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If we are to future-proof heart care in Australia, we must reimagine our national commitment to secondary prevention through cardiac rehabilitation.
Mental health care in Australia is facing a critical crisis, marked by declining inpatient capacity, escalating demand, and widening gaps in community-based services. The absence of a strong, public-facing voice for psychiatry has contributed to poor community literacy and policy inertia.
InSight+ brings you a quick summary of some of the latest research from the Medical Journal of Australia.
February 2026 marks the twentieth anniversary of the overturning of the Harradine Amendment by the Federal Parliament in 2006. Thanks to the efforts of many people across the country, this parliamentary action opened the way for a cascade of reforms in abortion care for Australian women.
My name is Seileshia Calma Goodrem, I am a local Darwin Aboriginal Kungarakan woman, proud mother of four beautiful children, and a project officer at Menzies School of Health Research, living and working in Darwin, Northern Territory (NT).
New national data suggest that the “average” dose of Medicare-subsidised mental health services provided by psychologists is around five sessions per year — raising uncomfortable questions about whether publicly funded care is adequately dosed, relationally safe, and fit for purpose.
Complex trauma is common, pervasive, and frequently invisible in primary care settings. Many patients present repeatedly with chronic, unexplained symptoms, dysregulated nervous systems, or fragmented help-seeking patterns without ever naming their trauma experiences. Recognising the patterns and responding sensitively can position medical practitioners as pivotal figures in a patient’s recovery journey.
The launch of the National Cancer Data Framework marks a significant milestone in Australian cancer care, setting a new standard for how health data is integrated and used across the sector. By ensuring cancer data is collected and reported in a nationally consistent manner, the sector will be able to answer key questions about cancer control, measure adherence to optimal care pathways and identify disparities in cancer care.
The current health status of Australian adolescents is concerning. Over 80% are not meeting national dietary or physical activity guidelines. Rates of mental ill-health are also rising, with around three quarters of Australian adolescents experiencing depression or anxiety symptoms. Yet as a nation adolescent health is not invested in enough.
