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News stories
70% of Australians with depressive disorders not getting adequate treatment
Researchers have found 70 per cent of Australians diagnosed with major depressive disorder are not receiving even the minimal treatment necessary.
Suicide rate higher for people with autism
Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR)-led research has found people on the autism spectrum are almost 3 times more likely to die by suicide compared to non-autistic people.
New national survey to track mental health among young Australians
The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) will co-lead Australia’s third National Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing along with Curtin University thanks to $8.1 million awarded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Community connection critical for well-being of Indigenous Australians
A vital study by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research has revealed the significance of cultural identity in supporting the overall health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Study shows high distress rates in construction workers
Every day, more than nine Queensland construction workers feel not in control, overwhelmed or unable to cope, a new Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) study has found.
Three ways to improve mental health crisis care
Over-burdened staff, stressful Emergency Department (ED) environments and a lack of alternative crisis care options are significantly impacting the experiences of people seeking urgent mental health care.
Priority groups overlooked for suicide prevention funding
Australian suicide prevention funding may be missing key priority population groups, a Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research study has found.
Link between childhood maltreatment and adult substance abuse
Researchers have found people maltreated as children are 3 times more likely to be admitted to hospital for alcohol and substance use by the time they’re 40, compared to people who were not maltreated.
One veteran has suicide-related contact with police, paramedics every four hours
New research conducted for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide estimates that one serving or ex-serving Australian Defence Force member has suicide-related contact with emergency services every four hours across Australia.
International study fills data gap on adolescent mental health
Surveys involving thousands of adolescents and their primary caregiver have shown the prevalence of mental disorders within the age group is very different across Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
New adaptive platform clinical trial model to accelerate advancements in schizophrenia treatment
A world-first Queensland-based clinical trials platform will enable researchers to evaluate multiple therapies simultaneously, potentially leading to faster discovery of more effective treatments for people living with schizophrenia.
Breakthrough findings for schizophrenia treatment monitoring
Intrusive monthly blood tests could be safely reduced for many people receiving long-term clozapine treatment for schizophrenia according to a new study by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.
Social factors critical to early mortality for people with schizophrenia
Stigma, lack of social support and unemployment play significant roles in premature mortality in people with schizophrenia according to a study by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR).
Half the population to have a mental health disorder by 75
A global study co-led by researchers from The University of Queensland and Harvard Medical School has found one in two people will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime.
Study highlights importance of collaboration between mental health and police services in supporting people in suicide crisis
An Australian first study of police negotiator suicide incidents in Queensland has supported the value of investing in collaborations with mental health services to help people in crisis.
Same name, but fresh look for Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research
The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) has had a makeover this October, launching an eye-catching new image and website to reflect its standing as a mental health research leader and to re-energise its commitment to creating new knowledge about mental health.
Ipswich Hospital Foundation partners with UQ to boost mental health research in West Moreton
New PhD scholarships will support students studying with QCMHR Researchers.
By the people for the people: Landmark survey amplifies community voice to reform mental health system
A landmark study, released this month, has engaged Southeast Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to speak about their mental health, report their preferences for care, and guide lasting mental health system reform.
Are mental health surveys reaching the right people?
The quality of mental health surveys could be compromised by failing to capture data from vulnerable populations, a new study from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) has found.
Study puts mental health services data under the microscope to improve service planning and system reform
New research from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) has analysed Australia’s numerous collections of mental health services data and identified how they can be improved to inform service planning and system reform.
Data shows need to prioritise mental health care for Indigenous Australians
Researchers are calling for higher prioritisation of mental health care for Indigenous Australians, after a new study showed anxiety and mood disorders are up to 3.3 times more prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples compared to the general Australian adult population.
Veteran mental health to benefit from collaboration between leading researchers
With suicide in the Defence and veteran communities a high-profile issue of concern in veteran health, Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation (GMRF) and the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) have united to further the field of military and veterans’ mental health research.
Study shows high rates of suicide crisis in pregnant women and new mothers
A Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) study has shown prevalence of suicidality in pregnant women and new mothers is almost twice as high than previously estimated.
