Overview
Background
Associate Professor Fiona Charlson is a NHMRC Research Fellow at the Queensland Centre of Mental Health Research and School of Public Health, University of Queensland. She is a psychiatric epidemiologist and health services researcher with strong experience in addressing some of the most challenging global mental health research questions. Her research utilises a wide range of highly-specialised research skills, from traditional qualitative and quantitative research methods to new and innovative methods aimed at breaking down barriers to progress in the field. She has been a core member of the Mental Disorders and Illicit Drug Use Research Group for the Global Burden of Disease Study since 2009 and is at the leading edge of research into the mental health impacts of climate change and leads the Social and Emotional wellbeing group of UQ’s Climate Change and Health Transdisciplinary Impact Research Network. Her technical expertise is highly sought after and has attracted collaboration requests and funding from a wide range of national and international stakeholders, including; Queensland Health, the World Health Organization, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (University of Washington), US National Institutes of Health, Alan Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health (University of Cape Town) and various organisations in low- and middle-income countries.
Availability
- Dr Fiona Charlson is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Research interests
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Global Mental Health and Climate Change
Works
Search Professor Fiona Charlson’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Global estimates of service coverage for severe mental disorders: findings from the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2017 - Addendum
Jaeschke, Kara, Hanna, Fahmy, Ali, Suhailah, Chowdhary, Neerja, Dua, Tarun and Charlson, Fiona (2021). Global estimates of service coverage for severe mental disorders: findings from the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2017 - Addendum. Global Mental Health, 8, e28-e28. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2021.30
2021
Journal Article
Global estimates of service coverage for severe mental disorders: findings from the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2017
Jaeschke, Kara, Hanna, Fahmy, Ali, Suhailah, Chowdhary, Neerja, Dua, Tarun and Charlson, Fiona (2021). Global estimates of service coverage for severe mental disorders: findings from the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2017. Global Mental Health, 8 e27, e27. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2021.19
2021
Journal Article
Climate change and mental health: a scoping review
Charlson, Fiona, Ali, Suhailah, Benmarhnia, Tarik, Pearl, Madeleine, Massazza, Alessandro, Augustinavicius, Jura and Scott, James G. (2021). Climate change and mental health: a scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (9) 4486, 1-38. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094486
2021
Journal Article
Multimorbidity and vulnerability among those living with psychosis in Indigenous populations in Cape York and the Torres Strait
Charlson, Fiona, Gynther, Bruce, Obrecht, Karin, Waller, Michael and Hunter, Ernest (2021). Multimorbidity and vulnerability among those living with psychosis in Indigenous populations in Cape York and the Torres Strait. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55 (9), 000486742098483-902. doi: 10.1177/0004867420984832
2021
Journal Article
Incarceration among adults living with psychosis in Indigenous populations in Cape York and the Torres Strait
Charlson, Fiona, Gynther, Bruce, Obrecht, Karin, Heffernan, Ed, David, Michael, Young, Jesse T. and Hunter, Ernest (2021). Incarceration among adults living with psychosis in Indigenous populations in Cape York and the Torres Strait. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55 (7), 1-9. doi: 10.1177/0004867420985247
2020
Journal Article
Author Correction: Modeling COVID-19 scenarios for the United States (Nature Medicine, (2020), 10.1038/s41591-020-1132-9)
