Gavin Beccaria

Professor Gavin Beccaria is Head of School and Dean (Psychology and Wellbeing) at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), where he also served as Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer. A registered clinical psychologist since 1993, he coordinates programmes, maintains a private practice, and has supervised ~500 psychologists nationwide.

Education

• Bachelor of Applied Science (USQ, 1992)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology (Queensland, 1992)
• Master of Psychology (USQ, 2003)
• Doctor of Psychology (USQ, 2010)

Research Interests

Professor Beccaria’s research integrates clinical psychology with community and organisational applications. He investigates Indigenous mental-health models, rural service delivery, evaluation of treatment programmes, and workforce wellbeing in high-stress environments such as critical care and rural hospitals. Additional foci include social problem-solving, chronic disease self-management (COPD, cancer), and psychology education.

Publication Trends

Across more than 40 peer-reviewed articles (2017-2025), his work clusters around three dominant themes: rural and Indigenous mental-health service design and evaluation, chronic disease (especially COPD) emergency-care pathways, and interprofessional education, wellbeing and career development. Studies employ mixed-methods, qualitative, and scoping-review designs, frequently engaging multidisciplinary teams of health professionals.

Awards & Honours

• 2011 Early Career Teaching Award – University of Southern Queensland

Supervision & Grants

He currently supervises 7 doctoral and 1 master’s students across topics such as Indigenous mental-health models, rural workforce strategies, self-compassion in early-career psychologists, and the use of Emotional Freedom Techniques in student-athletes. He has been Chief or Associate Investigator on three NHMRC grants targeting assessment and treatment of Indigenous mental disorders.

Laboratories, Centres & Teams

Professor Beccaria is affiliated with the Institute for Resilient Regions and the Centre for Health Research at USQ. He leads the Psychology Discipline Team and chairs the Queensland Section of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, driving strategic mental-health initiatives across rural and remote communities.