Dr Deborah Snell, Our people, University of Otago, Christchurch, University of Otago, New Zealand

Director of Clinical Trials Canterbury Orthopaedic and Bone Research Association (COBRA)

Research Associate Professor

MSc(Cant) PhD (Otago)

Based at the Burwood Hospital Campus, Deborah co-ordinates clinical trials and oversees data collection by the COBRA team, for people undergoing hip and knee replacements in Canterbury.

She is a registered clinical psychologist and has worked in the area of neuropsychological rehabilitation for many years. She leads the Concussion Clinic at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service at Burwood Hospital and locums for the QRS Concussion Service in Auckland once a month.

Deborah enjoys collaboration with research colleagues around New Zealand and internationally and is involved in researching outcomes after traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and osteoarthritis. She is the treasurer for both the NZ Rehabilitation Association and the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists (Canterbury Branch).

She is focused on ensuring clinical relevance is maintained in her research activities and enjoys the dual role of working both as a practising clinician and as a health researcher.

Research interests

Injury rehabilitation (e.g., traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, musculoskeletal injuries)
Health and surgical outcomes for people living with chronic conditions
Patient reported outcomes
Psychological models of health and wellness

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Publications

Griffiths, G. S., Thompson, B. L., Snell, D. L., & Dunn, J. A. (2023). Person-centred managment of upper limb complex regional pain syndrome: An integrative review of non-pharmacological treatment. Hand Therapy, 28(1), 16-32. doi: 10.1177/17589983221138610

Griffiths, G. S., Thompson, B. L., Snell, D. L., & Dunn, J. A. (2023, March). Experiences and diagnosis and treatment for upper limb Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS) Annual Scientific Meeting, Auckland, New Zealand.

Snell, D. L., Faulkner, J. W., Williman, J. A., Silverberg, N. D., Theadom, A., Surgenor, L. J., Hackney, J., & Siegert, R. J. (2023). Fear avoidance and return to work after mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2023.2180663

Martin, R. A., Johns, J. K., Hackney, J. J., Bourke, J. A., Young, T. J., Nunnerley, J. L., Snell, D. L., Derrett, S., & Dunn, J. A. (2023). Early opportunities to explore occupational identity change: Qualitative study of return-to-work experiences after stroke. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 55, jrm00363. doi: 10.2340/jrm.v55.4825

Faulkner, J. W., & Snell, D. L. (2023). A framework for understanding the contribution of psychosocial factors in biopsychosocial explanatory models of persistent postconcussion symptoms. Physical Therapy, 103(2), pzac156. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzac156

Than, M. P., Fatovich, D., Fitzgerald, M., Gozt, A., McKinlay, A., & Snell, D. (2020). The need for traumatic brain injury markers. In A. H. B. Wu & W. F. Peacock (Eds.), Biomarkers for traumatic brain injury. (pp. 9-21). London, UK: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-816346-7.00002-6

Chapter in Book - Research

Dunn, J. A., Martin, R. A., Hackney, J. J., Nunnerley, J. L., Snell, D. L., Bourke, J. A., … Derrett, S. (2023). Developing a conceptual framework for early intervention vocational rehabilitation for people following spinal cord injury. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 33, 179-188. doi: 10.1007/s10926-022-10060-9

Journal - Research Article

Faulkner, J. W., Snell, D. L., Theadom, A., Mahon, S., & Barker-Collo, S. (2023). The influence of psychological flexibility on persistent post concussion symptoms and functional status after mild traumatic brain injury. Disability & Rehabilitation, 45(7), 1192-1201. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2055167

Journal - Research Article

Faulkner, J. W., Snell, D. L., & Theadom, A. (2022). Psychological flexibility moderates the influence of fear avoidance on outcomes after mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2022.2109747

Journal - Research Article

Mahon, S., Webb, J., Snell, D., & Theadom, A. (2022). Feasibility of administering the WAIS-IV using a home-based telehealth videoconferencing model. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 36(3), 558-570. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1985172

