Susan Hilary Spence
AO (born 29 September 1953) is an
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal ...
scientist whose work in clinical psychology is focussed on the causes, assessment, prevention and treatment of depression and anxiety in young people. Throughout the course of her career she has remained consistently at the forefront of this research area, has published widely and has been a regular recipient of national competitive grant funding.
In the area of mental health she is or has been a member of a number of State and Commonwealth committees and grant providers. She is or has been on the boards of several top international journals in the area of mental health. She is currently an
Emeritus Professor
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
in the School of Psychology and
Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention
The Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP) is a national and international suicide prevention research centre located at Griffith University in Mt. Gravatt, Queensland. According to its website, the institute is "dedic ...
at
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public research university in South East Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Formally founded in 1971, Griffith opened its doors in 1975, introducing Australia's first degrees in environmental science and Asia ...
, Queensland, Australia. She is the developer of the
Spence Children's Anxiety Scale
The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is a psychological questionnaire designed to identify symptoms of various anxiety disorders, specifically social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder/agoraphobia, and other forms of a ...
, a psychological questionnaire used to assess children aged 8 to 15.
Background and education
After attending Scarborough Girls' High School (Scarborough, North Yorkshire), Spence undertook her studies at the
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...
(1971–1974) and completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...
(1976–1979). She also undertook a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Sydney (1983–1985).
Career appointments
In 1979, Spence commenced her career as a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London with a concurrent appointment as a Senior Clinical Psychologist with Southwark Social Services (1979-1982). She then emigrated to Australia to take up the position of Lecturer in Psychology at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one o ...
(1982-1986) followed by a Senior Lecturership (1987-1992). In 1993, she moved to the
University of Queensland
, mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work
, established =
, endowment = A$224.3 million
, budget = A$2.1 billion
, type = Public research university
, chancellor = Peter Varghese
, vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry
, city = ...
where she was a Reader in Psychology (1993-1996), Professor of Psychology, (1997–2005), Head of the School of Psychology (1997-1999), Head of the School of Journalism and Communication (2001-2002), and Deputy President of Academic Board (2002–2005).
Spence was then appointed Dean of Division of Linguistics and Psychology at
Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a Public university, public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third univer ...
(Sydney) (2006-2007) before returning to Queensland to
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public research university in South East Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Formally founded in 1971, Griffith opened its doors in 1975, introducing Australia's first degrees in environmental science and Asia ...
where she held the positions of Pro-Vice Chancellor (Quality and Student Outcomes) (2007-2009) and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) (2009–2014). In 2014 she took up the position of Professor Emeritus at Griffith University. Other appointments included:-
* Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland (2010-2023)
* Member of the Board of Directors of
Open Universities Australia
Open Universities Australia (OUA) is an online higher education organisation based in Australia. The organisation was previously known as the Open Learning Agency of Australia. The chairman is Professor Bruce S. Dowton and the chief executive ...
(3 years prior to 2013)
* Member of the Board of Directors
Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy(2018-2022)
Awards and honours
* Fellow of the
Australian Psychological Society
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is one of the professional associations for psychologists in Australia. The APS had more than 27,000 members in 2005, making it the largest professional body representing psychologists in Australia at t ...
(1990)
* Fellow of the
British Psychological Society
The British Psychological Society (BPS) is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom.
History
It was founded on 24 October 1901 at University College London (UCL) as ''The Psychological Society'', the orga ...
(1991)
* Fellow of the
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It has its origins in the Social Science Research Council of Austr ...
(1995)
* Founding Fellow,
Academy of Cognitive Therapy (2000)
* Ian Campbell Memorial Prize for Clinical Psychology (2009)
* Aitana Career Achievement Award, Barcelona, Spain (2016)
* Officer of the
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...
(2016)
* Distinguished Career Award
Australian Association of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy(2018)
Research and clinical areas
Spence's early research in the UK focussed on the development of social skills training interventions for children and adolescents, particularly as a way if aiding the psychosocial development of young offenders. After moving to Australia in 1982, her research shifted to examine the causes, assessment, treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression in youth. A key aspect of Spence’s work has related to the translation of research outcomes into clinical resources and interventions that are accessible by practitioners. She is the developer of th
Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale(SCAS) which is widely used internationally and translated into multiple languages. She was also a lead researcher on two major studies involving the development and evaluation of school-based interventions for prevention of depression, including the Problem Solving for Life program and the ''beyondblue'' schools research initiative which informed school-based programs for the prevention of depression internationally.
In 2002, Spence and colleagues started work to develop and evaluate the Brave Online program for anxious children, teenagers, and their parents. After a series of randomized controlled trials showing the effectiveness in reducing anxiety in yong people when online treatment is supported by a mental health professional, Spence and colleagues extended their research to examine the feasibility and outcomes of the program when it was made openly available to the Australian population on a self-help basis. Over a 10 year period from 2014 to 2024, over 80,000 Australian children, teenagers, and parents enrolled in the self-help Brave Online program. The Program, with therapist guidance, was also implemented in New Zealand with anxious young people following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Susan
1953 births
Living people
Australian women psychologists
Australian psychologists
Academic staff of Griffith University
Alumni of the University of Reading
Alumni of the University of Birmingham
University of Sydney alumni
Officers of the Order of Australia
English emigrants to Australia
Australian Women of Neuroscience 2014
Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia