, article no. e0268325), 1-15.
DOI Europe PMC4
2022 Chamberlain, C., Gray, P., Bennet, D., Elliott, A., O'Donnell, M., & Langton, M. (2022). Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families to Stay Together from the Start (SAFeST Start): urgent call to action to address crisis in infant removals. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 57(2), 252-273.
DOI Scopus42 WoS36 Europe PMC15
2022 O'Donnell, M., Usher, R., Burrow, S., Nguyen, R., McKenzie, A., & Fisher, C. (2022). Victim-survivors, family and domestic violence service providers and support people: identification of priority issues for research and translation into policy and practice. Global Social Welfare, 10(2), 129-138.
DOI
2022 Lima, F., O'Donnell, M., Bourke, J., Wolff, B., Gibberd, A., Llewellyn, G., & Leonard, H. (2022). Child protection involvement of children of mothers with intellectual disability. Child Abuse & Neglect, 126(105515), 1-10.
DOI WoS18
2022 Octoman, O., Arney, F., Chong, A., O'Donnell, M., Meiksans, J., Hawkes, M., . . . Taylor, C. (2022). Tailoring service and system design for families known to child protection: a rapid exploratory analysis of the characteristics of families. Child Abuse Review, 31(5, article no. e2762), 1-8.
DOI
2022 Doolabh, K., Fisher, C., & O'Donnell, M. (2022). Understanding the dynamics of support seeking in women with lived experience of non-physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and the service responses-a qualitative study. Australian Journal Of Social Issues, 57(4), 861-879.
DOI
2022 Chikwava, F., O'Donnell, M., Ferrante, A., Pakpahan, E., & Cordier, R. (2022). Patterns of homelessness and housing instability and the relationship with mental health disorders among young people transitioning from out-of-home care: retrospective cohort study using linked administrative data. PloS one, 17(9), 1-23.
DOI
2022 Orr, C., Fisher, C. M., Glauert, R., Preen, D. B., & O'Donnell, M. (2022). A demographic profile of mothers and their children who are victims of family and domestic violence: using linked police and hospital admissions data. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(1-2), 500-525.
DOI
2021 Orr, C., Preen, D., Fisher, C., Sims, S., & O'Donnell, M. (2021). Trends in hospital admissions for intimate partner violence in Australian mothers with children born from 1990 to 2009. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(15-16), 6998-7017.
DOI
2021 Dhamrait, G. K., Christian, H., O'Donnell, M., & Pereira, G. (2021). Gestational age and child development at school entry. Scientific Reports, 11(1, article no. 14522), 1-13.
DOI Europe PMC20
2021 Sims, S., Preen, D., Pereira, G., Fatovich, D., Livingston, M., & O'Donnell, M. (2021). Alcohol-related harm in emergency departments: linking to subsequent hospitalizations to quantify under-reporting of presentations. Addiction, 116(6), 1371-1380.
DOI Europe PMC6
2021 Chikwava, F., Cordier, R., Ferrante, A., O'Donnell, M., Speyer, R., & Parsons, L. (2021). Research using population-based administration data integrated with longitudinal data in child protection settings: a systematic review. PLoS ONE, 16(3, article e0249088), 1-41.
DOI
2021 Orr, C., O'Donnell, M., Fisher, C., Bell, M., Glauert, R., & Preen, D. (2021). School readiness of children exposed to family and domestic violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(21-22), NP20428-NP20458.
DOI
2020 Fairthorne, J., Bourke, J., O'Donnell, M., Wong, K., de Klerk, N., Llewellyn, G., & Leonard, H. (2020). Pregnancy and birth outcomes of mothers with intellectual disability and their infants: Advocacy needed to improve well-being. Disability and Health Journal, 13(2, article no 100871), 1-7.
DOI
2020 Pearson, R. J., Jay, M. A., O'Donnell, M., Wijlaars, L., & Gilbert, R. (2020). Characterizing newborn and older infant entries into care in England between 2006 and 2014. Child Abuse and Neglect, 109(104760), 1-14.
DOI
2020 Parsons, L., Chung, D., Cordier, R., Hodgson, D., Lund, S., Mendes, P., . . . Thoresen, S. (2020). Research protocol of a multifaceted prospective mixed-method longitudinal study: Navigating Through Life - Western Australian study of transitions from out-of-home care. BMC Public Health, 20(article no. 1180), 1-15.
