| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Lewis, S., Willis, K., Bismark, M., & Smallwood, N. (221201). A time for self-care? Frontline health workers' strategies for managing mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.. SSM. Mental health, 2 |
| 2022 | Pascoe, A., Paul, E., Johnson, D., Putland, M., Willis, K., & Smallwood, N. (220501). Differential Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Symptoms and Working Conditions for Senior and Junior Doctors in Australian Hospitals. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 64(5), (E291-E299). |
| 2022 |
Hunter, R., Willis, K., & Smallwood, N. (220501). The workplace and psychosocial experiences of Australian junior doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Internal Medicine Journal, 52(5), (745-754). doi: 10.1111/imj.15720 |
| 2022 |
Correia, T., & Willis, K. (220301). Applying critical realism to the COVID-19 pandemic to improve management of future public health crises. International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 37(2), (599-603). doi: 10.1002/hpm.3376 |
| 2022 | Tran, J., Willis, K., Kay, M., Hutt, K., & Smallwood, N. (220301). The Workplace and Psychosocial Experiences of Australian Senior Doctors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), |
| 2022 | Russo, L., Willis, K., & Smallwood, N. (220201). Assisting People With Their Living, Not Their Dying: Health Professionals Perspectives of Palliative Care and Opioids in ILD. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 39(2), (211-219). |
| 2022 | Petrie, K., Smallwood, N., Pascoe, A., & Willis, K. (220101). Mental Health Symptoms and Workplace Challenges among Australian Paramedics during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), |
| 2022 | Bismark, M., Scurrah, K., Pascoe, A., Willis, K., Jain, R., & Smallwood, N. (220101). Thoughts of suicide or self-harm among Australian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, |
| 2022 | Lewis, S., Willis, K., Franklin, M., & Smith, L. (220101). Challenging times: disconnects between patient and professional temporalities in chronic condition management. Critical Public Health, |
Key details
Areas of expertise
- Sociology
- Chronic conditions
- Qualitative research
- Health workforce
Not available to supervise research students
Available for media queries
About Karen Willis
Karen is Professor of Public Health, College of Health and Biomedicine, Course Convenor MPH VU Online, and a member of the Institute for Health and Sport. Her research examines how individual health behaviours are linked to the broader social and political context. Current research examines loneliness in people with chronic health conditions and 'Future-proofing' frontline health workers during crises.
Karen's PhD research examined the social and political context of mammography screening in Australia.
Funded research includes:
- Staying Healthy: behaviours and services used by farmers and fishers
- How consumers negotiate between complementary and conventional health systems
- How Australians navigate the healthcare maze: the differential capacity to choose
- Establishing pathways to implement and sustain evidence based fall prevention in primary care
- Goal setting and chronic condition self management.
Karen's publications include:
- a health sociology textbook
- two edited books
- multiple book chapters
- >90 peer reviewed articles.
She has supervised 8 PhD students to completion. She regularly contributes to The Conversation and is active on Twitter.
Karen is editor in chief of Health Sociology Review.
Qualifications
- PhD (La Trobe University)
- GradDip Health Promotion (Curtin University)
- MA (Science and Technology Studies) (Wollongong University)
- BA (Deakin University)
Key publications
Book (showing 1 of 3)
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Bismark, M., Willis, K., Lewis, S., & Smallwood, N. (220222). Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic In Their Own Words. Routledge. |
Journal article (showing 9 of 118)
Research funding for the past 5 years
Please note:
- Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
- Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
- The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.
2021
|
Future proofing the frontline strategies to support frontline workers during times of crisis
From: Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation (LMCF)
For period: 2021-2023
|
$299,780 |
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following organisations for their support and essential contributions to my research:
-
Australian Research Council
2020-2022 Sick, lonely and left behind? A sociological study of loneliness (DP200101872) Dr Sophie Lewis (UNSW), Prof Karen Willis (VU), Prof Lorraine Smith (Uni of Sydney), Prof Anne Rogers (Uni of Southampton), Dr Leslie Dubbin (Uni California, South Francisco). $381,875
-
Lord Mayors Charitable Foundation
2021-2023: Future Proofing the Frontline: Strategies to support frontline workers during times of crisis: Prof Karen Willis (VU); A/Prof Natasha Smallwood (Monash Uni)
Supervision of research students at VU
Not available to supervise research students
Available for media queries
Other supervision of research students
Karen has supervised Masters and PhD students to completion.
Key academic roles
| Dates | Role | Department / Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2017 - Jun 2021 |
Professor, Allied Health Research
|
La Trobe University |
| Jul 2014 - Jul 2017 |
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
|
Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University |
| Jan 2012 - Jul 2014 |
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
|
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney |
| Jun 2021 - Present |
Professor, Public Health
|
College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University |
| Dates | Role & Department/Organisation |
|---|---|
| Aug 2017 -
Jun 2021
|
Professor, Allied Health Research
La Trobe University |
| Jul 2014 -
Jul 2017
|
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University |
| Jan 2012 -
Jul 2014
|
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney |
| Jun 2021 -
Present
|
Professor, Public Health
College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University |
Key industry, community & government roles
| Dates | Role | Department/Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Consumer Advisory Panel member
|
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner |
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Research member
|
DHHS Ethics Committee |
| Jan 2019 - Dec 2022 |
Editor in Chief
|
Health Sociology Review |
| Dates | Role & Department/Organisation |
|---|---|
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Consumer Advisory Panel member
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner |
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Research member
DHHS Ethics Committee |
| Jan 2019 - Dec 2022 |
Editor in Chief
Health Sociology Review |
Professional memberships
- Academic Member, The Australian Sociological Association
Media appearances
28th March 2018
Do you really need private health insurance? Here’s what you need to know before deciding
The Conversation
10th February 2017
Increased private health insurance premiums don’t mean increased value
The Conversation
