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BA MA (Applied) PhD
Research Fellow (Suicide and Mental Health Research Group; and Department of Psychological Medicine, Wellington)

Debbie_Peterson_profile

Contact details  

Tel +64 4 806 1486
Email debbie.peterson@otago.ac.nz

Research interests and activities

Mental health research with an emphasis on issues affecting people with experience of mental illness for example: recovery; suicide; stigma; discrimination; consumer involvement; employment; quality of services. My own experience of mental illness informs my research practice.

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

King, H., Derrett, S., Wyeth, E. H., Cunningham, R., & Peterson, D. (2026). Integrated care within New Zealand's specialist mental health and addiction services: Qualitative research to inform a new model. Community Mental Health Journal. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s10597-026-01623-8 Journal - Research Article

Cunningham, R., Carr, G., Every-Palmer, S., Peterson, D., Haitana, T., Butler, H., … Iupati, S. (2026). Place of death for people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in New Zealand: A national retrospective cohort study. Journal of Palliative Care, 41(2), 151-158. doi: 10.1177/08258597251339868 Journal - Research Article

Foley, I., Basabas, M. C., Jury, A., Haitana, T., Peterson, D., Hider, P., & Cunningham, R. (2025). Ambulatory sensitive hospitalisations among people accessing mental health and addiction services: A retrospective cross-sectional study using national population data. New Zealand Medical Journal/Te ara tika o te hauora hapori, 138(1621), 55-64. doi: 10.26635/6965.6969 Journal - Research Article

Peterson, D., Imlach, F., & Cunningham, R. (2025). Mental health and aging in New Zealand: mixed-methods analysis of experiences of healthcare from a survey of older adults with mental health conditions. Kōtuitui, 20(1), 83-97. doi: 10.1080/1177083X.2024.2344511 Journal - Research Article

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