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2020 Hamilton, S., Reibel, T., Maslen, S., Watkins, R., Jacinta, F., Passmore, H., . . . Bower, C. (2020). Disability 'in-justice': the benefits and challenges of 'yarning' with young people undergoing diagnostic assessment for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in a youth detention center. Qualitative Health Research, 30(2), 314-327.
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2020 Hamilton, S., Maslen, S., Best, D., Freeman, J., O'Donnell, M., Reibel, T., . . . Watkins, R. (2020). Putting 'justice' in recovery capital: yarning about hopes and futures with young people in detention. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 9(2), 20-36.
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2020 Lima, F., Sims, S., & O'Donnell, M. (2020). Harmful drinking is associated with mental health conditions and other risk behaviours in Australian young people. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 44(3), 201-207.
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2020 Fluke, J. D., Tonmyr, L., Gray, J., Bettencourt Rodrigues, L., Bolter, F., Cash, S., . . . Weaver, L. (2020). Child maltreatment data: A summary of progress, prospects and challenges.. Child abuse & neglect, 119(Pt 1), 104650.
DOI Scopus37 WoS32 Europe PMC21
2019 Lima, F., Shepherd, C., Wong, J., O'Donnell, M., & Marriott, R. (2019). Trends in mental health related contacts among mothers of Aboriginal children in Western Australia (1990-2013): a linked data population-based cohort study of over 40 000 children. BMJ Open, 9(7), 1-10.
DOI
2019 Cant, R. L., O'Donnell, M., Sims, S., & Harries, M. (2019). Overcrowded housing: one of a constellation of vulnerabilities for child sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 93, 239-248.
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2019 Maclean, M. J., Sims, S. A., & O'Donnell, M. (2019). Role of pre-existing adversity and child maltreatment on mental health outcomes for children involved in child protection: population-based data linkage study. BMJ Open, 9(7, article no. e029675), 1-13.
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2019 O'Donnell, M., Taplin, S., Marriott, R., Lima, F., & Stanley, F. J. (2019). Infant removals: the need to address the over-representation of Aboriginal infants and community concerns of another 'stolen generation'. Child Abuse and Neglect, 90, 88-98.
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2019 Orr, C., Fisher, C., Sims, S., Preen, D., Glauert, R., & O'Donnell, M. (2019). Hospitalisations for maternal assault are associated with increased risk of child protection involvement. Child Abuse and Neglect, 95(article no. 104014), 1-14.
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2019 Balogh, R., Leonard, H., Bourke, J., Brameld, K., Downs, J., Hansen, M., . . . Krahn, G. (2019). Data Linkage: Canadian and Australian perspectives on a valuable methodology for intellectual and developmental disability research. Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 57(5), 439-462.
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2019 Hamilton, S. L., Reibel, T., Watkins, R., Mutch, R. C., Kippin, N. R., Freeman, J., . . . Bower, C. (2019). 'He has problems; he is not the problem...' a qualitative study of non-custodial staff providing services for young offenders assessed for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in an Australian youth detention centre. Youth Justice, 19(2), 137-157.
DOI
2018 Maclean, M. J., Taylor, C. L., & O'Donnell, M. (2018). Out-of-home care and the educational achievement, attendance, and suspensions of maltreated children: a propensity-matched study. Journal of pediatrics, 198, 287.e2-293.e2.
DOI
2017 O'Donnell, M., Bell, M., & Sims, S. (2017). Utilising linked government data to monitor and support progress towards the UN sustainable development goals. Asia-Pacific Tech Monitor, 34(4), 12-16.
2017 Wong, J. W. Y., O'Donnell, M., Bayliss, D., Fletcher, J., & Glauert, R. (2017). Patterns of participation in year 9 academic testing and factors predicting absence on the day of test. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 16(2), 109-127.
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2017 O'Donnell, M., Sims, S., Maclean, M. J., Gonzalez Izquierdo, A., Gilbert, R. E., & Stanley, F. J. (2017). Trends in alcohol-related injury admissions in adolescents in Western Australia and England: population-based cohort study. BMJ Open, 7(5, article no. e014913), 1-7.
