Suzanne Dawson

Suzanne Dawson

School of Allied Health Science and Practice

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences


Suzanne holds an adjunct position as Senior Clinical Lecturer in the School of Allied Health Science and Practice.

She has over 25 years experience working as an Occupational Therapist in mental health services in the UK and Australia. Suzanne is a practice-based researcher and is passionate about implementation and evaluation of psycho-social evidence based practices in clinical settings. This includes a focus on inter-disciplinary research with the aim of fostering positive changes in approaches, practices and culture in mental health services. Suzanne's research is informed by the exploration of service users and clinicians experiences of care and aims to improve consumer outcomes and experiences.

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - ongoing Practitioner Fellow Flinders University
    2022 - ongoing Principal Occupational Therapist SALHN
    2021 - 2022 Lecturer The University of Adelaide
    2014 - 2016 Research Associate Flinders University
    2009 - 2022 Senior Occupational Therapist CALHN
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2021 Flinders University Australia PhD
    2013 University of Adelaide Australia MClSc
    2001 University of East Anglia UK PGDip in CBT
    1991 University of South Australia Australia BAppSc (OT)
  • Research Interests

  • Journals

    Year Citation
    2023 Oster, C., Dawson, S., Kernot, J., & Lawn, S. (2023). Mental health outcome measures in the Australian context: what is the problem represented to be?. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1), 24.
    DOI Scopus2 WoS1 Europe PMC1
    2023 Kernot, J., Baker, A., Oster, C., Petrakis, M., & Dawson, S. (2023). Employment interventions to assist people who experience borderline personality disorder: A scoping review. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 69(8), 1845-1855.
    DOI
    2023 Kernot, J., Goh, J., Aguilar, A., Muller, J., & Dawson, S. (2023). Individual placement and support: A qualitative investigation of carers' experiences supporting someone experiencing mental illness into employment. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 11 pages.
    DOI
    2022 Dawson, S., Oster, C., Scanlan, J., Kernot, J., Ayling, B., Pelichowski, K., & Beamish, A. (2022). A realist evaluation of weighted modalities as an alternative to pro re nata medication for mental health inpatients. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 31(3), 553-566.
    DOI Scopus3 WoS3
    2021 Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., Simpson, A., & Lawn, S. (2021). Risk versus recovery: care planning with individuals on community treatment orders. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 30(5), 1248-1262.
    DOI Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC1
    2021 Dawson, S., Muir‐Cochrane, E., Simpson, A., & Lawn, S. (2021). Community treatment orders and care planning: How is engagement and decision‐making enacted?. Health Expectations, 24(5), 1859-1867.
    DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC6
    2021 Dawson, S., Muller, J., Renigers, V., Varona, L., & Kernot, J. (2021). Consumer, health professional and employment specialist experiences of an individual placement and support programme. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28(6), 433-445.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC3
    2020 Muir-Cochrane, E., Oster, C., Gerace, A., Dawson, S., Damarell, R., & Grimmer, K. (2020). The effectiveness of chemical restraint in managing acute agitation and aggression: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.. International journal of mental health nursing, 29(2), 110-126.
    DOI Scopus27 WoS18 Europe PMC8
    2018 Henderson, J., Dawson, S., Fuller, J., O'Kane, D., Gerace, A., Oster, C., & Cochrane, E. M. (2018). Regional responses to the challenge of delivering integrated care to older people with mental health problems in rural Australia. AGING & MENTAL HEALTH, 22(8), 1025-1031.
    DOI Scopus19 WoS17 Europe PMC6
    2017 Dawson, S., Gerace, A., Muir-Cochrane, E., O'Kane, D., Henderson, J., Lawn, S., & Fuller, J. (2017). Carers' experiences of accessing and navigating mental health care for older people in a rural area in Australia. Aging and Mental Health, 21(2), 216-223.
    DOI Scopus13 WoS9 Europe PMC9
    2016 Oster, C., Henderson, J., Lawn, S., Reed, R., Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., & Fuller, J. (2016). Fragmentation in Australian Commonwealth and South Australian State policy on mental health and older people: A governmentality analysis. HEALTH, 20(6), 541-558.
    DOI Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC3
    2016 Dawson, S., Gerace, A., Muir-Cochrane, E., O'Kane, D., Henderson, J., Lawn, S., & Fuller, J. (2016). Accessing mental health services for older people in rural South Australia. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal, 23(7), 50.
    Scopus1 Europe PMC1
    2016 Dawson, S., Lawn, S., Simpson, A., & Muir-Cochrane, E. (2016). Care planning for consumers on community treatment orders: An integrative literature review. BMC Psychiatry, 16(1), 14 pages.
    DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC5
    2015 Fuller, J., Oster, C., Muir-Cochrane, E., Dawson, S., Lawn, S., Henderson, J., . . . Reed, R. L. (2015). Testing a model of facilitated reflection on network feedback: a mixed method study on integration of rural mental health care services for older people. BMJ Open, 5(11), e008593-1-e008593-11.
    DOI Scopus5 WoS9 Europe PMC3
    2014 Fuller, J., Oster, C., Dawson, S., O'Kane, D., Lawn, S., Henderson, J., . . . Cochrane, E. M. (2014). Improving the network management of integrated primary mental healthcare for older people in a rural Australian region: Protocol for a mixed methods case study. BMJ Open, 4(9), 8 pages.
    DOI Scopus5 WoS6 Europe PMC4
    2013 Dawson, S., Jordan, Z., & Attard, M. (2013). Carers' experiences of seeking help for relatives with first-episode psychosis: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. JBI Library of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, 11(11), 183-361.
    DOI
  • Conference Papers

