Overview
Background
Associate Professor Meredith Harris is a researcher in the field of mental health services research and evaluation. She is a Principal Research Fellow with the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland, based at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.
Meredith holds qualifications in psychology, policy and applied social research, and public health. She has over 25 years of experience in the management and administration of research projects, including systematic literature reviews, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, studies based on epidemiological survey data, and evaluations of health programs and interventions using observational, quasi-experimental and experimental research designs.
Meredith's current role is with the Analysis and Reporting Component of the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN), which leads the design, analysis and reporting of the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection (http://www.amhocn.org/). In this role, she is leading a range of projects designed to improve the measurement of patient- and service-level outcomes in Australia's specialised public sector mental health services.
Availability
- Associate Professor Meredith Harris is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, Macquarie University
- Masters (Coursework), Macquarie University
- Masters (Coursework) of Public Health, University of Sydney
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Investigating clinical and psychosocial outcomes of mental health treatment services and models
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Evaluating primary mental health care reforms
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Understanding population patterns of health service utilisation for mental health problems
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Using epidemiological and policy analyses to inform mental health service planning decisions
Research impacts
Meredith has led several major research projects that have directly informed mental health policy and service planning. For example, she undertook two empirical mental health planning studies that developed service planning targets for public sector mental health services and community support services funded by the Queensland government. The recommendations from these studies were taken up directly in the subsequent Queensland Mental Health Plan 2007-17 and informed the Queensland Department of Communities’ Supporting Recovery: Mental Health Community Services Plan 2011-2017.
She has led or contributed to a number of projects related to initiatives implemented under the National Mental Health Strategy. For example, she was an investigator on several components of a government-funded evaluation of the Better Access initiative; particularly, she led Component B which involved an in-depth analysis of patterns of use of mental health services delivered subsidised via the Medicare Benefits Schedule. The evaluation contributed evidence that has been widely used in ongoing national debate about access, equity and outcomes associated with this major national mental health reform, and informed refinements to the program guidelines.
Meredith’s research has involved novel applications of epidemiological survey data to answer policy-relevant questions about the performance of Australia’s mental health system. Using these data, for example, she published the first study to quantify minimally adequate treatment for affective and anxiety disorders in the Australian mental health system, the first published independent evaluation of a major primary mental health care initiative (the Better Access program), and the first study to examine the match between practice guideline recommendations and treatment of subthreshold depression in Australian primary care settings. Collectively, these studies have contributed to ongoing debates and efforts to understand the impact of policy and service impacts of measures of disease burden related to mental disorders.
Works
Search Professor Meredith Harris’s works on UQ eSpace
2022
Journal Article
Perceived helpfulness of service sectors used for mental and substance use disorders: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys
Harris, Meredith G., Kazdin, Alan E., Munthali, Richard J., Vigo, Daniel V., Hwang, Irving, Sampson, Nancy A., Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Andrade, Laura Helena, Borges, Guilherme, Bunting, Brendan, Florescu, Silvia, Gureje, Oye, Karam, Elie G., Lee, Sing, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Nishi, Daisuke, Rapsey, Charlene, Scott, Kate M., Stagnaro, Juan Carlos, Viana, Maria Carmen, Wojtyniak, Bogdan, Xavier, Miguel and Kessler, Ronald C. (2022). Perceived helpfulness of service sectors used for mental and substance use disorders: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 16 (1) 6, 6. doi: 10.1186/s13033-022-00516-z
2022
Journal Article
The associations between traumatic experiences and subsequent onset of a substance use disorder: findings from the World Health Organization World Mental Health surveys
Degenhardt, Louisa, Bharat, Chrianna, Glantz, Meyer D., Bromet, Evelyn J., Alonso, Jordi, Bruffaerts, Ronny, Bunting, Brendan, de Girolamo, Giovanni, de Jonge, Peter, Florescu, Silvia, Gureje, Oye, Haro, Josep Maria, Harris, Meredith G., Hinkov, Hristo, Karam, Elie G., Karam, Georges, Kovess-Masfety, Viviane, Lee, Sing, Makanjuola, Victor, Medina-Mora, Maria Elena, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Piazza, Marina, Posada-Villa, José, Scott, Kate M., Stein, Dan J., Tachimori, Hisateru, Tintle, Nathan, Torres, Yolanda, Viana, Maria Carmen and Kessler, Ronald C. (2022). The associations between traumatic experiences and subsequent onset of a substance use disorder: findings from the World Health Organization World Mental Health surveys. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 240 109574, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109574
2022
Journal Article
