You are here: University of Sydney / Faculty of Health Sciences / Academic Staff / Dr Jennifer Smith-Merry 

Dr Jennifer Smith-Merry

PhD (Social Policy) BA (Hons)
Senior Lecturer

C43T - T Block Cumberland Campus
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 2 9351 9060

Website knowandpol project
Research Reports

Biographical details

Jen has expertise in a wide range of qualitative methodologies and an interest in the application of critical theoretical approaches to questions of health and illness. Theoretically her work is concerned with the way different forms of knowledge and practice are employed to create and implement policy and service innovation.
Back to Top

Research interests

Jen's research interests lie in health policy and services, particularly in the areas of mental health and adverse events. Previous work has focused on the social and policy context of reproductive technologies. Recent work has primarily focused on mental health including work on: the development of the concept of recovery from its origins as a social movement to its implementation in mental health policy and services the role of WHO in the development of domestic mental health policy the use of targets, indicators and evaluation as a tool in mental health services and policy population mental health strategies the ethics of mental health and 'safety' .

Back to Top

Current projects

Much of this work has been in the context of the large European Commission funded KnowandPol project. Jen is involved in a project with Professor Merrilyn Walton investigating the regulatory processes of state health complaints commissions. Another project focuses on the introduction of a system of death certification in two large hospitals in Vietnam.
Back to Top

Selected grants

2013

  • Using patient experiences of adverse events to improve health service delivery and practice.; Walton M, Iedema R, Manias E, Kelly P, Smith-Merry J; National Health and Medical Research Council/Project Grants.
  • NSW Government Audit of Disability Research in Australia; Kavanagh A, Llewellyn G, Bleasdale M, Emerson E, Madden R, Smith-Merry J, Gilroy J, Veitch C; Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (NSW)/Research Grants Program.

2012

  • Enhanced Capacity to Improve the Death Certification Process in Two Key Public Hospitals in Viet Nam through the Design and Implementation of a Standardised System for the Collection of Hospital Death Data; Van Duong D, Smith-Merry J, Walton M, Kelly P; AusAID/Public Sector Linkages Program (PSLP).

2011

  • Innovation for mental health practice: mapping communication between psychiatrists and others within the NSW mental health system; Smith-Merry J; University of Sydney/Early Career Researcher.
  • Preparing for SAFE Practice as an Intern; Walton M, Smith-Merry J, Watterson L, Dunn S, Edwards J, Lim K, Lin D, Naganathan V; Clinical Education & Training Institute /Research Support.
Back to Top

Selected publications

Download citations: PDF RTF Endnote

Book Chapters

  • Freeman, R., Smith-Merry, J., Sturdy, S. (2012). Rhizomic Regulation: Mobilising Knowledge for Mental Health in Europe. In Joao Barroso, Luis Miguel Carvalho (Eds.), Knowledge and Regulatory Processes in Health and Education Policies, (pp. 13-50). Lisbon: EDUCA.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2006). Governing the mother: access to reproductive technologies. In Greg Marston & Catherine McDonald (Eds.), Analysing social policy: a governmental approach, (pp. 177-194). Cheltenham, UK ; Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Journals

  • Smith-Merry, J., Warburton, J., Michaels, C. (2013). Delivering community services in a new world of volunteering: A case study from Sydney, Australia. International Journal of Public Administration.
  • Sturdy, S., Freeman, R., Smith-Merry, J. (2013). Making knowledge for international policy: WHO Europe and mental health policy, 1970-2008. Social History of Medicine.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2013). Reciprocal instrumentalism: Scotland, WHO Europe, and mental health. International Journal of Public Policy.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Sturdy, S. (2013). Recovery in Scotland: the rise and uncertain future of a mental health social movement. Society and Mental Health.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Caple, A. (2013). Safety, Risk and Mental Health: Decision-Making Processes Prescribed by Australian Mental Health Legislation. Journal of Law and Medicine.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2012). Experiential knowledge in action: Consulting practitioners for policy change. Policy and Society, 31(2), 131-143.
  • Walton, M., Smith-Merry, J., Healy, J., McDonald, F. (2012). Health Complaint Commissions in Australia: Time for a national approach to data collection. Australian Review of Public Affairs, 11(1), 1-18.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Sturdy, S., Freeman, R. (2012). Stakeholder consultation as social mobilization: framing Scottish mental health policy. Social Policy and Administration: an international journal of policy and research, 46(7), 823-844.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2011). Implementing recovery: an analysis of the key technologies in Scotland. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 5(11), 1-12.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2011). Les transformations du systeme de sante mentale: l'exemple de l'Ecosse [Transformation of a mental health system – the case of Scotland]. Revue Sociologie Sante, 34(1), 143-164.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2008). Improving mental health and wellbeing in Scotland: A model policy approach. Advances in Mental Health, 7(3).
  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2008). Organising Mental Health in Scotland. Mental Health Review Journal, 13(4), 16-26.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Gillespie, J., Leeder, S. (2007). A pathway to a stronger research culture in health policy. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 4, 1-7.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2007). Critical discourse analysis for nursing research. Nursing Inquiry, 14(1), 60-70.
  • Wang, J., Smith-Merry, J., Leeder, S. (2006). Should Older People Be Regularly Screened for Vision and Hearing by Primary Health Care Providers? Geriatrics and Ageing, 9(3), 183-189.
  • Wang, J., Smith-Merry, J., Leeder, S. (2006). Should older people be regularly screened for vision and hearing? Geriatrics and Ageing, 9(3), 183-189.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Mitchell, P., Wang, J., Leeder, S. (2005). A health policy for hearing impairment in older Australians: what should it include? Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 2(1), 1-7.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2005). When Morality Gets in the Way? Public Policy Debates Around Reproductive Technologies’. Just Policy, 38, 48-50.
  • Warburton, J., Smith-Merry, J. (2003). Out of the Generosity of Your Heart: Are we Creating Active Citizens through Compulsory Volunteer Programs for Young People in Australia. Social Policy and Administration: an international journal of policy and research, 37(7), 772-786.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2003). Suitable Mothers’: Lesbian and single women and the ‘unborn’ in Australian parliamentary discourse. Critical Social Policy, 23(1), 63-88.

