Physical health of young people with a mental illness (April 2017)
In This Section

This webinar will examine and review the physical health risks associated with mental illness in young people. Young people with a mental illness are at increased risks of health issues such as obesity, low levels of physical activity, alcohol and other drug use, and iatrogenic weight gain. The webinar will also explore the longer-term risks and associated poor health outcomes including the most commonly preventable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In considering the short and long-term health risks associated with mental illness, this webinar will describe holistic prevention and early intervention approaches that aim to achieve better outcomes and provide guidance on how to address the physical health of young people with mental illness.

The information in this webinar is current as at April, 2017.

Who is this webinar for?

Clinicians who work with young people in mental health services, private practice and primary care.

What will you learn in this webinar?

  • Review the physical health risks associated with mental illness in young people 
  • Provide an overview of the longer-terms risks and associated poor health outcomes 
  • Describe strategies and interventions that aim to meet the physical health needs of a young person experiencing mental illness
  • Understand how addressing physical health leads to better outcomes for young people

Presenter

Associate Professor Melissa Kang, Faculty of Health, The University of Technology Sydney

Melissa Kang is Associate Professor at the Australian Research Centre for Public and Population Health Research at The University of Technology Sydney. She is also a general practitioner who has worked as a primary care clinician with homeless young people in western Sydney for 20 years.

Her research interests include sexual health and sexuality, access to and models of health care for young people and health system navigation for marginalised young people. She is currently leading the NSW Health funded ‘Access 3’ research project in partnership with Sydney University, where she is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of General Practice at Westmead.