Frequency and quality of mental health treatment for affective and anxiety disorders among Australian adults (vol 202, pg 185, 2015)
Harris, M. G., Hobbs, M. J. and Burgess, P. M. (2022). Frequency and quality of mental health treatment for affective and anxiety disorders among Australian adults (vol 202, pg 185, 2015). Medical Journal of Australia, 217 (10), 525-525. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51747
2022
Journal Article
Economic evaluation of a Decision Support Tool to guide intensity of mental health care in general practice: the Link-me pragmatic randomised controlled trial
Chatterton, Mary Lou, Harris, Meredith, Burgess, Philip, Fletcher, Susan, Spittal, Matthew J., Faller, Jan, Palmer, Victoria J., Chondros, Patty, Bassilios, Bridget, Pirkis, Jane, Gunn, Jane and Mihalopoulos, Cathrine (2022). Economic evaluation of a Decision Support Tool to guide intensity of mental health care in general practice: the Link-me pragmatic randomised controlled trial. BMC Primary Care, 23 (1) 236, 236. doi: 10.1186/s12875-022-01839-z
2022
Journal Article
Comparative effectiveness of integrated peer support and clinical staffing models for community-based residential mental health rehabilitation: a prospective observational study
Parker, Stephen, Arnautovska, U., Korman, N., Harris, M. and Dark, F. (2022). Comparative effectiveness of integrated peer support and clinical staffing models for community-based residential mental health rehabilitation: a prospective observational study. Community Mental Health Journal, 59 (3), 1-12. doi: 10.1007/s10597-022-01023-8
2022
Journal Article
Assessing the content validity of the revised health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS 2018)
Harris, Meredith G., Tapp, Caley, Arnautovska, Urska, Coombs, Tim, Dickson, Rosemary, James, Mick, Painter, Jon, Smith, Mark, Jury, Angela, Lai, Jennifer and Burgess, Philip M. (2022). Assessing the content validity of the revised health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS 2018). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (16) 9895, 1-13. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19169895
2022
Journal Article
Assessing the content validity of the revised Health of the Nation Outcome Scales 65+: the HoNOS Older Adults
Harris, Meredith G., Tapp, Caley, Arnautovska, Urska, Coombs, Tim, Dickson, Rosemary, Smith, Mark, Jury, Angela, Lai, Jennifer, James, Mick, Painter, Jon and Burgess, Philip M. (2022). Assessing the content validity of the revised Health of the Nation Outcome Scales 65+: the HoNOS Older Adults. BJPsych Bulletin, 47 (4), 1-8. doi: 10.1192/bjb.2022.37
2022
Journal Article
Increased risks for mental disorders among LGB individuals: cross-national evidence from the World Mental Health Surveys
Gmelin, Jan-Ole H., De Vries, Ymkje Anna, Baams, Laura, Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio, Alonso, Jordi, Borges, Guilherme, Bunting, Brendan, Cardoso, Graca, Florescu, Silvia, Gureje, Oye, Karam, Elie G., Kawakami, Norito, Lee, Sing, Mneimneh, Zeina, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Posada-Villa, José, Rapsey, Charlene, Slade, Tim, Stagnaro, Juan Carlos, Torres, Yolanda, Kessler, Ronald C., de Jonge, Peter, Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio, Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Andrade, Laura Helena, Atwoli, Lukoye, Benjet, Corina, Borges, Guilherme ... on behalf of The WHO World Mental Health Survey collaborators (2022). Increased risks for mental disorders among LGB individuals: cross-national evidence from the World Mental Health Surveys. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57 (11), 2319-2332. doi: 10.1007/s00127-022-02320-z
2022
Journal Article
Patterns and correlates of patient-reported helpfulness of treatment for common mental and substance use disorders in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys
Kessler, Ronald C., Kazdin, Alan E., Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio, Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Altwaijri, Yasmin A., Andrade, Laura H., Benjet, Corina, Bharat, Chrianna, Borges, Guilherme, Bruffaerts, Ronny, Bunting, Brendan, de Almeida, José Miguel Caldas, Cardoso, Graça, Chiu, Wai Tat, Cía, Alfredo, Ciutan, Marius, Degenhardt, Louisa, de Girolamo, Giovanni, de Jonge, Peter, de Vries, Ymkje Anna, Florescu, Silvia, Gureje, Oye, Haro, Josep Maria, Harris, Meredith G., Hu, Chiyi, Karam, Aimee N., Karam, Elie G., Karam, Georges ... WHO World Mental Health Survey collaborators (2022). Patterns and correlates of patient-reported helpfulness of treatment for common mental and substance use disorders in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. World Psychiatry, 21 (2), 272-286. doi: 10.1002/wps.20971
2022
Journal Article
Perceived helpfulness of treatment for social anxiety disorder: findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys
Bruffaerts, Ronny, Harris, Meredith G, Kazdin, Alan E, Vigo, Daniel V, Sampson, Nancy A, Chiu, Wai Tat, Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Altwaijri, Yasmin A, Andrade, Laura, Benjet, Corina, de Girolamo, Giovanni, Florescu, Silvia, Haro, Josep Maria, Hu, Chi-Yi, Karam, Aimee, Karam, Elie G, Kovess-Masfety, Viviane, Lee, Sing, McGrath, John J, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Nishi, Daisuke, O'Neill, Siobhan, Posada-Villa, José, Scott, Kate M, Have, Margreet Ten, Torres, Yolanda, Wojtyniak, Bogdan, Xavier, Miguel ... WHO World Mental Health Survey Collaborators (2022). Perceived helpfulness of treatment for social anxiety disorder: findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57 (10), 2079-2095. doi: 10.1007/s00127-022-02249-3
2022
Conference Publication
Use of a clinical outcomes national data collection in measuring performance of mental health services
Gee, A., Thomson, J., Harris, M. and Burgess, P. (2022). Use of a clinical outcomes national data collection in measuring performance of mental health services . Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ), 12th Health Services Research Conference , Sydney, Australia, 30 November - 2 December 2022.
