Dr David Lees’ lecturing, higher degree research supervision, and community engagement activities focus on the development and practical application of contemporary approaches to mental health care. 

In teaching nursing students, Dr Lees emphasises the importance of mental health care for all future nurses, whichever area they end up working in. He believes that nurses are an essential part of a healthcare team, and a broader society, that supports people to better look after themselves and each other.

Contemporary approaches to mental health care embrace a recovery model of mental health, which is based on empowerment of the person receiving care, holistic thinking, hope, the fostering of positive relationships, fulfilment of personal goals and meaningful involvement in society. 

‘Mental health care doesn’t stop and start at a hospital door. The person needs, as much as possible, to learn how to make the most of their lives and to be in control of their lives, when it comes to their mental health. When nurses use the recovery model they are there to assist rather than leading or directing. This restores the power to the patient,’ says Dr Lees.

Dr Lees emphasises the importance of helping students to develop essential skills such as empathy, self-awareness and emotional intelligence, to develop relationships that can be vehicles for recovery.  

‘Clinicians need to have hope and optimism that the therapeutic relationships they form are worthwhile. There is the potential for nurses to help others in so many ways, including in the transference of empowerment and hope from the nurse to the patient via a therapeutic relationship.

‘It is vital that nurses develop the skills of self awareness and the ability to self-reflect, to seek and receive effective support from colleagues, to know when they need counselling or debriefing themselves, and to do those things outside of work that sustain them. In these ways, both the patient and the clinician use the recovery model in their own lives to maintain and improve their own mental health, and the clinician is able to maintain their hope and optimism and avoid burnout.’

In supervising higher degree research students, Dr Lees notes that ‘Any higher degree student is operating at the forefront of issues and creating new knowledge. I find it immensely satisfying to work in an environment that allows me to be exposed to current ideas in the field of mental health, through my students, senior colleagues and other people in the field.

‘It’s a privilege to support students. Having been through my own PhD studies, I know how challenging it can be. It’s wonderful to have a connection to all their interesting projects and to see how they can help develop approaches to care and ultimately make a positive difference in people’s lives,’ says Dr Lees.

‘Research can sometimes feel distant from the real world and community. Higher degree research can, in many ways, take us deeply into that world. I do my job because I believe and hope that what we do as teachers and researchers helps to improve how health care is delivered. It affects people’s lives. At its basis, mental health care is about helping people to flourish and reach their human potential. I want everyone, especially vulnerable people, to have meaningful and satisfying lives. Ultimately that would lead to us having a more peaceful, connected and healthier society.’

Dr Lees is involved in numerous community engagement activities, including the facilitation of a staff–student mindfulness group, and the development and evaluation of a three-year national suicide prevention trial across northern regions of Tasmania, where the suicide rate is unfortunately higher than the national average. This work will see the University of Tasmania playing a key role in evaluating the community-led activities that form part of the trial.