Building the social fabric and economic prosperity of communities by developing new tools to measure, monitor and forecast national and regional dynamics of Mental Wealth.
Manual Description : Co-Director
Manual Address : Brain and Mind Centre, 94 Mallett Street, Camperdown, NSW
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The Mental Wealth Initiative brings together national and international experts across business, economics, law, public health, social policy, and mental health to empower communities and nations to foster their Mental Wealth.
Our transdisciplinary research team harnesses systems modelling and simulation to understand the factors that generate positive outcomes for mental health and contribute to thriving, productive and resilient communities and economies.
Our mission is to foster the Mental Wealth of Nations – creating environments where individuals and societies thrive, where economies prosper by prioritizing well-being, and where we can address global challenges with resilience, unity, and innovation.
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We are working to achieve our mission by:
Globally we are at a critical juncture. Climate change, displaced populations, rising inequalities, food and energy insecurity, polarization, and misinformation are weakening democracies, eroding mental health and the social fabric of communities, and undermining progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. When combined with the potential disruption of generative AI, these interconnected global challenges pose substantial risks to national and global economies and social stability.
A pathway to addressing these issues lies in transitioning to a Wellbeing Economy, one that better aligns and balances the interests of collective well-being and social prosperity with economic and commercial interests. This paradigm shift encompasses a ‘Mental Wealth’ approach to assess national progress, recognizing that sustainable prosperity encompasses more than just economic growth, it includes and requires social well-being and inclusivity. Systemic action requires nations to have the capacity to quantify and track Mental Wealth and generate the transdisciplinary science needed to empower decision-makers to achieve multisystem resilience, social and economic stability, and sustainable, inclusive national prosperity.
Acting systemically to address global challenges will require the combined instruments of science, technology, business, policy, politics, public mobilization, and international cooperation to build brain capital, and social cohesion, and foster the Mental Wealth of nations.
Read more on the role of national Mental Wealth Observatories in supporting transition to Wellbeing-orientated Economies.
Jo-An Occhipinti, Ante Prodan, William Hynes, Roy Green, Sharan Burrow, Harris Eyre, Adam Skinner, Goran Ujdur, John Buchanan, Ian Hickie, Mark Heffernan, Christine Song, Marcel Tanner. Artificial intelligence, recessionary pressures and population health. Bull World Health Organ. 2025 Feb 1;103(2):155-163. https://doi.org/10.2471/blt.24.291950
Paul Crosland, Nicolas Ho, Kim-Huong Nguyen, Kristen Tran, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Catherine Vacher, Adam Skinner, Jordan van Rosmalen, Sebastian Rosenberg, Frank Iorfino, Victoria Loblay, Olivia Iannelli, Sarah Piper, Yun Ju Christine Song, Sophie Morson, Judith Piccone, Adam Connell, Deborah Marchall, Ian V. Hickie, Jo-An Occhipinti. The economic value of improving social determinants of mental health. Nature Mental Health, 2025: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00459-7
Jo-An Occhipinti,§ Nicholas Ho,§ Paul Crosland, Sam Huntley, Wendy Hawkins, Adam Connell, Judith Piccone, Sarah Piper, Hossein Hosseini, Catherine Vacher, Jordan van Rosmalen, Sophie Morson, Courtney Milham, Wendy Burton, Kayla Andrade, Chloe Gosling, Kristen Tran, Christine Song, Victoria Loblay, Jo Robinson, Adam Skinner*, Ian B. Hickie* (joint senior authors). Beyond capacity limits: Can social cohesion offset the impact of service constraints on youth mental health? European Psychiatry, 2025 Jun 27;68(1):e93. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.10053
Ante Prodan, Jo-An Occhipinti, William Hynes, Shane Donohoo, Mark Heffernan, Roy Green, Pawel Swieboda. Generative AI Data Centres for Renewable Energy Integration and Grid Stability: Fostering a Sustainable Economic Future. SSRN preprint: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5111504
