Director of Research, Jean Hailes

Head of Women's Mental Health Program, Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine

Professor Jane Fisher is an academic and clinical psychologist with longstanding interests in the links between women’s reproductive health and mental health from adolescence to midlife, in particular related to fertility, conception, pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. She has completed major epidemiological studies in clinical and community settings in Australia and Vietnam and nationally-funded intervention trials, and has supervised more than 30 research higher degree and postgraduate coursework projects to completion. She is an expert technical advisor to international agencies including the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund. 

The Jean Hailes Director of Research position is supported by the H + L Hecht Trust, Perpetual Trustees.

2012 Publications

Fisher J, Cabral de Mello M, Patel V, Rahman A, Tran T, Holton S, Holmes W. Prevalence and determinants of common mental disorders in women in low- and lower-middle-income countries: a systematic review, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2012;90:139-149G doi:10.2471/BLT.11.091850

Rowe H, Holton S, Fisher J. Postpartum emotional support: a qualitative study of women's and men's anticipated needs and preferred sources, Australian Journal of Primary Health 1 Feb 2012 [EPub], doi:10.1071/PY11117

Fisher J, Hammarberg K. Psychological and social aspects of infertility in men: an overview of the evidence and implications for psychologically-informed clinical care and future research, Asian Journal of Andrology, 2012, Jan 14(1), 121-129, doi:10.1038/aja.2011.72)

Tran T, Tuan T, Fisher J. Validation of three psychometric instruments for screening for Perinatal Common Mental Disorders in men in the north of Vietnam. Journal of Affective Disorders 2012 Jan; 136(1-2): 104–109.

Le M, Tran T, Huong NT, Fisher, JRW. Experience of low mood and suicidal behaviours among adolescents in Viet Nam: Findings from two national population-based surveys. Journal of adolescent health (In press 23/12/2011)

Bolch CE, Davis PG, Umstad MP, Fisher JRW. Multiple birth families with children with special needs: a qualitative investigation of mothers' experiences. Twin research and Human Genetics (In press 20/11/2011)

Newton DC, Bayly C, Fairley CK, Chen M, Williams H, Keogh L, Temple-Smith M, McNamee K, Fisher J, Shueh A, Hocking J. Pelvic inflammatory disease and its adverse impact on relationships and sexual intimacy. Journal of Sexual Medicine, (In press 29/9/2011)

Cooklin A, Rowe H, Fisher J. Public health implications of paid parental leave: evidence from a prospective investigation of maternal postpartum employment. Australian and new Zealand Journal of Public Health (In press 25/8/2011)

2011 Publications

Fisher J, Tran T, Biggs B, Tuan T, Dwyer T, Casey G, Tho D, Hetzel B. Iodine status in late pregnancy and psychosocial determinants of iodized salt use in rural northern Viet Nam. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2011; 89: 813 – 820

Holton S, Fisher J, Rowe H. To Have or Not to Have? Australian Women's Childbearing Desires, Expectations and Outcomes. Journal of Population Research, 2011; 28(4), 353-379

Fisher J, Rowe H. Soothing the unsettled baby. Medical Observer, 2011; October: 3512

Amir LH, Cullinane M, Garland SM, Tabrizi SN, Donath SM, Bennett CM, Cooklin AR, Fisher JRW, Payne MS. The role of micro-organisms (Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans) in the pathogenesis of breast pain and infection in lactating women: study protocol. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2011; 11: 54

Fisher J, Cabral de Mello M. Using the World Health Organization's 4S-Framework to strengthen national strategies, policies and services to address mental health problems in adolescents in resource-constrained settings. International Journal of Mental Health Systems; 2011; 5: 23

McMahon C, Boivin J, Gibson F, Fisher J, Hammarberg K, Wynter K, Saunders D. Older first time mothers and early postpartum depression: A prospective cohort study of women conceiving spontaneously or with assisted reproductive technologies. Fertility and Sterility, 2011; 95:5, 1218-1224

Tran T, Tran T, La B, Lee D, Rosenthal D, Fisher J. Screening for common perinatal mental disorders in women in the North of Vietnam: A comparison of three psychometric instruments. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2011; 133: 281-293.

Holton S, Rowe HJ, Fisher JRW. Women's health and their childbearing expectations and outcomes: a population-based survey from Victoria, Australia. Women's Health Issues 2011; 21:5, 366-373.

Fisher J, Feekery C, Rowe HJ. Psycho-educational early parenting interventions to promote infant mental health. In: Fitzgerald H (ed.), International Perspectives on Child Psychology and Mental Health. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO Inc; 2011: 205-236.

