Health, Wellbeing and Disadvantage

While standards of living are at a historical high, significant diversity exists within the population, as individuals are exposed to different opportunities and experiences over the life course.  This research theme is broadly divided into three strands. The first aims to develop and refine measures of wellbeing and economic opportunity in Australia. The second strand focuses on barriers to economic participation by disadvantaged subgroups and how their access to economic opportunities might be improved. Subgroups of interest include people living in poverty, sole parents, long-term older renters, the unemployed, and people with disabilities. The third strand looks more broadly at the links between health and wellbeing and economic or social participation. For instance, how do health conditions affect future economic and social outcomes? What role do working conditions (e.g. flexible working practices) play in driving life satisfaction? What are the employment outcomes of people with caring responsibilities?

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Youth, Social Media, and Mental Health: Evidence from Australian Panel Data Michael Dockery, Alan Duncan, Lili Loan Vu, Astghik Mavisakalyan Social media use has become ubiquitous among young people, yet evidence on its association with mental health remains limited and mixed. In this study, we use rich longitudinal data from Australia and measure social media use based on the frequency... Read article 25 July 2026Journal Articles Read More
Research Brief: Evaluating literacy and numeracy progressions in custody and desistance from crime: Evidence from Western Australia Michael Dockery, Lili Loan Vu This research was funded by a grant awarded under the Western Australian Office of Crime Statistics and Research (WACSAR) Criminal Justice Research Grant Program, administered by the WA Department of Justice (the Department). This study investigates the impact of prisoners’... Read article 23 July 2026Research Reports Read More
Evaluating literacy and numeracy progressions in custody and desistance from crime: Evidence from Western Australia Michael Dockery, Lili Loan Vu This research was funded by a grant awarded under the Western Australian Office of Crime Statistics and Research (WACSAR) Criminal Justice Research Grant Program, administered by the WA Department of Justice (the Department). This study investigates the impact of prisoners’... Read article 23 July 2026Research Reports Read More
Unseen damage: Bushfire, infant health and early child development Jacquelyn Zhang Naturally occurring bushfires have become a global concern, with epidemiological evidence highlighting the unique toxicity of bushfire smoke compared to ambient air pollution. Leveraging remote-sensing data and a novel dynamic-radius fire assignment strategy, this paper causally examines the longitudinal impacts... Read article 24 April 2026Journal Articles Read More
LSIC Housing Research Report Factsheet: The changing nature of Indigenous children’s housing by remoteness Michael Dockery, Megan Moskos Description From 2008, the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) has been following a cohort of Indigenous children, interviewing their families each year as they grow up. The initial sample comprised of 1,671 children from two age groups: from 6... Read article 19 March 2026Research Reports Read More
Footprints in Time: Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children Housing Research Report Michael Dockery, Megan Moskos Description Footprints in Time, or the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, has tracked a large sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families from early childhood through to their teenage years. The survey provides an invaluable source... Read article 19 March 2026Research Reports Read More