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
Nicotine Research Group
The Nicotine Research Group leads and collaborates on a variety of projects on tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes.
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
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...
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.
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.
Events
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...
Research
Nicotine Research Group - PhD Projects
Read more about our current PhD students and their projects.
Project status: Ongoing
Nicotine Research Group
The Nicotine Research Group leads and collaborates on a variety of projects on tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes.
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
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...
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.
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.
Events
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...