David Murray Fergusson (May 1944 – 3 October 2018) was a New Zealand

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

. He was a professor of psychological medicine at the

University of Otago, Christchurch The University of Otago, Christchurch is one of seven component schools that make up the University of Otago Division of Health Sciences. The University of Otago, Christchurch is based primarily at Christchurch Hospital, in Christchurch Central ...

, from 1999 until 2015. He is notable for work on the Christchurch Health and Development Study and for his research on

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

and

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

Early life

Born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, in May 1944, Fergusson joined the Merchant Navy when he was 15 years old. However, he subsequently emigrated to New Zealand, and began working for an electronics firm in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

in 1965. He studied psychology, sociology and education at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

, graduating

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

with honours, before working as a government policy advisor for seven years. He moved to Christchurch in 1976.

Research career

Christchurch Health and Development Study

Fergusson was the founding director of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a study of a birth cohort of 1265 children born in the Christchurch region in 1977. The cohort has been studied through infancy, adolescence, and as adults. The university states that as of 2018, over 480 publications had been produced, using data gathered from the cohort. One study using data from the study found that

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

use was associated with a number of adverse outcomes, including

cannabis dependence Cannabis use disorder (CUD), also known as cannabis addiction or marijuana addiction, is defined in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and ICD-10 as the continued use of cannabis despite clini ...

and the use of other illicit drugs.

Abortion studies

Fergusson published a number of studies regarding

abortion and mental health Scientific and medical expert bodies have repeatedly concluded that abortion poses no greater mental health risks than carrying an unintended pregnancy to term. Nevertheless, the relationship between induced abortion and mental health is an area o ...

. A self-described pro-choice

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

and rationalist, Fergusson undertook his first investigation with the expectation that his cohort data would prove that the apparent link between abortion and mental health problems would be explained by pre-existing factors. Instead, his data revealed that abortion was an independent "risk factor for the onset of mental illness". The study found abortion was linked to higher rates of depression,

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicidal behaviours. At age 25, 42% of the women in the cohort had experienced major depression during the previous four years, twice that of other women. While retaining a pro-choice position, Fergusson's research convinced him that: "Abortion is a traumatic life event; that is, it involves loss, it involves grief, it involves difficulties. And the trauma may, in fact, predispose people to having mental illness." Fergusson also reported experiencing difficulties getting his study published since the results contradicted the prevailing view that abortion does not have mental health consequences. Saying that his studies were normally accepted the first time, Fergusson reported that the first of his studies on abortion was rejected by four journals because of the controversial nature of his findings. He was also asked to not publish the results by New Zealand's Abortion Supervisory Committee, the government agency responsible for regulating compliance with the country's abortion laws. He refused to comply with the request because he felt it would be "scientifically irresponsible" to hide the findings. Following further reviews of other abortion related research, Fergusson concluded that abortion does not have therapeutic effects for mental health, and poses a small to moderate increase in risk of some mental health problems.

Other work

Fergusson is also known for his research pertaining to

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

Later life and death

Following his retirement from the University of Otago in 2015, Fergusson did consulting work for the Ministry of Social Development. He died in Nelson from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

on 3 October 2018.

Honours and awards

Fergusson was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

in 2006. The same year, he was awarded the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences gold medal for research excellence. In 2010, he received the University of Otago Distinguished Research Medal, that institution's highest research honour. On his retirement from Otago in 2015, Fergusson was conferred the title of emeritus professor. Fergusson was an Honorary Fellow of the

New Zealand Psychological Society The New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) is one of the professional associations for psychologists in New Zealand. It is the largest professional body for psychologists in New Zealand, providing for both research psychologists and practic ...

and the

Royal Australasian College of Physicians The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is a not-for-profit professional organisation responsible for training and educating physicians and paediatricians across Australia and New Zealand. The RACP is responsible for training both ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fergusson, David 1944 births 2018 deaths Sailors from London British Merchant Navy personnel English emigrants to New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington alumni University of Otago alumni Academic staff of the University of Otago 21st-century New Zealand psychologists New Zealand abortion-rights activists Deaths from lung cancer in New Zealand Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand 20th-century New Zealand psychologists