The University of New South Wales
Research Field: Co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders
About 25% of Australians abuse or become dependent on alcohol or other drugs at some point during their lives. Many of these people will also have mental health conditions, like depression or anxiety, at the same time. The co-occurrence of substance use and mental health disorders is widespread and remains a significant challenge for the delivery of effective health-care services and treatment. Dr Mills’ research work to examine the integrated interventions for co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders has contributed significantly to the evidence base regarding the effective treatment of these disorders. Katherine is able to communicate complex, difficult issues to lay audiences, especially youth who are the most at risk. She was the keynote speaker for the Reduce Risk Increase Student Knowledge (RRISK) Youth Project, and has provided seminars to over 2,500 15-17 year old high-school students from the North Coast of NSW on the potential harms associated with alcohol and other drug abuse and ways to reduce them.