Journal - Research Article

Martin, R. A., Nunnerley, J. L., Young, T., Hall, A., Snell, D. L., Hackney, J. J., Bourke, J. A., Derrett, S., & Dunn, J. A. (2022). Vocational wayfinding following spinal cord injury: In what contexts, how and why does early intervention vocational rehabilitation work? Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 56(3), 243-254. doi: 10.3233/JVR-221189

Journal - Research Article

Nunnerley, J., King, M., Hodge, K., Hopkins, P., Stockwell, R., Thorne, N., Snell, D., & Gozdzikowska, K. (2022). Co-design of a therapeutic virtual reality tool to increase awareness and self-management of cognitive fatigue after traumatic brain injury. Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2021.2014993

Journal - Research Article

Silverberg, N. D., Cairncross, M., Brasher, P. M. A., Vranceanu, A.-M., Snell, D. L., Yeates, K. O., … on behalf of the Canadian Traumatic Brain Injury Research Consortium (CTRC). (2022). Feasibility of concussion rehabilitation approaches tailored to psychological coping styles: A randomized controlled trial. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 103, 1565-1573. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.12.005

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., & Silverberg, N. D. (2022). Derivation of minimal clinically important difference score for the WHODAS 2.0 in mild traumatic brain injury. NeuroRehabilitation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.3233/nre-220004

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Johns, J., Dunn, J. A., Nunnerley, J. L., & Singhal, B. (2022). Difficulties capturing co-occurring traumatic brain injury among people with traumatic spinal cord injury: A population-based study. Spinal Cord. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/s41393-022-00851-5

Journal - Research Article

Wrapson, W., Dorrestein, M., Wrapson, J., Theadom, A., Snell, D., Rutherford, S., … Siegert, R. J. (2022). Stroke survivors' expectations and post-intervention perceptions of mindfulness training: A qualitative study. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 32(10), 2496-2518. doi: 10.1080/09602011.2021.1950777

Journal - Research Article

Derbyshire, S., Maskill, V., & Snell, D. L. (2021). Do concussion clinicians use clinical practice guidelines? Brain Injury, 35(12-13), 1521-1528. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2021.1972451

Journal - Research Article

Dunn, J. A., Hackney, J. J., Martin, R. A., Tietjens, D., Young, T., Bourke, J. A., Snell, D. L., Nunnerley, J. L., … Derrett, S. (2021). Development of a programme theory for early intervention vocational rehabilitation: A realist literature review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 31, 730-743. doi: 10.1007/s10926-021-10000-z

Journal - Research Article

Faulkner, J. W., Snell, D. L., Shepherd, D., & Theadom, A. (2021). Turning away from sound: The role of fear avoidance in noise sensitivity following mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 151, 110664. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110664

Journal - Research Article

Faulkner, J. W., Snell, D. L., Theadom, A., Mahon, S., & Barker-Collo, S. (2021). The role of psychological flexibility in recovery following mild traumatic brain injury. Rehabilitation Psychology, 66(4), 479-490. doi: 10.1037/rep0000406

Journal - Research Article

Faulkner, J. W., Snell, D. L., Theadom, A., Mahon, S., Barker-Collo, S., & Skirrow, P. (2021). Psychological flexibility in mild traumatic brain injury: An evaluation of measures. Brain Injury, 35(9), 1103-1111. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2021.1959062

Journal - Research Article

Macleod, C., Surgenor, L. J., Levack, W., Hackney, J., Theadom, A., Siegert, R. J., … Snell, D. L. (2021). Patient and clinician experiences of a computerised cognitive battery for use after concussion: A preliminary qualitative study. Brain Impairment, 22, 189-204. doi: 10.1017/BrImp.2020.14

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Dunn, J. A., Jerram, K. A. S., Hsieh, C. J., DeJong, G., & Hooper, G. J. (2021). Associations between comorbidity and quality of life outcomes after total joint replacement. Quality of Life Research, 30, 137-144. doi: 10.1007/s11136-020-02610-6

