Alexandra Devine
Biographic Data
| ID | 3893101 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexandra Devine |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexandra |
| FAMILY NAME | Devine |
| SIGNATURE | DEVINE A |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Melbourne |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7549-9876 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 16 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
The impact of multiple experiences of social exclusion on the mental health of Australians with disability
Background Australians with disability experience significantly poorer mental health outcomes compared to the general population, with inequalities increasingly linked to intersecting forms of socio-economic disadvantage and exclusion. However, research on how multiple experiences of social exclusion impact the mental health of people with disability is nascent. This study aims to address this gap. Methods The IMPACT project is a co-designed mixe…
Precarious employment and mental health among young Australians with disability
Meeting the Needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People With Hearing Loss in the Context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Hearing loss is a poignant issue in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and, without sufficient support, it can also contribute to disabling life experiences. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is intended to provide support to eligible people experiencing disability, however, to effectively serve this population, it requires a nuanced understanding of their lived experiences, support needs and how these needs can …
How does the subjective well-being of Australian adults with a congenital corpus callosum disorder compare with that of the general Australian population
Evidence from the PWI and accompanying qualitative responses indicate that SWB of Australian adults with CCD is significantly reduced compared with the general population. Further research is needed to examine the lived experience and explore solutions for support of this community
That was all over the shop’
People with disability are an ‘at‐risk’ group in a pandemic context for various clinical and structural reasons. However, in the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic, people with disability were not identified as a priority group, which exacerbated this risk, particularly for those living in congregate settings. This paper examines inter‐organisational issues during the second wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in disability residential settings gath…
Nearly gave up on it to be honest’
Utilisation of budgets provides important insights into the effectiveness of individualised funding schemes. Significant under‐utilisation by certain cohorts may indicate schemes are not working as intended. People with psychosocial disability have been identified as one such cohort experiencing barriers to effective budget utilisation within Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme. Our mixed‐methods research confirms that while this coh…
Australia’s Disability Employment Services Program
Disability employment programs play a key role in supporting people with disability to overcome barriers to finding and maintaining work. Despite significant investment, ongoing reforms to Australia's Disability Employment Services (DES) are yet to lead to improved outcomes. This paper presents findings from the Improving Disability Employment Study (IDES): a two-wave survey of 197 DES participants that aims to understand their perspectives on fa…
Disability and work in a health and economic crisis
Labour markets around the world are experiencing extraordinary disruption during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The gap in the employment rate between Australians with and without disability is likely to widen, given the entrenched disadvantage of people with disability in the job market. For many, it will compound existing health and economic vulnerabilities. This scenario is troubling from both a human rights and an economic perspective. In this paper,…
‘I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m just ready to work’
These findings re-iterate the importance of work in supporting the mental health and well-being of people with psychosocial disability. Alongside access to secure and meaningful work, personal recovery was facilitated within the context of DES when frontline workers utilised approaches that align with recovery-orientated practices. However, these approaches were not consistently applied. Given the number of people with psychosocial disability mov…
Enabling Action
People with disabilities experience health disparities arising from social, environmental, and system‐level factors. Evidence from a range of settings suggests women with disabilities have reduced access to health information and experience barriers to screening, prevention, and care services. This results in greater unmet health needs, particularly in relation to sexual and reproductive health. Women with disabilities are also more likely to exp…
Freedom to go where I want
Women with disabilities experience a range of violations of their sexual and reproductive rights. The Philippines ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and have laws in place to promote the rights to sexual and reproductive health and protection from violence. However, limited resourcing, and opposition to such laws undermine access to these rights for all women. Inadequate disability inclusion within p…
Building capacity for a disability-inclusive response to violence against women and girls
The Philippines has developed a range of national laws, policies, and programmes in response to violence against women and girls (VAWG). However, as elsewhere, the needs and experiences of women with disabilities are rarely considered in government policies or development activities. Yet women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence than their peers without disability, and they experience a range of barriers that prevent them acc…
Prevalence and correlates of disability in Bogra district of Bangladesh using the rapid assessment of disability survey
There is a significant need for promoting programs for health, well-being, and rehabilitation, and policies specifically targeting the older population, women, unemployed and poor people in Bangladesh
W-Dare
This three-year study will provide evidence about factors undermining the sexual and reproductive health of women with disability in a lower-middle income country, and provide new insights about what may be effective in increasing access to services in settings of limited resources. Findings will be relevant across Asia and the Pacific. Analysis of the program will also provide evidence about disability-inclusion in participatory action research …
Field-testing of the rapid assessment of disability questionnaire
Filed-testing in Bangladesh and Fiji confirmed the psychometric robustness of functioning, well-being, and community access sections of the RAD. Information from the questionnaire can be used to inform and evaluate disability inclusive development programs