Reiner, Robert C., Barber, Ryan M., Collins, James K., Zheng, Peng, Adolph, Christopher, Albright, James, Antony, Catherine M., Aravkin, Aleksandr Y., Bachmeier, Steven D., Bang-Jensen, Bree, Bannick, Marlena S., Bloom, Sabina, Carter, Austin, Castro, Emma, Causey, Kate, Chakrabarti, Suman, Charlson, Fiona J., Cogen, Rebecca M., Combs, Emily, Dai, Xiaochen, Dangel, William James, Earl, Lucas, Ewald, Samuel B., Ezalarab, Maha, Ferrari, Alize J., Flaxman, Abraham, Frostad, Joseph Jon, Fullman, Nancy, Gakidou, Emmanuela ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2020). Author Correction: Modeling COVID-19 scenarios for the United States (Nature Medicine, (2020), 10.1038/s41591-020-1132-9). Nature Medicine, 26 (12), 1950-1950. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-01181-w
2020
Journal Article
Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Vos, Theo, Lim, Stephen S, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M, Abbasi, Mohammad, Abbasifard, Mitra, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abolhassani, Hassan, Aboyans, Victor, Abrams, Elissa M, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Abrigo, Michael R M, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I, Acebedo, Alyssa, Ackerman, Ilana N, Adabi, Maryam, Adamu, Abdu A, Adebayo, Oladimeji M, Adekanmbi, Victor, Adelson, Jaimie D, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O, Adham, Davoud, Afshari, Mahdi ... Murray, Christopher J L (2020). Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396 (10258), 1204-1222. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30925-9
2020
Journal Article
Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Murray, Christopher J L, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M, Abbasi, Mohammad, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abedi, Parisa, Abedi, Aidin, Abolhassani, Hassan, Aboyans, Victor, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Abrigo, Michael R M, Abu-Gharbieh, Eman, Abu Haimed, Abdulaziz Khalid, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I, Acebedo, Alyssa, Ackerman, Ilana N, Adabi, Maryam, Adamu, Abdu A, Adebayo, Oladimeji M, Adelson, Jaimie D, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O, Afarideh, Mohsen, Afshin, Ashkan, Agarwal, Gina, Agrawal, Anurag, Ahmad, Tauseef, Ahmadi, Keivan ... Lim, Stephen S (2020). Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396 (10258), 1135-1159. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31404-5
2020
Journal Article
Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Murray, Christopher J L, Aravkin, Aleksandr Y, Zheng, Peng, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abegaz, Kedir Hussein, Abolhassani, Hassan, Aboyans, Victor, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Abrigo, Michael R M, Abualhasan, Ahmed, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I, Adabi, Maryam, Adekanmbi, Victor, Adeoye, Abiodun Moshood, Adetokunboh, Olatunji O, Adham, Davoud, Advani, Shailesh M, Agarwal, Gina, Aghamir, Seyed Mohammad Kazem, Agrawal, Anurag, Ahmad, Tauseef, Ahmadi, Keivan ... Lim, Stephen S (2020). Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396 (10258), 1223-1249. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30752-2
2020
Journal Article
Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M., Abbasi, Mohammad, Abbasifard, Mitra, Abbasi-Kangevari, Mohsen, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahi, Mohammad, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abedi, Aidin, Abedi, Parisa, Abegaz, Kedir Hussein, Abolhassani, Hassan, Abosetugn, Akine Eshete, Aboyans, Victor, Abrams, Elissa M., Abreu, Lucas Guimaraes, Abrigo, Michael R. M., Abu Haimed, Abdulaziz Khalid, Abualhasan, Ahmed, Abu-Gharbieh, Eman, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abushouk, Abdelrahman I., Acebedo, Alyssa, Ackerman, Ilana N., Adabi, Maryam, Adair, Tim, Adamu, Abdu A. ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2020). Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet, 396 (10258), 1135-1159.
