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Associate Professor Neil Pickering

Contact Details

Phone
64 3 471 6126
Email
neil.pickering@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
Associate Professor
Department
Bioethics Centre
Qualifications
BA(Gen Hons)(Exe) MPhil(CNAA) MA PhD(Wales)
Research summary
Philosophy, concepts, and ethics of health and disease
Teaching

Undergraduate and postgraduate bioethics

Memberships
  • Member International Network for Philosophy and Psychiatry (INPP) 14th International Conference Academic Advisory Committee
  • Member National Ethics Advisory Committee (NEAC)

Research

The philosophy of mental health considers fundamental questions about some of our most profound concerns and ideas. When the human being suffers either in the body or in the mind, how are we to understand what is going on? What are the limits of the scientific biologically based understanding offered by medicine? How are the foundational concepts of professional health carers—disease, illness, health—to be understood? Are they truly scientific concepts? Do they have essences, or can they be described in terms of neat definitive criteria?

There are lively and divisive debates about all these issues. To these debates I bring a focus on the extension of concepts of disease from the physical to the mental; and on the ideas about concepts which those engaged in such debates presume. In particular, I am interested in what resources Wittgenstein's philosophy might offer the debate. Is his notion of 'family resemblance' helpful?

Additional details

I offer supervision in health concepts (e.g. health, disease and illness), including reality and nature of mental illness, classical vs non-classical health concepts, evaluative vs non-evaluative health concepts.

Publications

Newton-Howes, G., Walker, S., & Pickering, N. J. (2023). Epistemic problems with mental health legislation in the doctor–patient relationship. Journal of Medical Ethics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/jme-2022-108610

Walker, S., Williams, O., Newton-Howes, G., & Pickering, N. (2022). Reformulating decision-making capacity. American Journal of Bioethics, 22(11), 92-94. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2022.2123995

Penfield Winters, J., Pickering, N., & Jaye, C. (2022). Winging it: A qualitative study of knowledge-acquisition experiences for early adopting providers of medical assistance in dying. Palliative Care & Social Practice, 16, 1-12. doi: 10.1177/26323524221103889

Pickering, N. J., Newton-Howes, G., & Walker, S. (2022). Risk-relativity is still a nonsense. Journal of Medical Ethics, 48(12), 1056-1057. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2022-108379

Pickering, N. J., Newton-Howes, G., & Walker, S. (2022). Risk-related standards of competence are a nonsense. Journal of Medical Ethics, 48, 893-898. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2021-108107

Harland, T., & Pickering, N. (2011). Values in higher education teaching. London, UK: Routledge, 134p.

Authored Book - Research

Pickering, N. (2006). The metaphor of mental illness. Oxford University Press, 194p.

Authored Book - Research

Brenner, B., Gillies, J., & Pickering, N. (2004). The ethics of health informatics. Auckland, New Zealand: Mediflex Press, 174p.

Authored Book - Other

Pickering, N. (2021). Covert treatment in a cross-cultural setting. In D. Stoyanov, B. Fulford, G. Stanghellini, W. Van Staden & M. T. Wong (Eds.), International perspectives in values-based mental health practice: Case studies and commentaries. (pp. 263-271). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-47852-0_30

Chapter in Book - Research

Pickering, N., Anderson, L., & Skegg, P. (2019). Healthcare ethics education at the University of Otago - and the Master of Bioethics and Health Law. In V. T. Chuan, R. Huxtable & N. Peart (Eds.), Healthcare ethics, law and professionalism: Essays on the works of Alastair V. Campbell. (pp. 181-196). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Chapter in Book - Research

Levack, W. M. M., Siegert, R. J., & Pickering, N. (2015). Ethics and goal setting. In R. J. Siegert & W. M. M. Levack (Eds.), Rehabilitation goal setting: Theory, practice and evidence. (pp. 67-88). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Pickering, N. (2004). The Quantum Booster and medical orthodoxy. In K. Dew & R. Fitzgerald (Eds.), Challenging science: Issues for New Zealand society in the 21st century. (pp. 167-186). Palmerston North, New Zealand: Dunmore Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Pickering, N. J. (2001). Health experimentation: Can (scientifically) good research be (ethically) bad research? In M. Tollich (Ed.), Research Ethics in Aotearoa New Zealand Concepts, Practice, Critique. (pp. 65-76). Auckland: Pearson Education New Zealand Limited.

