“Health professionals may have the best technical skills in the world, but if they don’t work in ways that respect and utilise the strengths of the person they are working alongside, then the outcomes would be less than optimal and the process less than empowering for the person undergoing rehabilitation”.

Dr Deborah Snell

Academy Adviser


Debbie is a clinical researcher with a special interest in outcomes following injury. She holds a 0.4FTE position as Senior Clinical Psychologist for the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service at Burwood Hospital, Christchurch. She is also involved in teaching and is a clinical senior lecturer for the Department of Psychological Medicine, and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Otago Christchurch. She completed training in clinical psychology and neuropsychology in 1988 and returned to study to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation with the University of Otago Wellington in 2005. She graduated with a PhD from the University of Otago in 2011 examining neuropsychological outcomes after mild traumatic brain injury.

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

Snell, D.L. , Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J., Williman, J., Siegert, R.J. (2015). The contribution of psychological factors to recovery after mild traumatic brain injury: Is cluster analysis a useful approach? Brain Injury, 29(3): 291-299.

Snell, D. , Siegert, R.J., Hooper, G., Dunn, J., Surgenor, L. (2015). Evaluating quality of life outcomes following joint replacement: validation of a short form of the WHOQOL-Bref. Quality of Life Research, pub. online 12 June 2015 DOI:10.1007/s11136-015-1044-1

Surgenor, L.J., Snell, D.L. & Dorahy, M. (2015). Posttraumatic stress symptoms in police staff 12-18 months after the Canterbury earthquakes. Journal of Traumatic Stress, in press.

Bourke, J.A., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Snell, D.L. (2015). Attending to biographical disruption: the experience of rehabilitation following tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(4): 296-303.

Snell, D.L. , Surgenor, L.J., Dorahy, M. & Hay-Smith, EJC. (2014). Coping and adjustment in New Zealand Police staff 12-18 months after the Canterbury earthquakes: A directed qualitative content analysis drawing upon the Conservation of Resources theory. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, Vol. 43, No. 3, November 2014.

Hooper, N., Snell, D.L. , Hooper, G.J., Maxwell, A.R., Woodfield, T., Penny, I., Burn, J., Frampton, C. (2015). Radiological results of the uncemented Oxford medial compartment knee replacement: Findings from 5 years of patient follow up. The Bone and Joint Journal, (in press).

Surgenor, L.J., Snell, D.L. Dorahy, M. Hanna, D. (2015). Examination of alternative factor models of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised Scale in earthquake first responders (under review).

Snell, D.L. , Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J., Siegert, R.J. (2013). Predicting long-term outcome after mild traumatic brain injury: The contribution of injury beliefs and Leventhal’s Common Sense Model. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: An International Journal, 23(3), 333-362.

Graham, F., Sinnott, A., Snell, D. , Martin, R., Freeman, C. (2013). Experiences of residents, family, staff and managers use of Active Support at a residential facility for people with physical and intellectual impairments. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability (in press).

Bourke, J.A., Snell, D.L. , Sinnott, K.A., Cassidy, B. (2012). A user-led consultation model: making inclusion of service users in research a reality. Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, 5(2), 61-69.

Snell, D.L. , Siegert, R.J., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J. (2011). Associations between illness perceptions, coping styles and outcome after mild traumatic brain injury: a cohort study. Brain Injury, 25:1126-38.

Snell, D.L. , Siegert, R.J., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J. (2011). Factor structure of the Brief COPE in people with mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 26(6), 468-477.

Snell, D.L. , Siegert, R.J., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J. (2010). An examination of the factor structure of the revised illness perception questionnaire in adults with mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury, 24 (13-14):1595-605.

Snell, D. , Surgenor, L., Hay-Smith, J., Siegert, R. (2009). A systematic review of psychological treatments for mild traumatic brain injury: an update on the evidence. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 31(1), 20-38.

Heitger, M.H., Jones, R.D., Macleod, A.D., Snell, D.L., Frampton, C.M. & Anderson, T.J. (2009). Impaired eye movements in post concussion syndrome indicate sub-optimal brain function beyond the influence of depression, malingering or intellectual ability. Brain, 132:2850-70.

Snell, D. , & Surgenor, L. (2006). An analysis of referees and referrals to a specialist concussion clinic. New Zealand Medical Journal, 119, 1231.