2020
Journal Article
Mental health in the Pacific: Urgency and opportunity
Ali, Suhailah, Williams, Owain, Chang, Odille, Shidhaye, Rahul, Hunter, Ernest and Charlson, Fiona (2020). Mental health in the Pacific: Urgency and opportunity. Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 61 (3) apv.12286, 537-550. doi: 10.1111/apv.12286
2020
Journal Article
The burden of mental disorders across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017
Sagar, Rajesh, Dandona, Rakhi, Gururaj, Gopalkrishna, Dhaliwal, R. S., Singh, Aditya, Ferrari, Alize, Dua, Tarun, Ganguli, Atreyi, Varghese, Mathew, Chakma, Joy K., Kumar, G. Anil, Shaji, K. S., Ambekar, Atul, Rangaswamy, Thara, Vijayakumar, Lakshmi, Agarwal, Vivek, Krishnankutty, Rinu P., Bhatia, Rohit, Charlson, Fiona, Chowdhary, Neerja, Erskine, Holly E., Glenn, Scott D., Krish, Varsha, Mantilla Herrera, Ana M., Mutreja, Parul, Odell, Christopher M., Pal, Pramod K., Prakash, Sanjay, Santomauro, Damian ... Dandona, Lalit (2020). The burden of mental disorders across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7 (2), 148-161. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30475-4
2020
Journal Article
Modeling COVID-19 scenarios for the United States
Reiner, Robert C., Barber, Ryan M., Collins, James K., Zheng, Peng, Adolph, Christopher, Albright, James, Antony, Catherine M., Aravkin, Aleksandr Y., Bachmeier, Steven D., Bang-Jensen, Bree, Bannick, Marlena S., Bloom, Sabina, Carter, Austin, Castro, Emma, Causey, Kate, Chakrabarti, Suman, Charlson, Fiona J., Cogen, Rebecca M., Combs, Emily, Dai, Xiaochen, Dangel, William James, Earl, Lucas, Ewald, Samuel B., Ezalarab, Maha, Ferrari, Alize J., Flaxman, Abraham, Frostad, Joseph Jon, Fullman, Nancy, Gakidou, Emmanuela ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2020). Modeling COVID-19 scenarios for the United States. Nature Medicine, 27 (1), 94-105. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-1132-9
2019
Journal Article
Mental health in conflict settings – Authors' reply
Charlson, Fiona and van Ommeren, Mark (2019). Mental health in conflict settings – Authors' reply. The Lancet, 394 (10216), 2238-2238. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32548-6
2019
Journal Article
Burden of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Gouda, Hebe N., Charlson, Fiona, Sorsdahl, Katherine, Ahmadzada, Sanam, Ferrari, Alize J., Erskine, Holly, Leung, Janni, Santamauro, Damian, Lund, Crick, Aminde, Leopold Ndemnge, Mayosi, Bongani M., Kengne, Andre Pascal, Harris, Meredith, Achoki, Tom, Wiysonge, Charles S., Stein, Dan J. and Whiteford, Harvey (2019). Burden of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet Global Health, 7 (10), e1375-e1387. doi: 10.1016/s2214-109x(19)30374-2
2019
Journal Article
A comprehensive analysis of mortality-related health metrics associated with mental disorders: a nationwide, register-based cohort study
Plana-Ripoll, Oleguer, Pedersen, Carsten Bøcker, Agerbo, Esben, Holtz, Yan, Erlangsen, Annette, Canudas-Romo, Vladimir, Andersen, Per Kragh, Charlson, Fiona J., Christensen, Maria K., Erskine, Holly E., Ferrari, Alize J., Iburg, Kim Moesgaard, Momen, Natalie, Mortensen, Preben Bo, Nordentoft, Merete, Santomauro, Damian F., Scott, James G., Whiteford, Harvey A., Weye, Nanna, McGrath, John J. and Laursen, Thomas M. (2019). A comprehensive analysis of mortality-related health metrics associated with mental disorders: a nationwide, register-based cohort study. The Lancet, 394 (10211), 1827-1835. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(19)32316-5
2019
Journal Article
New WHO prevalence estimates of mental disorders in conflict settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Charlson, Fiona, van Ommeren, Mark, Flaxman, Abraham, Cornett, Joseph, Whiteford, Harvey and Saxena, Shekhar (2019). New WHO prevalence estimates of mental disorders in conflict settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet, 394 (10194), 240-248. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30934-1
2019
Journal Article
Erratum: Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (The Lancet (2018) 392(10159) (1923–1994), (S0140673618322256), (10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32225-6))
Stanaway, Jeffrey D., Afshin, Ashkan, Gakidou, Emmanuela, Lim, Stephen S., Abate, Degu, Abate, Kalkidan Hassen, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbasi, Nooshin, Abbastabar, Hedayat, Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdela, Jemal, Abdelalim, Ahmed, Abdollahpour, Ibrahim, Abdulkader, Rizwan Suliankatchi, Abebe, Molla, Abebe, Zegeye, Abera, Semaw F., Abil, Olifan Zewdie, Abraha, Haftom Niguse, Abrham, Aklilu Roba, Abu-Raddad, Laith Jamal, Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M.E., Accrombessi, Manfred Mario Kokou, Acharya, Dilaram, Acharya, Pawan, Adamu, Abdu A., Adane, Akilew Awoke, Adebayo, Oladimeji M., Adedoyin, Rufus Adesoji ... Murray, Christopher J.L. (2019). Erratum: Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (The Lancet (2018) 392(10159) (1923–1994), (S0140673618322256), (10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32225-6)). The Lancet, 393 (10190). doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31429-1
