Anthony Jorm (born 1951[) is an Australian researcher who has made contributions in the areas of psychology, psychiatry and gerontology.][
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Retrieved 11 May 2021. He also co-founded mental health first aid training with mental health educator Betty Kitchener.[Clay RA. Mental health first aid. APA Monitor on Psychology 2013; 44(7): 32.][Kitchener B, Jorm T. In the beginning: Mental Health First Aid is born in Australia. National Council Magazine 2013; 1: 26.][Henningham P. With health in mind: The story of Australian Rotary Health. Parramatta; Australian Rotary Health; 2011.]
Career
Anthony Jorm received a BA from the University of Queensland, achieving First Class Honours in psychology and a University Medal in 1973.[Sheehan P. Early Career Awards 1980-1981. Australian Psychologist 1982; 17: 293-296.] He then completed a master's degree in clinical psychology (1975) and a PhD in psychology (1977) at the University of New South Wales.[ In 1995, he was awarded a DSc by the Australian National University for his research on mental disorders.][
He has held academic appointments at Deakin University (1977–1984),][ the Australian National University (1984–2005), including Director of the Centre for Mental Health Research (2001–2004),][ and the University of Melbourne (2005–2018).][ Since 2019, he has been a professor emeritus at the University of Melbourne.][
Jorm has held National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Fellowships, including being awarded an Australia Fellowship in 2009.][ He is currently an NHMRC Leadership Fellow.][
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Retrieved 11 May 2021.
chair of the Board of Mental Health First Aid International,[
Retrieved 11 May 2021] and chair of the Australian Rotary Health Research Committee (2009–2012).[
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Contributions to research
Jorm's early research at Deakin University was on cognitive processes in reading and spelling, particularly on reading and spelling disabilities.[ This work examined the role of problems in storage and retrieval of phonological information from long-term memory, as well as the influence of the home and school environment, on reading achievement.][Jorm AF. Determinants of individual differences in reading achievement. Australian Journal of Psychology 1983; 35: 163-174.]
At the Australian National University, he worked with A. S. (Scott) Henderson on the epidemiology of dementia and depression.[Henderson AS, Jorm AF. Some contributions to the epidemiology of dementia and depression. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 1997; 12: 145-154] This research included “integrated analyses of published work; instrument development; cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal surveys of cognitive decline, dementia and depression in general population samples; and a case-control study of Alzheimer’s disease”.[ This research included studies showing history of depression as a risk factor for dementia.][
Retrieved 11 May 2021.]
In the mid-1990s, Jorm began research on mental health literacy, introducing this term and carrying out a national survey of the mental health literacy of the Australian public. An article on this work was listed as the 5th most-cited article in the 100-year history of the Medical Journal of Australia.[McKay DR. What’s trending at the Medical Journal of Australia? The current top 10 most-cited articles. MJA 2014; 201:22-26.] The research on mental health literacy was a major influence on the development of Mental health first aid training.[
Retrieved 11 May 2021] Jorm's current research at the University of Melbourne is on building the community's capacity for prevention and early intervention on mental disorders.[
Retrieved 11 May 2021.]
Jorm has published work on expert consensus in science, including its role in establishing scientific truth, in guiding professional practice and policy, and agreeing on what are acceptable scientific methodologies.[
Retrieved 1 June 2025] He has also written specifically about the validity and use of the Delphi method for establishing expert consensus.[
Retrieved 1 June 2025]
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Role in Mental Health First Aid
Retrieved 11 May 2021
Editorial roles
He was the editor-in-chief of the Australasian Journal on Ageing from 1997 to 2001[Jorm T. New directions for the journal. Australian Journal on Ageing 1997; 16: 146.] and has been the editor-in-chief of Mental Health & Prevention
Retrieved 11 May 2021 He was an associate editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry from 2005 to 2021[Malhi G. Thanks, thoughts, and other things: On being the Editor and what it brings. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2021; 55; 435-441.] and an associate editor of Early Intervention in Psychiatry from 2006 to 2013.[
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Awards and honours
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University of Queensland Medal, 1973
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Guy Goodricke Prize in Psychology
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Australian Psychological Society Early Career Award, 1982
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Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, 1994
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Ewald W Busse Research Award from the International Association of Gerontology, 1997
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Founders’ Medal, Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research, 2002
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Archived 19 Oct 2006.
Australian Rotary Health Medal, 2007[
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Thompson Scientific Citation Award, 2008[
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Excellence in Mental Health Education, National Council of Behavioral Healthcare, USA, 2008.[
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National Health and Medical Research Council Australia Fellow, 2009[
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Outstanding Academic Mentor Award, Australian Psychological Society, 2017[
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Research.com Psychology in Australia Leader Award, 2022, 2023, 2024[
Retrieved 15 May 2023.]
Research.com Medicine in Australia Leader Award, 2023, 2024[
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Retrieved 6 October 2023.
ScholarGPS Highly Ranked Scholar- Lifetime, 2024[
Retrieved 26 April 2024.]
Lifetime Achievement Award, National Council for Mental Wellbeing (USA), 2025.
Personal life
Jorm married Betty Kitchener in 1978 and they have two children.[ He is a keen cyclist.][ He is a member of the Rotary Club of Carlton.][
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