2013

  • Smith-Merry, J., Warburton, J., Michaels, C. (2013). Delivering community services in a new world of volunteering: A case study from Sydney, Australia. International Journal of Public Administration.
  • Sturdy, S., Freeman, R., Smith-Merry, J. (2013). Making knowledge for international policy: WHO Europe and mental health policy, 1970-2008. Social History of Medicine.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2013). Reciprocal instrumentalism: Scotland, WHO Europe, and mental health. International Journal of Public Policy.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Sturdy, S. (2013). Recovery in Scotland: the rise and uncertain future of a mental health social movement. Society and Mental Health.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Caple, A. (2013). Safety, Risk and Mental Health: Decision-Making Processes Prescribed by Australian Mental Health Legislation. Journal of Law and Medicine.

2012

  • Smith-Merry, J. (2012). Experiential knowledge in action: Consulting practitioners for policy change. Policy and Society, 31(2), 131-143.
  • Walton, M., Smith-Merry, J., Healy, J., McDonald, F. (2012). Health Complaint Commissions in Australia: Time for a national approach to data collection. Australian Review of Public Affairs, 11(1), 1-18.
  • Freeman, R., Smith-Merry, J., Sturdy, S. (2012). Rhizomic Regulation: Mobilising Knowledge for Mental Health in Europe. In Joao Barroso, Luis Miguel Carvalho (Eds.), Knowledge and Regulatory Processes in Health and Education Policies, (pp. 13-50). Lisbon: EDUCA.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Sturdy, S., Freeman, R. (2012). Stakeholder consultation as social mobilization: framing Scottish mental health policy. Social Policy and Administration: an international journal of policy and research, 46(7), 823-844.

2011

  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2011). Implementing recovery: an analysis of the key technologies in Scotland. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 5(11), 1-12.
  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2011). Les transformations du systeme de sante mentale: l'exemple de l'Ecosse [Transformation of a mental health system – the case of Scotland]. Revue Sociologie Sante, 34(1), 143-164.

2008

  • Smith-Merry, J. (2008). Improving mental health and wellbeing in Scotland: A model policy approach. Advances in Mental Health, 7(3).
  • Smith-Merry, J., Freeman, R., Sturdy, S. (2008). Organising Mental Health in Scotland. Mental Health Review Journal, 13(4), 16-26.

2007

  • Smith-Merry, J., Gillespie, J., Leeder, S. (2007). A pathway to a stronger research culture in health policy. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 4, 1-7.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2007). Critical discourse analysis for nursing research. Nursing Inquiry, 14(1), 60-70.

2006

  • Smith-Merry, J. (2006). Governing the mother: access to reproductive technologies. In Greg Marston & Catherine McDonald (Eds.), Analysing social policy: a governmental approach, (pp. 177-194). Cheltenham, UK ; Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.
  • Wang, J., Smith-Merry, J., Leeder, S. (2006). Should Older People Be Regularly Screened for Vision and Hearing by Primary Health Care Providers? Geriatrics and Ageing, 9(3), 183-189.
  • Wang, J., Smith-Merry, J., Leeder, S. (2006). Should older people be regularly screened for vision and hearing? Geriatrics and Ageing, 9(3), 183-189.

2005

  • Smith-Merry, J., Mitchell, P., Wang, J., Leeder, S. (2005). A health policy for hearing impairment in older Australians: what should it include? Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 2(1), 1-7.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2005). When Morality Gets in the Way? Public Policy Debates Around Reproductive Technologies’. Just Policy, 38, 48-50.

2003

  • Warburton, J., Smith-Merry, J. (2003). Out of the Generosity of Your Heart: Are we Creating Active Citizens through Compulsory Volunteer Programs for Young People in Australia. Social Policy and Administration: an international journal of policy and research, 37(7), 772-786.
  • Smith-Merry, J. (2003). Suitable Mothers’: Lesbian and single women and the ‘unborn’ in Australian parliamentary discourse. Critical Social Policy, 23(1), 63-88.
Back to Top

International links

Belgium

(Universite Catholique Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve;) Collaborate on a large European funded project KnowandPol examining knowledge for policy across eight different European nations. Other nations included in the project are the Scotland, Norway, France, Germany, Hungary, Portugal and Romania

United Kingdom

(University of Edinburgh) Research Collaboration. Working with Dr Steve Sturdy and Dr Richard Freeman on knowledge in policy making.

Vietnam

(Viet Duc and Bach Mai Hospitals) Research collaboration

Back to Top

Keywords

Health planning; Public health; Mental health; Health policy; Health services and management

Back to Top

For support on your academic profile contact Research Support.