The Open University

Professional biography

I am a health sociologist and senior lecturer within the Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise. I co-chair the MBA project: leaders of change module and produce curriculum on wellbeing, vulnerability, public health, public protection, EDI (equality diversity and inclusion) and social research design. I have also managed cross-faculty, multidisciplinary research on policing, citizenship, and governance at the Open University including co-productive approaches, impact monitoring, audiovisual output creation, and web design. Before joining the Faculty of Business and Law I worked in management roles within health and social care charities in the third sector. My PhD, postdoctoral fellowship, and UKRI-funded knowledge transfer internship investigated the psychosocial benefits of engaging with nature, for the purpose of improving land use policy decision making.

Research interests

My interdisciplinary research in the field of health sociology explores wellness behaviours, concepts of integrated health, and cross-sector delivery of healthcare. Broadly I explore the interconnectness of human health (biopsychosocial) with socio-environmental settings. My current interests include examining health stigma in organisational settings, the role of charities supporting people with complex health needs, and policy development for healthcare addressing comorbidities. I am a member of the Psychology of Health and Wellbeing research network and the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership.

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)
B894 Dissertation (HRM) (MSc Human Resource Management)

Past teaching:

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 2024 (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