Research Findings

Young people with a chronic condition experience higher rates of mental illness and lower well-being than their peers. Dr Amy Finlay-Jones developed an online program called Uplift to increase self-compassion in young people living with chronic medical conditions. The group of young people that took [...]

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in Australian men. The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test is the most frequently used test to indicate possible prostate cancer in ‘average-risk’ men without symptoms. However, there remain many unanswered questions [...]

Results from a study funded by Australian Rotary Health (ARH) was aimed to identify novel treatment strategies for prostate cancer patients, which remains a leading cause of death for men in Australia. Nancy Santiappillai from the University of Sydney received the Rotary Club of Blacktown [...]

With the increase of mental illness in LGBTQIA+ youth, ARH Mental Health Grant recipient, Professor Ashleigh Lin, studied the effects on the Mindful Self-Compassion program. The Mindful Self-Compassion program is designed to provide a way to improve how people feel about themselves. The course is [...]

Australian Rotary Health PhD scholar, Kayla Corney found maintaining a healthy lifestyle with social behaviours and managing both our physical and mental wellbeing, had a direct impact on cognitive health. “Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (before the age of 18 years) was found to increase [...]

Australian Rotary Health PhD scholar, Jane Phillips hopes to help in the treatment of primary lymphoedema based on a recent study on compression treatment. Primary lymphoedema is a genetic condition causing chronic swelling in the arms and legs that requires daily compression to control fluid [...]

ARH Scholar Dr Rita McMorrow has recently completed a PhD looking into the assessment of diabetes distress in general practice. Up to 36% of people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) experience diabetes distress, negative emotions such as frustration about living with diabetes, which is different [...]

Australian Rotary Health/Ten Island Tassie Tag Along Tour PhD Scholarship recipient Amelia McGuinness has recently published findings from a large systematic review that reveal links between gut bacteria and mental health. The review was part of Ms McGuinness’s PhD research in gut microbiota and mental [...]

Results from a study funded by Australian Rotary Health (ARH) have revealed migraine sufferers experience both structural and functional connectivity changes in the brain compared to non-migraine sufferers. Tiffani Mungoven from the University of Sydney received the Joan E. Swanson PhD Scholarship in 2020 in [...]

ARH Scholar Zhenyu Zhang has recently completed a PhD creating a world-first ontology for non-medical interventions to assist in managing dementia symptoms. In 2023, more than 400,000 Australians live with dementia with many of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) difficult for those [...]

A study co-funded by Australian Rotary Health aimed to understand the attitudes towards alcohol consumption in young Australians by examining the relationship between their drinking habits and how they perceive their own drinking habits.  ARH Mental Health Grant recipient, Associate Professor Tim Slade from the [...]

A recent study by ARH scholar, Dr Laura Hart, found a correlation between people at risk of developing an eating disorder (ED) and our increased use of video conferencing software.  The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many changes in everyday living, one including the increased use [...]