Distinguished Global Mental Health Advocate Recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

Distinguished Global Mental Health Advocate Recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

12 June 2017

Distinguished Global Mental Health Advocate Recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

Professor Helen Herrman, Head of Vulnerable and Disengaged Youth Research at Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and President Elect of the World Psychiatric Association has today been recognised with the Order of Australia in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Professor Herrman, also Professor of Psychiatry at the Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre was awarded the Order of Australia for her distinguished and outstanding lifetime contribution to psychiatry, public health, and community mental health service reform with her endeavours leading to major advances in scholarship, academic development and clinical practice locally, nationally and internationally.

Professor Herrman has achieved numerous local, national and international awards and recognition, most recently President Elect of the World Psychiatric Association and is due to take up her Presidency in 2017, the first Australian to achieve this significant international role. She received the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ College Citation in 2010 for contributions to national and international psychiatry, and International Distinguished Fellowship of the American Psychiatric Association in 2009. She was inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2013.

Mr Peter Smedley, Chairman of Orygen says, “Today, many thousands of people across the globe with mental illness are receiving improved mental health care because of Prof Herrman's tireless championing of reform and progress in mental health treatment, care and services. This is a well-deserved honour, I am delighted that both professionally and personally Helen’s contribution is being recognised in this way.”

Prof Herrman plays a lead role in a wide range of research projects that focus on a variety of social contexts, including violence, gender and mental health; assessment of outcomes and quality of life for people with disabilities; depression in primary health care; mental health promotion in children through family day carers; improving mental health outcomes for young people in out of home care; and youth, technology and wellbeing.

At Orygen she leads our research into the needs of vulnerable and disengaged young people designed to improve the mental health of young people in out of home care.

Professor Patrick McGorry AO, Executive Director of Orygen is delighted to see that Professor Herrman’s outstanding and ground-breaking work in mental health is being recognised today in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. The esteem in which she is held is clearly demonstrated by her numerous appointments to leading health and mental health organisations in Australian and around the world. This is well deserved recognition, Professor Herrman brings enormous passion and dedication to everything that she does”, he says.