Dr Xiaoyun Zhou
Senior Research Fellow
TC Beirne School of Law
Researcher biography
Dr Xiaoyun Zhou is a Senior Research Fellow at the COE Centre for Indigenous Futures and Faculty of Business, Econimics and Law, The University of Queensland. She has a multidisciplinary background spanning psychology, mental health, and digital health, with a strong research focus on digital mental health interventions for children and adolescents. Dr Zhou holds a PhD in Health and Behavioural Sciences from UQ, where she developed and evaluated a culturally tailored digital mental health intervention for Chinese adolescents. Her doctoral work employed mixed methods, including a cluster randomized controlled trial, and was supported by multiple competitive awards, including the UQ Research Training Program Scholarship. Her research expertise includes both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. She has extensive experience working with large national datasets, such as Census and Medicare data, and linked datasets. She has also led several studies related to child and adolescent mental health. Dr Zhou is a member of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH), Chinese Psychological Society (CPS) and the American Psychological Association (APA).
Publications
Book Chapter
Senanayake, Buddhika, Tyagi, Nirupama, Zhou, Xiaoyun and Edirippulige, Sisira (2020). Workforce readiness and digital health integration. Opportunities and challenges in digital healthcare innovation. (pp. 170-185) edited by Kamaljeet Sandhu. Hershey, PA, United States: IGI Global. doi: 10.4018/978-1-7998-3274-4.ch010
Journal Articles
GBD 2023 Mental Disorder Collaborators, Zhou, Xiaoyun (GBD 2023 Mental Disorder Collaborator) and Akosile, Wole (GBD 2023 Mental Disorder Collaborator) (2026). Updated trends in the global prevalence and burden of mental disorders, 1990-2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. The Lancet, 407 (10543), 2040-2064. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00519-2
Gallegos-Rejas, Victor M., Kelly, Jaimon T., Zhang, Ling, Marinucci, Nicole, Payne, Karen, Zhou, Xiaoyun, Lu, Yiran, Smith, Anthony C. and Thomas, Emma E. (2026). Understanding the telehealth access through an intersectional lens: experience of Mandarin-speaking consumers accessing health services from a tertiary hospital in Australia. Digital Health, 12 20552076261415915, 20552076261415915. doi: 10.1177/20552076261415915
Zhai, Siyu, Goodman, Andrew, Smith, Anthony C., Diminic, Sandra and Zhou, Xiaoyun (2026). Effectiveness, facilitators and barriers of digital mental health services for First Nations Peoples in Australia: a systematic scoping review. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 15 e80386, e80386-e80386. doi: 10.2196/80386
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Jia, Frank, Bambling, Matthew, Edirippulige, Sisira, Whiteford, Harvey and Lin, Jialing (2026). Associations between multiple neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health in children. Journal of Affective Disorders, 393 (Part A) 120397, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120397
Takizawa, Yu, Zhou, Xiaoyun, Krishnamoorthy, Govind, March, Sonja, Slee, Phillip, Pill, Shane, Agnew, Deb, O'Dea, Bridianne, Wang, Tianchong, Han, Weifeng and Edirippulige, Sisira (2026). Are universal digital mental health interventions effective for promoting mental health outcomes among children and adolescents? A meta-analysis of effects and moderators. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 32 (5), 391-411. doi: 10.1177/1357633X251352904
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Pagliaro, Claudia, Wailan, Manuel, Nelson, Carmel, Suetani, Shuichi, Frazer, Randall, Borton, Tamsyn, Potgieter, Rayno, Basit, Tabinda, Williams, Hayley, Liu, Yan, Zhang, Lihong, Hou, Xiang-Yu, Bainbridge, Roxanne, Whiteford, Harvey and Diminic, Sandra (2025). Patterns in the access, utilisation and budget allocation of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) psychosocial support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with mental health needs: a case study from South East Queensland. BMC Health Services Research, 25 (1) 1488, 1488. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-13634-4
Zhang, Lihong, Liu, Yan, Jin, Lu, Hou, Xiang-Yu, Diminic, Sandra, Zhou, Xiaoyun, Suetani, Shuichi, Nelson, Carmel and Bainbridge, Roxanne (2025). Socio-spatial inequalities in accessibility of Indigenous community-controlled mental health services in South East Queensland, Australia. International Journal of Health Geographics, 24 (1) 24, 1-15. doi: 10.1186/s12942-025-00415-9
