MA (Applied) Clinical and Community Psychology
PhD, Suicide and Mental Health Research Group
Contact details
Tel +64 4 806 4496
Email denise.steers@otago.ac.nz
Research interests and activities
Denise completed her PhD (2020) which explored the decision making process for infants born intersex/ variations in sex characteristics (VSC) or medically known as Disorders of Sex Development - Poster - DSD [PDF 1MB]. Denise is currently working on developing a parent resource for children with a VSC along with various other projects involving health care experiences for Trans men and EMDR referral barriers for people with serious mental health Issues. Denise has a clinical psychology background in child, adolescent and family mental health. Her research interests are focused on the complexity of sex, gender and sex characteristics, and the lived experience of people marginalised in society from a human rights perspective.
Since joining the Suicide and Mental Health Research Group Denise has worked on variety of projects, including:
- Media influences on suicidal behaviour in young people
- Informal coercion in community psychiatric care
- Suicidality and mental illness: From self-stigma to self-management
- Multi-level intervention for suicide prevention
- Ultra Brief Intervention in Primary Care
- "13 Reasons Why": Exploring young people’s perspectives
- Decision making for people born with a Variation in Sex Characteristics
- Gender affirmation surgery project
- Referrers experiences for a RCT of EMDR for PTSD in patients with a SMI in a forensic setting
Publications
Steers, D., & Andrews, G. (2021). My body, my decision: The lived experience of young people with a variation in sex characteristics in New Zealand. European Journal of Public Health, 31(Suppl. 3), ckab164.167. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.167
Steers, D. M., Andrews, G. L., Wiltshire, E. J., Ballantyne, A. J., Collings, S. C., & Stubbe, M. H. (2021). Young people with a variation in sex characteristics in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Identity, activism and healthcare decision-making. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 23(4), 457-471. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2020.1863472
McKenzie, S. K., Jenkin, G., Steers, D., Magill, R., & Collings, S. (2021). Young people's perspectives and understanding of the suicide story in 13 Reasons Why: A qualitative study. Crisis, 42, 64-70. doi: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000688
Steers, D. M. (2020). Gender mender, bender or defender: Understanding decision making in Aotearoa/New Zealand for people born with a variation in sex characteristics (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/9986
Steers, D., Collings, S., Stubbe, M., Ballantyne, A., & Wiltshire, E. (2019, September). The power of expecting normality. Verbal presentation at the Australasian Pediatric Endocrine Group (APEG) Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, Australia.
McKenzie, S. K., Jenkin, G., Steers, D., Magill, R., & Collings, S. (2021). Young people's perspectives and understanding of the suicide story in 13 Reasons Why: A qualitative study. Crisis, 42, 64-70. doi: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000688
Journal - Research Article
Steers, D. M., Andrews, G. L., Wiltshire, E. J., Ballantyne, A. J., Collings, S. C., & Stubbe, M. H. (2021). Young people with a variation in sex characteristics in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Identity, activism and healthcare decision-making. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 23(4), 457-471. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2020.1863472
Journal - Research Article
Canty, J., Stubbe, M., Steers, D., & Collings, S. (2016). The trouble with bullying: Deconstructing the conventional definition of bullying for a child-centred investigation into children's use of social media. Children & Society, 30(1), 48-58. doi: 10.1111/chso.12103
Journal - Research Article
Steers, D., & Andrews, G. (2021). My body, my decision: The lived experience of young people with a variation in sex characteristics in New Zealand. European Journal of Public Health, 31(Suppl. 3), ckab164.167. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.167
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Steers, D., Ballantyne, A., Stubbe, M., Collings, S., & Wiltshire, E. (2019). Gender mender, or defender: Understanding decision making in Aotearoa/New Zealand for people born with a variation in sex characteristics. Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 91(Suppl. 1), (pp. 268). doi: 10.1159/000501868
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Steers, D., Andrews, G., Collings, S., Ballantyne, A., Stubbe, M., & Wiltshire, E. (2018). Disrupting the Norm: The Experience of Young People with DSD. Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 90(Suppl. 1), (pp. 643). doi: 10.1159/000492307
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Steers, D., Ballantyne, A., Stubbe, M., Collings, S., & Wiltshire, E. (2017). Clinician perspectives on management of disorders of sex development DSD) in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A qualitative study. Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 88(Suppl. 1), P3-1515. doi: 10.1159/000481424
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Steers, D., Collings, S., Stubbe, M., Ballantyne, A., & Wiltshire, E. (2019, September). The power of expecting normality. Verbal presentation at the Australasian Pediatric Endocrine Group (APEG) Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide, Australia.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Collings, S. C., Fortune, S., Steers, D., Currey, N., Hawton, K., Wang, J., & Slim, B. (2011). Media influences on suicidal behaviour: An interview study of young people in New Zealand. Commissioned by Ministry of Health. Auckland, New Zealand: Te Pou o Te Whakaaro Nui. 53p.
Commissioned Report for External Body
Steers, D. M. (2020). Gender mender, bender or defender: Understanding decision making in Aotearoa/New Zealand for people born with a variation in sex characteristics (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/9986
Awarded Doctoral Degree
