Fact Sheet: Psychiatric illness - Mental Health Research Institute

debilitating of anxiety disorders marked
by a fear of being in a public place, the
individual often ends up house bound.
Obsessive compulsive disorder -
Repeated pointless thoughts or mental
images or repeated behaviours like hand
washing.
In addition, emphasis is being placed on the
required support and education needs of
those who experience mental illness as well
as society as a whole.
Psychiatric illness is becoming better
understood. Whilst the causes may be
complex, ongoing research is attempting to
provide answers to how and why particular
mental illnesses develop. In addition,
emphasis is being placed on the required
support and education needs of those who
experience mental illness.
Related Research
The Institute has a number of research
projects in its laboratories underway.
The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory
research aims to understand the cause of
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major
depression and the mechanism of action of
drugs used to treat these illnesses. The
ultimate goal is to provide a foundation for
rationale-based drug design. It is expected
that drugs aimed at targets involved in
causing schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and
major depression would dramatically
improve the wellbeing of people who
experience such illnesses whilst producing a
minimum number of side-effects, a
significant problem with current
medications.
The Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory
study brain neurotransmitter mechanisms
involved in schizophrenia, bipolar and
depression.
Molecular Psychopharmacology research
aims to understand the molecular pathology
of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia
and bipolar disorder. The aim is to develop
better diagnosis techniques and
interventions. They also investigate how
psychotropic medications interact with
receptors and intracellular signalling
mechanisms in neurons with the aim of
developing better treatments.
To find out more about what’s happening in
research visit the Mental Health Research
Institute at www.mhri.edu.au or request the
latest annual report.
Support and Information
Services
Lifeline
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au
Nurse On Call (Victoria)
1300 60 60 24
Health Advice Line (except Victoria)
1800 022 222
Beyond Blue
1300 224 636
www.beyondblue.org.au
Mental Health Fellowship
Self-help, support and advocacy
1800 985 944
www.mifa.org.au
Sane Australia
1800 18 7263
www.sane.org
Victorian Government Mental Health
Services
www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth
The Victorian Mental Health Library
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Tel: (03) 9342 8617 Fax: (03) 9342 8615
http://library.mh.org.au/