Dr Melissa Freire completed her BPsych (Hons I) and PhD at the Australian National University. Melissa joined the University of Newcastle in 2022, as an Industry Educator.

Melissa’s doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on understanding the cultural and epistemological factors that influence literacy and learning for Australian Indigenous peoples in the Northern Territory and New South Wales to facilitate equitable and inclusive access to essential services.

Melissa’s current research continues to investigate issues associated with equity and inclusion for the general population and for sub-groups in our community. Melissa’s overarching research goals are to inform development of new ways to support and improve health and wellbeing.

With a focus on ensuring equitable and inclusive access to essential services, Melissa’s current research focuses on understanding factors that influence health and wellbeing in applied contexts, including education, health, and workplace settings. Current research projects investigate the relationship between mental health and help-seeking behaviour in different contexts and how this relationship is influenced by factors at the individual, cultural and societal level.

Melissa supervises undergraduate and graduate students on sub-projects in the areas of shame associated with low literacy in applied contexts and mental health shame, self-compassion, disclosure and help-seeking behaviour in the workplace, in educational settings, and cross-culturally.

Melissa is also a Senior Research Associate on the Refugee Trauma and Recovery Program PRISM Family Study, which investigates the impact of missing and separated family on the mental health and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers. This research is funded by an ARC Linkage Grant.