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Edirippuige, Sisira, Snoswell, Centaine L., Bambling, Matthew, Liu, Dongying, Smith, Anthony C. and Bai, Xuejun (2024). It was like going to a battlefield: lived experience of frontline nurses supporting two hospitals in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sage Open Nursing, 10 23779608241253977, 23779608241253977. doi: 10.1177/23779608241253977
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Edirippulige, Sisira, Jones, Andrew, Bai, Xuejun, Smith, Anthony C. and Bambling, Matthew (2023). The feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of an app-based intervention (the Coping Camp) in reducing stress among Chinese school adolescents: a cluster randomised controlled trial. PLoS One, 18 (11) e0294119, 1-20. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294119
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Bambling, Matthew, Bai, Xuejun, Smith, Anthony C. and Edirippulige, Sisira (2023). Exploring factors affecting Chinese adolescents’ perceived usefulness and engagement with a stress management app: a qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14 1249093, 1249093. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1249093
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Bambling, Matthew, Bai, Xuejun and Edirippulige, Sisira (2023). Chinese school adolescents' stress experience and coping strategies: a qualitative study. BMC Psychology, 11 (1) 91, 91. doi: 10.1186/s40359-023-01137-y
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Edirippulige, Sisira, Bai, Xuejun and Bambling, Matthew (2021). Are online mental health interventions for youth effective? A systematic review. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 27 (10), 638-666. doi: 10.1177/1357633x211047285
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Bambling, Matthew and Edirippulige, Sisira (2021). A mixed-method systematic review of text-based telehealth interventions in eating disorder management. Journal of Health Research, 36 (6), 1149-1165. doi: 10.1108/jhr-03-2021-0179
Edirippulige, Sisira, Gong, Sophie, Hathurusinghe, Malshi, Jhetam, Sarah, Kirk, Jasmine, Lao, Henry, Leikvold, Annalise, Ruelcke, Jayde, Yau, Nim Chi, Zhang, Qichen, Armfield, Nigel, Senanayake, Buddhika, Zhou, Xiaoyun, Smith, Anthony C, Judd, Madelaine-Marie and Coulthard, Mark G (2020). Medical students’ perceptions and expectations regarding digital health education and training: A qualitative study. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 28 (4), 1357633X20932436-265. doi: 10.1177/1357633x20932436
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Snoswell, Centaine L., Harding, Louise E., Bambling, Matthew, Edirippulige, Sisira, Bai, Xuejun and Smith, Anthony C. (2020). The role of telehealth in reducing the mental health burden from COVID-19. Telemedicine and e-Health, 26 (4) tmj.2020.0068, 377-379. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2020.0068
Conference Papers
Zhou, Xiaoyun (2025). Patterns in the access, utilisation and budget allocation of NDIS psychosocial support for First Nations Australians with mental health needs. 49th International Mental Health Nursing Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 10-12 September 2025. HOBOKEN: WILEY.
Zhou, Xiaoyun (2024). Factors associated with Medicare mental health services access and utilisation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Southeast Queensland. 13th Health Services Research Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 4-6 December 2024. Brisbane, QLD Australia:
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Smith, Anthony, Bainbridge, Roxanne, Hou, Xiang-Yu and Diminic, Sandra (2024). Is telehealth associated with more mental health service utilisation by urban Indigenous Australians?. 24th Successes and Failures in Telehealth Conference (SFT-24), Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 13-15 November 2024. Brisbane, QLD, Australia:
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Edirippulige, Sisira, Bai, Xuejun and Bambling, Matthew (2022). Chinese adolescents’ experience and perception of an app-based stress inoculation
training intervention for stress management: a qualitative study. 22nd Successes and Failures in Telehealth Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 9-11 Nov 2022. Brisbane, QLD Australia: SFT22.
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Edirippulige, Sisira, Bai, Xuejun and Bambling, Matthew (2022). Building a mobile app to deliver stress inoculation training to Chinese adolescents:
development, feasibility, and acceptability
. 22nd Successes and Failures in Telehealth Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 9-11 Nov 2022. Brisbane, QLD Australia: SFT22.
Zhou, Xiaoyun (2022). Efficacy of Coping Camp in reducing stress, anxiety and depression among Chinese adolescents: cluster RCT. Digital Health Summit, Sydney, NSW Australia, 17-18 Oct 2022. Australia:
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Bambling, Matthew, Bai, Xuejun and Edirippulige, Sisira (2022). Chinese school adolescents’ stress experience and coping strategies:
a focus group interview study. The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine 2022 HDR Symposium, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 6-7 October 2022.
Zhou, Xiaoyun , Edirippulige, Sisira , Bai, Xuejun and Bambling, Matthew (2021). The feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of an app-based intervention (Coping
Camp) for stress management among high school students in China. The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, 2021 HDR symposium, Herston, QLD, Australia, 1-2 December 2021.
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Edirippulige, Sisira, Bambling, Matthew and Bai, Xuejun (2021). The modalities and effectiveness of telehealth interventions for youth mental health: a systematic review. 2st Successes and Failures in Telehealth Conferenc, Online, 3-5 Nov 2021. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Australian Telehealth Society.
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Edirippulige, Sisira, Bambling, Matthew, Snoswell, Centaine, Liu, Dongying, Smith, Anthony and Bai, Xuejun (2021). Lived experience of frontline nurses supporting two hospitals in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Nursing World Conference 2021, Online, 18-20 Oct 2021.
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Hansen, Julie, Bambling, Matthew and Edirippulige, Sisira (2019). Examining the evidence for online text-based interventions in eating disorders: a systematic review. 19th Successes and Failures in Telehealth Conference (SFT-19 Australia), Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 21-23 Oct 2019.
Newspaper Article
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Diminic, Sandra and Bainbridge, Roxanne (2025, 05 21). Improving mental healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: new research findings Croakey Health Media
Thesis
Zhou, Xiaoyun (2023). The feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of an app-based self-help intervention for stress management among adolescents in school settings in China: a mixed-method study. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/3df43b9
Preprints
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Pagliaro, Claudia, Wailan, Manuel, Suetani, Shuichi, Basit, Tabinda, Frazer, Randall, Nelson, Carmel, Liu, Yan, Zhang, Lihong, Bainbridge, Roxanne, Hou, Xiang-Yu, Whiteford, Harvey and Diminic, Sandra (2025). Factors associated with Medicare mental health services access and frequency of utilisation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and children in Southeast Queensland. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/2ydwx_v1
Zhou, Xiaoyun, Smith, Anthony C., Nelson, Carmel, Suetani, Shuichi, Frazer, Randall (Bidjara Nation), Borton, Tamsyn, Potgieter, Rayno, Basit, Tabinda, Williams, Hayley (Gamilaroi nation), Liu, Yan, Zhang, Lihong, Hou, Xiang-Yu, Bainbridge, Roxanne (Gunggari/Kunja Nations), Whiteford, Harvey and Diminic, Sandra (2025). Disparities in access to and utilisation of Medicare subsidised telehealth mental health services by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in Southeast Queensland. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/kjs42_v1
Zhai, Siyu, Goodman, Andrew, Smith, Anthony C., Diminic, Sandra and Zhou, Xiaoyun (2025). Effectiveness, facilitators and barriers of digital mental health services for First Nations Peoples in Australia: A systematic review. doi: 10.1101/2025.04.27.25326251