2021
Journal Article
Perceived helpfulness of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: a World Mental Health Surveys report
Stein, Dan J., Kazdin, Alan E., Ruscio, Ayelet Meron, Chiu, Wai Tat, Sampson, Nancy A., Ziobrowski, Hannah N., Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio, Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Altwaijri, Yasmin, Bruffaerts, Ronny, Bunting, Brendan, de Girolamo, Giovanni, de Jonge, Peter, Degenhardt, Louisa, Gureje, Oye, Haro, Josep Maria, Harris, Meredith G., Karam, Aimee, Karam, Elie G., Kovess-Masfety, Viviane, Lee, Sing, Medina-Mora, Maria Elena, Moskalewicz, Jacek, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Nishi, Daisuke, Posada-Villa, José, Scott, Kate M., Viana, Maria Carmen ... Wojtyniak, Bogdan (2021). Perceived helpfulness of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: a World Mental Health Surveys report. BMC Psychiatry, 21 (1) 392, 392. doi: 10.1186/s12888-021-03363-3
2021
Journal Article
Perceived helpfulness of treatment for alcohol use disorders: findings from the World Mental Health Surveys
Degenhardt, Louisa, Bharat, Chrianna, Chiu, Wai Tat, Harris, Meredith G, Kazdin, Alan E, Vigo, Daniel V, Sampson, Nancy A, Alonso, Jordi, Andrade, Laura Helena, Bruffaerts, Ronny, Bunting, Brendan, Cardoso, Graça, de Girolamo, Giovanni, Florescu, Silvia, Gureje, Oye, Haro, Josep Maria, Hu, Chiyi, Karam, Aimee N, Karam, Elie G, Kovess-Masfety, Viviane, Lee, Sing, Makanjuola, Victor, McGrath, John J, Medina-Mora, Maria Elena, Moskalewicz, Jacek, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Posada-Villa, José, Rapsey, Charlene, Stagnaro, Juan Carlos ... WHO World Mental Health Survey collaborators, The WHO World Mental Health Survey collaborators are Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola (2021). Perceived helpfulness of treatment for alcohol use disorders: findings from the World Mental Health Surveys. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 229 (Pt B) 109158, 109158. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109158
2021
Journal Article
Antidepressant use in low- middle- and high-income countries: a World Mental Health Surveys report
Kazdin, Alan E., Wu, Chi-Shin, Hwang, Irving, Puac-Polanco, Victor, Sampson, Nancy A., Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Andrade, Laura Helena, Benjet, Corina, Caldas-de-Almeida, José-Miguel, de Girolamo, Giovanni, de Jonge, Peter, Florescu, Silvia, Gureje, Oye, Haro, Josep M., Harris, Meredith G., Karam, Elie G., Karam, Georges, Kovess-Masfety, Viviane, Lee, Sing, McGrath, John J., Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Nishi, Daisuke, Oladeji, Bibilola D., Posada-Villa, José, Stein, Dan J., Üstün, T. Bedirhan, Vigo, Daniel V., Zarkov, Zahari ... the WHO World Mental Health Survey collaborators (2021). Antidepressant use in low- middle- and high-income countries: a World Mental Health Surveys report. Psychological Medicine, 53 (4) PII S0033291721003160, 1-9. doi: 10.1017/s0033291721003160
2021
Journal Article
Exploring the cost-effectiveness of a Dutch collaborative stepped care intervention for the treatment of depression and/or anxiety when adapted to the Australian context: a model-based cost-utility analysis
Lee, Y. Y., Harris, M. G., Whiteford, H. A., Davidson, S. K., Chatterton, M. L., Stockings, E. A. and Mihalopoulos, C. (2021). Exploring the cost-effectiveness of a Dutch collaborative stepped care intervention for the treatment of depression and/or anxiety when adapted to the Australian context: a model-based cost-utility analysis. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 30 e58. doi: 10.1017/s2045796021000470
2021
Journal Article
Perceived helpfulness of treatment for specific phobia: Findings from the World Mental Health Surveys
de Vries, Ymkje Anna, Harris, Meredith G., Vigo, Daniel, Chiu, Wai Tat, Sampson, Nancy A., Al-Hamzawi, Ali, Alonso, Jordi, Andrade, Laura H., Benjet, Corina, Bruffaerts, Ronny, Bunting, Brendan, Caldas de Almeida, José Miguel, de Girolamo, Giovanni, Florescu, Silvia, Gureje, Oye, Haro, Josep Maria, Hu, Chiyi, Karam, Elie G., Kawakami, Norito, Kovess-Masfety, Viviane, Lee, Sing, Moskalewicz, Jacek, Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Ojagbemi, Akin, Posada-Villa, José, Scott, Kate, Torres, Yolanda, Zarkov, Zahari, Nierenberg, Andrew ... WHO World Mental Health Survey collaborators (2021). Perceived helpfulness of treatment for specific phobia: Findings from the World Mental Health Surveys. Journal of Affective Disorders, 288, 199-209. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.001
