Healthy Lifestyles and Outcomes
Research has found that people experiencing mental illness have a significantly shortened lifespan compared to those without mental illness. It is known that people with mental illness are more likely to have serious physical health conditions, like heart disease, obesity and diabetes, and are less likely to receive the medical attention and treatment they require.
The physical health of people experiencing mental illness needs to be given the attention it deserves. Improvements in physical health contribute to better mental health, increased daily functioning and improved quality of life.
The Healthy Lifestyles and Outcomes stream of research focuses on physical health for people experiencing mental illness. In particular, our work involves:
Promoting the assessment of physical health in people experiencing mental illness
Developing and implementing interventions (individual & group) to address physical health issues (e.g. smoking, diet & physical activity) in people experiencing mental illness
Evaluating the impact of these interventions
Therefore, work in this stream has both a research and a clinical focus.
Healthy Lifestyles and Outcomes team
Team Leader
Professor Jayashri Kulkarni
Coordinator
Sacha Filia
Kate Filia
Professor Amanda Baker (University of Newcastle)
Professor Robyn Richmond (University of New South Wales)
Professor David Castle (University of Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital)
Associate Professor Jill Williams (UMDNJ − Robert Wood Johnson Medical School)
Dr Frances Kay-Lambkin (University of Newcastle)
Dr Melinda Carrington (Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute)
Lucinda Riches (Inner South Community Health Service)
