Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a complex condition characterised by an overwhelming desire to use opioids like oxycodone, heroin, and fentanyl, among others, which leads to significant distress or impairment. The condition not only involves a physical dependence, evident through increased tolerance and withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation but also carries a heavy psychological burden. Despite … Read more
Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a part of everyday life, with risk assessments (RA) playing a pivotal role in creating safer work, study, and public spaces. RA instruments’ effectiveness in acute mental health units (AMHU) has provoked controversy and contradictory research regarding their utility. Research literature reflects a lack of standard RAs to address … Read more
The prescribing of psychotropic medications like benzodiazepines and stimulants for children has been on the rise, with these drugs being used as first-line treatments for various mental health disorders despite limited information on their efficacy in this age group. These medications work by altering levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine in the brain, … Read more
An Australian Government key reform has consistently been to peruse a “National Evidence-Based Policy for Service Planning and Delivery” (Australian Government Response to Contributing Lives, Thriving Communities: Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services, 2015). In the past, general practitioners predominately prescribed psychotropic medications to treat mental health disorders, while pharmaceutical companies sponsor directly or … Read more
Australia, the sixth largest country in the world, known for its remarkable landscapes and low population density (three people per square kilometre), is actually striving to save its citizens from alcohol and illicit drugs. Recent analysis from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), the national agency for information and statistics on the country’s … Read more
Many people experiencing a serious addiction problem require residential inpatient treatment. They may have already had many failed attempts at stopping or moderating their substance use addiction, or they need a circuit breaker so they can be removed from their current environment. Residential rehab is the most severe form of intervention for the treatment of … Read more
In 1980, roughly 1% of children were classified as obese in the developing world. Today, it is estimated that one out of every eight individuals globally is affected by obesity. The number of adults with obesity has more than doubled since 1990, while adolescent obesity has increased fourfold. Additionally, there were 2.5 billion overweight adults … Read more