Overview
Background
Associate Professor Fiona Charlson holds dual appointments as an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) and as a Principal Research Fellow at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR). She is internationally recognised for her expertise in mental health, with a particular focus on the impacts of climate change on vulnerable and conflict-affected populations. Her research explores the psychological effects of environmental change, including climate anxiety and resilience, especially in regions such as the Pacific Islands. She leads several major initiatives, including the Connecting Climate Minds project (funded by the Wellcome Trust) and an ARC Discovery Project examining how families respond to climate anxiety. A/Prof Charlson is a trusted advisor to Australian and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, United Nations Development Program, US National Institutes of Health, and numerous government and non-government organizations. Her work spans systems modelling, epidemiology, and policy analysis, and aims to support policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities with the knowledge and tools they need to adapt to the changing climate and support the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities.
In addition to her research, she is a dedicated educator and mentor, coordinating postgraduate courses and supervising PhD students in global mental health and public health. Her work is driven by a commitment to equity, collaboration, and innovation, bridging the fields of mental health and planetary health.
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
Associate Professor Fiona Charlson’s research applies interdisciplinary and systems-based approaches to examine the mental health impacts of climate change. Her work integrates a range of methods, including psychiatric epidemiology, system dynamics modelling, and policy analysis, to investigate climate-related psychological phenomena such as anxiety, ecological grief, and resilience. She leads several funded projects aimed at generating actionable evidence for global mental health policy and service reform within planetary health frameworks.
Works
Search Professor Fiona Charlson’s works on UQ eSpace
2017
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
Hay, Simon I., Abajobir, Amanuel Alemu, Abate, Kalkidan Hassen, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M., Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdulle, Abdishakur M., Abebo, Teshome Abuka, Abera, Semaw Ferede, Aboyans, Victor, Abu-Raddad, Laith J., Ackerman, Ilana N., Adedeji, Isaac A., Adetokunboh, Olatunji, Afshin, Ashkan, Aggarwal, Rakesh, Agrawal, Sutapa, Agrawal, Anurag, Kiadaliri, Aliasghar Ahmad, Ahmed, Muktar Beshir, Aichour, Amani Nidhal, Aichour, Ibtihel, Aichour, Miloud Taki Eddine, Aiyar, Sneha, Akinyemiju, Tomi F., Akseer, Nadia, Al Lami, Faris Hasan, Alahdab, Fares, Al-Aly, Ziyad ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2017). Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet, 390 (10100), 1260-1344. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32130-X
2017
Journal Article
Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
Fullman, Nancy, Barber, Ryan M., Abajobir, Amanuel Alemu, Abate, Kalkidan Hassen, Abbafati, Cristiana, Abbas, Kaja M., Abd-Allah, Foad, Abdulkader, Rizwan Suliankatchi, Abdulle, Abdishakur M., Abera, Semaw Ferede, Aboyans, Victor, Abu-Raddad, Laith J., Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M. E., Adedeji, Isaac Akinkunmi, Adetokunboh, Olatunji, Afshin, Ashkan, Agrawal, Anurag, Agrawal, Sutapa, Ahmad Kiadaliri, Aliasghar, Ahmadieh, Hamid, Ahmed, Muktar Beshir, Aichour, Miloud Taki Eddine, Aichour, Amani Nidhal, Aichour, Ibtihel, Aiyar, Sneha, Akinyemi, Rufus Olusola, Akseer, Nadia, Al-Aly, Ziyad, Alam, Khurshid ... Murray, Christopher J. L. (2017). Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet, 390 (10100), 1423-1459. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32336-X
2017
Journal Article
Danger ahead: the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2015
El Bcheraoui, Charbel, Charara, Raghid, Khalil, I. A., Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar, Afshin, Ashkan, Collison, Michael, Daoud, Farah, Krohn, Kristopher J., Chew, Adrienne, Biryukov, Stan, Casey, Daniel, Cercy, Kelly, Charlson, Fiona J., Cornaby, Leslie, Dicker, Daniel, Erskine, Holly E., Ferrari, Alize J., Fitzmaurice, Christina, Foreman, Kyle J., Fraser, Maya, Frostad, Joseph, Godwin, William W., Griswold, Max, Kassebaum, Nicholas J., Kemmer, Laura, Kutz, Michael, Kyu, Hmwe H., Leung, Janni, Liu, Patrick ... Mokdad, Ali H. (2017). Danger ahead: the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2015. International Journal of Public Health, 63 (S1), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s00038-017-1017-y
2017
Journal Article
Adolescent health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the global burden of disease 2015 study
