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Dr Gomathi Sitharthan

MA(HONS),MPhil,PhD (USyd)
Senior Lecturer, Psychology

C43T - T Block Cumberland Campus
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 2 9351 9584
Fax +61 2 9351 9540

Website Porn Survey
Online Research
Porn Survey 2

Biographical details

I trained in Australia and received my PhD in Psychology from the University of Sydney. I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Psychology with the Discipline of Behavioural and Social Sciences in Health.

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Research interests

I have conducted research in the broad areas of health psychology and am particularly interested in translational research and have engaged in research focusing on preventative methods, early/brief/opportunistic/low cost interventions, and clinical trials addressing mental health / addictive behaviours/associated comorbidities, suicide risk reduction and depression management, promoting “self-change” programs in the community, ascertaining the impact of clinical training to deliver effective health care, clinical services evaluations, facilitating the up-take of effective interventions in health services and evaluating impacts of training, exploring migrant health, etc. Recently, I have broadened my research interests and am currently actively pursuing research in the area of the Psychology of Human Sexual Behaviour and Emotional Health, e.g. Internet Pornography, Sexuality and Body Image, Sex Education, Doctor-Patient communication, and Migrant Sexual Health, etc.

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Teaching and supervision

I have successfully supervised many research students, to-date, 12 PhD and 4 Masters. I am currently supervising 4 PhD and 2 Masters students.

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Selected grants

2008

  • Best Practice Management of Male Sexual Dysfunction in Australia: What do Men really want from their General Practitioner?; Weerakoon P, McCann B, Ramanathan V, Sitharthan G, Shuttleworth R; Eli Lilly Australia Pty Limited/Research Support.

2003

  • A controlled trial of an opportunistic intervention to reduce suicide risk among alcohol and other substance misusers; Sitharthan T, Sitharthan G; NHMRC/Project.

2000

  • A controlled trial of emotional cue exposure for relapse prevention in alcohol abuse; Kavanagh D, Sitharthan T, Sitharthan G, Saunders J; National Health and Medical Research Council/Project Grants.
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Selected publications

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Journals

  • Riley, E., Wong, T., Sitharthan, G. (2011). Counseling Support for the Forgotten Transgender Community. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 23(3), 395-410.
  • Riley, E., Sitharthan, G., Clemson, L., Diamond, M. (2011). The Needs of Gender-Variant Children and Their Parents According to Health Professionals. International Journal of Transgenderism, 13(2), 54-63.
  • Riley, E., Sitharthan, G., Clemson, L., Diamond, M. (2011). The needs of gender-variant children and their parents: A parent survey. International Journal of Sexual Health, 23(3), 181-195.
  • Sitharthan, G., Sitharthan, T., Hough, M. (2009). Alcohol versus placebo drinks in reducing feelings of sadness: Pilot study. Australian Psychologist, 44(4), 248-252.
  • Talob, E., Matthews, L., Sitharthan, G. (2009). Correlates of graceful ageing in senior Australians. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 13(Supp1), S187.
  • Macbeth, A., Weerakoon, P., Sitharthan, G. (2009). Pilot study of Australian school-based sexual health education: parents' views. Sexual Health, 6(4), 328-333.
  • Dunn, M., Mazanov, J., Sitharthan, G. (2009). Predicting future anabolic-androgenic steroid use intentions with current substance use: Findings from an internet-based survey. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 19(3), 222-227.
  • Weerakoon, P., Sitharthan, G., Skowronski, D. (2008). Online sexuality education and health professional students' comfort in dealing with sexual issues. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 23(3), 247-257.
  • Kavanagh, D., Sitharthan, G., Young, R., Sitharthan, T., Saunders, J., Shockley, N., Giannopoulos, V. (2006). Addition of cue exposure to cognitive-behaviour therapy for alcohol misuse: a randomized trial with dysphoric drinkers. Addiction, 101(8), 1106-1116.
  • Asghari-Fard, M., Hossain, S., Sitharthan, G. (2006). What are the implications of Australian Multiculturalism for the development of health policies and services? Does cultural awareness optimise quality of care? Collegian.
  • Sitharthan, T., Job, R., Kavanagh, D., Sitharthan, G., Hough, M. (2003). Development of a controlled drinking self-efficacy scale and appraising its relation to alcohol dependence. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 11, 351-362.
  • Sitharthan, G., Sitharthan, T., Kavanagh, D., Saunders, J. (2001). Brief Oppportunistic Intervention: The Role of Psychologists in Initiating Self-change Amongst Problem Drinkers. Australian Psychologist, 36 No 3, 219-226.
  • Sitharthan, T., Sitharthan, G., Kavanagh, D. (2001). Emotional Cue Exposure for Alcohol Abuse: Develpment of a New Treatment Procedure to Train Moderation Drinking in the Context of Dysphoria. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8, 73-78.
  • Sitharthan, G., Hough, M., Sitharthan, T., Kavanagh, D. (2001). The Alcohol Helplessness Scale and Its Prediction of Depression among Problem Drinkers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 57(12), 1445-1457.

