Sarah Youngson

Sarah Youngson serves as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Rural Clinical School within the Medical School of The University of Western Australia, engaging in casual multi-disciplinary teaching.

Her research centers on mental health with specialized focus on rural populations and youth, utilizing qualitative methodologies including focus groups, semistructured interviews, and thematic analysis. She applies systems theory to investigate the dynamic interplay of factors influencing mental illness and resilience in non-urban settings.

Current research trends examine rurality's dual role as both risk factor and protective environment for youth mental health, as demonstrated in her 2025 publication analyzing rural-urban disparities in mental health service access and outcomes.

Dr. Youngson has contributed to two significant research projects:

• Resilience or Risk – Impact of Rurality on Youth Mental Health (Lishman Health, 2020-2021)
• Refining key communication frames to ban energy drink sales to children (Healthway, 2023)

addressing critical public health challenges in rural communities and childhood nutrition policy.