USC youth mental health research and findings was shared with people from around the country at a recent conference, held by the Society for Mental Health Research in Melbourne.

Staff and PhD students from the Sunshine Coast Mind and Neuroscience - Thompson Institute attended the conference and presented on youth mental health research projects, including the Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study (LABS).

Rethinking how mental health issues are diagnosed was a common theme at the conference; attendees agreed it is important to respond to early signs that a person’s mental health is at risk, rather than wait for a condition to be diagnosed before offering a treatment.

Neuroscience, such as the important research conducted by LABS, can play a significant role in this early treatment.