Lecturer (Programme Lead)
Contact details
Email snita.ahir-knight@otago.ac.nz
Research interests and activities
Snita (she/her) is the Programme Lead for the lived experience education and research programme World of Difference | He Ao Whakatoihara kore within the Department of Psychological Medicine (Wellington). She was previously a visiting research scholar in philosophy and a teaching fellow in ethics at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Find out more about World of Difference | He Ao Whakatoihara kore
She received a Degree in Social Work from Oxford Brookes University, a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of London, and a PhD in Philosophy from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Snita is a trained child and adolescent therapist, and social worker. She has more than 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit, community, and mental health sectors in New Zealand and the UK.
Her main lens is philosophy; however, her not-for-profit, community, and mental health work background alongside her lived experience are important components of how she approaches her teaching and research.
Snita's research interests include mental disorder, health, children, youth, and the parenting relationship.
You are welcome to contact her with collaborative opportunities, community partnership ideas, media enquiries and postgraduate supervision requests.
- Snita co-guest-edited a Special Issue for the journal Higher Education Research & Development on the benefits and challenges of integrating lived experience in higher education teaching.
Visit the collection on the Taylor & Francis website - Scoping and developing a future research project on ethical considerations related to children of parents with mental health and addiction challenges.
- She is on the Diversity Committee for the Australasian Association of Philosophy.
Visit the Australasian Association of Philosophy website
Resources
Reflective conversations
This resource is for people who walk alongside families navigating parental mental health or addiction challenges across clinical, community, and peer-support settings. It is not a toolkit. It is not a checklist. It is an invitation to reflect.
Breaking the silence series
In a four-part series written for Changing Minds, Snita Ahir-Knight reflects on her evolving journey of openness about her lived experience. Through these reflections, she challenges societal stigma, embraces complexity, and advocates for compassionate, inclusive ways of understanding.
Each piece offers a unique perspective on the process of becoming open. These writings are not only about one person's story; they are an invitation to consider the collective power of lived experiences in shaping change.
- Breaking the silence: Opening up about Lived Experience
Snita begins by sharing what led her to be open about her lived experience and the impact of embracing storytelling as a tool for healing and empowerment. - Breaking the silence: Making a difference through action, not words
Here, she reflects on the years she chose not to share her lived experience in professional settings, and how meaningful change can still happen through advocacy, leadership, and integrity, even without disclosure. - Breaking the silence: Finding meaning in words
Language is powerful. In this piece, Snita explores the terms she uses to describe her experience and why respecting the diversity of language in the lived experience community matters. - Breaking the silence: Honouring the quiet and sharing with care
The final reflection speaks to the responsibility of openness. That is, how to listen, hold silence, and care for ourselves and others in the process.
Publications
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
Ahir-Knight, S., & Godfrey, H. K. (Eds.). (2026). Higher Education Research & Development, 45(2), [Benefits and challenges of integrating lived experience in higher education]. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cher20/45/2 Other - Edited Journal
Ahir-Knight, S., & Godfrey, H. K. (2026). From coffee to collaboration: Reflections and insights on lived experience in higher education teaching. Higher Education Research & Development, 45(2), 333-338. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2026.2627168 Journal - Research Other
Ahir-Knight, S. (2026). Beyond risk: Rethinking harm for children of parents living with mental health and addiction challenges. Australasian Psychiatry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/10398562261431181 Journal - Research Other
Ahir-Knight, S., Monro, H., Arango, J., Clark, S., Huls, T., & Tester, R. (2026). Supporting lived experience teaching academics through co-reflection. Higher Education Research & Development. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2026.2617285 Journal - Research Article