Health – Views & Research – The Conversation

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There are different types of fitness. An exercise expert explains

Hunter Bennett, Adelaide University

We analysed 14 million Reddit posts to reveal a striking shift in how we talk about mental health

Jemima Kang, The University of Melbourne; Mike Conway, The University of Melbourne, and Nick Haslam, The University of Melbourne

Storm clouds pass over Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory.

Murray Valley encephalitis can be fatal. With no vaccine, here’s how to stay safe

Cameron Webb, University of Sydney and Bart J. Currie, Menzies School of Health Research

Psychopathy: some experts now say it doesn’t exist – here’s why we may be looking at it all wrong

Ava Green, City St George's, University of London

Why do I get so tired while driving?

Madeline Sprajcer, CQUniversity Australia and Alysa Bachmann, CQUniversity Australia

Woman yawning at the wheel of the car while road tripping with a friend.

How ‘big meat’ shapes science to give steak a healthy glow up

Navid Teimouri, The University of Queensland and Katherine Cullerton, The University of Queensland

Deep-rooted inequalities are driving the latest diphtheria outbreak. But we can fix them

Asha Bowen, The Kids Research Institute Australia; Lorraine Anderson, Indigenous Knowledge, and Stephanie Enkel, The Kids Research Institute Australia

Birds-eye view of an Aboriginal community in Alice Springs.

Women covers her face, feeling tired after waking up

Why do I wake up so tired after vivid dreams?

Yaqoot Fatima, University of the Sunshine Coast; Danielle Wilson, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Nisreen Aouira, University of the Sunshine Coast

What is trauma? The more we talk about it, the more it means

Nick Haslam, The University of Melbourne

Huddled figure surrounded by laughing faces.

How to encourage a friend to get therapy (without blowing up your friendship)

Glen Hosking, La Trobe University

Man sitting on sofa or chair by window, palm of hands over eyes, looking distressed

From purling to puzzles, these hobbies could reduce your dementia risk

Ruth Brookman, Western Sydney University and Celia Harris, Western Sydney University

Elderly mother teaching adult daughter how to knit, while laughing and sitting on a couch.

Need a doctor or nurse after hours? How to get virtual or in-person care in Australia – including for free

Mahima Kalla, The University of Melbourne; Feby Savira, Deakin University; Kara Burns, The University of Melbourne, and Sathana Dushyanthen, The University of Melbourne

Woman lays on her couch in a scarf, looking at her phone. There are tissues and cough syrup in the foreground

Latest health news and analysis

Health news

Jai Arrow (centre) with ball being tackled by two players.

Why does motor neurone disease take so long to diagnose? And can it be treated?

Peter J. Crack, The University of Melbourne and Peter J. Crouch, The University of Melbourne

Burning candles on birthday cake at dining table.

Is it safe to use cake decorating dusts and dyes? 2 experts explain

William Alexander Donald, UNSW Sydney and Deborah Yates, UNSW Sydney

Disease outbreaks

Australia is battling its worst diphtheria outbreak in decades. But vaccines could curb it

Archana Koirala, University of Sydney and Bianca Middleton, Menzies School of Health Research

Microscopic image of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria, which causes the potentially deadly infection diphtheria.

Why diphtheria, whooping cough and measles have come back in Australia

Adrian Esterman, Adelaide University

Young boy receiving the Schick Test from a doctor. Boy is accompanied by mother and younger sibling (1915). The Schick Test is a measure of immunity to diphtheria.

Health authorities are racing to contain Ebola in the DRC and Uganda. Here’s what’s making it so challenging

C Raina MacIntyre, UNSW Sydney; Ashley Quigley, UNSW Sydney; Mohana Priya Kunasekaran, UNSW Sydney, and Noor Jahan Begum Bari, UNSW Sydney

Health workers chat at an Ebola treatment centre in Bunia, Congo on Tuesday

Hantavirus quarantine has started. Two infection control experts explain what to expect

Philip Russo, Monash University and Brett Mitchell, University of Newcastle

Aerial shot of Perth quarantine facility

Research news

Doing puzzles and joining clubs could help you age well: new research

Aung Zaw Zaw Phyo, Monash University and Joanne Ryan, Monash University

Elderly man reads book while elderly woman does crossword puzzle at table.

Screening Indigenous people for this heart condition at 55 can prevent strokes and save lives

Kylie Gwynne, UNSW Sydney; Macquarie University; Katrina Ward, RMIT University, and Vita Christie, UNSW Sydney

To improve children’s mental health, start by supporting their parents

Narendar Manohar, Black Dog Institute; Hiroko Fujimoto, Black Dog Institute, and Peter Baldwin, Swinburne University of Technology; UNSW Sydney

Brain implants allow us to move and talk. But they could also be hacked

David Tuffley, Griffith University

Man wearing a cap-type device with lots of colourful electrodes and wires looks at a computer screen.

