SA MENTAL HEALTH OBSERVATORY

The Mental Health Observatory as a Resource for Evaluation and Policy Development

 Coordinators

• Dr Geoff Schrader, Discipline of Psychiatry University of Adelaide, TQEH
• Dr Niranjan Bidargaddi, Mental Health Observatory Research Unit, Country Health SA LHN & A/Prof School of Medicine Flinders University
• Professor Robert Adams, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, TQEH
• Dr Melanie Harris, Flinders Human Behaviour & Health Research Unit, Flinders University

  Aims and Methods

 The Mental Health Observatory (MHO) is a multi-disciplinary research group that aims to stimulate, facilitate and conduct research into  mental health epidemiology and outcomes across South Australia.

 The MHO researches into the population of sufferers of mental illness both in Metropolitan Adelaide and rural South Australia through cross-sectional, longitudinal and interventional research designs. The group specializes in the translation of information technology approaches to improve health systems and health outcomes. 1) Application of data mining techniques on large health care administrative data sets to gain a better understanding of health system outcomes and associated factors, 2) Evaluating mobile/internet applications in improving care planning, care processes, access to interventions and measuring outcomes; and 3) Implementing tools and technologies useful in measuring functional outcome measures as part of routine clinical practice.

The MHO is affiliated with The Health Observatory, based at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which has been conducting the North West Adelaide Health study for the past decade. This study has 10 years of longitudinal data on biomedical, psychosocial, behavioral, environmental and health service variables. This rich data source is being used to examine a wide range of research questions related to chronic diseases, using multi-method and multi-disciplinary research techniques. The MHO plans to use similar techniques to develop longitudinal data on variables more specific to sufferers of mental illness both in Metropolitan Adelaide and rural South Australia.  

Researchers

 Since its inception the membership and scope of the MHO group has expanded to include a range of clinicians, clinical researchers and academics across South Australia. Key members of the group include - 

• Dr Jorg Strobel, A/Clinical Director, Mental Health Services, Country Health SA LHN
• Professor Bernhard Baune, Discipline of Psychiatry University of Adelaide, RAH
• Professor Jonathan Newbury, Professor of Rural Health, University of Adelaide
• Lee Martinez, Manager Knowledge Brokerage Translation & Exchange, Spencer Gulf Rural Health School / Country Health SA Local Health Network
• Dr Ken Fielke, Clinical Director Country Health SA Local Health Network Inc.
• Professor Malcolm Battersby, Discipline of Medicine, Flinders University
• Dr Tarun Bastiampillai, Clinical Director, Southern Adelaide Mental Health Services
• Dr Steve Allison, Clinical Director, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

 The Mental Health Observatory currently has 3 projects at various stages of development aimed at creating longitudinal data on sufferers of mental illness in South Australia.