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Our Research

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Background to current research

The history of the Collaboration is described in a recent article:
http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/226/issue/5786.htm

Current research

Six areas of research form the basis of our research program:

Mental health research

The Australian Rural Mental Health Cohort Study is beginning to bear fruit after a major investment in data collection, cleaning and analysis. This project fills a major gap in our knowledge of the particular experiences of rural and remote residents which is often consigned to the "too hard basket" in metropolitan and national studies.

The combined effort of the research centres with active participation by the health service mental health directors will make major contributions to our understanding for years to come. This collaboration has facilitated cross-centre research on service linkages in mental health and enabled a rapid response review to be conducted for NSW Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office to provide evidence on whether shared care arrangements are appropriate for patients with severe mental health conditions.

The Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health maintains an important program of research which included work on the impact of adverse environmental conditions on mental health and a major program on the mental health needs and experiences of adolescents, led by Helen Stain.

The UCRH North Coast conducts important research on low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy which supports a range of skills training programs for rural allied health staff.



Health services research

Our health service research program addresses problems of access and service quality in rural communities, including: the quality and effectiveness of general practice preventive services addressing lifestyle risk factors, and an intervention to prevent vascular disease.

A local project to assess the viability of a screening service for abdominal aortic aneurysm, a condition which may be fatal in rural communities, was completed in Broken Hill.

Collaboration members contributed to a national publication to highlight evidence-based practice in rural and remote Australia published by the Australian Rural Health Education Network http://www.arhen.org.au/



Health and the workforce

The Rural Allied Health Workforce Study is in the reporting stage. The "Ageing Well and Productively: pathways to healthy workforce participation" study is led by NHMRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow Sabrina Pit at the UCRH, as is the "Prolonging Working Life amongst Rural Older GPs: developing strategies and instruments" project.

A study of the on "Long Term Economic Impacts of Disease on Older Workers to 2030: costs to government & individuals & opportunities for intervention" has published widely on economic factors such as financial assets and vulnerability amongst people with different health problems.



Remote health and Indigenous health

The Broken Hill CRHR recently evaluated a mental health program provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) South Eastern Division.

The NRUCRH conducts and trains people in health research, and includes an introductory research training workshop for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, entitled "Walking through Research".



Agricultural health

The National Farm Injury Data collection from the Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety has led the way in the provision of data on the nature and scope of farm related fatalities. There has been a 44% reduction in fatalities, dropping from an average of 146 to 82 deaths per year

Another new initiative has been the conduct of the first ever national assessment of farming enterprises addressing key factors related to safety management systems, control of major hazards and physical/mental health

Farming remains one of the most risky occupations in Australia. ACAHS has developed an evidence-based resource (the Farm Health and Safety Toolkit for Rural General Practices) for rural general practitioners to help make them aware of the health and safety issues faced by farmers and their families.



Environmental health research

This research includes an ARC Linkage-funded project into the health effects of bushfire smoke, wood smoke and dust storms in Australia. A project with the NSW Department of Environment Climate Change and Water looks at the effects of heat waves on mortality and hospital admissions.

The Broken Hill CRHR continues to provide research and evaluation support to the environmental lead management program run by the local health service, and provides public health leadership to the community Lead Reference Group.

A full-time PhD project explores three key issues: community engagement and perception of lead as a priority health issue, the current and likely future lead hazard profile in Broken Hill, and the social and political context of local decision making about lead.

Also, a project to explore the reasons for low participation of local Indigenous children in the lead screening program is under way.

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