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DSC3356_Ruth_photoMBChB, MPH, FNZCPHM, PhD
Research Associate Professor, Public Health Physician, Director of the EleMent research group.

Teaches: Public Health Ethics; public health for medical student.

Contact details

Tel +64 4 385 5541
Email ruth.cunningham@otago.ac.nz

Research interests and activities

Ruth is a public health physician and epidemiologist working in the areas of mental health research, social epidemiology, cancer epidemiology and health services research. The main focus of her current work is mental health epidemiology and the physical health of people with experience of mental health conditions.

Ruth leads the Electronic data for Mental health research (EleMent) group: Te Raraunga Hinengaro. EleMent are a multidisciplinary research group bringing together expertise in epidemiology, public health and data science with clinical and lived experience of mental distress. The group use routinely collected electronic data from health and other sources to understand the distribution and determinants of mental health and mental distress, with a focus is on making the best use of available information to improve the mental health of New Zealanders.

Ruth is principal investigator the Tupuānuku research project funded by the Health Research Council to investigate the factors contributing to inequities in physical health outcomes for people with experience of mental illness or addiction in Aotearoa. Ruth is also working on a number of projects using routine data on mental health service use in New Zealand (PRIMHD) linked to other datasets, including projects examining mental health service use in later life, mental health care in emergency departments, and mental health service provision for Māori. Ruth is also working with Dr Paula King on the health and wellbeing impacts of incarceration for Māori.

Ruth welcomes expressions of interest form Masters and PhD students.

Publications

Foulds, J. A., Cunningham, R., Pitcher, T. L., Frampton, C., Kinner, S. A., & Beaglehole, B. (2025). Clinical features and mortality outcomes of people transferred from prison to forensic mental health units: A nationwide 14-year retrospective cohort study. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s00127-025-02893-5 Journal - Research Article

Ataera-Minster, J., Every-Palmer, S., Cunningham, R., & Kokaua, J. (2025). Common mental disorders and psychological distress among Pacific adults living in Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal/Te ara tika o te hauora hapori, 138(1613), 36-49. Retrieved from https://www.nzmj.org.nz/ Journal - Research Article

Monk, N. J., Cunningham, R., Stanley, J., Crengle, S., Fitzjohn, J., Kerdemelidis, M., Lockett, H., McLachlan, A. D., Waitoki, W., & Lacey, C. (2025). Author reply to Letter to the Editor regarding 'The physical health and premature mortality of Indigenous Māori following first-episode psychosis diagnosis: A 15-year follow-up study'. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/00048674251315648 Journal - Research Other

Petrović-van der Deen, F., Kennedy, J., Stanley, J., Malihi, A., Gibb, S., & Cunningham, R. (2024). Health service utilization by quota, family-sponsored and convention refugees in their first five years in New Zealand. Proceedings of the 13th Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ) Conference. 490. Retrieved from https://www.hsraanz.org/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Public Health Advisory Committee, including Gurney, J., Cunningham, R., & Crampton, P. (2024). Rebalancing our food system. Commissioned by Minister of Health. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Health. 58p. Commissioned Report for External Body

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