I joined Liverpool John Moores University as a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in February 2025. I completed my BSc(Hons) in Psychology, MSc in Health and Clinical Psychology, and MSc in Research Methods in Psychology at the University of Liverpool, from 2013 to 2018. I was awarded my PhD in Psychology in 2022 from the University of Liverpool, after completing an ESRC funded studentship which investigated co-occurring alcohol and mental health problems in the UK Police Service.
After completing my PhD, I worked as a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Manchester, investigating the extent and drivers of ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 health outcomes. Following this, I obtained a Simon Research Fellowship, to build on this work and examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ethnic inequalities in mental health. I seek to develop this research further, to understand and address ethnic inequalities in primary and secondary mental health care.
At the same time, I am continuing my research into co-occurring alcohol and mental health problems, through funded collaborative projects. These projects seek to improve treatment pathways for people with these co-occurring conditions. My research involves mixed methods approaches, utilising epidemiological data, healthcare records, and qualitative research. I work closely with a range of third sector organisations and public advisors with lived experience of alcohol and mental health problems.
Degrees
2021, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, PhD, Psychology
2018, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, MSc, Research Methods in Psychology
2017, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, MSc, Health & Clinical Psychology
2016, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, BSc, Psychology
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer, Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, 2025 - present
Research Fellow, Sociology, University of Manchester, 2022 - 2025
Research Associate, Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, 2022 - 2022
Research Associate, Sociology, University of Manchester, 2021 - 2022
Journal article
Kibuchi E, Amele S, McCabe R, Demou E, Leyland AH, Simpson CR, Shi T, Irizar P, Becares L, Sheikh A, Pearce A, Katikireddi SV. 2025. Are ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes mediated by occupation risk? Analyses of a 2-year record linked national cohort study in Scotland. European journal of public health, :ckaf025 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Parkes S, Irizar P, Greenberg N, Wessely S, Fear NT, Hotopf M, Stevelink SAM. 2024. Sickness absence and associations with sociodemographic factors, health risk behaviours, occupational stressors and adverse mental health in 40,343 UK police employees Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 33 :1-11 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Taylor H, Kapadia D, Pierce M, Bécares L, Goodwin L, Katikireddi SV, Nazroo J. 2024. The prevalence of common mental disorders across 18 ethnic groups in Britain during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS) Journal of Affective Disorders, 358 :42-51 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Pan D, Taylor H, Martin CA, Katikireddi SV, Kannangarage NW, Gomez S, La Parra Casado D, Srinivas PN, Diderichsen F, Baggaley RF, Nellums LB, Koller TS, Pareek M. 2024. Disproportionate infection, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 in ethnic minority groups and Indigenous Peoples: an application of the Priority Public Health Conditions analytical framework eClinicalMedicine, 68 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Vicary E, Glossop Z, Waller G, Lightowlers C, Quigg Z, Roper L, Gilmore I, Coulton S, Newbury-Birch D, Goodwin L. 2023. Working with the police service and homeless services in North West England to reduce alcohol harms: A feasibility study of a tailored Blue Light approach. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 159 :209259 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Halsall L, Irizar P, Burton S, Waring S, Giles S, Goodwin L, Jones A. 2023. Hazardous, harmful, and dependent alcohol use in healthcare professionals: a systematic review and meta-analysis Frontiers in Public Health, 11 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Amele S, McCabe R, Kibuchi E, Pearce A, Hainey K, Demou E, Irizar P, Kapadia D, Taylor H, Nazroo J, Bécares L, Buchanan D, Henery P, Jayacodi S, Woolford L, Simpson CR, Sheikh A, Jeffrey K, Shi T, Daines L, Tibble H, Almaghrabi F, Fagbamigbe AF, Kurdi A, Robertson C, Pattaro S, Katikireddi SV. 2023. Quality of ethnicity data within Scottish health records and implications of misclassification for ethnic inequalities in severe COVID-19: a national linked data study Journal of Public Health, 46 :116-122 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Amele S, Kibuchi E, McCabe R, Pearce A, Henery P, Hainey K, Fagbamigbe AF, Kurdi A, McCowan C, Simpson CR, Dibben C, Buchanan D, Demou E, Almaghrabi F, Anghelescu G, Taylor H, Tibble H, Rudan I, Nazroo J, Bécares L, Daines L, Irizar P, Jayacodi S, Pattaro S, Sheikh A, Katikireddi SV. 2023. Ethnic inequalities in positive SARS-CoV-2 tests, infection prognosis, COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths: Analysis of 2 years of a record linked national cohort study in Scotland Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 77 :641-648 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
