The Open University

Professional biography

I am a medical sociologist interested in integrated health and the maintenance of health in different settings. As a Senior Lecturer in Management and Health in the Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise (PuLSE) I lead the MBA dissertation module. Before joining the OU I worked in the third sector as a partnerships manager in a regional hospice supporting children and adults with life limiting conditions, a senior manager in a social enterprise helping people experiencing homelessness, and consultancy for a charity supporting people living with HIV. Prior to this, my PhD, post-doc and UKRI-funded internship applied an ecosystem services approach to evaluate the psychosocial impacts of engaging with semi-natural settings. Since returning to higher education in 2017 I've led curriculum production/delivery on environmental policy, vulnerability, public protection, the biopsychosocial approach, and mental health, and research managed projects in citizenship/governance/policing.

Research interests

I am an interdisciplinary researcher focused on understanding the interface between individuals and socio-physical environments for the purposes of creating/sustaining health. I am especially interested in:

Conditions which support the self-regulation of health
In-work support (formal and informal) for people living with longterm conditions
Contributions of charities supporting people with longterm conditions
Understanding relationships between social justice and health

Currently I am studying two exemplary in-situ populations which reveal the interconnected nature of health stigma: police, and people living with HIV.

I am a member of the Psychology of Health and Wellbeing research network.

Teaching interests

I have a Post-Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice, and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Current teaching:

B875 MBA project: leaders of change (MA Business Administration)

Past teaching

B894 Dissertation (HRM) (MSc Human Resource Management)
BXY130 Professional practice (BA (Hons) Management Practice)
K240/3 Mental health and society (BA (Hons) Health and Social Care)
K314 Approaches to mental health (BA (Hons) Social Work; BSc (Hon) Public Health & Wellbeing)
BXY132 Concepts and theories in policing (BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice)

International links

Network for Transdisciplinary Research

Publications

Journal articles

Prevalence of HIV in mental health service users: a retrospective cohort study. (2023)
Heslin, Margaret; Jewell, Amelia; Croxford, Sara; Chau, Cuong; Smith, Shubulade; Pittrof, Rudiger; Covshoff, Elana; Sullivan, Ann; Delpech, Valerie; Brown, Alison; King, Helena; Kakaiya, Mina; Campbell, Lucy; Hughes, Elizabeth and Stewart, Robert
BMJ Open, 13, Article e067337(4)

The importance of landscape characteristics for the delivery of cultural ecosystem services (2018-01-15)
Ridding, Lucy E; Redhead, John W; Oliver, Tom H; Schmucki, Reto; McGinlay, James; Graves, Anil R; Morris, Joe; Bradbury, Richard B; King, Helen and Bullock, James M
Journal of Environmental Management, 206 (pp. 1145-1154)

Biodiversity and cultural ecosystem benefits in lowland landscapes in southern England (2017-11)
King, Helen; Morris, Joe; Graves, Anil; Bradbury, Richard B.; McGinlay, James and Bullock, James M.
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 53 (185 - 197)

Working with nature (2013-07)
King, Helena
The magazine of the Mineral Products Association, 13(7) (pp. 8-9)

Conference items

Counteracting complex intersectional self-stigmatisation through empathetic group work (2024)
King, Helena
In : 20th Biennial Conference of the European Society of Health and Medical Sociology (ESHMS) (2-5 Jul 2024, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium)

Occupational health stigma and the disruption of police officer identity (2024)
King, Helena
In : 2nd Conference of the Association of European Qualitative Researchers in Psychology (26-28 Jun 2024, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy)

Depression and anxiety symptoms among people with HIV in the UK: prevalence, correlates and treatment. Results from the Positive Voices 2022 study (2024)
Lampe, F. C.; Smith, C. J.; Pelchen-Matthews, A.; Aghaizu, A.; Kall, M.; Kelly, C.; Kitt, H.; Humphreys, C.; Sparrowhawk, A.; Herieka, E.; Fearnley, N.; King, H.; Nakagawa, F.; Sewell, J. and Rodger, A. R.
In : HIV Drug Therapy Glasgow (10-13 Nov 2024, Scottish Events Campus, Glasgow, Scotland)

The organisation of policing occupational health charities (2024)
King, Helena
In : BSA Medical Sociology Conference 2024 (11-13 Sep 2024, University of Warwick, UK)

Standards for Psychological Support for Adults Living with HIV 2024 (2024)
Rutter, Sarah; King, Helena and Josh, Jo
In : BHIVA Autumn Conference 2024 (29 Nov 2024, London, UK)

