Family Medicine & Medical Science Research
Open Access

David Murray Fergusson

Biography

Emeritus Professor David Fergusson is the founder of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a 35 year study of a birth cohort of 1265 children born in the Christchurch region in mid-1977. Research into this cohort has produced over 435 published books, reports and scientific articles that span a wide range of disciplines including: psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, paediatrics, health economics and sociology. In addition, he is a director and evaluator on the Board of the Early Start Project, a Christchurch-based family support programme. His principal research interests lie in the design analysis and interpretation of correlational data. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Psychological Society in 2006, and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2007. In 2006, he was awarded the Christchurch School of Medicine Gold Medal for Research Excellence, and in 2010 was awarded the University of Otago Distinguished Research Medal. David retired from the University of Otago in August 2015. He is currently a Consultant for the Ministry of Social Development.

Research Interest

The prevalence and consequences of cannabis use/abuse and dependence in adolescence and young adulthood

ï‚· Sexual orientation and mental health in young adulthood

ï‚· Effects of exposure to physical and sexual abuse on mental health in adulthood

ï‚· Effects of exposure to domestic violence in childhood on longer-term adjustment and mental health

ï‚· The prevalence risk and protective factors associated with suicidal behaviors

ï‚· Abortion and mental health