Policy solutions to improve the mental health of Australians with disability

Project Details

Australians with disability have poorer mental health outcomes compared to Australians without disability. Our research has demonstrated that these inequalities are shaped by the social determinants of health. People with disability, for example, are more likely to live in poverty, have higher rates of unemployment and poorer housing: all of which contribute to poorer mental health outcomes. Policy solutions addressing the underlying social determinants of poorer mental health outcomes for people with disability are urgently needed.

This project brings together researchers, people with disability and government to co-design approaches to better understand interactions between social determinants, policy and mental health pathways, paving the way to develop effective solutions.

Invitation to a brief online survey about disability & mental health

We want to learn more about what helps people with disability have good mental health. This online survey wants to hear directly from people with disability about factors that affect their mental health and which key Australian Government programs have the most important impact on mental health.

What you tell us will help the project team decide what to focus on in this project.

Who can participate? We are inviting adults with disability (18 years and over) and living in Australia to complete the online survey.

What is involved? 5-10 minute online survey. You can complete the survey on your own or with the help of someone else.

When can I complete this survey? The survey will be open until the 24^th of April.

For more information about this project, see the Plain Language Statement or Easy Read Plain Language Statement.

Online survey link: https://redcap.link/impactproject

If you have questions about this project, contact: Alexandra Devine: Email: alexandra.devine@unimelb.edu.au Telephone: 0415 570 109

Researchers

• Dr Zoe Aitken
• Dr Alexandra Devine
• Professor Anne Kavanagh
• Professor Helen Dickinson
• Professor Sandra Eades
• Associate Professor Tania King
• Dr Glenda Bishop
• Dr Marissa Shields
• Dr Humaira Maheen
• Dr Yamna Taouk
• Dr Kate Mason
• Dr George Disney
• Dr Yi Yang
• Marie Huska

Collaborators

• Department of Social Services
• People with Disability Australia
• Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
• Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy

Funding

Million Minds Mental Health Research, Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund

Research Publications

Shields, M., Spittal, M. J., Aitken, Z., Dimov, S., Kavanagh, A., & King, T. L. (2023). Does employment status mediate the association between disability status and mental health among young adults? Evidence from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 80(9), 498-505. https://oem.bmj.com/content/oemed/80/9/498.full.pdf

Aitken, Z., Simpson, J. A., Bentley, R., Milner, A., LaMontagne, A. D., & Kavanagh, A. M. (2020). Does the effect of disability acquisition on mental health differ by employment characteristics? A longitudinal fixed-effects analysis. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 55, 1031-1039. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01783-x

Aitken, Z., Simpson, J. A., Gurrin, L., Bentley, R., & Kavanagh, A. M. (2018). Do material, psychosocial and behavioural factors mediate the relationship between disability acquisition and mental health? A sequential causal mediation analysis. International journal of epidemiology, 47(3), 829-840. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyx277

Aitken, Z., Krnjacki, L., Kavanagh, A. M., LaMontagne, A. D., & Milner, A. (2017). Does social support modify the effect of disability acquisition on mental health? A longitudinal study of Australian adults. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 52, 1247-1255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1418-5 and University of Melbourne repository

Mithen, J., Aitken, Z., Ziersch, A., & Kavanagh, A. M. (2015). Inequalities in social capital and health between people with and without disabilities. Social Science & Medicine, 126, 26-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.12.009