Sunil Bhar is Professor of Clinical Psychology at Swinburne University of Technology. He is Director of the Swinburne Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults, a free counselling service for aged care residents. He is a clinical psychologist and has won more than $8M in grants as chief investigator focused on mental health programs for older adults. His research and contribution to practice has been recognised through several awards. In 2014, he was awarded the Alastair Heron Prize for excellence in ageing research and practice by the Australian Psychology Society. In 2015, he was awarded a citation for outstanding contribution to student learning in geropsychology by the Office of Learning and Teaching. In 2018, he won the Swinburne Dean’s award for research, and in 2019, he won Swinburne’s research impact award. Alongside his research and teaching activities, Professor Bhar has maintained a clinical practice for 30 years.
While many people maintain positive emotional wellbeing as they age, around half of older Australians living in residential aged care have significant levels of depression. Symptoms