Dr Theresa Caruana

Post-Doc Fellow

PhD, Master of Social Work, Master of Public Health, Graduate Diploma in Psychology, Graduate Certificate in Editing & Publishing, Bachelor of Arts (Honours)

Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)

Centre for Social Research in Health

Theresa Caruana is a Research Associate/Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Centre for Social Research in Health. Her current research focuses on stigma in health settings, and the experiences of people who access or work in community mental health and drug & alcohol services. She has a history of working with populations experiencing disadvantage in a variety of direct practice, education, communication, policy, research, and project coordination roles.

E-mail

t.caruana@unsw.edu.au

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Journal articles | 2025

Caruana T, 2025, 'Opioid agonist treatment and trust in the community pharmacy setting: a qualitative study of perceptions and experiences', Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 32, pp. 83 - 95, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2024.2309982

Journal articles | 2024

Brener L; Cama E; Broady T; Harrod ME; Holly C; Caruana T; Beadman K; Treloar C, 2024, 'Experiences of stigma and subsequent reduced access to health care among women who inject drugs', Drug and Alcohol Review, 43, pp. 1071 - 1079, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13806

Journal articles | 2024

Brener L; Caruana T; Cama E; Gilford C; Crawford S; Capell-Hattam T; von Hippel C, 2024, 'Stigma by association among alcohol and other drug and harm reduction workers: Implications for workplace outcomes', Drug and Alcohol Review, 43, pp. 2035 - 2044, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13861

Journal articles | 2024

Caruana T; Brener L; Calabrese SK; Cama E; Treloar C; Broady T, 2024, 'Differences in stigma reduction related to injection drug use between people expressing conservative, moderate and progressive values following an online intervention', Drug and Alcohol Review, 43, pp. 853 - 860, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13815

Journal articles | 2024

Caruana T, 2024, 'Medication safety, privacy, and stigma: A qualitative study of pharmacy opioid agonist treatment disruptions and adaptations in the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, Australia', International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 101, pp. 104244, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104244

Journal articles | 2024

Caruana T, 2024, 'Quantifying Stigma Effects: The Influence of Stigma and Pharmacist Implicit Attitudes on Opioid Agonist Treatment Consumer Well-Being', Stigma and Health, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sah0000556

Journal articles | 2024

Caruana T, 2024, 'Reducing stigma within pharmacy opioid agonist treatment encounters', Stigma and Health, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sah0000552

Journal articles | 2024

Dertadian GC; Caruana T; Maher L, 2024, 'The gendered violence of injecting-related stigma among relatively affluent, suburban women who inject drugs', Drug and Alcohol Review, 43, pp. 1062 - 1070, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13775

Journal articles | 2023

Broady TR; Brener L; Caruana T; Cama E; Treloar C, 2023, 'Factors associated with sharing equipment among people who inject drugs: The role of community attachment in harm reduction and health promotion', Drug and Alcohol Review, 42, pp. 561 - 568, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13606

Journal articles | 2023

Caruana T; Mao L; Gray RM; Bryant J, 2023, 'Engagement and outcomes of marginalised young people in an early intervention youth alcohol and other drug program: The Street Universities model', PLoS ONE, 18, pp. e0286025, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286025

Journal articles | 2023

Dertadian GC; Caruana T; Maher L, 2023, 'Injection drug use in an affluent beachside community in Sydney: An exploratory qualitative study', Drug and Alcohol Review, 42, pp. 544 - 554, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13592

Journal articles | 2023

Dertadian GC; Caruana T; Maher L, 2023, '‘Grew Up with a Silver Spoon in My Mouth, But it Ended Up the Nose’: The Stigma and Labelling of Injection Drug Use in an Affluent Beachside Community', Critical Criminology, 31, pp. 811 - 825, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10612-023-09710-y

Journal articles | 2023

Rance J; Bryant J; Caruana T; Brener L, 2023, 'Practising care in a pandemic: Accounting for everyday life during COVID-19 among people who inject drugs', Sociology of Health and Illness, 45, pp. 791 - 809, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13612

Journal articles | 2023

Storer D; Lafferty L; Graham S; Murphy D; Rance J; Brener L; Seale H; Hammoud MA; Prestage G; Beadman M; Gardner K; Blaxland M; Bolt R; Caruana T; Philpot S; Rule J; Bryant J, 2023, 'Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccines: Lessons from Selected Populations Who Experience Discrimination in the Australian Healthcare System', Health and Social Care in the Community, 2023, pp. 1 - 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/5901128

Journal articles | 2022

Brener L; Caruana T; Broady T; Cama E; Ezard N; Madden A; Treloar C, 2022, 'Addressing injecting related risks among people who inject both opioids and stimulants: Findings from an Australian survey of people who inject drugs', Addictive Behaviors Reports, 15, pp. 100398, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2021.100398

Journal articles | 2022

Brener L; Horwitz R; Rance J; Caruana T; Bryant J, 2022, 'Health worker perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on harm reduction services for people who inject drugs', Health and Social Care in the Community, 30, pp. 2320 - 2329, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13782