2019
Journal Article
Implementation of the mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) within the Fijian Healthcare System: a mixed-methods evaluation
Charlson, Fiona, Chang, Odille, Kubuabola, Ilisapeci, Schess, Jaclyn, Latu, Catherine, Hunter, Ernest, Tukana, Isimeli, Qaloewai, Sefanaia and Shidhaye, Rahul (2019). Implementation of the mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) within the Fijian Healthcare System: a mixed-methods evaluation. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 13 (1) 43, 43. doi: 10.1186/s13033-019-0301-z
2019
Journal Article
Diseases, injuries, and risk factors in child and adolescent health, 1990 to 2017: Findings from the global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors 2017 study
Reiner, Robert C., Olsen, Helen Elizabeth, Ikeda, Chad Thomas, Echko, Michelle M., Ballestreros, Katherine E., Manguerra, Helen, Martopullo, Ira, Millear, Anoushka, Shields, Chloe, Smith, Alison, Strub, Bryan, Abebe, Molla, Abebe, Zegeye, Adhena, Beyene Meressa, Adhikari, Tara Ballav, Akibu, Mohammed, Al-Raddadi, Rajaa M., Alvis-Guzman, Nelson, Antonio, Carl Abelardo T., Aremu, Olatunde, Asgedom, Solomon Weldegebreal, Asseffa, Netsanet Abera, Avila-Burgos, Leticia, Barac, Aleksandra, Bärnighausen, Till W., Bassat, Quique, Bensenor, Isabela M., Bhutta, Zulfiqar A., Bijani, Ali ... Kassebaum, Nicholas J. (2019). Diseases, injuries, and risk factors in child and adolescent health, 1990 to 2017: Findings from the global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors 2017 study. JAMA Pediatrics, 173 (6) e190337, e190337. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0337
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Fiona Charlson is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Exploring the development of community-based interventions to mitigate the mental health impacts of climate change
Climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century. While certain physical health impacts of climate change are well understood, for example heat-related morbidity and mortality, the acute and chronic mental health impacts of climate change remain poorly understood. Depression is already the single largest contributor to global disability. Failing to adequately consider the climate change implications on mental health could further exacerbate and accelerate growing global trends in mental ill-health.
The many varied links between climate change and mental health, which are highly socially and culturally mediated, raise challenges in the understanding, operationalisation and measurement of these complex relationships. This impedes our understanding of how to design and deliver effective interventions that reduce the mental health impacts of climate change and secure community social and emotional wellbeing. This PhD research will address these gaps through exploring the development of interventions that aim to mitigate the mental health impacts of climate change.
This PhD research will be conducted in partnership with the UQ Social and Emotional Wellbeing in Climate Change Network and supervised by Associate Professor Fiona Charlson, School of Public Health, and by Dr Anne Cleary, Institute for Social Science Research.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Exploring links between social determinants of mental health, the impact of a climate driven flood event, and mental health outcomes.
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Beyond Recovery: Developing A Decision Making Framework For State and Provincial Level Governments To Design And Deliver Mental Health and Wellbeing Services That Promote Resilence and Foster Growth To Communites Impacted By Climate Risk Disasters
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kristiana Ludlow
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Doctor Philosophy
Mental health stigma in refugee and migrant communities: co-designing a mental health promotion framework
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Modelling Global Treatment Coverage for Mental Disorders
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford
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Doctor Philosophy
Weathering the Storm: How Young People Respond to and Cope With Climate Change
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor James Scott, Dr Hannah Thomas
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the contribution of psychosis and bipolar disorder to premature mortality
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Harvey Whiteford, Dr Alize Ferrari, Dr Damian Santomauro
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Weathering the Storm: How Young People Respond to and Cope With Climate Change
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor James Scott, Dr Hannah Thomas
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Fiona Charlson directly for media enquiries about:
- climate change
- mental health
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