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Hackney, J. J., Maggo, J., Martin, R. A., Nunnerley, J. L., Bourke, J. A., … Derrett, S., & Dunn, J. A. (2021). Early vocational rehabilitation after spinal cord injury: A survey of service users. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 55(3), 323-333. doi: 10.3233/JVR-211166

Journal - Research Article

Wrapson, W., Dorrestein, M., Wrapson, J., Theadom, A., Kayes, N. M., Snell, D. L., … Siegert, R. J. (2021). A feasibility study of a one-to-one mindfulness-based intervention for improving mood in stroke survivors. Mindfulness, 12, 1148-1158. doi: 10.1007/s12671-020-01583-4

Journal - Research Article

Faulkner, J. W., Theadom, A., Mahon, S., Snell, D. L., Barker-Collo, S., & Cunningham, K. (2020). Psychological flexibility: A psychological mechanism that contributes to persistent symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury? Medical Hypotheses, 143, 110141. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110141

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Jerram, K. A. S., Dunn, J. A., Hsieh, C. J., DeJong, G., & Hooper, G. J. (2020). Use of rehabilitation after hip and knee replacement in New Zealand: A national survey. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1510), 45-55. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Martin, R., Surgenor, L. J., Siegert, R. J., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Melzer, T. R., Anderson, T. J., & Hooper, G. J. (2020). Wrestling with uncertainty after mild traumatic brain injury: A mixed methods study. Disability & Rehabilitation, 42(14), 1942-1953. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1542461

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Siegert, R. J., & Silverberg, N. D. (2020). Rasch analysis of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 in a mild traumatic brain injury sample. Brain Injury, 34(5), 610-618. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2020.1729417

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Siegert, R. J., Debert, C., Cairncross, M., & Silverberg, N. D. (2020). Evaluation of the fear avoidance behavior after Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire. Journal of Neurotrauma, 37, 1566-1573. doi: 10.1089/neu.2019.6729

Journal - Research Article

Surgenor, L. J., Snell, D. L., & Dorahy, M. (2020). Factors associated with psychiatric morbidity, post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic growth in paramedic first responders: The role of core beliefs. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 17, 1-8. doi: 10.33151/ajp.17.727

Journal - Research Article

Surgenor, L. J., Snell, D. L., Siegert, R. J., Kelly, S., Flint, R., & Coulter, G. (2020). Psychometric characteristics of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) in people undergoing weight loss surgery. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 27, 79-88. doi: 10.1007/s10880-019-09624-4

Journal - Research Article

Bourke, J., Nunnerley, J., Snell, D., & Sinnott Jerram, A. (2019). The Burwood Academy: Incorporating the principles of the independent living paradigm into rehabilitation research. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 12(3), 240-248. doi: 10.1108/IJHRH-08-2018-0054

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Dunn, J. A., Sinnott, K. A., Hsieh, C. J., De Jong, G., & Hooper, G. J. (2019). Joint replacement rehabilitation and the role of funding source. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 51(10), 770-778. doi: 10.2340/16501977-2600

Journal - Research Article

Campi, S., Pandit, H., Hooper, G., Snell, D., Jenkins, C., Dodd, C. A. F., Maxwell, R., & Murray, D. W. (2018). Ten-year survival and seven-year functional results of cementless Oxford unicompartmental knee replacement: A prospective consecutive series of our first 1000 cases. Knee, 25(6), 1231-1237. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2018.07.012

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Hipango, J., Sinnott, K. A., Dunn, J. A., Rothwell, A., Hsieh, C. J., … Hooper, G. (2018). Rehabilitation after total joint replacement: A scoping study. Disability & Rehabilitation, 40(14), 1718-1731. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2017.1300947

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Martin, R., Macleod, A. D., Surgenor, L. J., Siegert, R. J., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Melzer, T., Hooper, G. J., & Anderson, T. (2018). Untangling chronic pain and post-concussion symptoms: The significance of depression. Brain Injury, 32(5), 583-592. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2018.1432894

