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Debbie  Robson

Dr Debbie Robson

Senior Lecturer in Tobacco Harm Reduction

Research interests

  • Mental Health

Biography

Debbie’s current role involves the development, implementation and evaluation of tobacco dependence treatment initiatives for people with mental health conditions and/or use substances, and training interventions for staff who work in these services.  

Debbie joined the IoPPN in 2002 having previously worked as a community mental health health nurse. Earlier research and teaching activities included evaluating medication management interventions for staff and service users, improving physical health and wellbeing of people with psychosis. Debbie completed her MSc and PhD in Health Service and Population Research at King’s. Her PhD thesis was a mixed methods study of the development and evaluation of a smoking cessation intervention for people with schizophrenia.

She developed a bespoke e-learning course on tobacco dependence treatment in mental health settings, in collaboration with South London and Maudsley (SLAM). The course has been completed by over 1000 staff and is currently being redesigned and updated in line with the current evidence base.

Debbie is a member of NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London and leads a programme of research about evaluating tobacco dependence treatment pathways in local acute and mental health services.

She is also a member of SPECTRUM, a multi-university, multi-agency research consortium focused on the commercial determinants of health and health inequalities.

Research Interests

  • Smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction for people with mental health conditions and/or use substances. 
  • Education and training about tobacco harm reduction for staff working in mental health and substance use settings 
  • Implementation and evaluation of smoke-free polices and tobacco dependence treatment in hospital settings 
  • Use of e-cigarettes among people with mental health conditions and/or use substances

Teaching

Debbie teaches nicotine pharmacology and the basis for treatment on the MSc in Addictions. She also teaches advanced skills practice in the management of tobacco dependence in mental health and substance use settings and has developed online training to support this. 

Expertise and Public Engagement

Debbie is a Trustee of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and a member of Smoking and Mental Health Partnership.

    Research

    Nicotine Research Group - PhD Projects

    Read more about our current PhD students and their projects.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Cigarette
    Nicotine Research Group

    The Nicotine Research Group leads and collaborates on a variety of projects on tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes.

    stop-smoking-stock-image
    Harm Reduction

    Aiming to reduce the harmfulness of nicotine use for those who wish to continue using it, or those who cannot stop smoking.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Mental Health Inequalities (SPECTRUM): Disrupting the relationship between mental health, stigma and unhealthy commodities

    SPECTRUM Work Package 7: Disrupting the relationship between mental health, stigma and unhealthy commodities

    Project status: Ongoing

    Development of a co-designed tobacco harm reduction toolkit for use within the homeless sector

    Development of a co-designed tobacco harm reduction toolkit for use within the homeless sector

    Project status: Ongoing

    Effects of e-cigarettes vs usual care for smoking cessation when offered at homeless centres: A cluster randomised controlled trial

    Effects of e-cigarettes vs usual care for smoking cessation when offered at homeless centres: A cluster randomised controlled trial

    Project status: Ongoing

    Public Health and Multimorbidity - NIHR ARC South London

    NIHR ARC South London: Public Health and Multimorbidity Theme

    Project status: Ongoing

    Vaping evidence reviews for Public Health England

    The NRG leads the annual reviews of the evidence on e-cigarettes commissioned by Public Health England (now Office for Health Improvement and Disparities).

    Project status: Ongoing

    Biomarker
    Vaping and smoking among people aged 16-19 in England

    An NIHR funded study comparing toxicant and nicotine exposure among youth who vape with youth who smoke, youth who vape and smoke, and youth who do neither.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Prevalence and patterns of vaping non-nicotine drugs: a cross sectional survey

    An NIHR-BRC and Addictions Department funded study to assess how common vaping drugs other than nicotine is in UK.

    Project status: Ongoing

    News

    Vaping substantially less harmful than smoking, largest review of its kind finds

    New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that the use of vaping products rather...

