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The Mental Health Node (MHN) is a pivotal component of the HeSANDA initiative, which has been funded by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC).

At MHN, we are committed to advancing mental health research by focusing on the collection and dissemination of critical metadata related to clinical trials within this domain.

Our Role within HeSANDA:

MHN is an integral part of HeSANDA, an initiative aimed at enhancing research data sharing and collaboration in Australia. Our primary responsibility within HeSANDA is to compile comprehensive metadata about clinical trials focusing on mental health. These trials encompass a wide range of studies, from investigations into treatment effectiveness to the examination of innovative interventions and therapies.

Collaboration with HDA:

To ensure that this invaluable clinical trial metadata reaches researchers, stakeholders, and the wider community, we collaborate closely with the Health Data Australia (HDA) platform. HDA serves as a central repository, aggregating metadata from various nodes across Australia. This collaborative approach makes the data findable, searchable, and requestable, enabling seamless access to crucial research information.

The SHeBa Partnership:

MHN operates in synergy with the Secure Health Data and Biosamples (SHeBa) platform, a collaborative effort between Deakin University and Barwon Health. This partnership is instrumental in fulfilling our mission. SHeBa serves as a secure and controlled environment for the storage and access to deidentified Individual Patient Data (IPD) sourced from the clinical trial metadata available on the MHN website.

Data Privacy and Security:

Data privacy and security are paramount in our operations. To access deidentified IPD, researchers must follow a stringent approval process, ensuring compliance with ethical and privacy standards. Once approved, researchers can work within secure virtual environments to analyze data and export only non-identifying summary reports, safeguarding the privacy of participants.

Enhanced Data Linkage:

One of the unique features of SHeBa is the exclusive linkage of biological samples with individual/participant data within the platform. This provides researchers with a comprehensive dataset that can yield valuable insights into the connections between biological markers and mental health outcomes.

Researchers as Co-Custodians:

In line with our commitment to collaboration and responsible data management, researchers have the opportunity to become co-custodians of the outputs of their work, including cleaned data and analysis results. This promotes transparency and enhances the overall quality of research outcomes.

At MHN, we are dedicated to advancing the field of mental health research while maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and ethical conduct. Our collaborations with HeSANDA, RDA, and SHeBa enable us to contribute meaningfully to the broader research community and improve the lives of individuals affected by mental health challenges.

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Email us at mentalhealth_n@deakin.edu.au, call +61 3 5227 2229
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