Mouna Sawan*, Saman Khalatbari-Soltani*, Anita van Zwieten, Suraj Samtani, Jo-An Occhipinti#, J. Jaime Miranda# (*/# joint first & last authors). Valuing caregiving is a prerequisite for the wellbeing economy and mental wealth. Nature Aging: 28 April 2025: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-00868-4
Adam Skinner, Eloisa Perez-Bennetts, Frank Iorfino, Mathew Varidel, Matthew Richards, Jo-An Occhipinti, Yun Ju Christine Song, Sebastian Rosenberg, Elizabeth M. Scott, Ian B. Hickie. Reshaping youth mental health care for optimal system-level outcomes: a dynamic modelling analysis. PLOS Mental Health 2(2): e0000232. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000232
Adam Skinner, Isabel Li, Mathew Varidel, Frank Iorfino, Jo-An Occhipinti, Christine Song, Min K. Chong, Ian Hickie. Dynamic Bayesian network analysis of the social determinants of mental health. PNAS Nexus, Volume 4, Issue 7, July 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf209
Andrea N. Natsky, Laura Ospina Pinillos, Esperanza Pena Torres, Monica Natali Sanchez Nitola, Débora Lucía Shambo Rodríguez, Salvador Camacho, Adriane Martin-Hilber, Paul Crosland, Adam Skinner, Ian B. Hickie, Jo-An Occhipinti. Economic Evaluation of 9 Intersectoral Strategies to Improve Youth Mental Health and Alleviate Financial Burden in Colombia Using System Dynamics Modeling. Value in Health, 2025, Vol 28 (3): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1098301524067652
Isabel Li, Adam Skinner, Jesse Zhao, Ian Hickie, Jo-An Occhipinti. Understanding drivers of loneliness: Machine learning insights from the HILDA survey. Research Directions: Depression. 2025;2:e3. https://doi.org/10.1017/dep.2025.2
Anita van Zwieten, Suraj Samtani, Mouna Sawan, Jo-An Occhipinti, J. Jaime Miranda#, Saman Khalatbari-Soltani# (#joint last authors). Supporting the implementation of life course approaches to accelerate progress on equitable healthy ageing. Nature Aging. 2025: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-025-00875-5
Alfred K. Njamnshi, Jacques Fame Ndongo….(100 Yaoundé Declaration Scientific Technical Committee co-authors including Jo-An Occhipinti)….Harris Eyre. African Leadership in Brain Diplomacy: The Yaoundé Declaration Advances the Global Brain Economy Playbook for Better Brain Health. Neuroscience 2025; Vol 577, p.161-174: https://www.ibroneuroscience.org/article/S0306-4522(25)00323-9/abstract
Erickson, E, Buchanan, J, Sarter, EK, Warhurst, C, Striestska-llina, O and Klok, BT (2025) ‘Building skills ecosystems for sustainable productivity improvements’ in ILO Global Employment Policy Review 2025, ILO Geneva Global Employment Policy Review 2025: Do employment-responsive policies work? – How impact assessments, diagnostics and dialogue contribute to the answer | International Labour Organization
Buchanan, J, Allais, S, Anderson, M, Calvo, R, Peter, S and Pietsch, T (2025) The futures of work: what education can and cannot do,Robert, P and Saar, E (eds) Edward Elgar Handbook on Education and the Labour Market, Cheltenham (UK): 141 - 164 Handbook on Education and the Labour Market
Jo-An Occhipinti, John Buchanan, William Hynes, Harris A. Eyre, Kristen Tran, Yun Ju Christine Song, Allan Fels, Adam Skinner, Sebastian Rosenberg, Ante Prodan, Goran Ujdur, Andrea N. Natsky, Troy Henderson, Raphael Hasudungan, & Ian B. Hickie. Estimating the Mental Wealth of nations: valuing social production and investment. Nature Mental Health, 2023; 1(4), 247-253: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-023-00044-w
Jo-An Occhipinti, Ante Prodan, William Hynes, Harris A. Eyre, Alex Schulze, Goran Ujdur, Marcel Tanner. Navigating a stable transition to the Age of Intelligence: A Mental Wealth perspective (October 6, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4597690 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4597690
Jo-An Occhipinti, William Hynes, Patricia Geli, Harris Eyre, Christine Song, Ante Prodan, Adam Skinner, Goran Ujdur, John Buchanan, Roy Green, Sebastian Rosenberg, Allan Fels, & Ian B. Hickie. Building systemic resilience, productivity, and wellbeing: a Mental Wealth perspective. BMJ Global Health, 2023; 8: e012942: https://gh.bmj.com/content/bmjgh/8/9/e012942.full.pdf
Jo-An Occhipinti, Adam Skinner, Murali Doraiswamy, Shekhar Saxena, Harris A. Eyre, William Hynes, Patricia Geli, Dilip V. Jeste, Carol Graham, Yun Ju Christine Song, Ante Prodan, Goran Ujdur, John Buchanan, Sebastian Rosenberg, Paul Crosland, & Ian B. Hickie. Economic determinants: A Mental Wealth perspective on the ‘cause of causes’ of mental illness (Economics Theme Issue) Perspectives. The Bulletin of the World Health Organization, (in press as of December 2023).