Plan Better: Do Better: Adapting service planning can improve mental health services for Indigenous Australians
Australian mental health service planning can be better tailored to meet the unique needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) study has shown.
Funding a healthier future for people with schizophrenia
The Medical Research Future Fund has injected more than $3.8 million into a five-year clinical trial to determine more effective treatments for preventing antipsychotic drug-related obesity in patients with schizophrenia.
Proposing ten global priorities for climate change and mental health research
A Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) led study has proposed ten global priorities for climate change and mental health research following consultation with experts across the globe.
Trio of studies herald new hope for people with schizophrenia
QCMHR’s Physical and Mental Health Research Stream ended 2021 on a high note having published three studies that may herald new treatment options and improved quality of life for people with schizophrenia.
Study maps key components of optimal mental health care for young adults
Australian mental health services have been criticised for not meeting the mental health care needs of young people: now a Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) study has found seven key service components are needed to provide comprehensive, age-appropriate mental health care for young adults.
Grant enables world-first genomic reference dataset for Indigenous Oceanic populations
Researchers from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) have secured $2.5 million via the 2021 NHMRC Ideas Grants scheme to develop the world’s first genomic reference dataset for Indigenous Oceanic people.
Pandemic linked to rising rates of depressive and anxiety disorders
Cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders have increased by more than 25 per cent worldwide, according to a world-first study of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health.
Study shows RNA reduction disrupts dopamine system development
A Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research study has advanced understanding of the role Ribonucleic Acid (RNA), plays in the development of the brain’s dopamine system.
Building understanding over bacon and eggs – a breakfast workshop examines what distress means to construction workers
Researchers from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) participated in a breakfast workshop in June to examine what distress means to people in the construction industry.
IMHIP-Youth Project: Findings from a workshop on Alcohol and Other Drug Problems, June 2021
The IMHIP-Youth project addresses gaps in research and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (10-17 years) who experience detention, the vast majority of whom have unmet social and emotional wellbeing needs.
QCMHR honours Betty Garrett’s lasting legacy to people with mental disorders
Staff at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QMCHR) had a sad occasion to commemorate in July with the passing of Betty Garrett, one of Queensland’s most determined advocates for mental health research.
Fellowships cement postdoctoral researchers as future leaders
The University of Queensland (UQ) has awarded fellowships to two of Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research’s best and brightest last month in recognition of their potential as future research leaders.
Review uncovers urgent need for research to safeguard mental health in climate change
A world-first Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) study has confirmed that the mental health risks of climate change are now well established, and new research is urgently needed to guide responses that will safeguard mental health.
Australian Child Maltreatment Study: identifying the prevalence of child abuse and its health impacts
A national survey commences this week to find out for the first time how many Australians have experienced child abuse.
Suicidality among childbearing women a major challenge
A study by Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research researchers has highlighted the need to improve mental health assessments and pathways to care for childbearing women who experience suicidality.
Cannabis derivative on trial to reduce psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia
A new study led by Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) researchers, is putting a cannabis derivative to the test to improve outcomes for people with a treatment-resistant form of schizophrenia.
Disability highest for schizophrenia and personality disorders
Schizophrenia and personality disorders are the most disabling mental health conditions to live with, according to scientists from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.
Queensland research centre challenges norms for women in research
By boasting an academic research workforce that is predominantly female, a Queensland research centre is flying the flag on International Women’s Day for women in STEM research positions.
Mental health planning tool put to the test in regional Queensland
A Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) team has partnered with Queensland Health and Primary Health Networks in Central Queensland, Wide Bay and the Sunshine Coast to develop a new model for improving mental health care in rural and regional Queensland.
Anorexia and bulimia well-known but other eating disorders deserve attention too
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are well-known eating disorders, but a new study has found binge-eating disorder and Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED) are more prevalent, cause more disability, and warrant more attention from health policymakers and service providers.
Queensland researchers handpicked to join a global COVID-19 forecasting team
Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) researchers have been tapped on the shoulder by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, to join their global COVID-19 Forecasting team.