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2017 Hafekost, K., Lawrence, D., O'Leary, C., Bower, C., O'Donnell, M., Semmens, J., & Zubrick, S. R. (2017). Maternal alcohol use disorder and subsequent child protection contact: a record-linkage population cohort study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 72, 206-214.
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2017 Maclean, M. J., Sims, S., Bower, C., Leonard, H., Stanley, F. J., & O'Donnell, M. (2017). Maltreatment risk among children with disabilities. Pediatrics, 139(4, no. e20161817), 1-12.
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2017 Maclean, M. J., Taylor, C. L., & O'Donnell, M. (2017). Relationship between out-of-home care placement history characteristics and educational achievement: a population level linked data study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 70, 146-159.
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2016 Maclean, M. J., Taylor, C. L., & O'Donnell, M. (2016). Pre-existing adversity, level of child protection involvement, and school attendance predict educational outcomes in a longitudinal study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 51, 120-131.
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2016 O'Donnell, M., Maclean, M. J., Sims, S., Brownell, M., Ekuma, O., & Gilbert, R. E. (2016). Entering out-of-home care during childhood: cumulative incidence study in Canada and Australia. Child Abuse & Neglect, 59, 78-87.
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2016 Maclean, M. J., Sims, S., O'Donnell, M., & Gilbert, R. (2016). Out-of-home care versus in-home care for children who have been maltreated: a systematic review of health and wellbeing outcomes. Child Abuse Review, 25(4), 251-272.
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2016 Davies, H., Gilbert, R., Johnson, K., Petersen, I., Nazareth, I., O'Donnell, M., . . . Gonzalez Izquierdo, A. (2016). Neonatal drug withdrawal syndrome: cross-country comparison using hospital administrative data in England, the USA, Western Australia and Ontario, Canada. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 101(1), 26-30.
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2015 Sims, S., & O'Donnell, M. (2015). Identifying families most likely to have missing paternal details in birth registrations using linked data. Journal of Family Studies, 21(2), 163-177.
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2015 O'Donnell, M., Maclean, M. J., Sims, S., Morgan, V. A., Leonard, H., & Stanley, F. J. (2015). Maternal mental health and risk of child protection involvement: mental health diagnoses associated with increased risk. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 69(12), 1175-1183.
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2013 O'Donnell, M., Anderson, D., Morgan, V. A., Nassar, N., Leonard, H. M., & Stanley, F. J. (2013). Trends in pre-existing mental health disorders among parents of infants born in Western Australia from 1990 to 2005. Medical Journal of Australia, 198(9), 485-489.
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2013 Gonzalez Izquierdo, A., Ward, A., O'Donnell, M., Li, L., Roposch, A., Stanley, F., & Gilbert, R. E. (2013). Cross-country comparison of victimisation-related injury admission in children and adolescents in England and Western Australia. BMC Health Services Research, 13(1), 1-9.
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2013 Leonard, H., Glasson, E., Bebbington, A., Hammond, G., Croft, D., Pikora, T., . . . Bourke, J. (2013). Application of population-based linked data to the study of intellectual disability and autism. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, 281-327.
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2012 O'Donnell, M., Nassar, N., Jacoby, P., & Stanley, F. (2012). Western Australian emergency department presentations related to child maltreatment and intentional injury: population level study utilising linked health and child protection data. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 48(1), 57-65.
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2012 Gilbert, R., Fluke, J., O'Donnell, M., Gonzalez Izquierdo, A., Brownell, M., Gulliver, P., . . . Sidebotham, P. (2012). Child maltreatment: variation in trends and policies in six developed countries. Lancet, 379(9817), 758-772.
