Overview
Background
Urska Arnautovska is an early career clinical academic, working as a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine and as a general psychologist in private practice. Following her professional training in Slovenia, she focused her research on suicide which led her to receiving an appointment at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention and, since 2008, a National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention. In addition to her research work, she acted as a research coordinator of the Life Promotion Clinic and was involved in the management and analysis of clinical data pertaining to the patients of the clinic, which presented with complex mental health problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Her subsequent research remained focused on mental health, and in more recent years, become dedicated to improving health outcomes in people with severe mental illness. Her PhD, for which she received a competitive Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (2012-2016), investigated the motivational processes underlying physical activity in older adults and was awarded the Australian Psychology Society (APS) Award for Excellent Higher Degree Thesis in Health Psychology. She has 48 peer-reviewed publications and has over $8.5 million in competitive research funding, with leading (CIA) roles on projects related to digital health interventions for people living with schizophrenia.
Availability
- Dr Urska Arnautovska is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Research) of Clinical Psychology, University of Ljubljana
Research interests
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Health behaviour change
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Severe mental illness
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Physical health co-morbidity
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Digital interventions
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Physical activity and exercise
Research impacts
Dr Arnautovska’s research work has been cited in a range of subject areas which expand over three times beyond the subject areas she had published in. Among the citing institutions are Health Education and Training Institute Higher Education, Ministry of Education China, Ministry for the Family, Italian Psychogeriatric Association, and Harvard Medical School. Her contribution to the evaluation of Queensland Community Care Units was cited in the report on models of care for Victorians living with severe and persistent mental illness, commissioned by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System (2020).
Works
Search Professor Urska Arnautovska’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Suicide methods and severe mental illness: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Trott, M., Suetani, S., Arnautovska, U., Kisely, S., Kar Ray, M., Theodoros, T., Le, V., Leske, S., Lu, M., Soole, R., Warren, N. and Siskind, D. (2025). Suicide methods and severe mental illness: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 151 (4), 467-484. doi: 10.1111/acps.13759
2025
Journal Article
Do internalising or externalising behaviours in adolescence mediate the child maltreatment-alcohol substance use relationship?
Trott, Mike, Bull, Claudia, Najman, Jake Moses, Siskind, Dan, Arnautovska, Urska and Kisely, Steve (2025). Do internalising or externalising behaviours in adolescence mediate the child maltreatment-alcohol substance use relationship?. Addiction. doi: 10.1111/add.70016
2024
Journal Article
Which behavioral regulations predict physical activity and sedentary behavior in people with mental illness?
Chapman, Justin, Korman, Nicole, Malacova, Eva, Robertson, Caroline, Arnautovska, Urska, Siskind, Dan, Suetani, Shuichi, Stubbs, Brendon and Vancampfort, Davy (2024). Which behavioral regulations predict physical activity and sedentary behavior in people with mental illness?. Psychological Medicine, 54 (15), 4129-4139. doi: 10.1017/s0033291724001879
2024
Journal Article
Emergency department presentations and admission for common mental disorders following agency-notified child maltreatment at 40-year follow-up: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity study
Kisely, Steve, Bull, Claudia, Trott, Mike, Arnautovska, Urska, Siskind, Dan, Warren, Nicola and Najman, Jake Moses (2024). Emergency department presentations and admission for common mental disorders following agency-notified child maltreatment at 40-year follow-up: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity study. BJPsych Open, 10 (6) e220, 1-7. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2024.776
2024
Journal Article
Efficacy of user self-led and human-supported digital health interventions for people with schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Arnautovska, Urska, Trott, Mike, Vitangcol, Kathryn Jemimah, Milton, Alyssa, Brown, Ellie, Warren, Nicola, Leucht, Stefan, Firth, Joseph and Siskind, Dan (2024). Efficacy of user self-led and human-supported digital health interventions for people with schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin sbae143. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbae143
2024
Journal Article
The role of human involvement and support in digital mental health interventions for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a critical review
Arnautovska, Urska, Milton, Alyssa, Trott, Mike, Soole, Rebecca and Siskind, Dan (2024). The role of human involvement and support in digital mental health interventions for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a critical review. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 37 (5), 356-362. doi: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000957
2024
Journal Article
GLP-1 receptor agonists and weight loss in schizophrenia – past, present, and future
Trott, Mike, Arnautovska, Urska and Siskind, Dan (2024). GLP-1 receptor agonists and weight loss in schizophrenia – past, present, and future. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 37 (5), 363-369. doi: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000952
2024
Journal Article
Hospital admissions and community health service contacts for mental illness following self-reported child maltreatment: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity (CALM) study
Trott, Mike, Bull, Claudia, Najman, Jake Moses, Arnautovska, Urska, Siskind, Dan, Warren, Nicola and Kisely, Steve (2024). Hospital admissions and community health service contacts for mental illness following self-reported child maltreatment: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity (CALM) study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 154 106912, 106912. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106912
2024
Conference Publication
Hope Frailty Intervention: Utility Of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment In Younger Outpatients With Severe Mental Illness
Siskind, D., Arnautovska, U., Soole, R., Kwan, W., Reid, N., Baker, A., Gordon, E., Hubbard, R. and Warren, N. (2024). Hope Frailty Intervention: Utility Of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment In Younger Outpatients With Severe Mental Illness. RANZCP 2024 Congress, Canberra, ACT Australia, 19–23 May 2024. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications.
2024
Conference Publication
Frailty And Severe Mental Illness In The UK Biobank
Warren, N., Leske, S., Arnautovska, U., Northwood, K., Kisely, S. and Siskind, D. (2024). Frailty And Severe Mental Illness In The UK Biobank. RANZCP 2024 Congress, Canberra, ACT Australia, 19-24 May 2023. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications.
