Professor Garry Walter
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Professor Garry Walter

AM, MB BS, BMedSc, PhD, FRANZCP, Cert. Child Adol. Psych.
Honorary Professor
Department of Psychiatry, Northern Clinical School
Professor Garry Walter

Professor Garry Walter AM is a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. Among other roles at the University of Sydney, Garry has served as a Professor at the Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, and, for over a decade, as Professor and Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychitry. He is currently an Honorary Professor affiliated with the Northern Clinical School. Garry has also held other professorial appointments at Dalhousie University, Canada, and at Tel Aviv University, Israel. Garry was Director of Thomas Walker Hospital (“Rivendell”), Australia’s flagship adolescent psychiatric hospital. For many years, Garry also served as Clinical Director of Child and Youth Mental Health Services at Royal North Shore Hospital and associated hospitals and community services in Northern Sydney Local Health District. In 2016, he was appointed Foundation Medical Director of the NSW and ACT Doctors’ Health Advisory Service, a service for medical practitioners and other health professionals with health challenges.

From 2001-2013 Garry was Editor ofAustralasian Psychiatry,published on behalf of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), and he served as International Editor-at-Large of theJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatryfrom 2008-2018. He has also served on and been adviser to several editorial boards. Garry has earned a number of key research awards and, as an author, he has published almost 400 papers on a range of topics in the mental health field. Garry has also delivered invited talks at major meetings and universities locally and abroad, including at Yale in 2011 to coincide with its centenary of child mental health research.​

In his career, Garry has provided advice and consultation to a variety of State, national and international departments and organisations in relation to complex clinical, ethical and medicolegal cases, policies and program development. These include psychiatric associations (e.g. RANZCP, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, World Psychiatric Association), medical boards and governments (e.g. Australian State and Commonwealth Health Departments, New Zealand Health Ministry, Canadian Health Commission), among other organisations.

In 2009, Garry was awarded a prestigious "College Citation" by the RANZCP for "a remarkable contribution to the College and the profession of psychiatry through his exceptional and tireless work as Editor of Australasian Psychiatry, and as a leading investigator, educator, administrator and clinician". In 2012, Garry was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to medicine in the fields of adolescent mental health, medical education and publishing.

Professor Walter's major research interests are in mood disorders in young people, physical treatments in psychiatry, genocide and severe trauma, psychiatric stigma, medical education, medical students' and doctors' health, use and abuse of media, publishing processes and ethics. His collaborations are with colleagues throughout Australasia, the Middle East, North America and Europe. His PhD was on the use of electroconvulsive therapy in the young.

Neurosciences and Mental Health

Publications

Book Chapters

  • Light, E., Robertson, M., Lipworth, W., Walter, G., Little, J. (2022). Bioethics and the Krankenmorde: Disability and Diversity. In Stacy Gallin, Ira Bedzow (Eds.), Bioethics and the Holocaust - A Comprehensive Study in How the Holocaust Continues to Shape the Ethics of Health, Medicine and Human Rights, (pp. 129-152). United States: Springer. [More Information]
  • Soh, N., Walter, G. (2019). Traditional and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. In Joseph M. Rey & Andres Martin (Eds.), JM Rey's IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, (pp. j.2). Switzerland: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions.
  • Robertson, M., Light, E., Walter, G., Lipworth, W. (2017). Psychiatry, Genocide and the National Socialist State: Lessons Learnt, Ignored and Forgotten. In Nikki Marczak and Kirril Shields (Eds.), Genocide Perspectives V: A Global Crime, Australian Voices, (pp. 69-89). Sydney: UTS ePRESS.

Journals

  • Burns, F., Soh, N., Shackel, R., Walter, G. (2019). Financial and caregivers' stressors in Australian law students - a qualitative analysis. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 26(3), 343-354. [More Information]
  • Cleary, M., Walter, G., Halcomb, E., Lopez, V. (2016). An examination of envy and jealousy in nursing academia. Nurse Researcher, 23(6), 14-19. [More Information]
  • Robertson, M., Walter, G., Bloch, S. (2016). Ethical use of the media by psychiatrists: towards an antipodean formulation of the "Goldwater Rule". Australasian Psychiatry, 24(1), 26-29. [More Information]

Edited Journals

  • Robertson, M., Walter, G. (2007). Psychiatric Annals Volume 37, Issue 12. Psychiatric Annals, 37(12).