Fisher J, Rowe H, Hiscock H, Jordan B, Bayer J, Colahan A, Amery V. Understanding and Responding to Unsettled Infant Behaviour: A Discussion Paper for the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) ARACY Unsettled Infant Behaviour Report 2011.

McMahon C, Boivin J, Gibson F, Hammarberg K, Wynter K, Saunders D, Fisher J. Age at first birth, mode of conception and psychological wellbeing in pregnancy: Findings from the Parental Age and Transition to Parenthood Australia (PATPA) Study. Human Reproduction 2011, 26(6): 1389–1398.

Wilson C, Fisher JR, Hammarberg K, Amor D, Halliday J. Looking down stream: A review of the literature on physical and psychosocial health outcomes in adolescents and young adults who were conceived from IVF. Human Reproduction, 2011; 26:5, 1209-1219: doi: 10.1093/humrep/der041

Quinlivan J, Lam L, Fisher JRW. A randomized trial of a 4-step multidisciplinary approach to the antenatal care of obese pregnant women. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2011;doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2010.01268.x

Hammarberg K, Fisher JRW, Wynter KH, Rowe HJ. Breastfeeding after assisted conception: A prospective cohort study. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica 2011: 100: 529-533. DOI:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.02095.x.

Tran H, Fisher JRW. The provision of sexual and reproductive health education to children in a remote mountainous commune in rural Vietnam: an exploratory study of parents' views Journal of Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning 2011; 11(1): 47 - 60

Fisher J, Cabral de Mello M, Izutsu T, Tran T. The Ha Noi Expert Statement: recognition of maternal mental health in resource-constrained settings is essential for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. International Journal of Mental Health Systems 2011; 5(1): 2

Wynter K, Rowe H, Steele A, Fisher J, Quinlivan J. Are adolescents' decisions about prenatal screening for Down syndrome informed? A controlled, prospective study. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology 2011; 24 (1): 29-34.

Fisher J, Rowe H, Hammarberg K. Admission of women for psychological or psychiatric causes with their infants in Victoria, Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2011: 35(2): 146-150.

McCallum SM, Rowe HJ, Gurrin L, Quinlivan J, Rosenthal D, Fisher JRW. Unsettled infant behaviour and health service use: a cross-sectional community survey in Melbourne, Australia. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 17 June 2011 [EPub]; doi:10.111/j.1440-1754.2011.02032.x

Fisher J, Cabral de Mello M, Izutsu T, Vijayakumar L, Belfer M, Omigbodun O. Adolescent mental health in resource-constrained settings: a review of the evidence about the nature, prevalence and determinants of common mental health problems and their management in primary health care. International Journal of Social Psychiatry Special Issue 2011; doi:10.1177/0020764010396697

2010 Publications

Hammarberg K, Fisher J, Baker G. Men’s experiences of infertility and infertility treatment five years after diagnosis of male factor infertility: a retrospective cohort study Human Reproduction 2010; 25(11): 2815-2820

Fisher J. Small survey finds that new mothers use self-care approaches to manage fatigue more often than other strategies such as seeking help from others. Invited Commentary BMJ Evidence Based Nursing Practice 2010; 13:116-117

Fisher JRW, Tran T, La B, Kriitmaa K, Rosenthal D, Tran T. Common perinatal mental disorders in women in northern Viet Nam: Community prevalence and health care use.  Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2010; 88: 737 – 745

Fisher JRW, Wynter K, Rowe HJ. Innovative psycho-educational program to prevent common postpartum mental disorders in primiparous women: a before and after controlled study. BMC Public Health 2010, 10: 432

Rowe HJ, Fisher JRW. Development of a universal psycho-educational intervention to prevent common postpartum mental disorders in primiparous mothers: a multiple method approach. BMC Public Health 2010, 10: 499 

The contribution of Australian residential early parenting centers to comprehensive mental health care for mothers of infants: evidence from a prospective study. International Journal of Mental Health Systems 2010, 4:6.

Holton S, Fisher JRW, Rowe HJ Motherhood: is it good for women's mental health. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 2010, 28(3): 223-239.

Fisher JRW, Rahman A, Cabral de Mello M, Chandra P, Herrman H. Mental health of parents and infant health and development in resource-constrained settings: evidence gaps and implications for facilitating ‘good-enough parenting’ in the twenty-first-century world. In Tyano S, Keren M, Herrman H, Cox J (Editors) Parenthood and Mental Health: A Bridge between Infant and Adult Psychiatry. London, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2010: 461-474

Fisher JRW, Hammarberg K, Baker HWG. Long term health, wellbeing, life satisfaction and attitudes to parenthood in men diagnosed as infertile: challenges to gender stereotypes and implications for practice. Fertility and Sterility 2010; 94 (2): 574-580

Content updated 24 February 2012