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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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
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
2016
Other Outputs
Mental disorders in conflict-affected populations: epidemiological modelling for targeted mental health program development
Charlson, Fiona Jayne (2016). Mental disorders in conflict-affected populations: epidemiological modelling for targeted mental health program development. PhD Thesis, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2016.174
2016
Journal Article
Applications of the epidemiological modelling outputs for targeted mental health planning in conflict-affected populations: the Syria case-study
Charlson, F. J., Lee, Y. Y., Diminic, S. and Whiteford, H. (2016). Applications of the epidemiological modelling outputs for targeted mental health planning in conflict-affected populations: the Syria case-study. Global Mental Health, 3 (e8) e8, e8.1-e8.13. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2016.4
2016
Journal Article
Global and national burden of diseases and injuries among children and adolescents between 1990 and 2013 findings From the Global Burden of Disease 2013 Study
Kyu, Hmwe H., Pinho, Christine, Wagner, Joseph A., Brown, Jonathan C., Bertozzi-Villa, Amelia, Charlson, Fiona J., Coffeng, Luc Edgar, Dandona, Lalit, Erskine, Holly E., Ferrari, Alize J., Fitzmaurice, Christina, Fleming, Thomas D., Forouzanfar, Mohammad H., Graetz, Nicholas, Guinovart, Caterina, Haagsma, Juanita, Higashi, Hideki, Kassebaum, Nicholas J., Larson, Heidi J., Lim, Stephen S., Mokdad, Ali H., Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar, Odell, Shaun V., Roth, Gregory A., Serina, Peter T., Stanaway, Jeffrey D., Misganaw, Awoke, Whiteford, Harvey A., Wolock, Timothy M. ... Vos, Theo (2016). Global and national burden of diseases and injuries among children and adolescents between 1990 and 2013 findings From the Global Burden of Disease 2013 Study. JAMA Pediatrics, 170 (3), 267-287. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.4276
2016
Journal Article
Excess mortality from mental, neurological and substance use disorders in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 – Corrigendum
Charlson, F. J., Baxter, A. J., Dua, T., Degenhardt, L., Whiteford, H. A. and Vos, T. (2016). Excess mortality from mental, neurological and substance use disorders in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 – Corrigendum. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 25 (1), 91-92. doi: 10.1017/S2045796015000724
2016
Journal Article
Post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression in conflict-affected populations: an epidemiological model and predictor analysis
Charlson, F. J., Flaxman, A., Ferrari, A. J., Vos, T., Steel, Z. and Whiteford, H. A. (2016). Post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression in conflict-affected populations: an epidemiological model and predictor analysis. Global Mental Health, 3 (e4) e4, e4.1-e4.11. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2015.26
2016
Conference Publication
Mapping mental health system resources against planning benchmarks: examples and challenges
Diminic, Sandra, Harris, Meredith, Leitch, Elizabeth, Fjeldsoe, Kevin, Charlson, Fiona and Whiteford, Harvey (2016). Mapping mental health system resources against planning benchmarks: examples and challenges. Society for Mental Health Research 2016 Conference, Sydney, Australia, 7-9 December 2016.
2015
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
Forouzanfar, M.H., Alexander, L., Anderson, H.R., Bachman, V.F., Biryukov, S., Brauer, M., Burnett, R., Casey, D., Coates, M.M., Cohen, A., Delwiche, K., Estep, K., Frostad, J.J., Astha, K.C., Kyu, H.H., Moradi-Lakeh, M., Ng, M., Slepak, E.L., Thomas, B.A., Wagner, J., Aasvang, G.M., Abbafati, C., Abbasoglu Ozgoren, A., Abd-Allah, F., Abera, S.F., Aboyans, V., Abraham, B., Puthenpurakal Abraham, J., Abubakar, I. ... Temesgen, A.M. (2015). Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, 386 (10010), 2287-2323. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00128-2
2015
Journal Article
Evaluation of a Leadership in Mental Health course for Pacific Island Nation delegates
Charlson, Fiona, Redman-MacLaren, Michelle and Hunter, Ernest (2015). Evaluation of a Leadership in Mental Health course for Pacific Island Nation delegates. Australasian Psychiatry, 23 (6), 38-41. doi: 10.1177/1039856215612977
2015
Journal Article
Burden of mental and substance use disorders in Indigenous Australians and Oceania
Charlson, Fiona J. and Erskine, Holly E. (2015). Burden of mental and substance use disorders in Indigenous Australians and Oceania. Australasian Psychiatry, 23 (6), 13-16. doi: 10.1177/1039856215608295
2015
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 188 countries, 1990-2013: Quantifying the epidemiological transition
GBD 2013 DALYs and HALE Collaborators, Charlson, Fiona J., Erskine, Holly E., Ferrari, Alize J., Gouda, Hebe N., Hoy, Damian G., Knibbs, Luke D., McGrath, John J., Scott, James G., Whiteford, Harvey A. and Lalloo, Ratilal (2015). Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 188 countries, 1990-2013: Quantifying the epidemiological transition. The Lancet, 386 (10009), 2145-2191. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61340-X
2015
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
Vos, Theo, Barber, Ryan M., Bell, Brad, Bertozzi-Villa, Amelia, Biryukov, Stan, Bolliger, Ian, Charlson, Fiona, Davis, Adrian, Degenhardt, Louisa, Dicker, Daniel, Duan, Leilei, Erskine, Holly, Feigin, Valery L., Ferrari, Alize J., Fitzmaurice, Christina, Fleming, Thomas, Graetz, Nicholas, Guinovart, Caterina, Haagsma, Juanita, Hansen, Gillian M., Hanson, Sarah Wulf, Heuton, Kyle R., Higashi, Hideki, Kassebaum, Nicholas, Kyu, Hmwe, Laurie, Evan, Liang, Xiofeng, Lofgren, Katherine, Lozano, Rafael ... Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 Collaborators (2015). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, 386 (9995), 743-800. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60692-4