Falling through the cracks
BACKGROUND: HIV risks for women who inject drugs and those who engage in sex work are well documented. Women who are dependent on non-injecting drugs and alcohol are also likely to have increased vulnerability to HIV infection, but until they actually inject drugs or engage in sex work, are unlikely to come to the attention of HIV prevention programs. METHODS: We undertook a qualitative study involving nine focus group discussions (FGDs) and 27 k…
Meeting the needs of women who use drugs and alcohol in North-east India – a challenge for HIV prevention services
The expressed health and other service needs of women who use drugs and alcohol in Manipur and Nagaland do not match the services currently provided by HIV prevention NGOs, and this may, in part, account for the relatively poor uptake of these services by women. Strategies and activities that can be implemented by NGOs to strengthen their reach to vulnerable women are identified. However, many of these women's needs are beyond the scope of servic…
Pathways to sex-work in Nagaland, India
There are an estimated 1800-3500 sex-workers in Dimapur, the commercial capital of Nagaland, which is the second-highest HIV prevalence state in India. The HIV prevalence among these sex-workers has increased from 4.4% in 2004 to 16.4% in 2006, highlighting their vulnerability. The aim of this study was to contribute to understanding of the pathways to sex-work for women in Nagaland in order to inform the development of effective HIV prevention s…
Some peace of mind
This pilot intervention study demonstrated that a participatory approach to mental health promotion can have a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable women, and the potential to contribute to HIV prevention. Further investigation is warranted
A participatory intervention to improve the mental health of widows of injecting drug users in north-east India as a strategy for HIV prevention
BACKGROUND: Manipur and Nagaland, in the north-east of India, are classified as high prevalence states for HIV, and intravenous drug use is an important route of transmission. Most injecting drug users (IDUs) are men, an estimated 40% are married, and death rates have been high in the last five years, consequently the number of widows of IDUs has increased. Many of these widows and their children are HIV-infected and experience poor health, discr…
Nearly gave up on it to be honest’
Utilisation of budgets provides important insights into the effectiveness of individualised funding schemes. Significant under‐utilisation by certain cohorts may indicate schemes are not working as intended. People with psychosocial disability have been identified as one such cohort experiencing barriers to effective budget utilisation within Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme. Our mixed‐methods research confirms that while this coh…
Enabling Action
People with disabilities experience health disparities arising from social, environmental, and system‐level factors. Evidence from a range of settings suggests women with disabilities have reduced access to health information and experience barriers to screening, prevention, and care services. This results in greater unmet health needs, particularly in relation to sexual and reproductive health. Women with disabilities are also more likely to exp…
Freedom to go where I want
Women with disabilities experience a range of violations of their sexual and reproductive rights. The Philippines ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and have laws in place to promote the rights to sexual and reproductive health and protection from violence. However, limited resourcing, and opposition to such laws undermine access to these rights for all women. Inadequate disability inclusion within p…
That was all over the shop’
People with disability are an ‘at‐risk’ group in a pandemic context for various clinical and structural reasons. However, in the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic, people with disability were not identified as a priority group, which exacerbated this risk, particularly for those living in congregate settings. This paper examines inter‐organisational issues during the second wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in disability residential settings gath…
Building capacity for a disability-inclusive response to violence against women and girls
The Philippines has developed a range of national laws, policies, and programmes in response to violence against women and girls (VAWG). However, as elsewhere, the needs and experiences of women with disabilities are rarely considered in government policies or development activities. Yet women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence than their peers without disability, and they experience a range of barriers that prevent them acc…
A participatory intervention to improve the mental health of widows of injecting drug users in north-east India as a strategy for HIV prevention
BACKGROUND: Manipur and Nagaland, in the north-east of India, are classified as high prevalence states for HIV, and intravenous drug use is an important route of transmission. Most injecting drug users (IDUs) are men, an estimated 40% are married, and death rates have been high in the last five years, consequently the number of widows of IDUs has increased. Many of these widows and their children are HIV-infected and experience poor health, discr…
Some peace of mind
This pilot intervention study demonstrated that a participatory approach to mental health promotion can have a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable women, and the potential to contribute to HIV prevention. Further investigation is warranted
Pathways to sex-work in Nagaland, India
There are an estimated 1800-3500 sex-workers in Dimapur, the commercial capital of Nagaland, which is the second-highest HIV prevalence state in India. The HIV prevalence among these sex-workers has increased from 4.4% in 2004 to 16.4% in 2006, highlighting their vulnerability. The aim of this study was to contribute to understanding of the pathways to sex-work for women in Nagaland in order to inform the development of effective HIV prevention s…
Meeting the needs of women who use drugs and alcohol in North-east India – a challenge for HIV prevention services
The expressed health and other service needs of women who use drugs and alcohol in Manipur and Nagaland do not match the services currently provided by HIV prevention NGOs, and this may, in part, account for the relatively poor uptake of these services by women. Strategies and activities that can be implemented by NGOs to strengthen their reach to vulnerable women are identified. However, many of these women's needs are beyond the scope of servic…
Falling through the cracks
BACKGROUND: HIV risks for women who inject drugs and those who engage in sex work are well documented. Women who are dependent on non-injecting drugs and alcohol are also likely to have increased vulnerability to HIV infection, but until they actually inject drugs or engage in sex work, are unlikely to come to the attention of HIV prevention programs. METHODS: We undertook a qualitative study involving nine focus group discussions (FGDs) and 27 k…