Chapter in Book - Research

Pickering, N. (1998). General principles and particular cases. In H. M. Evans (Ed.), Critical principles and particular cases. (pp. 197-208). Connecticut: JAI Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Newton-Howes, G., Walker, S., & Pickering, N. J. (2023). Epistemic problems with mental health legislation in the doctor–patient relationship. Journal of Medical Ethics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/jme-2022-108610

Journal - Research Article

Penfield Winters, J., Pickering, N., & Jaye, C. (2022). Winging it: A qualitative study of knowledge-acquisition experiences for early adopting providers of medical assistance in dying. Palliative Care & Social Practice, 16, 1-12. doi: 10.1177/26323524221103889

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. J., Newton-Howes, G., & Walker, S. (2022). Risk-related standards of competence are a nonsense. Journal of Medical Ethics, 48, 893-898. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2021-108107

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N., Newton-Howes, G., & Young, G. (2022). Harmful choices, the case of C, and decision-making competence. American Journal of Bioethics, 22(10), 38-50. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1941422

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. J. (2021). Covert medication and patient identity: Placing the ethical analysis in a worldwide context. Journal of Medical Ethics, 47, e49. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106695

Journal - Research Article

Winters, J. P., Pickering, N., & Jaye, C. (2021). Because it was new: Unexpected experiences of physician providers during Canada's early years of legal medical assistance in dying. Health Policy, 125, 1489-1497. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.09.012

Journal - Research Article

Duncan, R., Anderson, L., & Pickering, N. (2019). Closing the gap between need and uptake: A case for proactive contraception provision to adolescents. Asian Bioethics Review, 11(1), 95-109. doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00082-6

Journal - Research Article

Duncan, R., Paterson, H., Anderson, L., & Pickering, N. (2019). 'We're kidding ourselves if we say that contraception is accessible': A qualitative study of general practitioners' attitudes towards adolescents' use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). Journal of Primary Health Care, 11(2), 138-145. doi: 10.1071/HC18105

Journal - Research Article

Duncan, R., Paterson, H., Anderson, L., & Pickering, N. (2019). A qualitative analysis on adolescents' opinions of proactive long-lasting reversible contraceptive (LARC) provision. New Zealand Medical Journal, 132(1488), 38-48. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Article

Newton-Howes, G., Pickering, N., & Young, G. (2019). Authentic decision-making capacity in hard medical cases. Clinical Ethics, 14(4), 173-177. doi: 10.1177/1477750919876248

Journal - Research Article

Gamble Blakey, A., & Pickering, N. (2018). Putting it on the table: Towards better cultivating medical student values. Medical Science Educator, 28(3), 533-542. doi: 10.1007/s40670-018-0584-8

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2016). Disease, variety, disagreement, and typicality: Advantage Roschian concepts? Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology, 23(1), 17-31. doi: 10.1353/ppp.2016.0003

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N., & Nie, J.-B. (2016). Transcultural ADHD and bioethics: Reformulating a double dichotomized debate. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 26(3), 249-275. doi: 10.1353/ken.2016.0024

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2014). A random blend: The self in Philip Larkin's poems: "Ambulances" and "The building". Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 11(2), 163-170. doi: 10.1007/s11673-014-9521-8

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2013). Extending disorder: Essentialism, family resemblance and secondary sense. Medicine, Health Care & Philosophy, 16(2), 185-195. doi: 10.1007/s11019-011-9372-6

Journal - Research Article

Anderson, L. C., & Pickering, N. J. (2010). The student code: Ethical and professional expectations of medical students at the University of Otago. New Zealand Medical Journal, 123(1318). Retrieved from http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/123-1318/4216/content.pdf

Journal - Research Article

Harland, T., Tidswell, T., Everett, D., Hale, L., & Pickering, N. (2010). Neoliberalism and the academic as critic and conscience of society. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(1), 85-96. doi: 10.1080/13562510903487917

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2010). Who's a quack? Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 7(1), 43-52. doi: 10.1007/s11673-010-9211-0

Journal - Research Article

Anderson, L., & Pickering, N. (2008). Ethical review of physiotherapy research. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy, 36(3), 138-143.

