Overview
Background
Sandra Diminic is a Principal Research Fellow at Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) and leads the Mental Health Services Research stream. She has qualifications in psychology and public health and her PhD focused on understanding the service needs of carers and families of people with mental illness. Before joining QCMHR Sandra worked on the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank and interned in Mental Health Policy and Service Development at the World Health Organization; she has also been a visiting scholar at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto.
Sandra's research aims to reduce the population burden of mental illness through understanding demand for and utilisation of mental health services, identifying and evaluating evidence-based mental health service models, and applying these findings to improve mental health systems and services. This research program involves close collaboration with health system partners such as national and state governments, Primary Health Networks and community organisations to provide evidence and advice to support integrated regional and national mental health service planning. Her current major project is development and application of the National Mental Health Service Planning Framework (NMHSPF), a needs-based planning tool which models population needs and required packages of care to produce resource targets for optimal mental health service delivery in Australia. Sandra also leads projects drawing on population surveys and health service administrative data to understand current mental health service delivery and identify service gaps for specific regions and populations.
Availability
- Dr Sandra Diminic is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework) of Public Health, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Sandra Diminic’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Other Outputs
Queensland public sector ambulatory mental health services review: final report
Fjeldsoe, Kevin, Leitch, Elizabeth, Diminic, Sandra, Harris, Meredith, Sinclair, David and Whiteford, Harvey (2014). Queensland public sector ambulatory mental health services review: final report. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Queensland Health.
2014
Other Outputs
Mental health community support sector: review of Queensland Health contracting to non-government organisations
Fjeldsoe, Kevin, Leitch, Elizabeth, Diminic, Sandra, Harris, Meredith, Siskind, Dan, Sinclair, David, Carstensen, Georgia and Whiteford, Harvey (2014). Mental health community support sector: review of Queensland Health contracting to non-government organisations. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Queensland Health.
2014
Conference Publication
Quantifying the Treatment Quality Gap for Adults with Affective or Anxiety Disorders
Harris, Meredith, Hobbs, Megan, Burgess, Philip, Pirkis, Jane, Diminic, Sandra, Siskind, Dan, Andrews, Gavin and Whiteford, Harvey (2014). Quantifying the Treatment Quality Gap for Adults with Affective or Anxiety Disorders. 2nd Meeting on Patient Reported Outcomes and Person Centered Care in Mental Health, Washington, DC United States, 26-28 September 2014. Milano, Italy: International Center of Mental Health Policy and Economics.
2014
Conference Publication
Defining minimally adequate treatment for schizophrenia: a review of evidence based treatment guidelines and systematic reviews
Diminic, Sandra, Harris, Meredith, Siskind, Dan, Pirkis, Jane and Whiteford, Harvey (2014). Defining minimally adequate treatment for schizophrenia: a review of evidence based treatment guidelines and systematic reviews. Society for Mental Health Research 2014 Conference, Adelaide, SA Australia, 3-5 December 2014.
2014
Conference Publication
Understanding the treatment quality gap for depression, anxiety and schizophrenia: implications for policy and practice
Harris, Meredith, Davidson, Sandra and Diminic, Sandra (2014). Understanding the treatment quality gap for depression, anxiety and schizophrenia: implications for policy and practice. In: Priorities Conference 2014, Melbourne, VIC Australia, (). 10-12 November 2014.
2014
Journal Article
Understanding service demand for mental health among Australians aged 16 to 64 years according to their possible need for treatment
Harris, M.G., Diminic, S., Burgess, P.M., Carstensen, G., Stewart, G., Pirkis, J. and Whiteford, H.A. (2014). Understanding service demand for mental health among Australians aged 16 to 64 years according to their possible need for treatment. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48 (9), 838-851. doi: 10.1177/0004867414531459
2013
Other Outputs
Estimating the community prevalence and treatment rates for mental and substance use disorders in Queensland: report to the Queensland Mental Health Commission
Diminic, Sandra, Harris, Meredith, Sinclair, David, Carstensen, Georgia and Degenhardt, Louisa (2013). Estimating the community prevalence and treatment rates for mental and substance use disorders in Queensland: report to the Queensland Mental Health Commission. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Queensland Mental Health Commission.
2013
Other Outputs
Estimating the prevalence and cost of psychotropic medication use attributable to appropriate psychiatric indications
Harris, Meredith, Diminic, Sandra, Carstensen, Georgia, Hollingworth, Samantha, Siskind, Dan, Scheurer, Roman and Burgess, Philip (2013). Estimating the prevalence and cost of psychotropic medication use attributable to appropriate psychiatric indications. North Sydney, NSW, Australia: New South Wales Ministry of Health.
2013
Other Outputs
Estimating mental health service demand among Australians aged 16-85 years without a 12-month affective or anxiety disorder
Harris, Meredith and Diminic, Sandra (2013). Estimating mental health service demand among Australians aged 16-85 years without a 12-month affective or anxiety disorder. North Sydney, NSW, Australia: New South Wales Ministry of Health.
