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
As the popularity of sports betting continues to soar, an alarming trend is emerging – the addiction of political organizations and sports leagues to the revenue generated by these betting companies. Both the Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL) have been heavily reliant on the money they receive from sports betting, … Read more
The opioid crisis continues to evolve, and so must our approaches to combating it. With the face of this crisis changing, it is imperative that treatments catch up to meet the shifting needs of those affected. From prescription painkillers to illicit drugs like fentanyl, the opioid epidemic has devastated communities and claimed countless lives. However, … Read more
The ongoing opioid public health crisis was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, 5,148 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between April 2020 and December 2020, representing an 89% increase from the same period in 2019. Similarly, in Australia, rates of self-reported non-fatal heroin overdose among those who regularly use stimulant drugs and regularly … Read more
In the United States, the renewed interest in ibogaine has largely been driven by a growing number of Americans seeking treatment abroad and returning with stories of overcoming addiction after a single meeting. The fact that many of them are military veterans has helped to facilitate some of the longstanding institutional resistance to hallucinogenic medications. … Read more
Launch Youth (Hobart, TAS) is a Hobart-based shelter for male youth (13-20yrs) who are either homeless or troubled by mental health issues. As a medium to long term home for these young men, it is the only such shelter in Tasmania. Launch also caters for high and complex needs clients including youth detention alternatives. Launch … Read more
The Farm in Galong Ltd was formed to address particular aspects of the problem of drug abuse in the community. Two things were of specific concern and became the focus of the group’s planning: recidivism and the effects of drug use on the user’s family. One particularly tragic effect is the removal of children from … Read more
Online Recovery Resources Soberistas Soberistas Welcome to Narcotics Anonymous Australia Narcotics Anonymous is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. NA Welcome to Alcoholics Anonymous Australia Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and … Read more