2024
Journal Article
Admissions for psychosis following agency-notified child maltreatment at 40-year-follow-up: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity (CALM) cohort
Kisely, Steve, Arnautovska, Urska, Siskind, Dan, Warren, Nicola and Najman, Jake Moses (2024). Admissions for psychosis following agency-notified child maltreatment at 40-year-follow-up: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity (CALM) cohort. Schizophrenia Research, 267, 247-253. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.03.040
2024
Journal Article
Associations between child maltreatment and hospital admissions for alcohol and other substance use‐related disorders up to 40 years of age: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity study
Bull, Claudia, Trott, Mike, Najman, Jake Moses, Arnautovska, Urska, Siskind, Dan, Warren, Nicola and Kisely, Steve (2024). Associations between child maltreatment and hospital admissions for alcohol and other substance use‐related disorders up to 40 years of age: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity study. Addiction, 119 (7), 1-11. doi: 10.1111/add.16479
2024
Journal Article
Emergency department presentations for deliberate self-harm and suicidal ideation in 25–39 years olds following agency-notified child maltreatment: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity (CALM) study
Kisely, S., Bull, C., Trott, M., Arnautovska, U., Siskind, D., Warren, N. and Najman, J. Moses (2024). Emergency department presentations for deliberate self-harm and suicidal ideation in 25–39 years olds following agency-notified child maltreatment: results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity (CALM) study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 33 e18, 1-7. doi: 10.1017/s2045796024000192
2024
Journal Article
Child health nurses' acceptance and use of a novel telehealth platform : a mixed-method study
Goudswaard, Liselot, Penny, Robyn, Edmunds, Janet and Arnautovska, Urska (2024). Child health nurses' acceptance and use of a novel telehealth platform : a mixed-method study. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 42 (6), 470-478. doi: 10.1097/cin.0000000000001116
2023
Journal Article
Prevalence of frailty in severe mental illness: findings from the UK Biobank
Warren, Nicola, Leske, Stuart, Arnautovska, Urska, Northwood, Korinne, Kisely, Steve and Siskind, Dan (2023). Prevalence of frailty in severe mental illness: findings from the UK Biobank. BJPsych Open, 9 (6) e185, 1-7. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2023.580
2023
Journal Article
Verbal and visual learning ability in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a 1-year follow-up study
Arnautovska, Urska, Vitangcol, Kathryn, Kesby, James P., Warren, Nicola, Rossell, Susan L., Neill, Erica, Harris, Anthony, Galletly, Cherrie, Castle, David and Siskind, Dan (2023). Verbal and visual learning ability in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a 1-year follow-up study. Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, 33 100283, 100283. doi: 10.1016/j.scog.2023.100283
2023
Journal Article
Effects of semaglutide on body weight in clozapine-treated people with schizophrenia and obesity: study protocol for a placebo-controlled, randomised multicentre trial (COaST)
Siskind, Dan, Baker, Andrea, Russell, Anthony, Warren, Nicola, Robinson, Gail, Parker, Stephen, Medland, Sarah, Kisely, Steve, Hager, Tineka and Arnautovska, Urska (2023). Effects of semaglutide on body weight in clozapine-treated people with schizophrenia and obesity: study protocol for a placebo-controlled, randomised multicentre trial (COaST). BJPsych Open, 9 (4) e136, 1-6. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2023.532
2023
Other Outputs
Co-production of a flexibly delivered relapse prevention tool to support self-management for long-term mental health conditions: A co-design and user-testing study
Milton, Alyssa C., Ozols, Ingrid, Cassidy, Tayla, Jordan, Dana, Brown, Ellie, Arnautovska, Urska, Cook, Jim, Phung, Darren, Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor, Johnson, Sonia, Hickie, Ian B. and Glozier, Nick (2023). Co-production of a flexibly delivered relapse prevention tool to support self-management for long-term mental health conditions: A co-design and user-testing study. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-11. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Australia. doi: 10.14264/1b2b547
2023
Journal Article
Co-production of a flexibly delivered relapse prevention tool to support self-management for long-term mental health conditions: a co-design and user-testing study
Milton, Alyssa, Ozols AM, Ingrid, Cassidy, Tayla, Jordan, Dana, Brown, Ellie, Arnautovska, Urska, Cook, Jim, Phung, Darren, Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor, Johnson, Sonia, Hickie, Ian and Glozier, Nick (2023). Co-production of a flexibly delivered relapse prevention tool to support self-management for long-term mental health conditions: a co-design and user-testing study. JMIR Formative Research, 8 e49110, 1-15. doi: 10.2196/49110
2023
Conference Publication
Pilot study on the feasibility of using Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for younger frail patients with severe mental illness
Kwan, Winona, Arnautovska, Urska, Siskind, Dan, Pearson, Ella, Baker, Andrea, Reid, Natasha, Wang, Nancy, Gordon, Emily, Warren, Nicola and Hubbard, Ruth Eleanor (2023). Pilot study on the feasibility of using Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for younger frail patients with severe mental illness. Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2023, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 10–12 May 2023. Richmond, VIC Australia: John Wiley & Sons.
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Urska Arnautovska is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Master Philosophy
Food insecurity among people living with schizophrenia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Dan Siskind
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Urska Arnautovska directly for media enquiries about:
- adaptive platform trials
- clinical designs
- co-design
- diabetes and mental health
- digital health
- health behaviour change
- holistic care
- lifestyle interventions
- motivation for physical activity
- physical comorbidity
- schizophrenia
- severe mental illness
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