2013
Journal Article
Mental health service system improvement: translating evidence into policy
Whiteford, Harvey, Harris, Meredith and Diminic, Sandra (2013). Mental health service system improvement: translating evidence into policy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47 (8), 703-706. doi: 10.1177/0004867413494867
2013
Other Outputs
Estimating demand for respite care among informal carers of people with mental disorders in Australia
Harris, Meredith, Diminic, Sandra and Marshall, Caroline (2013). Estimating demand for respite care among informal carers of people with mental disorders in Australia. North Sydney, NSW, Australia: New South Wales Ministry of Health.
2013
Other Outputs
Mental health service cost drivers: an international literature review. Final report for Stage B of the Definition and Cost Drivers for Mental Health Services project. Volume 2
Harris, Meredith, Legge, Nick, Diminic, Sandra, Carstensen, Georgia, McKeon, Gemma, Siskind, Dan, Burgess, Philip, Stewart, Gavin and Whiteford, Harvey (2013). Mental health service cost drivers: an international literature review. Final report for Stage B of the Definition and Cost Drivers for Mental Health Services project. Volume 2. St. Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2013
Other Outputs
Cost drivers and a recommended framework for mental health classification development: Final report for Stage B of the Definition and Cost Drivers for Mental Health Services project. Volume 1
Eagar, Kathy, Green, Janette, Lago, Luise, Blanchard, Megan, Diminic, Sandra and Harris, Meredith (2013). Cost drivers and a recommended framework for mental health classification development: Final report for Stage B of the Definition and Cost Drivers for Mental Health Services project. Volume 1. St. Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2013
Other Outputs
Estimating the number of children and parents in families affected by parental mental illness
Diminic, Sandra, Harris, Meredith and Marshall, Caroline (2013). Estimating the number of children and parents in families affected by parental mental illness. North Sydney, NSW, Australia: New South Wales Ministry of Health.
2013
Other Outputs
Stage A final report: defining mental health services for classification purposes. Definition and cost drivers for Mental Health Services project
Whiteford, Harvey, Eagar, Kathy, Harris, Meredith, Diminic, Sandra, Burgess, Philip and Stewart, Gavin (2013). Stage A final report: defining mental health services for classification purposes. Definition and cost drivers for Mental Health Services project. St. Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2013
Conference Publication
Centre of research excellence in mental health systems improvement
Carstensen, Georgia, Diminic, Sandra and Whiteford, Harvey (2013). Centre of research excellence in mental health systems improvement. 4th Annual West Moreton Hospital and Health Service Research Day, Ipswich, QLD, Australia, 18 October 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
System-level intersectoral linkages between the mental health and non-clinical support sectors: a systematic, narrative review
Diminic, Sandra, Whiteford, Harvey, McKeon, Gemma, Harris, Meredith and Siskind, Dan (2013). System-level intersectoral linkages between the mental health and non-clinical support sectors: a systematic, narrative review. 8th Health Services and Policy Research Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 2-4 December 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Australian parents with mental illness and their dependent children: estimating their number and risk factors for poor child outcomes
Diminic, Sandra, Harris, Meredith, Marshall, Caroline and Stewart, Gavin (2013). Australian parents with mental illness and their dependent children: estimating their number and risk factors for poor child outcomes. In: Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research 2013 Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, (). 4-6 December 2013.
2010
Conference Publication
Associations between perinatal complications and clinical, neurological and cognitive outcomes in adults with schizophrenia: A preliminary analysis from ASRB Queensland
Diminic, S, Stiller, A, Mowry, B, Catts, S and Australian Schizophrenia Research (2010). Associations between perinatal complications and clinical, neurological and cognitive outcomes in adults with schizophrenia: A preliminary analysis from ASRB Queensland. 11th Biennial Australasian Schizophrenia Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 22-24 September 2010. Melbourne, Vic, Australia: Informa Healthcare. doi: 10.3109/00048674.2010.507066
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Sandra Diminic is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of a forensic mental health service planning model
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Mental Health Service Planning in Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford, Associate Professor Meredith Harris
-
Doctor Philosophy
Rural strengths: Local assets, resources, and protective factors to improve rural mental health
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford
-
Doctor Philosophy
Planning mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults: an analysis of service models, prevalence, and local variation in needs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford, Dr Alize Ferrari
-
Doctor Philosophy
Mental Health Services for young people with severe mental illness
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Holly Erskine, Professor James Scott
-
-
Doctor Philosophy
Mental Health Services for young people with severe mental illness
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Holly Erskine, Professor James Scott
-
Doctor Philosophy
Planning mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults: an analysis of service models, prevalence, and local variation in needs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford, Dr Alize Ferrari
Completed supervision
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Planning mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults: an analysis of service models, prevalence, and local variation in needs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford, Dr Alize Ferrari
Media
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