What gets you down?

Depression arises from a mix of biological, psychological and social factors and while science has made some progress in understanding and treating it, the factors driving each person’s experience remain unique.

Mixing up the medicine

New research suggests Australians are skipping doses, taking expired medication and going without groceries to afford medicines prescribed by their doctors because they aren’t covered by Labor’s landmark Cheaper Medicines policy.

Connecting the dots on youth mental illness

If our youth support programs are working, why do mental health disorders among young people continue to rise?

The return of infectious disease

Plummeting vaccination rates and poor regional living conditions are precipitating a return of dangerous infectious diseases to Australia which were virtually extinct for decades.

Behind the smokescreen

Smoking still kills 24,000 Australians every year, but vigorous lobbying and large political donations from the companies which profit from it mean that more stringent public health measures to stamp it out are few and far between.

They can’t hold your genes against you

A new law will stop life insurers from using “protected genetic information” to discriminate against people when underwriting policies or rejecting claims.

Nervous breakthrough

Re-framing “nervous system overload” as chronic stress can help to identify some more affordable, evidence-based ways to cope such as rest, meditation and exercise.

The heart of AI

Digital transformation and artificial intelligence in healthcare requires a range of safeguards and standards to work well, but new research from Flinders University provides support for effective AI systems to improve cardiovascular care.

After antibiotics

Antibiotics transformed medicine in the 20th century and saved countless lives but their overuse in medicine and factory farming has reduced their effectiveness, and big pharma companies have not invested in their replacement, leaving people increasingly vulnerable to infection.

Testing the virtual clinic

The University of Melbourne’s Validitron SimLab is a purpose-built clinical simulation lab where new digital tools are tested in realistic scenarios before reaching real patients or staff.

Medicare’s mental health check

Medicare Mental Health Check In doesn’t offer the instant back-and-forth of a chatbot. But it does offer something a chatbot can’t: an evidence-based program designed by experts and supported by a caring human.

Revamping vaccinations

The Australian College of Nursing is calling on the Federal Government to take a fresh approach to vaccinations, as a perfect storm of declining coverage, record-high influenza rates, and circulating vaccine-preventable diseases demands urgent action.