Conferences

  • Shackel, R., Burns, F., Soh, N., Walter, G. (2017). Australian Law Students and Mental Distress: Insights from a Qualitative Survey at Sydney Law School. XXXVth International Congress on Law and Mental Health 2017, Prague, Czech Republic: Presentation.
  • Shackel, R., Soh, N., Burns, F., Walter, G. (2016). Career Ambivalence as a Potential Correlate of Law Student Mental Distress. Law Students and Law Faculty: Professional Challenges Conference 2016 - Fordham University, New York, NY, USA: Presentation.
  • Soh, N., Burns, F., Shackel, R., Walter, G. (2015). Unravelling mental distress in law students. National Wellness for Law Forum 2015 - Wellness in Legal Education and Practice: Towards Integration and New Connections, Canberra, ACT: Presentation.

Magazine / Newspaper Articles

  • Robertson, M., Light, E., Walter, G., Lipworth, W. (2024). Toxic inheritance? The reverberation of intergenerational trauma from the Holocaust and its resonance with First Nations experience. Musings: Sydney Jewish Museum Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1..

2024

  • Robertson, M., Light, E., Walter, G., Lipworth, W. (2024). Toxic inheritance? The reverberation of intergenerational trauma from the Holocaust and its resonance with First Nations experience. Musings: Sydney Jewish Museum Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1..

2022

  • Light, E., Robertson, M., Lipworth, W., Walter, G., Little, J. (2022). Bioethics and the Krankenmorde: Disability and Diversity. In Stacy Gallin, Ira Bedzow (Eds.), Bioethics and the Holocaust - A Comprehensive Study in How the Holocaust Continues to Shape the Ethics of Health, Medicine and Human Rights, (pp. 129-152). United States: Springer. [More Information]

2019

  • Burns, F., Soh, N., Shackel, R., Walter, G. (2019). Financial and caregivers' stressors in Australian law students - a qualitative analysis. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 26(3), 343-354. [More Information]
  • Soh, N., Walter, G. (2019). Traditional and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. In Joseph M. Rey & Andres Martin (Eds.), JM Rey's IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, (pp. j.2). Switzerland: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions.

2017

  • Shackel, R., Burns, F., Soh, N., Walter, G. (2017). Australian Law Students and Mental Distress: Insights from a Qualitative Survey at Sydney Law School. XXXVth International Congress on Law and Mental Health 2017, Prague, Czech Republic: Presentation.
  • Robertson, M., Light, E., Walter, G., Lipworth, W. (2017). Psychiatry, Genocide and the National Socialist State: Lessons Learnt, Ignored and Forgotten. In Nikki Marczak and Kirril Shields (Eds.), Genocide Perspectives V: A Global Crime, Australian Voices, (pp. 69-89). Sydney: UTS ePRESS.

2016

  • Cleary, M., Walter, G., Halcomb, E., Lopez, V. (2016). An examination of envy and jealousy in nursing academia. Nurse Researcher, 23(6), 14-19. [More Information]
  • Shackel, R., Soh, N., Burns, F., Walter, G. (2016). Career Ambivalence as a Potential Correlate of Law Student Mental Distress. Law Students and Law Faculty: Professional Challenges Conference 2016 - Fordham University, New York, NY, USA: Presentation.
  • Robertson, M., Walter, G., Bloch, S. (2016). Ethical use of the media by psychiatrists: towards an antipodean formulation of the "Goldwater Rule". Australasian Psychiatry, 24(1), 26-29. [More Information]

2015

  • Cleary, M., Walter, G., Sayers, J., Lopez, V., Hungerford, C. (2015). Arrogance in the workplace: implications for mental health nurses. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 36(4), 266-271. [More Information]
  • Bloch, Y., Aviram, S., Braw, Y., Gvirts, H., Rabany, L., Walter, G. (2015). Attention improves after clinical improvement in acutely depressed adolescents. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 27(2), 153-156. [More Information]
  • Hungerford, C., Walter, G., Cleary, M. (2015). Clinical case reports and the viva voce: a valuable assessment tool, but not without anxiety. Clinical Case Reports, 3(1), 1-2. [More Information]