Field-testing of the rapid assessment of disability questionnaire
Filed-testing in Bangladesh and Fiji confirmed the psychometric robustness of functioning, well-being, and community access sections of the RAD. Information from the questionnaire can be used to inform and evaluate disability inclusive development programs
Prevalence and correlates of disability in Bogra district of Bangladesh using the rapid assessment of disability survey
There is a significant need for promoting programs for health, well-being, and rehabilitation, and policies specifically targeting the older population, women, unemployed and poor people in Bangladesh
W-Dare
This three-year study will provide evidence about factors undermining the sexual and reproductive health of women with disability in a lower-middle income country, and provide new insights about what may be effective in increasing access to services in settings of limited resources. Findings will be relevant across Asia and the Pacific. Analysis of the program will also provide evidence about disability-inclusion in participatory action research …
Building capacity for a disability-inclusive response to violence against women and girls
The Philippines has developed a range of national laws, policies, and programmes in response to violence against women and girls (VAWG). However, as elsewhere, the needs and experiences of women with disabilities are rarely considered in government policies or development activities. Yet women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence than their peers without disability, and they experience a range of barriers that prevent them acc…
Freedom to go where I want
Women with disabilities experience a range of violations of their sexual and reproductive rights. The Philippines ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and have laws in place to promote the rights to sexual and reproductive health and protection from violence. However, limited resourcing, and opposition to such laws undermine access to these rights for all women. Inadequate disability inclusion within p…
‘I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m just ready to work’
These findings re-iterate the importance of work in supporting the mental health and well-being of people with psychosocial disability. Alongside access to secure and meaningful work, personal recovery was facilitated within the context of DES when frontline workers utilised approaches that align with recovery-orientated practices. However, these approaches were not consistently applied. Given the number of people with psychosocial disability mov…
Enabling Action
People with disabilities experience health disparities arising from social, environmental, and system‐level factors. Evidence from a range of settings suggests women with disabilities have reduced access to health information and experience barriers to screening, prevention, and care services. This results in greater unmet health needs, particularly in relation to sexual and reproductive health. Women with disabilities are also more likely to exp…
Australia’s Disability Employment Services Program
Disability employment programs play a key role in supporting people with disability to overcome barriers to finding and maintaining work. Despite significant investment, ongoing reforms to Australia's Disability Employment Services (DES) are yet to lead to improved outcomes. This paper presents findings from the Improving Disability Employment Study (IDES): a two-wave survey of 197 DES participants that aims to understand their perspectives on fa…
Disability and work in a health and economic crisis
Labour markets around the world are experiencing extraordinary disruption during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The gap in the employment rate between Australians with and without disability is likely to widen, given the entrenched disadvantage of people with disability in the job market. For many, it will compound existing health and economic vulnerabilities. This scenario is troubling from both a human rights and an economic perspective. In this paper,…
Nearly gave up on it to be honest’
Utilisation of budgets provides important insights into the effectiveness of individualised funding schemes. Significant under‐utilisation by certain cohorts may indicate schemes are not working as intended. People with psychosocial disability have been identified as one such cohort experiencing barriers to effective budget utilisation within Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme. Our mixed‐methods research confirms that while this coh…
That was all over the shop’
People with disability are an ‘at‐risk’ group in a pandemic context for various clinical and structural reasons. However, in the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic, people with disability were not identified as a priority group, which exacerbated this risk, particularly for those living in congregate settings. This paper examines inter‐organisational issues during the second wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in disability residential settings gath…
How does the subjective well-being of Australian adults with a congenital corpus callosum disorder compare with that of the general Australian population
Evidence from the PWI and accompanying qualitative responses indicate that SWB of Australian adults with CCD is significantly reduced compared with the general population. Further research is needed to examine the lived experience and explore solutions for support of this community
Precarious employment and mental health among young Australians with disability
Meeting the Needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People With Hearing Loss in the Context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Hearing loss is a poignant issue in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and, without sufficient support, it can also contribute to disabling life experiences. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is intended to provide support to eligible people experiencing disability, however, to effectively serve this population, it requires a nuanced understanding of their lived experiences, support needs and how these needs can …
The impact of multiple experiences of social exclusion on the mental health of Australians with disability
Background Australians with disability experience significantly poorer mental health outcomes compared to the general population, with inequalities increasingly linked to intersecting forms of socio-economic disadvantage and exclusion. However, research on how multiple experiences of social exclusion impact the mental health of people with disability is nascent. This study aims to address this gap. Methods The IMPACT project is a co-designed mixe…
Medicine (18 works) · Public health (12 works) · Environmental health (11 works) · Nursing (11 works) · Gerontology (10 works) · Disability Rights and Representation (7 works) · Population (7 works) · Psychology (7 works) · Economic growth (6 works) · Healthcare innovation and challenges (6 works)