Winter health

Pharmacist applying Bandaid to upper arm of elderly lady in pharmacy

Does the flu vaccine give you the flu? 5 questions about the vaccine answered

Christopher Blyth, The University of Western Australia and Allen Cheng, Monash University

Should I take vitamin D now there’s less sun, or for bone or immune health?

Nial Wheate, Macquarie University; Ian Jamie, Macquarie University, and Wai-Jo Jocelin Chan, UNSW Sydney; University of Sydney

Can I get a free flu shot? And will it cover ‘super K’? Your influenza vaccine questions answered

Allen Cheng, Monash University

What is RSV? And why should older Australians have this free vaccine?

Allen Cheng, Monash University

Older woman holds her t-shirt sleeve up to get vaccinated

Should I test for flu at home if I have the sniffles?

Thea van de Mortel, Griffith University

Woman wearing bright blue jumper, holding cup of lemon tea, tissue or hankie on lap

Advice to live by

What’s the risk of infection from manicures and pedicures?

Helen Banwell, Adelaide University and Kristin Graham, Adelaide University

What is ‘cycle syncing’, and how might it affect menstruation?

Emmalee Ford, University of Sydney

Disability policy

People talk at a foundational support program

What should ‘foundational supports’ look like for people ineligible for the NDIS?

Sam Bennett, Grattan Institute and Owain Emslie, Grattan Institute

The government plans to tighten NDIS eligibility. Here’s what’s likely to change

Georgia van Toorn, UNSW Sydney and Helen Dickinson, UNSW Sydney

A woman supports a young adult with cerebral palsy during mealtime at home

What do the proposed NDIS changes mean for people with disability living in supported accommodation?

Libby Callaway, Monash University; Jack Francis Kelly, University of Technology Sydney; Phillippa Carnemolla, University of Technology Sydney, and Sally Robinson, Flinders University

NDIS eligibility will be based on ‘functional capacity’, not diagnostic labels. But what does that mean?

Georgia van Toorn, UNSW Sydney

Aged care

Female nurse helping an elderly woman walk down a hallway.

Australians wait 12 months for aged care – and the latest budget funding is unlikely to change that

Sabrina Lenzen, The University of Queensland

A free shower is the least older people can expect. But aged care funding misses one key point

Tracy Comans, The University of Queensland; The University of Melbourne

Nurse or Cader brushing hair of smiling elderly woman

First Robodebt, now NDIS and aged care: how computers still decide who gets care

Laura Davy, Australian National University

Older woman in kitchen sifting flour into green bowl.

Cost of living

Broccoli on wooden chopping board with knife

Don’t throw it out! How to cook using ingredients too good to waste

Lauren Ball, The University of Queensland and Emily Burch, Southern Cross University

Specialist doctors are charging too much. 4 options to rein in excessive fees

Anthony Scott, Monash University

Specialist explains something to her patient

Worried about your job? You’re not alone. But there are proven ways to ease job insecurity

Sharon Kaye Parker, Curtin University

A woman lying awake in bed half in shadow

‘No gap’ private health insurance can save you money. But there’s a catch

Yuting Zhang, The University of Melbourne

Woman lying in hospital bed, with needles in arm

Fed up with health insurance costs? 5 expert tips to negotiate a better deal

Lisa Farrell, RMIT University and Meg Elkins, RMIT University

Pregnant woman lying down, laptop on legs, on phone

Medicinal Cannabis series

Should clinics prescribe medicinal cannabis that they also supply? We asked 5 experts

Barbara Mintzes, University of Sydney; Betty Chaar, University of Sydney; Christine Mary Hallinan, The University of Melbourne; Christopher Rudge, University of Sydney, and Wendy Lipworth, Macquarie University

Can medicinal cannabis help kids’ autism, ADHD or Tourette’s? Here’s what we know so far

Daryl Efron, The University of Melbourne and Kaitlyn Taylor, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Will medicinal cannabis help my mental health? Here are the evidence and the risks

Suzanne Nielsen, Monash University and Myfanwy Graham, Monash University

Can I drive when taking medicinal cannabis? Is it safe?

Tom Arkell, Swinburne University of Technology

Hospitals in Crisis series

Just 2 in 3 patients are treated on time in emergency departments. Check how your public hospital performs

Anam Bilgrami, Macquarie University

A composite image showing clinicians wheeling a person on a trolly, in front of a clock and ambulances

Can Urgent Care Clinics actually take pressure off hospitals? Yes, but they’re not the only way

Jonathan Karnon, Flinders University and Charmaine Gray, Flinders University

A composite image showing clinicians talking in front of a Medicare card and an Urgent Care Clinic

No control, no regulation. Why private specialist fees can leave patients with huge medical bills