    New report by King's researchers on vaping in England to inform national policy

    Evidence strengthens that vaping is effective for stopping smoking but not reaching its full potential with adult smokers

    Smoking remains the largest single risk factor for death and years of life lived in ill-health and is a leading cause of health inequalities in England.

    Three vapes on a wooden table

    New report by King's researchers on vaping in England to inform national policy

    The latest Public Health England (PHE) report on vaping, led by researchers from King’s College London, is published today.

    Vaping is less harmful than smoking and could play a crucial role in helping people quit.

    Events

    20AprDenmark Hill campus sign

    Demystifying Impact

    This event is an opportunity to hear from others on their journey toward research impact, with sessions on how to maximise your own impact.

    Please note: this event has passed.

    Spotlight

    Clearing the smoke: the evidence behind vaping

    Cigarettes kill over half of their long-term users. The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers the tobacco epidemic to be one of the biggest public health...

    New report by King's researchers on vaping in England to inform national policy

      Research

      Nicotine Research Group - PhD Projects

      Read more about our current PhD students and their projects.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Cigarette
      Nicotine Research Group

      The Nicotine Research Group leads and collaborates on a variety of projects on tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes.

      stop-smoking-stock-image
      Harm Reduction

      Aiming to reduce the harmfulness of nicotine use for those who wish to continue using it, or those who cannot stop smoking.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Mental Health Inequalities (SPECTRUM): Disrupting the relationship between mental health, stigma and unhealthy commodities

      SPECTRUM Work Package 7: Disrupting the relationship between mental health, stigma and unhealthy commodities

      Project status: Ongoing

      Development of a co-designed tobacco harm reduction toolkit for use within the homeless sector

      Development of a co-designed tobacco harm reduction toolkit for use within the homeless sector

      Project status: Ongoing

      Effects of e-cigarettes vs usual care for smoking cessation when offered at homeless centres: A cluster randomised controlled trial

      Effects of e-cigarettes vs usual care for smoking cessation when offered at homeless centres: A cluster randomised controlled trial

      Project status: Ongoing

      Public Health and Multimorbidity - NIHR ARC South London

      NIHR ARC South London: Public Health and Multimorbidity Theme

      Project status: Ongoing

      Vaping evidence reviews for Public Health England

      The NRG leads the annual reviews of the evidence on e-cigarettes commissioned by Public Health England (now Office for Health Improvement and Disparities).

      Project status: Ongoing

      Biomarker
      Vaping and smoking among people aged 16-19 in England

      An NIHR funded study comparing toxicant and nicotine exposure among youth who vape with youth who smoke, youth who vape and smoke, and youth who do neither.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Prevalence and patterns of vaping non-nicotine drugs: a cross sectional survey

      An NIHR-BRC and Addictions Department funded study to assess how common vaping drugs other than nicotine is in UK.

      Project status: Ongoing

      News

      Vaping substantially less harmful than smoking, largest review of its kind finds

      New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that the use of vaping products rather...

      New report by King's researchers on vaping in England to inform national policy

      Evidence strengthens that vaping is effective for stopping smoking but not reaching its full potential with adult smokers

      Smoking remains the largest single risk factor for death and years of life lived in ill-health and is a leading cause of health inequalities in England.

      Three vapes on a wooden table

      New report by King's researchers on vaping in England to inform national policy

      The latest Public Health England (PHE) report on vaping, led by researchers from King’s College London, is published today.

      Vaping is less harmful than smoking and could play a crucial role in helping people quit.

      Events

      20AprDenmark Hill campus sign

      Demystifying Impact

      This event is an opportunity to hear from others on their journey toward research impact, with sessions on how to maximise your own impact.

      Please note: this event has passed.

      Spotlight

      Clearing the smoke: the evidence behind vaping

      Cigarettes kill over half of their long-term users. The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers the tobacco epidemic to be one of the biggest public health...

      New report by King's researchers on vaping in England to inform national policy