2014

  • Jaworowski, S., Walter, G., Soh, N., Freier Dror, Y., Mergui, J., Gropp, C., Haber, P. (2014). A validated questionnaire to assess the knowledge of psychiatric aspects of alcohol use disorder. Substance Abuse, 35(2), 147-152. [More Information]
  • Cleary, M., Walter, G., Jackson, D. (2014). Above all, 'do no harm': Key considerations when including students as research participants in higher education settings. Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia, 49(1), 93-95.
  • Pavisic, J., Chilton, J., Walter, G., Soh, N., Martin, A. (2014). Childhood cancer in the cinema: How the celluloid mirror reflects psychosocial care. Journal of Pediatric Hematology / Oncology, 36(6), 430-437. [More Information]

2013

  • Citer, D., Carlson, K., McClellan, D., McGaw, P., Walter, S., Bennett, D., Walter, G. (2013). "KYDS": an innovative service addressing the health needs of youth and families in an Australian community. Australasian Psychiatry, 21(2), 131-136. [More Information]
  • Hunt, G., Walter, G., Malhi, G. (2013). 'Open for business': Do open-access psychiatry journals provide value for money? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47(5), 407-411. [More Information]
  • Walter, G., Cleary, M., Horsfall, J. (2013). Academic careers and promotion: Character and conduct deserve greater emphasis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(8), 1675-1677. [More Information]

2012

  • Lee, C., Walter, G., Cleary, M. (2012). Communicating with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Families: A Practical Introduction. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 50(8), 40-44. [More Information]
  • Nitzan, U., Hirsch, E., Walter, G., Lurie, I., Aviram, S., Bloch, Y. (2012). Comprehension and companionship in the emergency department as predictors of treatment adherence. Australasian Psychiatry, 20(2), 112-116. [More Information]
  • Khurana, G., Henderson, S., Walter, G., Martin, A. (2012). Conflict of interest and disclosure policies in psychiatry and medicine: a comparative study of peer-reviewed journals. Academic Psychiatry, 36(1), 17-22. [More Information]

2011

  • Cleary, M., Walter, G., Jackson, D. (2011). "Not Always Smooth Sailing": Mental health issues associated with the transition from high school to college. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 32(4), 250-254. [More Information]
  • Horsfall, J., Cleary, M., Hunt, G., Walter, G. (2011). Acute Care. In Phil Barker (Eds.), Mental Health Ethics: The Human Context, (pp. 197-204). Abingdon: Routledge imprint of Taylor & Francis. [More Information]
  • Brann, P., Walter, G., Coombs, T. (2011). Benchmarking child and adolescent mental health organizations. Australasian Psychiatry, 19(2), 125-132. [More Information]

2010

  • Cleary, M., Hunt, G., Walter, G., Tong, L. (2010). A guide for mental health clinicians to develop and undertake benchmarking activities. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 19(2), 137-141. [More Information]
  • Walter, G., Byrne, S., Griffiths, O., Hunt, G., Soh, N., Cleary, M., Duffy, P., Crawford, G., Krabman, P., Concannon, P. (2010). Can young people reliably rate side effects of low-dose antipsychotic medication using a self-report survey? Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 22(4), 168-173.
  • Walter, G., Robertson, M., Malhi, G., Soh, N. (2010). Charles Lasegue (1816-1883): beyond anorexie hysterique. Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 22, 300-301.

2009

  • Cleary, M., Hunt, G., Walter, G. (2009). A comparison of patient and staff satisfaction with services after relocating to a new purpose-built mental health facility. Australasian Psychiatry, 17(3), 212-217. [More Information]
  • Cleary, M., Walter, G., Horsfall, J., Matheson, S. (2009). A consideration of contemporary factors influencing professional development in health research. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40(6), 273-279. [More Information]
  • Hickie, I., Walter, G. (2009). Adolescent mental health & substance misuse: The major health challenge for young Australians. In Bennet, D; Towns, S; Elliot, E; Merrick, J. (Eds.), Challenges in Adolescent Health: An Australian Perspective, (pp. 39-48). United States: Nova Science Publishers.