Journal - Research Article

Bourke, J. A., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Snell, D. L., & Schluter, P. J. (2017). Community inclusion of wheelchair users during the long-term recovery phase following the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 23, 169-177. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.05.004

Journal - Research Article

Dunn, J. A., Nicholls, J. M., Snell, D. L., & Nunnerley, J. L. (2017). New Zealand wheelchair users' preparedness for emergencies. Australasian Journal of Disaster & Trauma Studies, 21(1), 3-18. Retrieved from http://trauma.massey.ac.nz/index.html

Journal - Research Article

Nunnerley, J., Gupta, S., Snell, D., & King, M. (2017). Training wheelchair navigation in immersive virtual environments for patients with spinal cord injury: End-user input to design an effective system. Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 12(4), 417-423. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2016.1176259

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Iverson, G. L., Panenka, W. J., & Silverberg, N. D. (2017). Preliminary validation of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 for mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 34(23), 3256-3261. doi: 10.1089/neu.2017.5234

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Martin, R., Surgenor, L. J., Siegert, R. J., & Hay-Smith, E. J. C. (2017). What's wrong with me? Seeking a coherent understanding of recovery after mild traumatic brain injury. Disability & Rehabilitation, 39(19), 1968-1975. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1213895

Journal - Research Article

Bourke, J. A., Schluter, P. J., Hay-Smith, J. C., & Snell, D. L. (2016). Respondent driven sampling of wheelchair users: A lack of traction? F1000Research, 5, 753. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.8605.2

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., MacLeod, S. A. D., & Anderson, T. (2016). Post-concussion syndrome after a mild traumatic brain injury: A minefield for clinical practice. Journal of Behavioral & Brain Science, 6(6), 227-232. doi: 10.4236/jbbs.2016.66023

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Siegert, R. J., Surgenor, L. J., Dunn, J. A., & Hooper, G. J. (2016). Evaluating quality of life outcomes following joint replacement: Psychometric evaluation of a short form of the WHOQOL-Bref. Quality of Life Research, 25, 51-61. doi: 10.1007/s11136-015-1044-1

Journal - Research Article

Bourke, J. A., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Snell, D. L., & DeJong, G. (2015). Attending to biographical disruption: The experience of rehabilitation following tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury. Disability & Rehabilitation, 37(4), 296-303. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2014.918188

Journal - Research Article

Hooper, N., Snell, D., Hooper, G., Maxwell, R., & Frampton, C. (2015). The five-year radiological results of the uncemented Oxford medial compartment knee arthroplasty. Bone & Joint Journal, 97B(10), 1358-1363. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.97B10.35668

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Surgenor, L. J., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Williman, J., & Siegert, R. J. (2015). The contribution of psychological factors to recovery after mild traumatic brain injury: Is cluster analysis a useful approach? Brain Injury, 29(3), 291-299. doi: 10.3109/02699052.2014.976594

Journal - Research Article

Surgenor, L. J., Snell, D. L., & Dorahy, M. J. (2015). Posttraumatic stress symptoms in police staff 12-18 months after the Canterbury earthquakes. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(2), 162-166. doi: 10.1002/jts.21991

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Surgenor, L. J., Dorahy, M. J., & Hay-Smith, E. J. C. (2014). Coping and adjustment in New Zealand Police staff 12-18 months after the Canterbury earthquakes: A directed qualitative content analysis. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 43(3), 5-13.

Journal - Research Article

Graham, F., Sinnott, K. A., Snell, D. L., Martin, R., & Freeman, C. (2013). A more “normal” life: Residents', family, staff, and managers' experience of active support at a residential facility for people with physical and intellectual impairments. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 38(3), 256-264. doi: 10.3109/13668250.2013.805738

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Surgenor, L. J., & Siegert, R. J. (2013). Examination of outcome after mild traumatic brain injury: The contribution of injury beliefs and Leventhal's common sense model. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 23(3), 333-362. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2012.758419

Journal - Research Article

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Associate Professor Deborah Snell

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