Melissa Opozda

Dr Mel Opozda is a Health Psychologist and Research Fellow in Men’s Mental Health within the College of Medicine and Public Health, on Kaurna land in Tarntanya/Adelaide. Her research relates to:

• boys', young men's, and men's mental health, wellbeing, and health behaviours (e.g., health care access, substance use, gambling)
• developing and evaluating models of care, support, and promotion that suits boys', young men's, and men's preferences, priorities, and circumstances - especially in digital health spaces.

She is particularly interested in these issues in equity-owed populations of boys and men. Her current main role is evaluating a new social media-based mental health promotion program for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in the Northern Territory (YBMenNT). She has recently worked on projects examining men's experiences of using telehealth services, men's alcohol use during Covid, African migrant men's perceptions of mental health care, and men's use of and preferences for e-mental health interventions. She has co-supervised two PhDs to completion. Mel was previously at the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing and has also worked in various teaching, health education, health promotion, and clinical settings.

Mel is available to supervise Honours, Masters, and PhD projects related to boys, young men's, and men's mental health, wellbeing, healthcare, and health behaviours.

Current roles:

• FHMRI Health Equity Impact Program Lead, Digital Health and Wellbeing Cluster.
• Movember Institute of Men's Health Research Partner.
• Flinders University Project ECHO Men's Health Network Subject Matter Expert.
• Bellberry Ltd Human Research Ethics Committee Member.
• ALIVE Centre for Mental Health Translation, Next Gen Research Network Member.

Professional memberships:

• Australian Association for Psychologists Inc.
• International Society for Research on Internet Interventions.
• Australian Health Promotion Association.
• Society for Mental Health Research