Journal - Research Article

Harland, T., Spronken-Smith, R. A., Dickinson, K. J. M., & Pickering, N. (2006). Out of the ordinary: Recapturing the liberal traditions of a university education through field courses. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(1), 93-106.

Journal - Research Article

Lewis, G., & Pickering, N. (2003). Māori spiritual beliefs and attitudes towards organ donation. New Zealand Bioethics Journal, 4(1), 31-35.

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2003). The likeness argument and the reality of mental illness. Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology, 10(3), 243-254.

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2002). Bioethics and health law in New Zealand: Bioethics commentary. New Zealand Bioethics Journal, 3(1), 10-13.

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2002). Commentary on : Depressive illness delayed Hamlet's revenge : A B Shaw. Medical Humanities, 28(2), 94-96.

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (2000). The use of poetry in health care ethics education. Medical Humanities, 26(1), 31-36.

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (1999). Metaphors and Models in Medicine. Theoretical Medicine & Bioethics, 20(4), 361-375.

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. (1998). Imaginary restrictions. Journal of Medical Ethics, 24(3), 171-175.

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. J., Newton-Howes, G., & Walker, S. (2022). Risk-relativity is still a nonsense. Journal of Medical Ethics, 48(12), 1056-1057. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2022-108379

Journal - Research Other

Walker, S., Williams, O., Newton-Howes, G., & Pickering, N. (2022). Reformulating decision-making capacity. American Journal of Bioethics, 22(11), 92-94. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2022.2123995

Journal - Research Other

Duncan, R., Paterson, H., Anderson, L., & Pickering, N. (2021). Proactively providing contraception to New Zealand adolescents [Short communication]. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 61, 484-486. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13343

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. (2017). Zachar on classification and the concept of mental disorder. Association for the Advancement of Philosophy & Psychiatry Bulletin, 24(1), 16-20. [Commentary].

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. (2015). When lack of evidence is evidence of lack. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 12(4), 545-547. doi: 10.1007/s11673-015-9675-z

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N., Anderson, L., & Paterson, H. (2015). Authors' reply re: Teens and young adults should be started on longacting reversible contraceptives before sexual activity commences: An opt-out programme to avoid teen pregnancy. BJOG, 122(13), 1848-1849. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.13703

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N., Anderson, L., & Paterson, H. (2015). Teens and young adults should be started on long-acting reversible contraceptives before sexual activity commences: For: An opt-out programme would avoid teen pregnancy and associated costs [Debate]. BJOG, 122(8), 1052. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.13465

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. (2014). [Review of the book Coercive care rights, law and policy]. Asian Bioethics Review, 6(3), 320-324. doi: 10.1353/asb.2014.0020

Journal - Research Other

Harland, T., Pickering, N., & Anderson, L. (2012). Valuing teaching and teaching values. Journal of Primary Health Care, 4(4), 346-348.

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. (2009). Absence of significant dissent should be sufficient for deceased organ procurement in New Zealand. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 33(5), 454-456. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00428.x

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. (2008). Take Your Pick. Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology, 15(4), 349-351. doi: 10.1353/ppp.0.0203

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. (2008). The art of medicine: The importance of not being complementary [Perspectives]. Lancet, 372, 1874-1875. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61799-7

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. (2003). The likeness argument: Reminders, roles and reasons for use [Response to Tyreman, Gipps, Loughlin and Mullen commentaries on 'The likeness argument and the reality of mental illness']. Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology, 10(3), 273-275.

Journal - Research Other

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