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Contact Details

Email
susanna.every-palmer@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
Professor and Head of Department of Psychological Medicine (Wellington), Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, MHAIDs, 3DHB, and Director of Area Mental Health Services, Central Regional Forensic and Rehabilitation Services
Department
Department of Psychological Medicine (Wellington)
Qualifications
MBChB (Akld) MSc in Evidence-based Health Care (with Distinction, Oxon) FRANZCP Adv Cert Forensic Psychiatry (RANZCP)
Research summary
Mental health service development and co-design, reducing health inequities in mental health care, and multidisciplinary management of serious mental illness
Memberships
  • Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
  • Member of the New Zealand Forensic Psychiatry Advisory Group
  • Member of the New Zealand Medical Association Specialist Council
  • Director of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists

Research

Susanna is an academic psychiatrist who is passionate about using multidisciplinary research collaborations to inform the highest quality evidence-based care for people with mental illness.

Alongside her role in the university, Susanna is concurrently employed as the Director of Area Mental Health Services (DAMHS) for the Central Regional and Forensic Services. She has worked in a number of different areas across the mental health sector, including as Acting Chief Advisor and Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health. She is the Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Susanna obtained RANZCP Fellowship in 2008 and her Advanced Certificate in Forensic Psychiatry in 2010. She has a master’s degree in Evidence Based Medicine from Oxford University and her PhD focussed on mitigating harms in the treatment of serious mental illness.

Susanna’s academic and clinical interests include:

  • Mental health service development and co-design
  • Reducing health inequities in mental health care
  • Multidisciplinary management of serious mental illness
  • Antipsychotic treatment and its side effects
  • Forensic psychiatry

Susanna is interested in supervising postgraduate students in any of the research areas listed above or related areas. Please contact her directly.

Publications

Haitana, T., Clark, M. T. R., Gillespie, A., Peterson, D., Lockett, H., Every-Palmer, S., Lacey, C., & Cunningham, R. (2026). Cultivating inclusive healthcare ecosystems: A qualitative study on meeting the physical health needs of Māori with mental health and substance use conditions in New Zealand. Qualitative Health Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/10497323261458661 Journal - Research Article

Lopes de Lyra, R., McKenzie, S., Jenkin, G., & Every-Palmer, S. (2026). “Everything that you do tears away a little piece of you”: How police officers cope with occupational exposure to suicide. Death Studies. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2026.2683690 Journal - Research Article

Jeram Patel, G., Wake, K. L., Schimanski, I., Skirrow, P., & Every-Palmer, S. (2026). A novel theory of trauma offers new hype about Havening: Reply to Youngson. New Zealand Medical Journal/Te ara tika o te hauora hapori, 139(1635), 111-113. doi: 10.26635/6965.7519 Journal - Research Other

McKenzie, S. K., Ramsden, G., Every-Palmer, S., Ahir-Knight, S., & Oliffe, J. L. (2026). 'It puts you at odds with society': Masculinity and men's experiences of mental illness stigma. Qualitative Health Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/10497323261450776 Journal - Research Article

Warren, N., O'Gorman, C., Dark, F., Every-Palmer, S., Halstead, S., Korman, N., … Siskind, D. (2026). Initial physical health assessment for psychosis in Australia and New Zealand: 2026 recommendations. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/00048674261435740 Journal - Research Article

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