Journal articles | 2022

Horwitz R; Brener L; Marshall AD; Caruana T; Newman CE, 2022, 'Optimising community health services in Australia for populations affected by stigmatised infections: What do service users want?', Health and Social Care in the Community, 30, pp. e3686 - e3695, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hsc.14037

Journal articles | 2022

Richters J; Carter A; Caruana T; Bateson D; de Visser R; Rissel C; Yeung A; Guy R; McGeechan K, 2022, 'Reproductive experiences and outcomes among a representative sample of women: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46, pp. 69 - 74, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13166

Journal articles | 2022

Richters J; Yeung A; Rissel C; McGeechan K; Caruana T; de Visser R, 2022, 'Sexual Difficulties, Problems, and Help-Seeking in a National Representative Sample: The Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships', Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, pp. 1435 - 1446, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02244-w

Journal articles | 2017

Rissel C; Richters J; de Visser RO; McKee A; Yeung A; Caruana T, 2017, 'A Profile of Pornography Users in Australia: Findings From the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships', Journal of Sex Research, 54, pp. 227 - 240, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2016.1191597

Journal articles | 2016

Richters J; Fitzadam S; Yeung A; Caruana T; Rissel C; Simpson JM; de Visser RO, 2016, 'Contraceptive practices among women: the second Australian study of health and relationships', Contraception, 94, pp. 548 - 555, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2016.06.016
Conference Posters | 2024

Caruana T; Brener L; Cama E; Gilford C; Crawford S; Capell-Hattam T; Von Hippel C, 2024, 'Stigma by association among alcohol and other drug and harm reduction workers: Implications for workplace outcomes [Poster Presentation]', Portugal, presented at Lisbon Addictions: European Conference on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies, Portugal, 23 October 2024 - 25 October 2024, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/30547

Conference Presentations | 2024

Caruana T, 2024, 'Interpersonal and structural dimensions of opioid agonist treatment stigma in NSW community pharmacies', presented at Tackling Stigma Conference, UNSW Sydney, 21 November 2024 - 22 November 2024, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/30700

Conference Presentations | 2024

Caruana T, 2024, 'Interpersonal and structural dimensions of opioid agonist treatment stigma in NSW community pharmacies', presented at Tackling Stigma Conference, UNSW Sydney, 21 November 2024 - 22 November 2024, https://www.unsw.edu.au/research/csrh/tackling-stigma

Theses / Dissertations | 2024

Caruana T, 2024, Interpersonal and structural dimensions of opioid agonist treatment stigma in New South Wales community pharmacies, UNSW Sydney, http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/103581

Conference Posters | 2023

Caruana T, 2023, 'Measuring opioid agonist treatment stigma and its effects: An exploration of pharmacist attitudes and consumer treatment outcomes', Geneva, Switzerland, presented at The 11th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users, Geneva, Switzerland, 17 October 2023 - 20 October 2023, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/30061

Conference Presentations | 2023

Caruana T, 2023, 'What happens when your pharmacy is destroyed or cut off by flooding? Experiences of opioid agonist treatment consumers and pharmacists in the New South Wales Northern Rivers region.', presented at Harm Reduction International Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 16 April 2023 - 19 April 2023, https://hr23.hri.global/abstract/181

Reports | 2023

Treloar C; Bradbury B; Naidoo Y; Cama E; Brener L; Caruana T; Calabrese S; Dorsch P; Philips J; Goldie C; Broady T; Treloar C, 2023, Community attitudes towards poverty and inequality 2023: Snapshot report, Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and UNSW Sydney, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/zznx-0s64, https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/community_attitudes_towards_poverty_and_inequality_2023/

Conference Presentations | 2022

Caruana T; Brener L; Bryant J; Zwar N; Griffiths K, 2022, 'Consumer and pharmacist experiences of opioid agonist treatment in New South Wales community pharmacies', presented at Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference, Darwin, Australia, 10 October 2022 - 12 October 2022, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13537

Reports | 2021

Brener L; Rance J; Caruana T; Horwitz R; Bryant J, 2021, Assessing the impact of COVID on harm reduction services, UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health, Sydney, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/wpkj-dk70

Reports | 2021

Rance J; Bryant J; Caruana T; Brener L, 2021, Perspectives of COVID vaccines among people who inject drugs, UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health, Sydney, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/gvvm-na51

Conference Posters | 2015

Yeung A; Caruana T; Grulich A; de Visser R; Rissel C; Simpson J; Richters J, 2015, 'P04.15 Sexual behaviour, sti testing and diagnosis down under: findings from the second australian study of health and relationships (ashr2)', Vol. 91, pp. a101.1 - a1a101, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2015-052270.269

2024 UNSW postgraduate research output award
2020 UNSW Scientia PhD scholarship
2018 School of Health Medal for outstanding scholarship, University of New England