    Year Citation
    2021 Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., & Lawn, S. (2021). Community treatment orders: An in-depth exploration of care planning in this space. In TheMHS. Perth.
    2021 Dawson, S., Oster, C., Scanlan, J., & Kernot, J. (2021). Weighted Modalities as a Means to Self-Manage Distress: Turning a Good Idea into Action. In TheMHS. Melbourne.
    2019 Dawson, S., Muller, J., Varona, L., & Kernot, J. (2019). Individual Placement and Support (IPS): A program for fostering hope, personal recovery and inclusive workplaces.. In TheMHS. Brisbane.
    2019 Dawson, S., Muir Cochrane, E., & Lawn, S. (2019). What is the nature of care planning for consumers on community treatment orders (CTOs) in community mental health care in South Australia?. In Abstract Book. Rome.
    2016 Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., Lawn, S., & Simpson, A. (2016). Authentic care planning for consumers on community treatment orders (CTOs) - what the literature says about how and whether we are achieving it.. In TheMHS. Auckland.
    2016 Muir-Cochrane, E., & Dawson, S. (2016). Examination of the definition and use of chemical restraint in acute psychiatric settings. In TheMHS conference handbook. Auckland.
    2016 Muir-Cochrane, E., & Dawson, S. (2016). Examination of the definition and use of chemical restraint in acute psychiatric settings. In TheMHS conference handbook. Auckland.
    2015 Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., Gerace, A., O'Kane, D., Henderson, J., Lawn, S., & Fuller, J. (2015). Carers' experiences of accessing mental health care for older people in a rural area in South Australia. In TheMHS conference handbook. Canberra.
    2015 Dawson, S., Jordan, Z., & Attard, M. (2015). Families' experiences of seeking help for relatives with firstepisode psychosis: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. In TheMHS conference handbook. Canberra.
    2015 Fuller, J., Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., Oster, C., Henderson, J., O'Kane, D., . . . Reed, R. (2015). Together for the Mental health of Older People (TMOP): a case study of facilitated reflection to problem solve networked older people's mental health services in rural South Australia. In International Conference on Community Health Nursing Research. Seoul, Korea.
    2015 Fuller, J., Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., Oster, C., Henderson, J., O'Kane, D., . . . Reed, R. (2015). Together for the Mental health of Older People (TMOP): a case study of facilitated reflection to problem solve networked older people's mental health services in rural South Australia. In International Conference on Community Health Nursing Research. Seoul, Korea.
    2015 Fuller, J., Dawson, S., Oster, C., Muir-Cochrane, E., Henderson, J., O'Kane, D., . . . Reed, R. (2015). Together for the Mental health of Older People (TMOP): a case study of network problem solving for the management of older people's mental health services in rural South Australia using facilitated reflection. In Conference handbook. Adelaide.
    2015 Fuller, J., Dawson, S., Oster, C., Muir-Cochrane, E., Henderson, J., O'Kane, D., . . . Reed, R. (2015). Together for the Mental health of Older People (TMOP): a case study of network problem solving for the management of older people's mental health services in rural South Australia using facilitated reflection. In Conference handbook. Adelaide.
    2015 Fuller, J., Oster, C., Dawson, S., Lawn, S., Reed, R., & Muir-Cochrane, E. (2015). How can we manage primary care networks: Mixed methods case study in rural community mental health care for older people. In Conference handbook. Cancun, North America.
    2015 Fuller, J., Oster, C., Dawson, S., Lawn, S., Reed, R., & Muir-Cochrane, E. (2015). How can we manage primary care networks: Mixed methods case study in rural community mental health care for older people. In Conference handbook. Cancun, North America.
    2015 Fuller, J., Oster, C., Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., Lawn, S., McPhail, R., . . . Reed, R. (2015). How we manage primary care networks: Think networks; use network data. In Conference handbook. Melbourne.
    2015 Fuller, J., Oster, C., Dawson, S., Muir-Cochrane, E., Lawn, S., McPhail, R., . . . Reed, R. (2015). How we manage primary care networks: Think networks; use network data. In Conference handbook. Melbourne.
    2014 Dawson, S., Oster, C., O'Kane, D., Muir-Cochrane, E., Lawn, S., Henderson, J., . . . Fuller, J. (2014). Older persons' mental health in rural Australia: Testing a model for integration. In International Journal of Integrated Care. Sydney: Utrecht University, Maastricht University, Groningen University.
    2014 Dawson, S., Oster, C., O'Kane, D., Muir-Cochrane, E., Lawn, S., Henderson, J., . . . Fuller, J. (2014). Older persons' mental health in rural Australia: Testing a model for integration. In International Journal of Integrated Care. Sydney: Utrecht University, Maastricht University, Groningen University.
  • Conference Items