Partridge, T., Snell, D. , Sinnott, A. (2011). A narrative review of community re-integration for adults with acquired brain injury. Occasional Report.

Conference proceedings

Snell DL, Martin R, Macleod, AD, Surgenor L, Siegert RJ, Hay-Smith EJC, Hooper GJ, Melzer T, Anderson T. (2015). Untangling symptoms: postconcussion syndrome or chronic pain? Abstract accepted for oral presentation at the 2015 AFRM/NZRA Conference Wellington October 2015.

Snell DL, Siegert RJ, Surgenor LJ, Dunn, J, Hooper GJ. Evaluating quality of life outcomes following joint replacement: psychometric evaluation of a short form of the WHOQOL-bref. Abstract accepted for oral presentation at the 2015 AFRM/NZRA Conference Wellington October 2015.

Bourke J, Schluter P, Hay-Smith J, Snell D. (2015). Wheelchair user’s experience of community inclusion following the Canterbury Earthquakes: a thematic analysis. Abstract accepted for oral presentation at the 2015 AFRM/NZRA Conference Wellington October 2015.

Freeman C, Siegert R, Snell D, Babbage D, Sullivan M. (2015). Internet use by people living with neurological conditions: A scoping study. Abstract accepted for poster presentation at the 2015 AFRM/NZRA Conference Wellington October 2015.

Snell, D.L. , Surgenor, L.J., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Williman, J., Siegert, R.J. (2014). The contribution of psychological factors to recovery after mild traumatic brain injury: A prospective cohort study. Abstract accepted for oral presentation at American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) conference Toronto 7-11 October 2014.

Silverberg, N.D., Snell, D.L., Siegert, R.J., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J. (2013) Illness perceptions in the prediction of outcome from mild traumatic brain injury: a cross validation. International Neuropsychological Society [Annual Meeting 2013 Hawaii] (Abstract ID 1508054)

Snell, D.L. , Surgenor, L.J., Dorahy, M. & Hay-Smith, E.J.C. (2013). Application of the Conservation of Resources Theory to understanding coping and adjustment in Police staff 12-18 months following the Canterbury earthquakes. Paper accepted for the 2013 Australian & New Zealand Disaster and Emergency Management Conference Brisbane 27-31 May 2013.

Graham, F., Sinnott, K.A., Snell, D.L. , Martin, R., Freeman, C. (2013). A more normal life: Residents, family, staff and managers experience of Active Support at a residential facility for people with physical and intellectual impairments. Paper accepted for New Zealand rehabilitation Association Conference, 8-10 March, 2013.

Snell, D.L. , Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, J.J., Siegert, R.J. (2011). Associations Between Injury Beliefs and Outcome after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Paper presentation at New Zealand Rehabilitation Association Conference, Auckland 4-6 March 2011.

Snell, D.L. , Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, J.J., Siegert, R.J. (2011). Associations Between Injury Beliefs and Outcome after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Paper presentation at New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists (NZCCP) Conference, Auckland 19-20 March 2011.

Snell, D.L., Surgenor, L.J., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Siegert, R.J. (2010). Mild traumatic brain injury: do injury beliefs and understandings influence clinical and functional outcomes? Poster Presentation. In Hömberg, V., Binder, H. (Eds.) Book of Abstracts, 6th World Congress in Neurorehabilitation (WCNR2010), WFNR: Vienna, Austria.

Snell, D.L. , Siegert, R.J., Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J. (2009). An examination of the factor structure of the Revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire in adults with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Paper presentation at Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and New Zealand Rehabilitation Association Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand, 2009

Snell, D.L. , Siegert, R.J.,Hay-Smith, E.J.C., Surgenor, L.J. (2009). An examination of the factor structure of the Revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire in adults with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Paper presentation at Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and New Zealand Rehabilitation Association Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand, 2009.

Heitger, M.H., Jones, R.D., Macleod, A.D., Snell, D. , Wilson, I., & Anderson, T. J. (2008). Eye movement deficits in post concussion syndrome. FENS Forum Abstracts Vol. 4, abstract no. 084.6.

Snell, D. , Surgenor, L., Hay-Smith, J., & Siegert, R. (2007). A systematic review of psychological treatments for mild traumatic brain injury: an update on Comper, Bisschop, Carnide & Triccio, 2005. Poster presented at Rehabilitation Research and New Zealand Rehabilitation Association Conference, Rotorua, New Zealand, February 2007.