Adam Skinner, Nathaniel D. Osgood, Jo-An Occhipinti, Yun Ju C Song, Ian B. Hickie. Unemployment and underemployment are causes of suicide. Science Advances, 2023; 9, eadg3758: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg3758
Jo-An Occhipinti, John Buchanan, Adam Skinner, … & Ian B. Hickie. Measuring, modelling, and forecasting the Mental Wealth of Nations. Frontiers in Public Health, 2022, Vol 10: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.879183.
Jo-An Occhipinti, Adam Skinner, P. Murali Doraiswamy, … & Ian B. Hickie, on behalf of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Mental Health. Mental health: Build predictive models to steer policy. Nature, 2021; 597: 633-636: https://media.nature.com/original/magazine-assets/d41586-021-02581-9/d41586-021-02581-9.pdf
Adam Skinner, Jo-An Occhipinti, Yun Ju Christine Song, Ian B. Hickie. Population mental health improves with increasing access to treatment: evidence from a dynamic modelling analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 2022; Vol 22: https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-04352-w
Adam Skinner, Jo-An Occhipinti, Ante Prodan, Yun Ju Christine Song, Ian B. Hickie. Bi-stability and critical transitions in mental health care systems: a model-based analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2023; 17, 5: https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-023-00573-y
Harris A. Eyre, Jo-An Occhipinti, Laura Murray, William Hynes, Rym Ayadi, Mohamed Salama, M.D., Ph.D., Pawel Swieboda, et al. How Brain Capital Can Drive Progress on UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Baker Institute, November, 2023 https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/how-brain-capital-can-drive-progress-uns-sustainable-development-goals
Yun Ju Christine Song, Sebastian Rosenberg, John Mendoza, … & Ian B. Hickie. Missing in action: The right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental health care. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2022; Vol 16 (26): https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00537-8
Kristen Tran, John Buchanan, Yun Ju Christine Song, Sebastian Rosenberg, Jo-An Occhipinti, Ian B. Hickie. A Mental Wealth perspective: Crossing disciplines to understand the value of collective mental and social assets in the post-COVID-19 era. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2022; 15 (56): https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-022-00568-1
William Hynes, Pawel Swieboda, Patrick Love, Jo-An Occhipinti, Harris A. Eyre. From Markets to Minds: The role of brain capital in economic security. Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, August 3, 2023: https://doi.org/10.25613/H5YV-DH34
The Value of Social Production in Norway. Report prepared by the University of Sydney’s Mental Wealth Initiative, in partnership with the European Brain Council, the Norwegian Brain Council, the Brain Capital Alliance, the Brain Economy Hub, the Neuro-Policy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the European Policy Centre, the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association, the Global Brain Coalition, the WHO Working group on Social Production, Computer Simulation & Advanced Research Technologies (CSART), and the SIPHER Consortium. Launched at Brain House during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 2025.
Trends in NSW Psychiatrists’ Pay – 2007-2024. A report prepared for the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (NSW Branch) by Professor John Buchanan with the assistance of Associate Professor Anastasios Panagiotelis and Dr Troy Henderson, Sophie Cotton and Nicholas Avery. March 6, 2025.
