Rate My Professor Vida Bliokas

Vida Bliokas is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology within the Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Wollongong. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours. As a registered clinical psychologist, Bliokas is a Fellow of the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute and serves as Director of Professional and Clinical Psychology Programs at the University of Wollongong. Previously, she was Head of Psychology at the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Her leadership extends to roles such as executive member of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Community Engagement in 2022 and led a research team awarded a $100,000 Innovation Research Grant from Suicide Prevention Australia in 2020 for a project investigating gender differences in suicide prevention aftercare programs.

Bliokas's research in clinical psychology focuses on suicide prevention, cognitive function in older adults, rehabilitation psychology, neuropsychology, food addiction, adjustment to chronic conditions such as ostomies and amputations, and co-design of digital health solutions. Her work has resulted in over 500 citations on Google Scholar and 27 publications. Key publications include 'Community-based aftercare following an emergency department presentation for attempted suicide or high risk for suicide: study protocol for a non-randomised controlled trial' (2019), 'Adjustment to an Ostomy: An Integrative Literature Review' (2022), 'The Hierarchical Clustering of Clinical Psychology Practicum Competencies: A Multisite Study of Supervisor Ratings' (2015), 'Impact of a Clinician and Lived Experience Peer Worker Co-Led Aftercare Program on Suicide Risk Factors' (2026), and 'Food anthocyanins decrease concentrations of TNF-α in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized, controlled, double blind clinical trial' (2020). Through randomized controlled trials, qualitative studies, and collaborative projects like 'Co-Creating Safe Spaces' and 'Food for Thought', her research advances peer-supported interventions, dietary influences on cognition, and patient-centered care in mental health and rehabilitation.