Looking beyond trauma exposure to support paramedic wellbeing may help address high rates of reported post-traumatic stress symptoms, according to the winner of ACU's Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) final.
Key points:
- Benjamin Coyte will represent ACU at the virtual 2026 Asia-Pacific 3MT Final on 14 October after winning ACU's 3MT final
- Marianna Quinones-Valera was runner up in ACU's 3MT final for her research in attentional bias in cannabis addiction.
- Agnita Pramasdyahsari won the People's Choice Award for her 3MT entry explaining how classroom conversations help students develop critical mathematical thinking.
Benjamin Coyte, a PhD candidate in the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine in Melbourne, was named overall winner at ACU's 3MT final, claiming a $3000 prize.
He will represent ACU at the virtual 2026 Asia-Pacific 3MT Final on Wednesday 14 October which will include video submissions from eight 3MT finalists.
Mr Coyte said paramedics experience potentially traumatic events at rates well above those of the general population,
He said finding opportunities to reduce avoidable workplace stress, strengthen resilience, and better target wellbeing initiatives will help them thrive.
"While many will tell you it's 'the best job in the world', paramedics also experience elevated rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety," he said.
"I saw this firsthand while working as a paramedic before becoming a researcher, through both confronting cases and everyday workplace stressors that weren't related to patient care.
"While I saw some paramedics thrive, I also saw others, including good friends, really struggle in various forms. They could be promising new practitioners or highly experienced and kind mentors."
My Coyte's interest in mental health saw him complete a psychology degree before moving into paramedicine. It has motivated him to better understand the landscape of stress paramedics face and how that relates to their everyday wellbeing.
"Looking at the full spectrum of stress, from everyday stressors through to traumatic events, I found that recent colleague-related stressors had more prominent relationships with wellbeing outcomes than recent traumatic events," he said.
Marianna Quinones-Valera, a PhD candidate with the Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, was named runner up of ACU's 3MT Final, winning a $2000 prize, for her research in attentional bias in cannabis addiction.
"My research explores whether people with cannabis addiction pay particular attention to cannabis-related cues, a pattern that may contribute to continued cannabis use," she said.
"Previous research has produced mixed results. Across two studies involving people with cannabis addiction but not in treatment, we found no evidence of attentional bias.
"The next step involves conducting an updated literature review to better identify key factors associated with attentional bias and gaps in current research. These results could guide future studies, inform important advertising policies and determine if attentional bias is a relevant target for treatment strategies."
Agnita Pramasdyahsari, a PhD candidate at the Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, won the People's Choice Award and $1000 for her 3MT entry explaining her research into how classroom conversations help students develop critical mathematical thinking.
ACU Pro Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Phil Parker praised the outstanding calibre of this year's participants.
"The exceptional quality of ACU's 3MT entries highlights the talent, creativity and impact of our higher degree research candidates," Professor Parker said.
"Their work is tackling real-world challenges and delivering research that matters to the communities we serve.
"The 3MT challenges candidates to distil complex research into a clear, compelling story that resonates beyond academia. It's a powerful test of communication and a vital skill for today's researchers.
"At a time when universities are focused on making research more accessible, relevant and impactful, the value of 3MT has never been greater."
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland.
Caption 1.
Benjamin Coyte
Caption 2.
Marianna Quinones-Valera
Caption 3.
Agnita Pramasdyahsari
