Helen Skouteris came to Deakin University in February 2008, when she was successfully appointed to a research only position in the School of Psychology, working on an NH&MRC Capacity Building Grant in the area of obesity prevention. She came from the School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, where she was a member of academic staff and Co-Director of the Child Development Unit from 1995-2007. In March 2011, Helen was appointed as an Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology in the School of Psychology, Deakin University.
Helen Skouteris is Unit Chair of HPS202/772. She currently supervises the following students:
• Jess Mitchell – Parental correlates of physical activity in preschool children
• Defne Demir – The influence of bi-directional parent-child interactions on preschool children’s eating and BMI
• Jo Phillips – Psychosocial predictors of postpartum weight retention after pregnancy
• Millicent Holmes – Use of experience sampling methodology to evaluate body dissatisfaction in females.
• Sofia Rallis - Predictors of psychological distress across pregnancy and postpartum: A prospective study assessing women every month
• Kim Yiong Wee – Prospective correlates of paternal depression pre and post birth
• Briony Hill - Psychosocial predictors of excessive gestational weight gain
I am currently engaged as a chief investigator in 10 research projects:
1) an early Intervention for mental health problems among children in middle Primary School: Comparisons, Openness, Peers and Esteem (COPE);
2) parental risk factors for obesity in preschoolers, including sedentary activities, such as media use, physical activity and dietary intake;
6) moment-by-moment fluctuations in body dissatisfaction among adolescents and adults;
7) promoting obesity prevention and environmental sustainability in early childhood contexts;
8) association between early childhood caries and childhood obesity.
Memberships
• Society for Research in Child Development
• Australasian Human Development Association
• Australian Psychological Society
• Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society
Service to the University, discipline or community
SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY:
2010 - Faculty Human Ethics Advisory Group – Reviewer
SERVICE TO THE DISCIPLINE OF PSYCHOLOGY:
• Member of Editorial Board, Early Child Development and Care (2010 - )
• Reviewer of papers submitted for publication in: Australian Psychologist, Australian Journal of Early Childhood; Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Journal of Affective Disorders, Body Image, Cognitive Development, Developmental Science, Obesity Reviews, International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, Journal of Women’s Health, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Women & Health, BMC Public Health, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, British Journal of Nutrition, Australian Journal of Psychology, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, International Journal of Nursing Studies, Child Care Health and Development (25 papers reviewed to date in 2010)
• Assessor of 17 external Postgraduate theses (2002-present)
SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY:
• Parent member of Bentleigh West Primary School Council and convenor of Education
and Policy Subcommittee (2003- )
• Critical Friend to Principal Bentleigh West Primary School (2006- )
• Chair, Glen Eira Community Alliance for Early Childhood Development (2009- )
• Executive Committee Member and Community Liaison Officer, Oakleigh Cannons Junior Football Club (2007- ); over 500 children from 5-18 years are enrolled at the club.
• Executive Board Member, African Leadership, Learning and Advocacy Group (2009- )
• Member, Health and Wellbeing Reference Group and Governance Group Berry Street
(2010 - )
Conferences
McPhie, S., Skouteris, H, McCabe, M, Ricciardelli, L, Milgrom, J, Baur, L, & Aksan, N. (2011, June).
Maternal parental correlates of preschool child eating behaviours and body mass index. Poster accepted for presentation at the 2011 Annual Conference of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), Melbourne, Australia.
Skouteris, H, McPhie, S., McCabe, M, Ricciardelli, L, Milgrom, J, & Baur, L(2011, May). Associations
between maternal feeding practices, parenting behaviors, mother-child interactions, preschool children’s eating behaviors and body mass index. Paper accepted for presentation at the 18th European Congress on Obesity, Istanbul, Turkey.
Skouteris, H, McCabe, M, Ricciardelli, L, Milgrom, J, Baur, L (2010, July). Examining the
effects of parent-child interactions and other parental influences on preschool child overweight/obesity: The development of a theoretical model. Poster accepted for presentation at the XI International Conference on Obesity, ICO, Stockholm, Sweden.
Skouteris, H., McCabe, M., Ricciardelli, L. (2009, July). Relationships between parenting, parent-child
interactions, and preschool children’s eating and physical activity habits: An exploration of pathways to childhood obesity? Paper presented at the 16th Australasian Human Development Conference, Adelaide, Australia.
Skouteris, H., Wertheim, E.H., Rallis, S., Paxton, S.J., & Milgrom, J. (2009, May). The interrelationship
between anxiety and depression during pregnancy and the early postpartum: A prospective study. Paper presented as part of the symposium “Women’s Mental Health and Maternity Issues” at the 14th international conference of the A.P.P.A.C. Association of Psychology and Psychiatry for adults and children. Neuropsychiatric, Psychological and Social Developments in a Globalised World, Athens, Greece.
Skouteris, H., Germano, C., Wertheim, E., Paxton, S., & Milgrom, J. (2008, September). A prospective
assessment of the relationship between sleep quality and depression through pregnancy. Paper presented as part of the symposium “ Depression Across the Lifespan” at the 43rd Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society, Hobart, Australia.
Skouteris, H. (2007, July). Predictors of body dissatisfaction during pregnancy and the first year post birth. Paper presented as part of the symposium “Body Image Across the Lifespan” at the 15th Australasian Human Development Conference, Sydney, Australia.
Skouteris, H., & Dissanayake, C. (2006, July). Does age-of-entry to childcare impact on mother’s transition to work?
Paper presented as part of the symposium “Age of entry into childcare: impact on the infant’s transition to childcare, developmental outcomes and the mother’s transition back to work” at the19th International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development Conference, Melbourne, Victoria.
Skouteris, H. (2005, July). Young children and repeated video viewing: How does comprehension of
video content and viewing behaviour change? Paper presented at the 14th Australasian Human Development Conference, Perth, Australia.
Skouteris, H. (2004, July). The effect of repeat video viewing on young children's
comprehension and viewing behaviour. Poster presented at the 18th International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development, Ghent, Belgium.
