Anthony Jorm

Jorm has been listed as one of the most cited researchers in the mental health field in Australia and the world. In 2020, he was ranked in the top 500 most-cited scientists in the world across all scientific disciplines.

In 2000, Jorm was a founder of Mental Health First Aid training, together with his wife Betty Kitchener. He led research to evaluate the effects of Mental Health First Aid training and guidelines on how to give mental health first aid for a range of developing mental health problems and mental health crises. In 2011, together with Betty Kitchener, he founded the not-for-profit organization Mental Health First Aid International and was the inaugural Chair of its Board. By 2021, Mental Health First Aid training had spread to over 25 countries and over 4 million people had been trained globally.

Honorary positions include president of the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research (1999–2000), chair of the Board of Mental Health First Aid International, and chair of the Australian Rotary Health Research Committee (2009–2012).

He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Journal on Ageing from 1997 to 2001 and has been the Editor-in-Chief of Mental Health & Prevention since 2019. He was an Associate Editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry from 2005 to 2021 and an Associate Editor of Early Intervention in Psychiatry from 2006 to 2013.

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. The research on mental health literacy was a major influence on the development of Mental health first aid training. Jorm's current research at the University of Melbourne is on building the community's capacity for prevention and early intervention on mental disorders.

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.

Anthony Jorm received a BA from the University of Queensland, achieving First Class Honours in psychology and a University Medal in 1973. 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.

Anthony Jorm (born 1951) is an Australian researcher who has made contributions in the areas of psychology, psychiatry and gerontology. He also co-founded mental health first aid training with mental health educator Betty Kitchener.