Our health research focuses on substance use, mental health, and health outcomes, with researchers contributing methodological and statistical expertise to investigate how early life events, social supports and policy decisions can influence social and health outcomes. ISSR's research into health issues include a number of national and international drug monitoring studies, and linked, longitudinal data sets.

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Tackling alcohol-fuelled violence, one interview at a time

Associate Professor Jason Ferris held a string of media interviews on alcohol-fuelled violence, based largely on research undertaken through the Queensland Alcohol-related violence and Night Time Economy Monitoring project (QUANTEM), a Deakin University-led evaluation of Queensland's Tackling Alcohol-fuelled Violence Policy and its impact on the community. 

Associate Professor Ferris also shared his expertise and discoveries from QUANTEM with several hundred delegates of the 2017 national drug and alcohol conference, the Australian Winter School, including practitioners, researchers, policy makers and workers from across the health care sector. For three decades, the Australian Winter School (AWS) has facilitated skills development and knowledge sharing among health care professionals who treat alcohol and drug related issues. His presentation was invited by conference co-host, QNADA, a peak organisation for the non-government (NGO) alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector.

Listen to an interview 

Read an article on The Conversation

One Person, Many Stories: Service Integration in Far West Queensland

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.

Read our story (PDF 283 kb)

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.... Read more

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? In Queensland, the death of Cole Miller in January 2016 and other recent assaults around licensed premises highlighted the need for government intervention to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. The Queensland Government.... Read more

Drugs on the Darknet: Assessment 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.... Read more

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 relations.... Read more