Creates a positive and motivating atmosphere.
Tracey Gardiner is an Affiliate Researcher and Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington, within the Faculty of Medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Her research contributions appear in multiple peer-reviewed publications focusing on mental health issues among young people, primary care experiences, stigma reduction, and supported decision-making. She has been involved in evaluations of mental health programs and interventions tailored for youth, including co-production approaches and digital support mechanisms. Gardiner collaborates extensively with University of Otago colleagues such as Sarah Gordon, Tony Dowell, Susan M. Garrett, Jo Hilder, Fiona Mathieson, and Abigail Dunlop on projects addressing healthcare access for diverse populations, including Māori, Pacific, and rainbow youth.
Key publications co-authored by Tracey Gardiner include 'From Substitute to Supported Decision Making: Practitioner, Community and Service-User Perspectives on Privileging Will and Preferences in Mental Health Care' (2022, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12 citations), 'Young People Talk About Digital Support for Mental Health: An Online Survey of 15–30-Year Olds in New Zealand' (2024, Health Expectations, 11 citations), 'We Just Want to Be Treated Normally and to Have That Healthcare That Comes Along with It: Rainbow Young People’s Experiences of Primary Care in Aotearoa New Zealand' (2022, Youth, 11 citations), 'Evaluation of the Piki Pilot Project (January 2020-December 2021)–Final Report' (2021, University of Otago, 9 citations), and 'Reflections on Allyship in the Context of a Co-Produced Evaluation of a Youth-Integrated Therapies Mental Health Intervention' (2021, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 8 citations). Additional works cover general practice staff challenges in providing care to gender and sexual diverse youth (2024, Family Practice), medical students' understanding of human rights in mental health (2023, Health and Human Rights), protocols for health support systems in first-episode psychosis (2023, JMIR Research Protocols), anti-stigma programs for medical students (2021, Australasian Psychiatry), and lived experiences of health and wellbeing among young people with early psychosis (2024, Community Mental Health Journal). Her Google Scholar profile records over 78 citations across these contributions.