HiVitality Retreats: an effective peer-led intervention for empowering adults living with HIV (2023-06)
King, Helena and Witney, Thomas
In : The 15th AIDSImpact Conference 2023 (12-14 Jun 2023, Stockholm, Sweden)

Acknowledging ethical complexity in peer-led coproduced research (2023)
King, Helena
In : Faculty of Wellbeing Educations and Language Research Day (05 Jul 2023, The Open University, Milton Keynes)

Addressing the impacts of internalised stigma (2021-12)
King, Helena and Witney, Thomas
In : Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference (1-2 Dec 2021, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK)

Charity sector wellbeing support for UK police (2021)
King, Helena; Harrison, Virginia and Pike, Graham
In : Conference of the Association of European Qualitative Researchers in Psychology 2020 (EQuiP) (16-19 Jun 2021, Online)

Discourse, the shaping of environments and cultivation of the self (2021)
King, Helena
In : Conference of the Association of European Qualitative Researchers in Psychology (16-19 Jun 2021, Online)

Emergency Responders Mental Health & Wellbeing Project (2020)
Sharp, Marie-Louise; Harrison, Virginia; Soloman, Noa; King, Helen; Fear, Nicola and Pike, Graham
In : Emergency Responders Research Symposium: Mental Health & Wellbeing (30 Jan 2020, London)

Exploring charity sector wellbeing support for police (2019-09-10)
King, Helen; Harrison, Virginia and Pike, Graham
In : 2019 Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference: A civil society for the future: setting the agenda for the voluntary sector and volunteering research in the 2020s (10-11 Sep 2019, Aston University, Birmingham, UK)

Developing a methodology for cultural ecosystem services research (2014)
King, Helena; Stojanovic, Tim and Church, Andrew
In : 2014 BESS Science Meeting (1-2 Apr 2014, York, UK)

Biodiversity and Cultural Ecosystem Service Indicators Workshop (2013-06)
King, Helena and Graves, Anil
In : EKN Cultural Ecosystem Services Conference (1-2 Jul 2013, Exeter, UK)

Woodland freedoms and individualism: nature situated self-development as a precursor to Cultural Service creation (2011)
King, Helena and Burgess, Paul
In : Woods and Forests in British Society:progress in research and practice (13-15 Apr 2010, Edinburgh, UK) (pp. 9-24)

Other

The therapeutic impact of HiVitality retreats (2022-10)
King, H. P.
The Open University

HIV Stigma (2022-06)
The Open University, ; King, Helena and Hudson, Andrew
The Open University, OU Connect.

Shiellah's story - Amazing People Living with HIV (2022-06)
The Open University, ; King, Helena and Hudson, Andrew
The Open University, OU Connect.

Mel's story - Amazing People Living with HIV (2022-06)
The Open University, ; King, Helena and Hudson, Andrew
The Open University, OU Connect.

Maurice's Story - Amazing People Living with HIV (2022-06)
The Open University, ; King, Helena and Hudson, Andrew
The Open University, OU Connect.

Assessing the mental health and wellbeing of the Emergency Responder community in the UK (2020-06)
Sharp, Marie-Louise; Harrison, Virginia; Solomon, Noa; Fear, Nicola; King, Helen and Pike, Graham
Open University and Kings College London, London.

A glimpse into the realm of police wellbeing charities (2020-01)
King, Helen; Harrison, Virginia and Pike, Graham
The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.

Implementing the Transformation of Police Learning and Development. Dream: the vision for the project. (2018-07)
Centre for Policing Research and Learning, ; King, Helena and Hartley, Jean
The Open University Business School

Implementing the Transformation of Police Learning and Development. Deliver: the outcomes of the project. (2018-07)
Centre for Policing Research and Learning, ; King, Helena and Hartley, Jean
The Open University Business School

Implementing the Transformation of Police Learning and Development. Design: the approach taken by the project. (2018-07)
Centre for Policing Research and Learning, ; King, Helena and Hartley, Jean
The Open University Business School

Implementing the Transformation of Police Learning and Development. Dialogue: engaging with the project. (2018-07)
Centre for Policing Research and Learning, ; King, Helena and Hartley, Jean
The Open University Business School

What On Earth Are Cultural Ecosystem Services? (2014-06)
King, Helena
Wessex Bess

Introducing an Ecosystem Approach to Quarry Restoration (2013-07)
King, Helen
Cranfield University