2008

  • Maloney, D., Walter, G., Hanee, T. (2008). "School Link": a pilot study identifying referral patterns to child and adolescent mental health services in Central Sydney. Bulletin of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
  • Maloney, D., Jones, J., Walter, G., Davenport, R. (2008). Addressing mental health concerns in schools: does School-Link achieve its aims? Australasian Psychiatry, 16(1), 48-53. [More Information]
  • Cleary, M., Walter, G. (2008). Bridging an Old Divide: Forging Partnerships Between Clinical and Academic Sectors in Mental Health. In Leana R. Callara (Eds.), Nursing Education Challenges in the 21st Century, (pp. 271-282). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

2007

  • Robertson, M., Walter, G. (2007). A Critical Reflection on Utilitarianism as the Basis for Psychiatric Ethics Part I: Utilitarianism as an Ethical Theory. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 2(1), 1-4.
  • Robertson, M., Walter, G. (2007). A Critical Reflection on Utilitarianism as the Basis for Psychiatric Ethics Part II: Utilitarianism and Psychiatry. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 2, 7-10.
  • Soh, N., Touyz, S., Dobbins, T., Surgenor, L., Clarke, S., Kohn, M., Lee, E., Leow, V., Rieger, E., Ung, K., Walter, G. (2007). Body image disturbance in young North European and East Asian women with and without eating disorders in Australia and in Singapore. European Eating Disorders Review, 16, 287-296. [More Information]

2006

  • Cleary, M., Walter, G., Escott, P. (2006). 'Consumer consultant': Expanding the role of consumers in mental health services. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 15(1), 29-34. [More Information]
  • Cleary, M., Freeman, A., Walter, G. (2006). Carer participation in mental health service delivery. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 15(3), 189-194. [More Information]
  • McShane, G., Mihalich, M., Walter, G., Rey, J. (2006). Outcome of patients with unipolar, bipolar and psychotic disorders admitted to a specialist child and adolescent mental health service. Australasian Psychiatry, 14(2), 198-201. [More Information]

2005

  • Walter, G. (2005). A vote of thanks. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 39, 209-211. [More Information]
  • Lyndon, R., Rowe, L., Fraser, A., Efron, D., Walter, G., Wilson, I., Newman, L., Silove, N., et al (2005). Clinical guidance on the use of antidepressant medications in children and adolescents. Australian Family Physician, 34(9), 777-8. [More Information]
  • Maloney, D., Walter, G. (2005). Contribution of 'school-link' to an area mental health service. Australasian Psychiatry, 13(4), 399-402. [More Information]

2004

  • Rey, J., Walter, G., Giuffrida, M. (2004). Australian Psychiatrists Today: Proud Of Their Profession But Stressed And Apprehensive About The Future. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 38(3), 105-110. [More Information]
  • Rey, J., Walter, G., Giuffrida, M. (2004). Policy, Structural Change And Quality Of Psychiatric Services In Australia: The Views Of Psychiatrists. Australasian Psychiatry, 12(2), 118-122. [More Information]

2003

  • Walter, G., Rey, J. (2003). Has the practice and outcome of ECT in adolescents changed? Findings from a whole-population study. The Journal of Electroconvulsive Therapy, 19(2), 84-87. [More Information]
  • Walter, G., Rey, J. (2003). How fixed are child psychiatriasts' views about ECT in the young? The Journal of Electroconvulsive Therapy, 19(2), 88-92. [More Information]

2002

  • Rey, J., Grayson, D., Mojarrad, T., Walter, G. (2002). Changes in the rate of diagnosis of major depression in adolescents following routine use of a depression rating scale. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(2), 229-233. [More Information]
  • Walter, G., Fisher, K., Harte, A. (2002). ECT in Poetry. The Journal of Electroconvulsive Therapy, 18(1), 47-53. [More Information]
  • Walter, G., McDonald, A., Rey, J., Rosen, A. (2002). Medical student knowledge and attitudes regarding ECT prior to and after viewing ECT scenes from movies. The Journal of Electroconvulsive Therapy, 18(1), 43-46. [More Information]

2001

  • McShane, G., Walter, G., Rey, J. (2001). Characteristics of adolescents with school refusal. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 35, 822-826. [More Information]
  • Rey, J., Walter, G. (2001). Child and adolescent psychiatry research comes of age. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 35, 261-262.
  • Walter, G., Rey, J., Ghaziuddin,, N., Kaza,, M., Ghazi, N., King,, C. (2001). Electroconvulsive therapy for minors: experiences and attitudes of child psychiatrists and psychologists. The Journal of Electroconvulsive Therapy, 17, 109-117.