Rate My Professor Gareth Treharne

Professor Gareth Treharne is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Otago, having joined the department in 2007. He holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, with his PhD focusing on a longitudinal study of psychological adaptation to rheumatoid arthritis. Prior to Otago, he completed a research fellowship in psychology at Birmingham. Treharne teaches courses such as Principles of Psychological Research (PSYC 210), Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 203), and Advanced Topics in Health Psychology (PSYC 423), and supervises postgraduate research in his areas of expertise.

Treharne's research specializations encompass health psychology, including psychosocial influences on chronic illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis, with emphasis on illness perceptions, pain, fatigue, treatment adherence, healthcare communication, and health behaviours such as exercise and smoking cessation. He applies qualitative and quantitative methods informed by critical theory, social constructionism, and reflexivity, and examines sexuality, gender, identity, discrimination, and wellbeing. Author of over 100 papers and chapters cited more than 9,400 times per Google Scholar, key publications include 'Ensuring quality in qualitative research' (Treharne & Riggs, 2014, cited 440 times), 'Patient Information about Gout: An International Review of Existing Educational Resources' (Johnston et al., 2015), 'Fatigue and mood among people with arthritis: Carry-over across the day' (Hegarty et al., 2016), and recent articles such as 'A qualitative study on Pacific male perspectives on addressing porn use and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand' (Erickson et al., 2026, Discover Social Science & Health) and 'Seeking support: The voice of young men who have experienced sexual harm during their life course' (Patterson et al., 2026, Journal of Interpersonal Violence). Awards include the British Society for Rheumatology Young Investigator award, European League Against Rheumatism conference award, Wellcome Trust Value in People award, Matariki Network of Universities travel award, and University of Otago Disability Information & Support exemplary student support award (2015). He chairs the International Society for Critical Health Psychology (previously Vice-Chair 2015-2017 and Secretary 2009-2015), serves on editorial boards of Musculoskeletal Care, Qualitative Research in Psychology, and Stress & Health, and is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.