2015
Journal Article
Time-course of PTSD symptoms in the Australian Defence Force: a retrospective cohort study
Waller, M., Charlson, F. J., Ireland, R. E. E., Whiteford, H. A. and Dobson, A. J. (2015). Time-course of PTSD symptoms in the Australian Defence Force: a retrospective cohort study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 25 (4), 393-402. doi: 10.1017/S2045796015000517
2015
Journal Article
The rising tide of mental disorders in the Pacific region: forecasts of disease burden and service requirements from 2010 to 2050
Charlson, Fiona J., Diminic, Sandra and Whiteford, Harvey A. (2015). The rising tide of mental disorders in the Pacific region: forecasts of disease burden and service requirements from 2010 to 2050. Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, 2 (2), 280-292. doi: 10.1002/app5.93
2015
Journal Article
Excess mortality from mental, neurological and substance use disorders in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010
Charlson, Fiona J., Baxter, Amanda J., Dua, T., Degenhardt, Louisa, Whiteford, Harvey A. and Vos, Theo (2015). Excess mortality from mental, neurological and substance use disorders in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 24 (2), 121-140. doi: 10.1017/S2045796014000687
2015
Journal Article
Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
Naghavi, Mohsen, Wang, Haidong, Lozano, Rafael, Davis, Adrian, Liang, Xiaofeng, Zhou, Maigeng, Vollset, Stein Emil, Ozgoren, Ayse Abbasoglu, Abdalla, Safa, Abd-Allah, Foad, Aziz, Muna I. Abdel, Abera, Semaw Ferede, Aboyans, Victor, Abraham, Biju, Abraham, Jerry P., Abuabara, Katrina E., Abubakar, Ibrahim, Abu-Raddad, Laith J., Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen M. E., Achoki, Tom, Adelekan, Ademola, Ademi, Zanfi Na, Adofo, Koranteng, Adou, Arsene Kouablan, Adsuar, Jose C., Aernlov, Johan, Agardh, Emilie Elisabet, Akena, Dickens, Al Khabouri, Mazin J. ... GBD 2013 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators (2015). Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, 385 (9963), 117-171. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2
2015
Book Chapter
Excess mortality from mental, neurological and substance use disorders in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010
Charlson, Fiona J., Baxter, Amanda J., Dua, Tarun, Degenhardt, Louisa, Whiteford, Harvey A. and Vos, Theo (2015). Excess mortality from mental, neurological and substance use disorders in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Disease control priorities: Volume 4, Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders. (pp. 41-65) edited by Vikram Patel, Dan Chisholm, Tarun Dua, Ramanan Laxminarayan and Maria Elena Medina-Mora. Washington, DC, United States: The World Bank.
2014
Journal Article
Mental and substance use disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: predictions of epidemiological changes and mental health workforce requirements for the next 40 years
Charlson, Fiona J., Diminic, Sandra, Lund, Crick, Degenhardt, Louisa and Whiteford, Harvey A. (2014). Mental and substance use disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: predictions of epidemiological changes and mental health workforce requirements for the next 40 years. PLoS One, 9 (10) e110208, e110208.1-e110208.11. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110208
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Fiona Charlson is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Available projects
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Mental health and climate change
If you are considering studying a PhD in Queensland and you want your research to have social impact, then we would like you to join us at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR).
As a PhD student with ISSR, you will join a team of experienced researchers who want to make a difference. At ISSR we deliver high quality research to inform policy and practice and improve the life outcomes of communities and families. We have a depth of expertise and supervisory experience across research areas in public health, criminology, psychology, education, sociology, social research, and applied statistics.
As a PhD student with us, you will be part of an engaged, diverse, and welcoming HDR community that organises regular writing groups, social outings, wellbeing activities such as coffee, cake and conversation (3Cs), walking groups, lively lunchtime sessions, and much more.
Our PhD students are an important part of the Institute, and you will be able to attend regular ISSR capability building sessions, seminars, short courses and the ISSR conference, with plenty of opportunities to share your work.
ISSR is based at the beautiful, leafy, riverside Long Pocket campus at Indooroopilly with plenty of free parking and a free bus connection to the main campus at St Lucia, just 7 minutes away. You will have a light, spacious, modern and attractive workspace at Long Pocket and feel part of our inclusive ISSR work group.
If you would like to know more, we encourage you to reach to potential supervisors directly. For general inquires about the HDR program at UQ, please contact Lindsay Muller at hdr.issr@enquire.uq.edu.au.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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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
Exploring links between social determinants of mental health, the impact of a climate driven flood event, and mental health outcomes.
Principal Advisor
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, Associate Professor 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
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: