Helen Berry
Helen is a psychiatric epidemiologist investigating social capital and mental health and their associations with issues in health and wellbeing. Recently, this work has expanded to place these issues in a context of climate change, particularly its impacts in rural and remote locations.
Helen’s work involves the use of advanced statistical modelling techniques to analyse large representative datasets and evaluate mental health interventions. With a substantial previous career in executive public and non-profit sector administration, Helen has a particular interest in the applications of her research findings to Australian public health policy and intervention design. Helen maintains active collaborations on social capital and mental health with Australian Government agencies, state and local government agencies, a wide range of universities, and in Vietnam and Thailand.
In addition to her position at CeRAPH, Helen is also Adjunct Associate Professor, ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, and Conjoint Associate Professor, Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, The University of Newcastle
Helen Berry's Recent Research Publications and Research Outputs 2008 – present
Peer reviewed journal articles 2008-present
Inder, K., Berry, H.L. & Kelly, B.J. (under review). Using cohort studies to investigate rural mental health. Australian Journal of Rural Health.
Berry, H.L., Hogan, A., Owen, J., Rickwood, D.J., & Fragar, L. (under review). Farmers’ mental health and climate change: A review of the evidence. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health.
Olesen, S.C. & Berry, H.L. (2010). Community participation and mental health during retirement in community sample of Australians. Aging and Mental Health. (in press)
Palmer, M., Nguyen, T.M.T., Neeman, T., Berry, H.L., & Harley, D. (2010). Health care utilization, cost burden and coping strategies by disability status: an analysis of the Vietnam National Health Survey. International Journal of Health Planning & Management. Published online July 2010.
Berry, H.L., Butler, J.R.A., Burgess, C.P., King, U.G., Tsey, K., Cadet-James, Y.L., Rigby, C.W. & Raphael, B. (2010). Mind, body, spirit: Co-benefits for mental health from climate change adaptation and caring for country in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. NSW Bulletin of Public Health, 21(5-6), 139-145.
Strazdins, L., D’Souza, R.M., Clements, M., Broom, D H, Rodgers,B., & Berry H. (2010). Could better jobs improve mental health? A prospective study of change in work conditions and mental health in mid-age adults. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. (Accepted 17 January 2010.)
McDermott, B., Cobham, V., Berry, H.L. & Stallman, H.M. (2010). Vulnerability factors for post-disaster child Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: the case for low family resilience and previous mental illness. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44(4):384-389.
Berry, H.L., Bowen, K. & Kjellstrom, T. (2010). Climate change and mental health: A causal pathways framework. International Journal of Public Health. International Journal of Public Health, 52(3), 123-132.
Berry, H.L. & Welsh, J.A. (2010). Social capital and health in Australia: An overview from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Social Science & Medicine, 70(4), 588-596.
2009
Berry, H.L. (2009). Pearl in the oyster: Climate change as a mental health opportunity. Australasian Psychiatry, 17(6), 453-456.
Hamel Green, E., Blashki, G., Berry, H.L., Harley, D. & Horton, G. (2009). Preparing medical students for climate change. Australian Family Physician, 38(9), 726-729.
Berry, H.L. (2009). Social capital and mental health among Aboriginal Australians, New Australians and Other Australians in a coastal region. Australasian eJournal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 8(2), www.auseinet.com/journal/vol8iss2/berry.pdf
Burgess, C.P., Johnston, F., Berry, H.L., McDonnell, J., Yibarbuk, D., Gunabarra, C., Mileran, A. & Bailie, R. (2009) Healthy Country Healthy People: Superior Indigenous health outcomes are associated with ‘Caring for Country’. Medical Journal of Australia, 190(10), 567-572.
2008
Burgess, P., Berry, H.L., Bailie, R. & Gunthorpe, W. (2008). Healthy country, healthy people: Measuring Indigenous Australian ‘Caring for Country’ and associations with BMI. International Journal for Equity in Health, 7:26.
Berry, H.L. (2008). Subjective perceptions about sufficiency and enjoyment of community participation and associations with mental health. Australasian Epidemiologist, 15(3), 4-9.
Berry, H.L. (2008). Social capital elite, excluded participators, busy working parents and aging, participating less: Types of community participators and their mental health. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(7), 527-537.
Monographs
Berry, H.L. & Shipley, M. (2009). Longing to Belong: Social Capital and Mental Health in an Australian Coastal Community. Social Policy Research Paper 39. Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
Berry, H.L., Butterworth, P., Caldwell, T.M., & Rodgers, B. (2008). Contemporary Australian Archetypes: Different People, Different Needs. Social Policy Research Paper 32. Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
Berry, H.L., George, E., Rodgers, B., Butterworth, P., & Caldwell, T.M. (2007). Intergenerational Transmission of Reliance on Income Support: Psychosocial Factors and their Measurement. Social Policy Research Paper 31, Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
Chapters
Bammer, G., Strazdins, L., McDonald, D., Berry, H.L., Ritter, A., Dean, P. & Van Kerkhoff. (2010) Expanding deliberations about the research-policy gap: useful ideas from the literature. In Bammer, G., Michaux, A. & Sanson, A. (Eds), Brigding the Know-Do Gap: Knowledge Brokering to Improve Child Well-Being. ANU E-Press: Canberra. In press.
McMichael, A.J., McMichael, C.E., Berry, H.L. & Bowen, K. (2010). Climate-related displacement: Health risks and responses. In McAdam, J., Climate Change and Displacement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Hart Publishing: Oxford. In press.
Berry, H.L. & Welsh, J.A. (2009). Social capital and health in Australia. In R. Wilkins, D. Warren & M. Hahn, Families, Incomes and Jobs. Statistical Reports vol.4, Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia: University of Melbourne, pp173-179.
Blashki, G., Berry H.L., Kidd, M.J. (2009). Primary Care Responses to Climate Change, in Moss, J. (Ed.). Climate Change and Social Justice, pp144-167. Melbourne University Press: Melbourne.
Commissioned and Government reports
Welsh, J.A. & Berry, H.L. (2010). Social Capital and Mental Health in Australia: Evidence from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. A report to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The Australian National University and The University of Canberra: Australia.
O’Brien, L.V. & Berry, H.L. (2010). Social Capital and Mental Health in Australia: A Multilevel Analysis of Australia’s Two-Parent Working Families. A report to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The Australian National University and The University of Canberra: Australia.
Berry, H.L., Evans, C. & Garner, S. (2010). Social isolation and mental health among younger Australian veterans. A report to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Grosvenor Consulting: Canberra.
Kiem, A.S., Askew, L.E., Sherval, M., Verdon-Kidd, D.C., McGuirk, P.E., Clifton, C., Austin, E. & Berry, H.L. (2010). Drought and the Future of Small Inland Towns: Drought Impacts and Adaptation in Regional Victoria, Australia. A report to the National Climate Change Adaptation Facility. The University of Newcastle Australia.
Hogan, A., Berry, H.L., Ng, S.P. & Bode, A. (2010). Farmers’ Climate Change-Related Decision-Making. A report to the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (project 004546). The Australian National University: Canberra.
Olesen, S.C. & Berry, H.L. (2010). Alternative forms of participation after work: The role of community participation in mental health during retirement. The Australian National University: Canberra.Berry, H.L. (2008). Social Capital and Wellbeing in Evaluating the Cape York Welfare Reform Trials. The Australian National University: Canberra.
Strazdins, L., Lucas, N., Matthews, R., Berry, H.L., Rodgers, B. & Davies, A. (2008). Parent and Child Wellbeing and the Influence of Work and Family Arrangements: A Three Cohort Study. The Australian National University: Canberra.
Berry, H.L. , Kelly, B.J., Hanigan, I.C., Coates, J.H., McMichael, A.J., Welsh, J.A. & Kjellstrom, T. (2008). Rural Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change. Commissioned background paper for the Garnaut Climate Change Review. The Australian National University: Canberra.
McMichael, A.J., Weaver, H, Berry, H.L., Beggs, P., Currie, B., Higgins, J., et al. Human Health and Climate Change: National Adaptation Research Plan: National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility; 2008 2 December.
McMichael, A.J. & Berry, H.L. (2008). Submission to the Drought Policy Review Expert Social Panel, It's About People: Changing Perspectives on Dryness – An Assessment of the Social Impacts Associated with Drought. Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra.
Berry, H.L. (2007). Twelve Types of Australians and their Socio-economic, Psychosocial and Health Characteristics. The Australian National University: Canberra.
Berry, H.L. & Shipley, M. (2007). Longing to Belong: Social Capital and Mental Health in an Australian Coastal Community. The Australian National University: Canberra.
Berry, H.L., Butterworth, P., Caldwell, T.M. & Rodgers, B. (2006). Profiling Australian Community Members: Different Types of People, Different Needs. The Australian National University: Canberra.
Berry, H.L., George, E., Rodgers, B., Butterworth, P. & Caldwell, T.M. (2005). Intergenerational Transmission of Reliance on Income Support: Psychosocial Factors and their Measurement. The Australian National University: Canberra.
Berry, H.L. & Butterworth, P. (2003). Overcoming Mental Health Barriers to Social and Economic Participation. The Australian National University: Canberra.
Conference presentations
Berry, H.L. (2010). Climate change adaptation and co-benefits for mental health. Healthy Climate, Planet and People: Co-benefits for Health from Action on Climate Change, Australian Academy of Science Fenner Conference on the Environment, 23-24 June, Canberra: Australia. Invited presentation.
Inder, K., Berry, H.L. & Kelly, B.J. (2010). Using cohort studies to examine rural and remote mental health. 2nd Rural and Remote Health Scientific Symposium, 9-11 June, Brisbane: Australia. Invitation-only symposium, invited presentation.
Berry, H.L. Climate change and health in the Australian Capital Region. Switch to Green Conference 2009, United Nations Association of Australia, 10-11 September 2009, Canberra, Australia.
Berry, H.L. Symposium convenor and first speaker: Drought, drying and rural mental health. National Rural Health Conference. 17-20 May 2009, Cairns, Australia.
Berry, H.L. Social capital and mental health among Indigenous Australians, New Australians and other Australians. Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research. 2-5 December 2008, Newcastle, Australia.
Berry, H.L. Social capital and mental health among Indigenous Australians, New Australians and Other Australians in rural settings. RANZCP Section of Social and Cultural Psychiatry conference, Creating Futures. 22-25 September 2008, Cairns, Australia.
Berry, H.L. Social capital types and their mental health. Population Health Congress: A global world – practical action for health and well-being. 6-9 July 2008, Brisbane, Australia.
Berry, H.L. Exploring the research-policy nexus: Guest panel presentation and discussion. 2007 Social Policy Research Workshop, Australian Government Department of Families, Communities and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, 19-21 November 2007.
Berry, H.L. Strong and resilient communities: Twelve types of Australians and their socio-economic, psychosocial and health profiles. 2007 Social Policy Research Workshop, Australian Government Department of Families, Communities and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, 19-21 November 2007.
Berry, H.L. Social capital and mental health. Keynote presentation: Rural Mental Health Research Workshop. Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health. University of Newcastle, Orange, 6 November 2007.
Berry, H.L. The value of family wellbeing frameworks: Commonalities, differences, strengths and limitations, Guest Panel Speaker, What Counts? Defining, Exploring and Measuring Family Wellbeing: National Family Wellbeing Symposium, Canberra, 20-21 June 2007.
Berry, H.L. Measuring community participation and its relationship to general psychological distress. International Federation of Psychiatric Epidemiologists 11th International Congress, Globalisation and changing patterns of mental disorders across the life span, Göteborg, Sweden, 3-6 May 2007.
Berry, H.L. Social capital and mental health in an Australian coastal region. Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary College, University of London, London, UK, 19 April 2007.
Berry, H.L. Social capital and mental health in an Australian coastal region. Hanoi School of Public Health. Hanoi, Vietnam, 11 April 2007.