Vitamin D the clue to more autism spectrum disorder in boys
A deficiency in vitamin D on the mother’s side could explain why autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is three times more common in boys, say researchers from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR).
Research critical to mental health reform
A Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research academic says that research will be a critical enabler of mental health reforms outlined in the newly released Productivity Commission Mental Health Inquiry Report.
Queensland research trio make the highly cited list for work in mental health
Good things have come in threes this week for the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR), with a trio of the Centre’s top researchers making the annual Clarivate™ highly cited researchers list for 2020.
QCMHR researchers ranked among the world’s most influential
QCMHR’s John McGrath and Harvey Whiteford have been named as some of the the most highly cited researchers in the world.
Do informal carers of adults with mental illness experience employment disadvantage?
A Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research study has found that mental health carers experience significant employment disadvantage in comparison to non-carers.
A review of the operational definitions of conflict
A report by QCMHR researcher, Dr Fiona Charlson, reviews the concept of conflict within the context of epidemiological research.
Self-reported health of ADF personnel after use of anti-malarial drugs
QCMHR’s Dr Fiona Charlson and Dr Harvey Whiteford worked with Dr Michael Waller and Catherine Runge on a report examining the long term effects of malarial drugs used in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Link between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia confirmed
Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, a team of Australian and Danish researchers has reported.
Multi-million dollar research project to target adolescent mental health
University of Queensland researchers have partnered with institutes in Kenya, Indonesia and Vietnam to investigate the prevalence of mental disorders in adolescents.
Society of Mental Health Research Conference 2018
Last week, QCMHR staff took part in the 40th Annual Society for Mental Health Research (SMHR) conference. Held at the Sofitel in Noosa, the conference exhibited presentations by researchers from all over Australia and abroad in order to promote discussion and debate on important topics in mental health.
UQ efforts see bullying recognised globally as contributor to mental illness
Bullying has been recognised globally as a risk factor for mental illness, thanks to a University of Queensland research team.
Recognising the Value of Australia’s Unpaid Mental Health Carers
QCMHR researcher, Sandra Diminic, has been leading a program of research on unpaid mental health carers in Australia, sparking a nationwide campaign by Mind Australia; Caring Fairly.
Integrated mental health care can improve patient outcomes
A recent QCMHR report evaluates the Floresco Centre’s integrated approach to mental health care.
Schizophrenia and Exercise
One of QCMHR’s researchers; Dr Shuichi Suetani, has published a chapter on Schizophrenia and Exercise with co-author Dr Davy Vancampfort, in the recently released, Exercise-Based Interventions for Mental Illness. The chapter outlines the current clinical conceptualization of schizophrenia and explores its relationship to physical activity.
Research into link between vitamin D and schizophrenia wins medal
Research into brain development and schizophrenia has led to international acclaim for The University of Queensland’s Professor John McGrath, recipient of Denmark’s Strömgren Medal.
International psychiatry award puts QBI researcher among world’s best
Research into brain development and schizophrenia has led to international acclaim for Professor John McGrath AM, recipient of Denmark’s Strömgren Medal.
Psychotic experiences flag raised suicide risk
Otherwise healthy people who experience hallucinations or delusions are more likely to have later suicidal thoughts or attempts, an international study has found.
Hidden workforce saves Australia $13.2b
Carers supporting Australians with mental illness are providing services that would cost governments $13.2 billion to replace, a new report has found.
QCMHR researchers play key role in World Health Day
Researchers from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and The University of Queensland have provided key statistics which support April 7’s World Health Day theme – depression and common mental disorders.
Link between vitamin D treatment and autism prevention
Giving vitamin D supplements to mice during pregnancy prevents autism traits in their offspring, University of Queensland researchers have discovered.
Ground-breaking schizophrenia research recognised
The University of Queensland’s Professor John McGrath has won a prestigious international fellowship in the Niels Bohr Professorship Program in Denmark to continue his ground-breaking research into schizophrenia.