The NDIS tension in boosting disability employment
Do disability-related choices translate to a boost in employment and, if not, how can the NDIS scheme be improved to promote this personal goal? Read More
Health
Key challenges for the re-elected Coalition government: experts respond
The Coalition has won the federal election. So what will this mean for key policy areas? Read More
Protecting vulnerable children: what policy lessons can public health teach us?
More than 45,000 children live in out-of-home-care in Australia today. This number is unacceptably large and reforms nationally and internationally have begun to recognise this. Read More
Nearly 1 in 4 of us aren’t native English speakers. In a health-care setting, interpreters are essential
Almost one-quarter of the Australian population speaks a language other than English at home. But health services in Australia are largely delivered in English only. Interpreters are a vital bridge between health services and consumers, and access to interpreters in health care should be seen as a basic human right. Read More
Why housing is a major public health issue for Australians with disability
People with disabilities are at much greater risk of living in unaffordable housing where the cost of keeping a roof over their heads can only be met by reducing spending on other essentials like food and health care. As a result they face a higher risk of homelessness, prompting concerns about a disability housing crisis in Australia. Read More
Lawyers, guns, money – and politics, part 3
The third article in a three-part series on the formulation of Australia’s firearms policy; the power of pro-gun interests has the potential to pervert our political conversation the way it has done in the US. In Australia, cool heads must prevail. Read More
How neuroscience beats PowerPoint coma
We’ve all experienced — and inflicted — the condition known as Death by PowerPoint. But there is a cure: Mix neuroscience with design with education theory and practice. Read More
Just 16 minutes of sleep loss can harm work concentration the next day
Have you had a less-than-stellar performance review lately? Do you daydream, or are you making bad decisions? It might not be about your job but about your sleep. Read More
New Zealand’s well-being approach to budget is not new, but could shift major issues
New Zealand is set to release its first “Well-being Budget”, which builds on treasury’s Living Standards Framework. It introduces a suite of well-being measures, including cultural identity, environment, housing, income and consumption, and social connections. Read More
Understanding demand to prevent market failures in the NDIS
How can the NDIA help service providers make informed business choices, and stimulate their participation in the scheme, when real market data on demand is unavailable for this newly-forming disability sector? Read More
Biology is partly to blame for high rates of mental illness in women – the rest is social
Depression and anxiety are known to affect around one in five people, but depression occurs twice as often in women as in men. And when it comes to major depressive disorder, almost all population studies conducted to date have reported more women than men experienced major depression in their lifetime. Read More
Lawyers, guns, money – and politics, part 2
The second article in a three-part series on the formulation of Australia’s firearms policy; across the decades, Australia remains unified on its national gun laws. Read More
Controlling the costs of whole-genome sequencing in cancer care
Australia already has an ecosystem that is globally recognised for one of the best cancer outcomes worldwide. But there is still room to improve value-based cancer services and develop world-leading care pathways that benefit both the patient and the Australian economy. Read More
Why so-called ‘affordable’ housing is leading to homelessness
There are no rental properties considered affordable for a single person on Newstart or Youth Allowance in any major city in Australia, according to a major annual report. Read More
Psychedelics to treat mental illness? Australian researchers are giving it a go
Australia needs a paradigm shift in the way we treat mental illness. Scientific research is increasingly pointing to psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy) as viable options. Read More