Impact and engagement

Heavier primary school children are given less favourable academic assessments by their teachers.

Women in their early-20's and mid-40's are more affected by local economic downturns than men.

'She'll be right mate' is Australia's version of Britain's 'Keep calm and carry on'. But what determines our ability to bounce back when life deals a heavy blow?

COVID-19 has made women reluctant to attend routine breast cancer screening, but there is a compelling reason not to put it off: cost.

Financial hardship from the COVID-19 lockdown will broaden the gap between rich and poor, with children faring worst.

Our governments spend less than $400 a year per person on mental health services. That has to change. But what's the best approach?

Unemployment-related stress leads to an increase in prescription opioid deaths; so does economic uncertainty.

Mental health issues can have little-understood but long-reaching consequences for individuals, families, neighbourhoods. Developing a mental health policy that best utilises our economic resources is crucial for all Australians.

The 'Americanisation' of our health system; pharmaceutical protectionism; a regulator for health – Professor Jeff Richardson has been at the coalface of these policy debates for more than 30 years.

As the Federal Government's inquiry into the obesity epidemic gets underway, new research shows the overall cost of childhood obesity may be much higher than previously thought.

Just how long does it take a community to get back on its feet following a natural disaster? And how much do we really know about the long-term effects on people's living standards, job prospects, educational outcomes and health?

Obesity is a global epidemic. The number of obese adults has more than doubled to 600 million worldwide since 1980, according to the World Health Organization.