Rate My Professor Tonelle Handley

Handley's research interests encompass rural mental health, suicide prevention, comorbid mental and substance use disorders, and the psychological impacts of environmental stressors such as drought and climate change on farmers and rural communities. She explores risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation, the predictive value of social integration and support, mental health service needs, barriers, and facilitators, as well as community attitudes and access to care. Key publications include "Drought-related stress among farmers: findings from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study" (Medical Journal of Australia, 2018), "The challenges of predicting suicidal thoughts and behaviours in a sample of rural Australians with depression" (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018), "Concerns about climate change among rural residents in Australia" (Journal of Rural Studies, 2020), "You’ve got to have friends: the predictive value of social integration and support in suicidal ideation among rural communities" (Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2012), and "Contributors to suicidality in rural communities: beyond the effects of depression" (BMC Psychiatry, 2012). These works, drawing from large-scale studies like the Australian Rural Mental Health Study, have garnered substantial citations and informed interventions, policy, and public health strategies to enhance mental health outcomes in underserved rural populations. Her contributions also extend to evaluations of suicide prevention programs, integrated care models, and the efficacy of online resources for suicidal individuals.