Azzopardi, Peter, Cini, Karly, Kennedy, Elissa, Sawyer, Susan, El Bcheraoui, Charbel, Charara, Raghid, Khalil, Ibrahim, Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar, Collison, Michael, Afifi, Rima A., Al-raiby, Jamela, Krohn, Kristopher J., Daoud, Farah, Chew, Adrienne, Afshin, Ashkan, Foreman, Kyle J., Kassebaum, Nicholas J., Kutz, Michael, Kyu, Hmwe H., Liu, Patrick, Olsen, Helen E., Smith, Alison, Stanaway, Jeffrey D., Wang, Haidong, Ärnlöv, Johan, Ahmad Kiadaliri, Aliasghar, Alam, Khurshid, Alasfoor, Deena, Ali, Raghib ... GBD 2015 Eastern Mediterranean Region Adolescent Health Collaborators (2017). Adolescent health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the global burden of disease 2015 study. International Journal of Public Health, 63 (S1), 1-18. doi: 10.1007/s00038-017-1003-4
2017
Journal Article
The prevalence and service utilisation associated with mental and substance use disorders in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: findings from a cross-sectional survey
Charlson, F., Diminic, S., Choulamany, C., Santomauro, D., Raja, S. and Whiteford, H. (2017). The prevalence and service utilisation associated with mental and substance use disorders in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: findings from a cross-sectional survey. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 28 (1), 1-12. doi: 10.1017/S204579601700035X
2017
Journal Article
Child and adolescent health from 1990 to 2015 findings from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2015 study
Kassebaum, Nicholas, Hmwe Kyu, Hmwe, Zoeckler, Leo, Elizabeth Olsen, Helen, Thomas, Katie, Pinho, Christine, Bhutta, Zulfiqar A., Dandona, Lalit, Ferrari, Alize, Ghiwot, Tsegaye Tewelde, Hay, Simon I., Kinfu, Yohannes, Liang, Xiaofeng, Lopez, Alan, Carvalho Malta, Deborah, Mokdad, Ali H., Naghavi, Mohsen, Patton, George C., Salomon, Joshua, Sartorius, Benn, Topor-Madry, Roman, Vollset, Stein Emil, Werdecker, Andrea, Whiteford, Harvey A., Abate, Kalkidan Hasen, Abbas, Kaja, Damtew, Solomon Abrha, Ahmed, Muktar Beshir, Akseer, Nadia ... Vos, Theo (2017). Child and adolescent health from 1990 to 2015 findings from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2015 study. JAMA Pediatrics, 171 (6), 573-592. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.0250
2017
Journal Article
Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders: a multilevel intervention framework and priorities for clinical practice, policy and research agendas
Liu, Nancy H., Daumit, Gail L., Dua, Tarun, Aquila, Ralph, Charlson, Fiona, Cuijpers, Pim, Druss, Benjamin, Dudek, Kenn, Freeman, Melvyn, Fujii, Chiyo, Gaebel, Wolfgang, Hegerl, Ulrich, Levav, Itzhak, Laursen, Thomas Munk, Ma, Hong, Maj, Mario, Elena Medina-Mora, Maria, Nordentoft, Merete, Prabhakaran, Dorairaj, Pratt, Karen, Prince, Martin, Rangaswamy, Thara, Shiers, David, Susser, Ezra, Thornicroft, Graham, Wahlbeck, Kristian, Wassie, Abe Fekadu, Whiteford, Harvey and Saxena, Shekhar (2017). Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders: a multilevel intervention framework and priorities for clinical practice, policy and research agendas. World Psychiatry, 16 (1), 30-40. doi: 10.1002/wps.20384
2017
Journal Article
Donor financing of global mental health, 1995-2015: an assessment of trends, channels, and alignment with the disease burden
Charlson, F. J., Dieleman, J., Singh, L. and Whiteford, H. A. (2017). Donor financing of global mental health, 1995-2015: an assessment of trends, channels, and alignment with the disease burden. PLoS ONE, 12 (1) e0169384, e0169384. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169384
2016
Journal Article
Estimating the burden of disease attributable to injecting drug use as a risk factor for HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
Degenhardt, Louisa, Charlson, Fiona, Stanaway, Jeff, Lamey, Sarah, Alexander, Lily T., Hickman, Matthew, Cowie, Benjamin, Hall, Wayne D., Strang, John, Whiteford, Harvey and Vos, Theo (2016). Estimating the burden of disease attributable to injecting drug use as a risk factor for HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet Infectious Diseases, 16 (12), 1385-1398. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(16)30325-5
2016
Journal Article
Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: a baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
GBD 2015 SDG Collaborators, Abajobir, A. A., Charlson, F. J., Erskine, H.E., Ferrari, A. J., Knibbs, L.D., Leung, J., Santomauro, D. F., Veerman, J. L., Whiteford, H. A., Lalloo, R. and Guo, Yuming (2016). Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: a baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet, 388 (10053), 1813-1850. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31467-2
2016
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators, Charlson, F. J., Erskine, H. E., Ferrari, A. J., Whiteford, H. A., Alam, N. K. M., Knibbs, L. D., Leung, J., Lalloo, Ratilal, Gouda, H. N. and McGrath, J. J. (2016). Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet, 388 (10053), 1459-1544. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31012-1