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2012 Gilbert, R. E., Fluke, J., O'Donnell, M., Gonzalez Izquierdo, A., Brownell, M., Gulliver, P., . . . Sidebotham, P. (2012). Trends in child maltreatment - authors' reply. LANCET, 379(9831), 2049.
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2012 Foley, K. R., Blackmore, A. M., Girdler, S., O'Donnell, M., Glauert, R., Llewellyn, G., & Leonard, H. (2012). To feel belonged: the voices of children and youth with disabilities on the meaning of wellbeing. Child Indicators Research, 5(2), 375-391.
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2011 Stanley, F., Glauert, R., Mckenzie, A., & O'Donnell, M. (2011). Can joined-up data lead to joined-up thinking? The Western Australian Developmental Pathways Project. Healthcare Policy, 6(SP), 63-73.
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2010 O'Donnell, M., Nassar, N., Leonard, H. M., Mathews, R. P., Patterson, Y. G., & Stanley, F. J. (2010). The use of cross-jurisdictional population data to investigate health indicators of child maltreatment. Medical Journal of Australia, 193(3), 142-145.
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2010 O'Donnell, M., Nassar, N., Leonard, H., Jacoby, P., Mathews, R., Patterson, Y., & Stanley, F. (2010). Characteristics of non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal children and families with substantiated child maltreatment: a population-based study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 39(3), 921-928.
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2010 O'Donnell, M., Nassar, N., Leonard, H., Mathews, R., Patterson, Y., & Stanley, F. (2010). Monitoring child abuse and neglect at a population level: patterns of hospital admissions for maltreatment and assault. Child Abuse & Neglect, 34(11), 823-832.
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2010 O'Donnell, M., Nassar, N., Leonard, H., Jacoby, P., Mathews, R., Patterson, Y., & Stanley, F. (2010). Rates and types of hospitalisations for children who have subsequent contact with the child protection system: a population based case-control study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 64(9), 784-788.
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2009 O'Donnell, M., Scott, D., & Stanley, F. (2009). Authors' response to letter regarding a public health approach to child abuse and neglect. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 33(2), 195-196.
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2009 O'Donnell, M., Nassar, N., Leonard, H., Hagan, R., Mathews, R., Patterson, Y., & Stanley, F. (2009). Increasing prevalence of neonatal withdrawal syndrome: population study of maternal factors and child protection involvement. Pediatrics, 123(4), 614-621.
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2008 O'Donnell, M., Scott, D. A., & Stanley, F. (2008). Child abuse and neglect: is it time for a public health approach?. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 32(4), 325-330.
DOI
  • Improving practice and care co-ordination for women/ families facing adversity during the perinatal period, Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, 16/06/2025 - 17/06/2030

  • Relighting the firesticks: Accelerating diffusion and progressing to sustainability of innovative care to foster a healthy start to life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, MRFF Early to Mid-Career Researchers Grant, 01/03/2024 - 31/10/2029

  • Wrapped in Our Ways During Pregnancy, Paul Ramsay Foundation, 11/11/2025 - 31/01/2029

  • Impact of the Barnahus model in Europe, Oak Foundation, 31/03/2025 - 31/03/2028

  • SNAICC research - Pre-birth notifications and infant removals, SNAICC National Voice for our Children, 27/06/2025 - 31/07/2026

  • Bringing Baby Home (BBH) Program, Department for Education, Children and Young People, 10/02/2025 - 30/06/2025

  • Supporting the mental health of Aboriginal children in care and leaving care, Department of Communities and Justice - NSW, 31/03/2024 - 30/06/2025

  • Infants removed by child protection: nature, extent and impact, ARC - Discovery Projects, 01/01/2017 - 06/07/2021

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Renee Usher
2024 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Kelly Maree Winslade
2024 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Helen Allport
2022 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Ebony Rose Tucker

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