Opinions

In November, the Productivity Commission released its final report on the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (the National Agreement). It found that while some good work is being done, the National Agreement hasn't provided the vision and direction we need to build the mental health system that we all want.

David McGrath

New research from The University of Queensland team led by Prof Ranjeny Thomas, Dr Anne-Sophie Bergot and MD-PhD student Benjamin Cai suggests that ankylosing spondylitis may start when immune cells carry bacterial components from the gut to the joints in people who are genetically at risk. Traces of gut bacteria were found in the joints of disease-susceptible mice and patients. Supporting gut health and keeping macrophages quiet could create new routes to better manage AS.

Anne-Sophie Bergot, Benjamin Cai, Ranjeny Thomas

Social connections are key predictors of mental health in older adults, especially interactions with friends, neighbours and the wider community. GPs are well placed to screen for social isolation and encourage patients to remain socially active as part of healthy ageing and depression prevention

Suraj Samtani

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.

Steve Kisely, Pramudie Gunaratne, Beth Kotzé, Kathryn Drew, James Scott, Tarun Bastiampillai, Andrew Carroll, Christopher Davey, Deepika Yerrakalva, Amy Corderoy, Sarah Logan, Joey Le, David Faktor

The Victorian government has announced it will train 150 GPs to diagnose and start treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children.

Daryl Efron, Nadia Coscini

If we are to future-proof heart care in Australia, we must reimagine our national commitment to secondary prevention through cardiac rehabilitation.

Julie Redfern, Robyn Gallagher, Tom Birffa, Dion Candelaria

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.

Michael Carrette, Caroline de Costa, Philip Goldstone, Mukesh Haikerwal

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).

Seileshia Calma Goodrem

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.

Dorothy Keefe