Dr Annabel Songco’s research program focuses on improving the mental health of young people. Her research expertise in child and adolescent mental health, aims to understand why some young people are resilient and able to withstand adversity, while others are at risk of developing anxiety and depression. She is interested in applying insights from cognitive psychology and neuroscience to develop evidence-based digital interventions that improve mental health.
Prior to starting at the Black Dog Institute, Dr Annabel Songco was awarded her PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, and has worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Oxford and the University of New South Wales.
Aji M; Xu X; McDermott EA; Metz M; Songco A; O’Gradey-Lee M; Lim CYS; Sicouri G; Parrish L; Hudson JL, 2025, 'Measures of Sleep-Related Fears in Children: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties Using COSMIN', Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 28, pp. 439 - 457, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10567-025-00526-6
Journal articles | 2025
Chen W; Aji M; Lim CYS; Songco A; Hudson JL, 2025, 'Using Inhibitory Learning Theories to Optimise Treatment for Children with Anxiety Disorders.', Curr Top Behav Neurosci, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/7854_2024_553
Journal articles | 2025
Songco A; Francis DA; McDermott EA; Lim CYS; Allsop A; Croguennec J; Sicouri G; Mackinnon A; Hudson JL, 2025, 'The impact of universal mental health screening on stigma in primary schools', Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 19, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13034-024-00854-5
Journal articles | 2025
Zavlis O; Parsons S; Fox E; Booth C; Songco A; Vincent JP, 2025, 'The effects of life experiences and polygenic risk for depression on the development of positive and negative cognitive biases across adolescence: The CogBIAS hypothesis', Development and Psychopathology, 37, pp. 361 - 370, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579423001645
Journal articles | 2023
Andrews JL; Li M; Minihan S; Songco A; Fox E; Ladouceur CD; Mewton L; Moulds M; Pfeifer JH; Van Harmelen AL; Schweizer S, 2023, 'The effect of intolerance of uncertainty on anxiety and depression, and their symptom networks, during the COVID-19 pandemic', BMC Psychiatry, 23, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04734-8
Journal articles | 2023
Minihan S; Songco A; Fox E; Ladouceur CD; Mewton L; Moulds M; Pfeifer JH; Van Harmelen AL; Schweizer S, 2023, 'Affect and Mental Health Across the Lifespan During a Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies and Mental Flexibility', Emotion, 24, pp. 67 - 80, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0001238
Journal articles | 2023
Songco A; Minihan S; Fox E; Ladouceur C; Mewton L; Moulds M; Pfeifer J; Van Harmelen AL; Schweizer S, 2023, 'Social and cognitive vulnerability to COVID-19-related stress in pregnancy: A case-matched-control study of antenatal mental health', Journal of Affective Disorders, 325, pp. 739 - 746, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.053
Journal articles | 2023
Spoelma MJ; Sicouri GL; Francis DA; Songco AD; Daniel EK; Hudson JL, 2023, 'Estimated Prevalence of Depressive Disorders in Children from 2004 to 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis', JAMA Pediatrics, 177, pp. 1017 - 1027, http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.3221
Journal articles | 2022
Booth C; Songco A; Parsons S; Fox E, 2022, 'Cognitive mechanisms predicting resilient functioning in adolescence: Evidence from the CogBIAS longitudinal study', Development and Psychopathology, 34, pp. 345 - 353, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420000668
Journal articles | 2022
Minihan S; Orben A; Songco A; Fox E; Ladouceur C; Mewton L; Moulds ML; Pfeifer J; Van Harmelen A-L; Schweizer S, 2022, 'Social Determinants of Mental Health During a Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.', Development and Psychopathology, pp. 1 - 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954579422000396
Journal articles | 2022
Minihan S; Songco A; Andrews J; Grunewald K; Werner-Seidler A; Blakemore S-J; Christensen H; Fox E; Goodyer I; Raffe W; Schweizer S, 2022, 'Development of a gamified cognitive training app “Social Brain Train” to enhance adolescent mental health: a participatory design study protocol', , http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17441.1
Journal articles | 2022
Parsons S; Todorovic A; Lim MC; Songco A; Fox E, 2022, 'Data and Protocol for the Oxford Achieving Resilience During COVID-19 (ARC) Study', Journal of Open Psychology Data, 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/jopd.56
Journal articles | 2022
Songco A; Patel SD; Dawes K; Rodrigues E; O’Leary C; Hitchcock C; Dalgleish T; Schweizer S, 2022, 'Affective Working Memory in Depression', Emotion, 23, pp. 1802 - 1807, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0001130
Journal articles | 2021
Parsons S; Songco A; Booth C; Fox E, 2021, 'Emotional information-processing correlates of positive mental health in adolescence: a network analysis approach', Cognition and Emotion, 35, pp. 956 - 969, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2021.1915752
Journal articles | 2020
Songco A; Booth C; Spiegler O; Parsons S; Fox E, 2020, 'Anxiety and Depressive Symptom Trajectories in Adolescence and the Co-Occurring Development of Cognitive Biases: Evidence from the CogBIAS Longitudinal Study', Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 48, pp. 1617 - 1633, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00694-9
Journal articles | 2020
Songco A; Hudson JL; Fox E, 2020, 'A Cognitive Model of Pathological Worry in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review', Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 23, pp. 229 - 249, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10567-020-00311-7
Journal articles | 2019
Booth C; Songco A; Parsons S; Heathcote LC; Fox E, 2019, 'The CogBIAS longitudinal study of adolescence: cohort profile and stability and change in measures across three waves', BMC Psychology, 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40359-019-0342-8
Journal articles | 2017
Booth C; Songco A; Parsons S; Heathcote L; Vincent J; Keers R; Fox E, 2017, 'The CogBIAS longitudinal study protocol: Cognitive and genetic factors influencing psychological functioning in adolescence', BMC Psychology, 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40359-017-0210-3
Preprints | 2022
Minihan S; Songco A; Andrews J; Grunewald K; Werner-Seidler A; Blakemore S-J; Christensen H; Fox E; Goodyer I; Raffe W; Schweizer S, 2022, Development of a gamified cognitive training app “Social Brain Train” to enhance adolescent mental health: a participatory design study protocol, http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17441.1
2021, The effect of intolerance of uncertainty on anxiety and depression, and their symptom networks, during the COVID-19 pandemic, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/gtekh
EMERGE Award (2023)
Black Dog Institute, UNSW
Award facilitating the creation, translation, and dissemination of Black Dog Institute research and the professional development of early career researchers.
Momentum Award (2022)
Faculty of Science, UNSW
Award supporting early career researchers with career development and maintaining career momentum.
Early Career Academic COVID-19 Scheme (2021)
Faculty of Science, UNSW
Award to provide early career researchers with the opportunity to pursue an independent program of research and establish collaborations.
Early Career Small Seeding Grant Scheme (2020)
Faculty of Science, UNSW
Award to provide early career researchers with the opportunity to pursue an independent program of research and establish collaborations.
