• Ms Carys Chainey

    Research Development Assistant
    Institute for Social Science Research
  • Into the Thirties: Persistence and Social Consequences of Risky Drinking

    The notion of maturing out of addictive behaviours is a long-held concept in population health research. In our thirties, the demands of partnership, family and employment have been viewed as increasingly incompatible with risky alcohol use thereby driving a decline in problematic behaviours. Yet, delays in the formation of stable relationships and child bearing as well as increases in separation and single parent households may be changing how we drink.
  • Drugs on the Darknet: Assessment of the Global Health Risks of a Rapidly Expanding Market

    When Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in 2013, the hidden web for selling illegal drugs became public knowledge. Online black markets pose new threats online for Australian children and families, and their use is expanding. A 2016 study found that Australia had the highest rate of drug retailers per capita on the drug cryptomarkets Agora, and innovations in the international drug trade require new modes of response.
    In collaboration with UNSW and other partner universities, Associate Professor Jason Ferris is assessing the global health risks of a rapidly expanding faceless drug trade, including harms for children and young people. The study involves a quantitative cross-sectional drug trends survey, forensic analysis of drugs purchased on cryptomarkets, analysis of digital records, and qualitative interviews.
    The results will identify and characterise the health outcomes of drug cryptomarkets. We will produce new knowledge about the impact of cyrptomarkets on the prevalence, intensity and harmfulness of drug use in order to make an overall evaluation of the net health outcomes of drug cryptomarkets.
  • Evaluation of the Queensland Government’s Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence Policy

    Alcohol is a contributing factor in most assaults on Australian streets. But can restricting alcohol sales save lives? The Queensland Government introduced a revised trading hours scheme, which includes a ban on the service of alcohol after 2.00 am.
  • Service User Experiences of Service Integration and Referrals

    In 2014, the Queensland Mental Health Commission procured a study to map service integration and referrals to support people with mental health difficulties and problematic substance use in regional Queensland areas. The study found that one of the most concerning barriers to service integration was the reluctance of individuals to access services based on referrals.
    ISSR was engaged by the Commission to research how service integration and referrals are experienced by people living with mental health difficulties and problematic substance use. Our researchers worked together with stakeholders and research participants to develop a nuanced understanding of the complex interactions between health systems and consumer perceptions and behaviours. Drawing on qualitative case studies supported by documentary evidence, we will develope actionable insights for the Queensland Mental Health Commission based on the barriers and facilitators for successful service referrals.
  • Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS)

    The Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) provides the Queensland Government with timely, accurate and up-to-date advice regarding environmental health risks. It operates as a whole-of-university centre to provide the Department of Health and the state’s Hospital and Health Services to a broad range of scientific and academic environmental health experts to ensure government policy and advice reflects the latest scientific findings.
  • Evaluation of the Mental Health Demonstration Project

    The two-year Mental Health Demonstration Project commenced in July 2015 to test a new integrated housing, mental health and welfare initiative to assist people in social housing to sustain their tenancies whilst managing mental illness or related complex needs.

    ISSR researchers provided an interim process evaluation for the Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works to determine how the Project was being implemented across multiple agencies in the Fortitude Valley and Chermside Housing Service Centre catchment areas. We reviewed documents and guidelines and conducted interviews with program managers and key informants to assess the effectiveness of interagency collaboration and whether the Project had strengthened local response capabilities.

    We also evaluated the outcomes of the Project using client data managed under a Client Outcomes Protocol designed to support open data-sharing between the Queensland Government and our research team whilst maintaining client confidentiality.
  • Review of Systematic Issues for Clients with Complex Needs

    This project examines the impact of the Queensland Government’s Anti-social behaviour management policy on social housing tenants with mental health and substance misuse issues. The project examines the relevant literature including policy and research evidence relating to sustaining tenancies; addressing anti-social behaviour in social housing; and housing provision for people with mental illness and substance misuse issues.

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