Dr Sarah McKenzie, Suicide and Mental Health Research Group, Our people, University of Otago, Wellington, University of Otago, New Zealand

Sarah McKenzie image BSc(Hons), DPH, MPH, PhD

Senior Research Fellow, Suicide and Mental Health Research Group, Department of Psychological Medicine

Contact details
Research interests and activities
Postgraduate supervision
Publications

Contact details

Research interests and activities

Sarah is a social scientist specialising in mental health research, critical suicidology, and qualitative research methods. She has worked on a range of projects in the areas of mental health inequalities and the social determinants of mental health, primary mental health care and suicide prevention/intervention. Marsden logo 226px Her current work is funded by a Marsden Fast-Start and explores men’s lived experiences of mental distress and suicidality using participatory visual research methods, critical gender theory and mental health geography.

In the project, titled ‘Through the eyes of men’, 21 men get behind the lens, taking photos which reflect their personal experiences of living with mental distress, and what helped or hindered their mental health journeys. Their images are displayed in a digital exhibition, along with descriptions of what they mean to the photographers:

Through the eyes of men

Postgraduate supervision

Renan Lopes de Lyra PhD – Suicide exposure among first responders
Anna von Tunzelman PhD – Is some binge-drinking a form of deliberate self-harm?

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Publications

Das, T., Mathieson, F., & McKenzie, S. (2023, January). "Tunnelling into blackness": Metaphors men use to describe their lived experience with mental distress. Poster session presented at the University of Otago Summer Student Showcase, Wellington, New Zealand.

McKenzie, S. K., Oliffe, J. L., Black, A., & Collings, S. (2022). Men's experiences of mental illness stigma across the lifespan: A scoping review. American Journal of Men's Health, 16(1). doi: 10.1177/15579883221074789

Cooper, A., Jenkin, G., Morton, E., Peterson, D., & McKenzie, S. K. (2022). ‘We have to band together’: Service user experiences of naturally occurring peer support on the acute mental health unit. Kōtuitui. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/1177083X.2022.2093230

Morton, E. K., McKenzie, S. K., Cooper, A., Every-Palmer, S., & Jenkin, G. L. S. (2022). Gender and intersecting vulnerabilities on the mental health unit: Rethinking the dilemma. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 940130. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.940130

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

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Journal - Research Article

Lyra, R. L. d., McKenzie, S. K., Every-Palmer, S., & Jenkin, G. (2021). Occupational exposure to suicide: A review of research on the experiences of mental health professionals and first responders. PLoS ONE, 16(4), e0251038. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251038

Journal - Research Article

Picardo, J., McKenzie, S. K., Collings, S., & Jenkin, G. (2020). Suicide and self-harm content on Instagram: A systematic scoping review. PLoS ONE, 15(9), e0238603. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238603

Journal - Research Article

Affleck, W., Oliffe, J. L., McKenzie, S., Ridge, D., Jenkins, E., & Broom, A. (2020). Addressing ethical issues in studying men's traumatic stress. International Journal of Men's Social & Community Health, 3(1), e16-e23. doi: 10.22374/ijmsch.v3i1.27

Journal - Research Article

McKenzie, S. K., Collings, S., Jenkin, G., & River, J. (2018). Masculinity, social connectedness, and mental health: Men's diverse patterns of practice. American Journal of Men's Health, 12(5), 1247-1261. doi: 10.1177/1557988318772732

Journal - Research Article

Collings, S., Jenkin, G., Stanley, J., McKenzie, S., & Hatcher, S. (2018). Preventing suicidal behaviours with a multilevel intervention: A cluster randomised controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 18, 140. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5032-6

Journal - Research Article

McKenzie, S. (2017, November). Understanding men's suicide, mental health, and wellbeing. Verbal presentation at the Men's Health Conference: Meeting the Challenges, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

McKenzie, S. (2017). Understanding men's mental health: Gender relations and mental well-being (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/7572

Awarded Doctoral Degree

McKenzie, S. K., Li, C., Jenkin, G., & Collings, S. (2017). Ethical considerations in sensitive suicide research reliant on non-clinical researchers. Research Ethics, 13(3-4), 173-183. doi: 10.1177/1747016116649996

Journal - Research Article

McKenzie, S. K., Jenkin, G., & Collings, S. (2016). Men's perspectives of common mental health problems: A metasynthesis of qualitative research. International Journal of Men's Health, 15(1), 80-104. doi: 10.3149/jmh.1501.80

Journal - Research Article

Cunningham, R., Kvalsvig, A., Peterson, D., Kuehl, S., Gibb, S., McKenzie, S., Thornley, L., & Every-Palmer, S. (2018). Stocktake report for the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry: A background report prepared for the Inquiry panel. Commissioned by Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry. Wellington, New Zealand: EleMent Research Group, University of Otago. 267p. Retrieved from https://mentalhealth.inquiry.govt.nz/whats-new/resources/university-of-otago-stocktake-report-for-the-mental-health-and-addiction-inquiry

Commissioned Report for External Body

Suicide Mortality Review Committee, including Jenkin, G., Atkinson, J., McKenzie, S., Peterson, D., Collings, S., & Mulder, R. (2016). Nga- Ra-hui Hau Kura Suicide Mortality Review Committee Feasibility Study 2014–15. Commissioned by Ministry of Health. Wellington, New Zealand: Health Quality & Safety Commission.

Commissioned Report for External Body

van der Deen, F. S., Carter, K. N., McKenzie, S. K., & Blakely, T. (2014). Do changes in social and economic factors lead to changes in drinking behavior in young adults? Findings from three waves of a population based panel study. BMC Public Health, 14, 928. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-928

Journal - Research Article

McKenzie, S. K., Imlach Gunasekara, F., Richardson, K., & Carter, K. (2014). Do changes in socioeconomic factors lead to changes in mental health? Findings from three waves of a population based panel study. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 68, 253-260. doi: 10.1136/jech-2013-203013

Journal - Research Article

McKenzie, S. K., & Carter, K. (2013). Does transition into parenthood lead to changes in mental health? Findings from three waves of a population based panel study. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 67(4), 339-345. doi: 10.1136/jech-2012-201765

Journal - Research Article

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