Jackie Curtis (psychiatrist)

Jackie Curtis AM
Born	Jacqueline Eve Curtis
Employer	University of New South Wales
Known for	Mental health clinician
Title	Professor
Website	https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/jackie-curtis

Jacqueline E. Curtis AM, best known as Jackie Curtis, is a psychiatrist ^[1] and mental health clinician, director of the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network, ^[2] and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2024 for "service to medicine, particularly as a mental health clinician and researcher". ^[3] Her research aims to reduce health inequalities among communities and increase life expectancy. ^[4] She is a professor at the University of New South Wales. ^[5]

Education and career

Curtis graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of New South Wales. ^[6]

Curtis's research bridges the gaps between mental and physical health care. ^[7] Curtis is the clinical lead and a psychiatric professor at the Youth Mental Health within the South Eastern Sydney Local Area Health District. She is co-founder of iphYs, an international working group which advocates for improved physical health outcomes for young people who experience mental health conditions such as psychosis. ^[8] Curtis is also a member of the international organisation, the World Health Organisation, for international guidelines on the management of physical health amongst adults and young people with severe mental disorders. ^[9]

During Curtis's Margaret Tobin oration, on the intersection of mental and physical health, and the colleagues and patients who impacted her journey, she highlighted the following calls to action:

• Each practitioner is responsible for their patient's quality of care, and practitioners need to 'stand with the patients' and put themselves on the 'right side of history'.
• Administrative psychiatry is not separate from the clinicians day job, and it is important to go where your observations take you.
• Public psychiatry is very rewarding, and with disadvantaged patients, together with over-worked colleagues, clinicians have the potential to make a difference. ^[10]

Publications

Curtis had over 5,900 citations and an H index of 32 as at May 2025. ^[11] Select publications from Curtis include the following:

• Curtis J; Teasdale SB; Morell R; Wadhwa P; Watkins A; Lederman O; O'Donnell C; et al., (2024), 'The Implementation of a lifestyle intervention to prevent the gain of weight and cardiometabolic abnormalities...: The Keeping the Body in Mind program', Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 18, pp. 731 - 738, doi.org/10.1111/eip.13508. ^[12]
• Sara G; Gould P; Curtis J; et al. (2023), 'Vaccine-preventable hospitalisations in adult mental health service users', Psych Medicine, 53, pp. 7232 - 7241, doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723000776. ^[13]
• Curtis J; Teasdale S; Morell R; Wadhwa P; Lederman O; Fibbins H; et al., (2022), 'Implementation of a life-skills and lifestyle intervention to prevent cardiometabolic abnormalities and weight-gain in first-episode psychosis: the Body in Mind program', Euro Psych , 65, pp. S131 - S132, doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.359. ^[14]
• McKeon G; Curtis J; Rosenbaum S, (2022), 'Promoting physical activity for improving mental health: A review of updated evidence', Curr Opinion in Psych, 35, pp. 270 - 276, doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000796. ^[15]

Awards

• 2023 – Margaret Tobin award for administrative psychiatry ^[16]
• 2024 – Member of the Order of Australia ^[17]

References

1. "Dr. Jackie Curtis". ABC Radio National. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
2. "UNSW community celebrated in King's Birthday Honours". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
3. "Physical health care for people living with mental health issues". www.health.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
4. "Honour for Professor Jackie Curtis". Mindgardens. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
5. "'Advocates and agitators': Pat McGorry and Grace Tame in conversation for youth mental health". Orygen. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
6. "ORCID". orcid.org. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
7. "Physical health care for people living with mental health issues". www.health.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
8. "Dr Jackie Curtis". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
9. "RANZCP members recognised in King's Birthday 2024 Honours List". RANZCP. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
10. I, Chris; says, sw at MCHC (2023-06-01). "The Margaret Tobin Oration: what does it take to create change in mental health services?". Croakey Health Media. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
11. "Jackie Curtis". scholar.google.com.au. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
12. Curtis, Jackie; Teasdale, Scott B.; Morell, Rachel; Wadhwa, Prarthna; Watkins, Andrew; Lederman, Oscar; O'Donnell, Catherine; Fibbins, Hamish; Ward, Philip B. (2024). "Implementation of a lifestyle and life-skills intervention to prevent weight-gain and cardiometabolic abnormalities in young people with first-episode psychosis as part of routine care: The Keeping the Body in Mind program". Early Intervention in Psychiatry. 18 (9): 731–738. doi: 10.1111/eip.13508 . ISSN   1751-7893.
13. Sara, Grant; Gould, Patrick; Curtis, Jackie; Chen, Wendy; Lau, Michael; Ramanuj, Parashar; Currow, David; Burgess, Philip (November 2023). "Vaccine-preventable hospitalisations in adult mental health service users: a population study". Psychological Medicine. 53 (15): 7232–7241. doi:10.1017/S0033291723000776. ISSN   0033-2917. PMC   10719683 .
14. Curtis, J.; Teasdale, S.; Morell, R.; Wadhwa, P.; Lederman, O.; Fibbins, H.; Watkins, A.; Ward, P. (June 2022). "Implementation of a lifestyle and life-skills intervention to prevent weight-gain and cardiometabolic abnormalities in people with first-episode psychosis: the Keeping the Body in Mind program". European Psychiatry. 65 (S1): S131 –S132. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.359. ISSN   0924-9338. PMC   9567044 .
15. McKeon, Grace; Curtis, Jackie; Rosenbaum, Simon (July 2022). "Promoting physical activity for mental health: an updated evidence review and practical guide". Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 35 (4): 270. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000796. ISSN   0951-7367.
16. "Honour for Professor Jackie Curtis". Mindgardens. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
17. "UNSW community celebrated in King's Birthday Honours". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 2025-05-02.