    Year Citation
    2012 Dawson, S., Jordan, Z., & Attard, M. (2012). Carers' experiences of seeking help for relatives with first-episode psychosis: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.. Poster session presented at the meeting of JBI Library of Systematic Reviews. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).
    DOI
    -
  • Theses

    Year Citation
    2021 Dawson, S. (2021). Community Treatment Orders and Care Planning: A Critical Ethnography. (PhD Thesis, https://flex.flinders.edu.au/file/d6cad798-f7be-4351-9e36-2c294049005c/1/DawsonThesis2021.pdf).
    2013 Dawson, S. (2013). Carer's experiences of seeking help for relatives with first-episode psychosis: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. (University of Adelaide).

2022 Dawson. S. What is the impact of weighted blankets as a non-pharmacological sleep intervention for people living with severe dementia? School of Allied Health Science and Practice Research Support Grant, The University of Adelaide. $4,800.

2021 Dawson, S., Petrakis, M., Oster, C., Smith, C., Leet, A., Edwards, O., Kernot, J., Baker, A. Co-designing a mental health employment program with individuals who experience borderline personality disorder. Allied Health Collaboration Research Funding. $20,000 

2020 Dawson, S., Pickering, A., Evans, M., Kernot, J., Mullers, J., Lawn, S. What are the impacts of implementing the Living in the Community Questionnaire (LCQ) for consumers and mental health professionals? Allied Health Collaboration Research Funding. $14,000

2020 Dawson, S., Croft, L., Kneebone, P., Kernot, J. Implementation of use of weighted modalities by the multi-disciplinary team in inpatient rehabilitation. Health Services Charitable Gifts Board Grant. $9478.50

2020 PhD thesis write-up stipend, Flinders University $14,298

2019 Research Student Travel Conference Grant. Flinders University. $1709

2017 Dawson, S., Verona, L., Renigers, V., & Stanley, M. Individual placement support program within a community mental health centre in Adelaide: Consumer and health professional experience. CAHLN/UniSA Seed Funding. $4750

2017 Research Higher Degree student publication award $500

2016 The Australian Federation of University Women- SA Inc. $500

 

I coordinate and/or teach into the following:

HLTH SC 2401 - Developmental Psychology for Allied Health (3 units) - 2022

OCCTH 2002 - Occupational Perspectives of Health B (3 units) - 2022

OCCTH 2000 Occupational Perspectives of Health A (3 units)- 2022

HLTH SC 1404 Evidence Based Practice in Allied Health 1 (3 units) - 2021

HLTH SC 1405 Psychological Foundations for Allied Health (3 units)- 2021

  • Other Supervision Activities

    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - ongoing External Supervisor Carer's experiences of the IPS program CALHN University of South Australia Honours - Jiin Goh

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