Understanding the potential impact of different salary options for solving the unfolding crisis in the NSW public sector psychiatry workforce. A Supplementary Report prepared for the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (NSW Branch) by Professor John Buchanan with the assistance of Sophie Cotton, Associate Professor Jo-An Occhipinti, Associate Professor Anastasios Panagiotelis and Nicholas Avery. March 21, 2025.
Productivity, Inflation and National Pay Benchmarks: Determining fair and efficient pay rates for NSW Nurses and Midwives, John Buchanan, Troy Henderson, Anastasios Panagiotelis and Jo Occhipinti August 2025
Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Pay. From nation leading to falling behind?, Report Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union, John Buchanan and Troy Henderson, 8 July 2025
Metrics for socially sustainable infrastructure workplaces: Key issues and indicative data items, report for IFM Investors, John Buchanan, Susan Thorp, Troy Henderson, Jo Occhipinti, Nick Glozier and Shannon O’Keeffe 11 April 2025
Jo-An Occhipinti, Kristen Tran, Harris Eyre, Patricia Geli, Christine Song, Ian Hickie. Public release, July 2023 in partnership with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Rice University, and the Reform for Resilience Commission: https://www.r4rx.org/_files/ugd/fc418c_c48c3d8761f246309185e2f5d50e00ec.pdf
Jo-An Occhipinti, Harris Eyre, William Hynes. US Mental Wealth Observatory Policy Memo drafted in partnership with the Federation of American Scientists and other collaborators and launched at the Science Summit of the 78th UN General Assembly. September 2023: https://fas.org/publication/mental-wealth-observatory/
Kristen Tran, Jo-An Occhipinti, John Buchanan, Sebastian Rosenberg, Yun Ju C Song, Ian B. Hickie. A contributing life: A snapshot of the value of social production. A Mental Wealth Initiative Report. Public release: February 2023: https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/03/15/australian-unpaid-social-contributions-valued-at--287-billion.html
John Buchanan, Stephen Tierney, Troy Henderson, Jo Occhipinti. From bad to worse to where? NSW Teachers Pay 2020 – 2022 and beyond. A Report for the NSW Teachers’ Federation, Jan 2023: https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2023/02/02/nsw-teacher-pay-gone-from-bad-to-worse.html
John Buchanan, Susan Thorp, Troy Henderson, Nick Glozier. What are sustainable workplaces? Defining the issues and opportunities for long-term owners of infrastructure assets (First research paper in a series on this topic funded by a grant from Industry Funds Management – IFM), November 2023.
Harris A. Eyre, William Hynes, Geoffrey Ling, Jo-An Occhipinti, Rym Ayadi, Michael Matthews, Ryan Abbott, Patrick Love. From neuroweapons to ‘neuroshields’: Safeguarding brain capital for national security. Policy Brief, Center for Health and Biosciences, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/cQ3UC1WLPxc6zyyKWILVq84?domain=bakerinstitute.org
John Buchanan. The Daily Mail. NSW firefighters have secured a 14% pay rise, a decision Professor John Buchanan says highlights ongoing tensions between fair pay and government arguments about fiscal limits. [15 Aug 2025]: The bumper pay rise given to 'undervalued' NSW firefighters is revealed
John Buchanan is quoted on on wages policy. Daily Mail Australia. [06 Jun 2025]: How a 'DOUBLE' pay rise is on its way for millions of Aussie workers next year
John Buchanan is quoted about the 3.5% wage increase and its implications for real wages, inflation, and future wage policy. The Daily Telegraph. [05 Jun 2025]: ‘Unviable’: Foodies warned to brace for price hikes when eating out
NeuroCentury with Pawel Swieboda. Mental wealth: the glue that holds societies together. In conversation with Jo-An Occhipinti. March 14, 2025: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/23-mental-wealth-the-glue-that-holds-societies-together/id1711186263?i=1000699096534
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Mental Wealth Initiative Launch Highlights
Phone: +61 2 9351 0774
Email: brainandmind.info@sydney.edu.au
94 Mallett Street, Camperdown NSW 2050
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