Conferences

  • Weerakoon, P., Knight, P., Sitharthan, G. (2007). Global Sexual Health: Lessons in Internationalisation. EdHealth Conference 2007, Australia: University of Sydney.
  • Asghari-Fard, M., Hossain, S., Sitharthan, G. (2006). Acculturation, identity formation and psycho-social wellbeing: a study of second generation Iranian in Australia. Fourth College of Health Sciences Research Conference 2004 – "From Cell to Society 4".
  • Yang, C., Hossain, S., Sitharthan, G. (2004). A study on collaboration in service delivery of early childhood intervention to children with intellectual disability and their families. "From Cell to Society 3", : British Medical Journal Publishing Group.

2011

  • Riley, E., Wong, T., Sitharthan, G. (2011). Counseling Support for the Forgotten Transgender Community. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 23(3), 395-410.
  • Riley, E., Sitharthan, G., Clemson, L., Diamond, M. (2011). The Needs of Gender-Variant Children and Their Parents According to Health Professionals. International Journal of Transgenderism, 13(2), 54-63.
  • Riley, E., Sitharthan, G., Clemson, L., Diamond, M. (2011). The needs of gender-variant children and their parents: A parent survey. International Journal of Sexual Health, 23(3), 181-195.

2009

  • Sitharthan, G., Sitharthan, T., Hough, M. (2009). Alcohol versus placebo drinks in reducing feelings of sadness: Pilot study. Australian Psychologist, 44(4), 248-252.
  • Talob, E., Matthews, L., Sitharthan, G. (2009). Correlates of graceful ageing in senior Australians. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 13(Supp1), S187.
  • Macbeth, A., Weerakoon, P., Sitharthan, G. (2009). Pilot study of Australian school-based sexual health education: parents' views. Sexual Health, 6(4), 328-333.
  • Dunn, M., Mazanov, J., Sitharthan, G. (2009). Predicting future anabolic-androgenic steroid use intentions with current substance use: Findings from an internet-based survey. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 19(3), 222-227.

2008

  • Weerakoon, P., Sitharthan, G., Skowronski, D. (2008). Online sexuality education and health professional students' comfort in dealing with sexual issues. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 23(3), 247-257.

2007

  • Weerakoon, P., Knight, P., Sitharthan, G. (2007). Global Sexual Health: Lessons in Internationalisation. EdHealth Conference 2007, Australia: University of Sydney.

2006

  • Asghari-Fard, M., Hossain, S., Sitharthan, G. (2006). Acculturation, identity formation and psycho-social wellbeing: a study of second generation Iranian in Australia. Fourth College of Health Sciences Research Conference 2004 – "From Cell to Society 4".
  • Kavanagh, D., Sitharthan, G., Young, R., Sitharthan, T., Saunders, J., Shockley, N., Giannopoulos, V. (2006). Addition of cue exposure to cognitive-behaviour therapy for alcohol misuse: a randomized trial with dysphoric drinkers. Addiction, 101(8), 1106-1116.
  • Asghari-Fard, M., Hossain, S., Sitharthan, G. (2006). What are the implications of Australian Multiculturalism for the development of health policies and services? Does cultural awareness optimise quality of care? Collegian.

2004

  • Yang, C., Hossain, S., Sitharthan, G. (2004). A study on collaboration in service delivery of early childhood intervention to children with intellectual disability and their families. "From Cell to Society 3", : British Medical Journal Publishing Group.

2003

  • Sitharthan, T., Job, R., Kavanagh, D., Sitharthan, G., Hough, M. (2003). Development of a controlled drinking self-efficacy scale and appraising its relation to alcohol dependence. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 11, 351-362.

2001

  • Sitharthan, G., Sitharthan, T., Kavanagh, D., Saunders, J. (2001). Brief Oppportunistic Intervention: The Role of Psychologists in Initiating Self-change Amongst Problem Drinkers. Australian Psychologist, 36 No 3, 219-226.
  • Sitharthan, T., Sitharthan, G., Kavanagh, D. (2001). Emotional Cue Exposure for Alcohol Abuse: Develpment of a New Treatment Procedure to Train Moderation Drinking in the Context of Dysphoria. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8, 73-78.
  • Sitharthan, G., Hough, M., Sitharthan, T., Kavanagh, D. (2001). The Alcohol Helplessness Scale and Its Prediction of Depression among Problem Drinkers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 57(12), 1445-1457.
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