2016
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators, Charlson, F. J., Erskine, H. E., Ferrari, A. J., Leung, J., Whiteford, H. A., Abajobir, A. A., Knibbs, L. D., Lalloo, R., Scott, J. G. and Guo, Yuming (2016). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet, 388 (10053), 1545-1602. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6
2016
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
GBD 2015 Risk Factors Collaborators, Charlson, F. J., Ferrari, A. J., Abajobir, A. A., Erskine, H. E., Knibbs, L. D., Leung, J., Santomauro, D. F., Veerman, J. L., Whiteford, H. A., Lalloo, R., Scott, J. G., Alam, N. K. M., Gouda, H. N., Guo, Y. and McGrath, J. J. (2016). Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet, 388 (10053), 1659-1724. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31679-8
2016
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
GBD 2015 DALYs and HALE Collaborators, Charlson, F. J., Erskine, H. E., Leung , J., Whiteford, H. A., Abajobir, A. A., Ferrari, A. J., Knibbs, L. D., Lalloo, R., Alam, N. K. M., Gouda, H. N. and Guo, Y. (2016). Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet, 388 (10053), 1603-1658. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31460-X
2016
Journal Article
Social correlates of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in China and India: a review
Cheng, Hui G., Shidhaye, Rahul, Charlson, Fiona, Deng, Fei, Lyngdoh, Tanica, Chen, Shengnan, Nanda, Sharmishtha, Lacroix, Kimberly, Baxter, Amanda and Whiteford, Harvey (2016). Social correlates of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in China and India: a review. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3 (9), 882-899. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30166-3
2016
Journal Article
Prevalence of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in China and India: a systematic analysis
Baxter, Amanda J., Charlson, Fiona J., Cheng, Hui G., Shidhaye, Rahul, Ferrari, Alize J. and Whiteford, Harvey A. (2016). Prevalence of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in China and India: a systematic analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3 (9), 832-841. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30139-0
2016
Journal Article
Systematic review of interventions for Indigenous adults with mental and substance use disorders in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States
Leske, Stuart, Harris, Meredith G., Charlson, Fiona J., Ferrari, Alize J., Baxter, Amanda J., Logan, Jacquie M., Toombs, Maree and Whiteford, Harvey (2016). Systematic review of interventions for Indigenous adults with mental and substance use disorders in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. BMJ Open, 50 (11), 1040-1054. doi: 10.1177/0004867416662150
2016
Journal Article
The burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in China and India: a systematic analysis of community representative epidemiological studies
Charlson, Fiona J., Baxter, Amanda J., Cheng, Hui G., Shidhaye, Rahul and Whiteford, Harvey A. (2016). The burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in China and India: a systematic analysis of community representative epidemiological studies. The Lancet, 388 (10042), 376-389. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30590-6
2016
Other Outputs
Challenges and options for estimating the prevalence of schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, and bipolar disorders in population surveys
McGrath, John J., Charlson, Fiona and Whiteford, Harvey A. (2016). Challenges and options for estimating the prevalence of schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, and bipolar disorders in population surveys. Washington, DC, United States: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
2016
Journal Article
Addressing the burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition
Patel, Vikram, Chisholm, Dan, Parikh, Rachana, Charlson, Fiona J., Degenhardt, Louisa, Dua, Tarun, Ferrari, Alize J., Hyman, Steve, Laxminarayan, Ramanan, Levin, Carol, Lund, Crick, Medina Mora, María Elena, Petersen, Inge, Scott, James, Shidhaye, Rahul, Vijayakumar, Lakshmi, Thornicroft, Graham, Whiteford, Harvey and on behalf of the DCP MNS Author Group (2016). Addressing the burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition. The Lancet, 387 (10028), 1672-1685. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00390-6
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Fiona Charlson is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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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
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
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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