2021
Other Outputs
Assessing the content validity of the revised Health of the Nation Outcome Scales 65+: the HoNOS Older Adults
Harris, Meredith , Tapp, Caley , Arnautovska, Urska , Coombs, Tim , Dickson, Rosemary , Smith, Mark , Jury, Angela , Lai, Jennifer , James, Mick , Painter, Jon and Burgess, Philip (2021). Assessing the content validity of the revised Health of the Nation Outcome Scales 65+: the HoNOS Older Adults. Sydney, Australia: Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network.
2021
Other Outputs
Assessing the content validity of the revised Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS 2018)
Harris, Meredith , Tapp, Caley , Arnautovska, Urska , Coombs, Tim , Dickson, Rosemary , James, Mick , Painter, Jon , Smith, Mark , Jury, Angela , Lai, Jennifer and Burgess, Philip (2021). Assessing the content validity of the revised Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS 2018). Sydney, Australia: Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network.
2021
Journal Article
Clinical efficacy of a Decision Support Tool (Link-me) to guide intensity of mental health care in primary practice: a pragmatic stratified randomised controlled trial
Fletcher, Susan, Spittal, Matthew J, Chondros, Patty, Palmer, Victoria J, Chatterton, Mary Lou, Densley, Konstancja, Potiriadis, Maria, Harris, Meredith, Bassilios, Bridget, Burgess, Philip, Mihalopoulos, Cathrine, Pirkis, Jane and Gunn, Jane (2021). Clinical efficacy of a Decision Support Tool (Link-me) to guide intensity of mental health care in primary practice: a pragmatic stratified randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8 (3), 202-214. doi: 10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30517-4
2021
Journal Article
Perceived helpfulness of bipolar disorder treatment: findings from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys
Nierenberg, Andrew A., Harris, Meredith G., Kazdin, Alan E., Puac-Polanco, Victor, Sampson, Nancy, Vigo, Daniel V., Chiu, Wai Tat, Ziobrowski, Hannah N., Alonso, Jordi, Altwaijri, Yasmin, Borges, Guilherme, Bunting, Brendan, Caldas-de-Almeida, José Miguel, Haro, Josep Maria, Hu, Chi-Yi, Kiejna, Andrzej, Lee, Sing, McGrath, John J., Navarro-Mateu, Fernando, Posada-Villa, José, Scott, Kate M., Stagnaro, Juan C., Viana, Maria C., Kessler, Ronald C. and WHO World Mental Health Survey Collaborators (2021). Perceived helpfulness of bipolar disorder treatment: findings from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. Bipolar Disorders, 23 (6), 565-583. doi: 10.1111/bdi.13066
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Meredith Harris is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Mental Health Service Planning in Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford, Dr Sandra Diminic
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Australian Mental Health Court Liaison Services: developing an approach to performance measurement
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Philip Burgess
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the characteristics and service needs of carers for adults with mental illness to inform mental health service planning
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Dan Siskind, Professor Harvey Whiteford
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Who receives what, from whom, and to what effect at clinically operated, community-based residential mental health rehabilitation for Severe and Persistent Mental Illness in Australia?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Dan Siskind, Professor Harvey Whiteford
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Decision-analytic modelling to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of interventions to reduce the burden of major depression in Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Cognitive remediation and social cognition interaction training:implementation and dessimination in a clinical setting
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Neal Ashkanasy, Dr Damian Santomauro, Professor Harvey Whiteford
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS): The performance of a major Australian primary mental health initiative
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford
Media
Enquiries
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