Professor Darryl Maybery works in the Monash University Department of Rural Health (UDRH). For 15 years he was a mental health clinician and psychologist in the areas of drug and alcohol counselling, prison psychology and employee assistance. He commenced his academic career in 1999 at La Trobe University in Wodonga after completing his PhD in the stress and wellbeing field from James Cook University. After a further five years teaching statistics and research methods, mostly to distance education students at Charles Sturt University (Wagga Wagga), he commenced as the Mental Health Academic at MUDRIH in Gippsland in 2009.  He became Monash UDRH Deputy Director in 2012 and Director in 2015.  He is currently the Director of Research and Professor Rural Mental Health in the School of Rural Health.  His research projects include rural, urban and international collaborations with a focal research area in relation to vulnerable families, particularly those affected by parental mental illness including carers and family.

He has career total of over 140 publications including 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, 18 book chapters, 1 edited book and multiple reports.  Since 1999 he has successfully; implemented on time and on budget over 45 research grants totalling over $25 million.  A focal research area, with multiple Australian and International collaborators is in relation to vulnerable families and in particular those affected by parental mental illness. The aim of this work is to stop the cycle of mental illness in families.

He is currently a CI on multiple grants and research collaborations including a major rural health workforce tracking study (NAHGOT) and most notably the psychology component of the $24,127,699 (over 10 years from 2014-2023) Long term study into the potential health effects from the Hazelwood coal mine fire.

1. Theoretical and applied research in relation to carers and family particularly where a parent has a mental illness.
2. Rural mental health and resilience.
3. Stress and wellbeing (positive psychology).
4. Program evaluation.

See video of Darryl's research interests: https://youtu.be/tPgiKoPqez4

I have always been interested in improving the human condition.  Early in my career I worked as a drug and alcohol counsellor and prison psychologist and during that time I often experienced that mental illness sometimes appeared to run in families. 

Consequently, my main area of research focuses upon vulnerable families, particularly with regard to the impact of parental mental health problems on children.  Our research group aims to reduce the ‘cycle of mental illness’ in families by focusing on the family.  

Our research focuses upon:

• empowering parents with a mental illness to help their personal recovery;
• helping young people with a parent with a mental illness better understand themselves, their parent and family;
• encouraging the mental health workforce to be more family focused in their practices.

One large research project is outlined at the following link:

Let's Talk About Children

Recent PhD projects

• The role of clinician factors in family focused practice.
• Mothering with mental illness in a rural context: The role of Identity and Connectedness in Recovery.
• Combat Families with PTSD: An insider’s perspective.
• Refocusing the lens on parent depression, family functioning and the impact of interventions on families.
• Interventions for Children of Parents with a Mental Illness: Children’s Experiences and Outcomes.
• Consumer-Directed Mental Health Recovery for young people.
• How do young people manage with a parent with a mental illness?

Hazelwood Health Study

I am also a chief investigator on the $21 million Hazelwood Health Study that has been funded to collect health information about Morwell residents following the Hazelwood mine fire in 2014. I lead the psychological aspect of the research including the Schools Study which is comparing schools most impacted by the smoke event with other schools in the Latrobe Valley in Gippsland Victoria. There is also considerable potential for higher degree research within the Hazelwood study. More information about the study can be found at the following link:

Hazelwood Mine Fire Health Study | Hazelwood Mine Fire Health Study