McBride M, Martin CA, Teece L, Irizar P, Batson M, Lagrata S, Papineni P, Nazareth J, Pan D, Leary A, Woolf K, Pareek M, the UK-REACH Study Collaborative Group . 2023. Investigating the impact of financial concerns on symptoms of depression in UK healthcare workers: Data from the UK-REACH nationwide cohort study BJPsych Open, 9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Pan D, Sze S, Irizar P, George N, Chaka A, Lal Z, Martin CA, Nazareth J, Baggaley RF, Gray LJ, Katikireddi SV, Nellums LB, Khunti K, Pareek M. 2023. Are clinical outcomes from COVID-19 improving in ethnic minority groups? eClinicalMedicine, 61 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Kapadia D, Amele S, Bécares L, Divall P, Katikireddi SV, Kibuchi E, Kneale D, McCabe R, Nazroo J, Nellums LB, Taylor H, Sze S, Pan D, Pareek M. 2023. Pathways to ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 health outcomes in the United Kingdom: A systematic map Social Science & Medicine, 329 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Pan D, Kapadia D, Bécares L, Sze S, Taylor H, Amele S, Kibuchi E, Divall P, Gray LJ, Nellums LB, Katikireddi SV, Pareek M. 2023. Ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalisation, intensive care admission, and death: a global systematic review and meta-analysis of over 200 million study participants eClinicalMedicine, 57 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Trompeter N, Fear NT, Greenberg N, Hotopf M, Irizar P, Wessely S, Stevelink SAM. 2023. Primary Care Consultations Among UK Police Officers and Staff: Links With Adverse Mental Health and Job Strain Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 65 :502-509 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Qureshi I, Chaloner J, Gogoi M, Al-Oraibi A, Wobi F, Reilly H, Medisauskaite A, Martin CA, Irizar P, Papineni P, Lagrata S, Agbonmwandolor J, Pareek M, Nellums L. 2023. Caring for Those Who Take Care of Others: Developing Systemic and Sustainable Mental Health Support for the Diverse Healthcare Workforce in the United Kingdom International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Jackson L, Gage SH, Bell S, Piper R, Fallon V, Goodwin L. 2022. 'It's a crutch': A qualitative exploration of UK police employees' experiences of at-risk alcohol consumption or abstinence Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 17 :1-17 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Stevelink SAM, Pernet D, Gage SH, Greenberg N, Wessely S, Goodwin L, Fear NT. 2022. A comparison of probable post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol consumption among active female members of the UK Police Service and UK Armed Forces Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 58 :205-215 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Gage SH, Fallon V, Goodwin L. 2022. A latent class analysis of health risk behaviours in the UK Police Service and their associations with mental health and job strain BMC Psychiatry, 22 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Bécares L, Shaw RJ, Katikireddi SV, Irizar P, Amele S, Kapadia D, Nazroo J, Taylor H. 2022. Racism as the fundamental cause of ethnic inequities in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A theoretical framework and empirical exploration using the UK Household Longitudinal Study SSM - Population Health, 19 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Puddephatt JA, Warren JG, Field M, Jones A, Rose AK, Gage SH, Goodwin L. 2022. “Drinkers Like Me”: A Thematic Analysis of Comments Responding to an Online Article About Moderating Alcohol Consumption Frontiers in Psychology, 13 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Puddephatt JA, Irizar P, Jones A, Gage SH, Goodwin L. 2021. Associations of common mental disorder with alcohol use in the adult general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis Addiction, 117 :1543-1572 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Jones A, Christiansen P, Goodwin L, Gage SH, Roberts C, Knibb G, Cooke R, Rose AK. 2021. Longitudinal associations with alcohol consumption during the first COVID-19 lockdown: Associations with mood, drinking motives, context of drinking, and mental health Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 226 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Puddephatt JA, Gage SH, Fallon V, Goodwin L. 2021. The prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol use across trauma-exposed occupations: A meta-analysis and meta-regression Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 226 :108858 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Irizar P, Gage SH, Field M, Fallon V, Goodwin L. 2021. The prevalence of hazardous and harmful drinking in the UK Police Service, and their co-occurrence with job strain and mental health problems Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 30 :1-12 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Stevelink SAM, Pernet D, Gage SH, Greenberg N, Wessely S, Goodwin L, Fear NT. 2021. Probable post-traumatic stress disorder and harmful alcohol use among male members of the British Police Forces and the British Armed Forces: a comparative study European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Irizar P, Albein-Urios N, Martínez-González JM, Verdejo-Garcia A, Lorenzetti V. 2020. Unpacking common and distinct neuroanatomical alterations in cocaine dependent versus pathological gambling European Neuropsychopharmacology, 33 :81-88 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Irizar P, Leightley D, Stevelink S, Rona R, Jones N, Gouni K, Puddephatt JA, Fear N, Wessely S, Goodwin L. 2020. Drinking motivations in UK serving and ex-serving military personnel Occupational Medicine, 70 :259-267 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
preprint
Stepanous JC, Irizar P, Mills-Webb K, Kapadia D, Cheng Q, Marquez J, Humphrey N. 2025. Ethnic inequalities in adolescent mental wellbeing: An intersectional analysis of social identity markers, risk and protective factors Center for Open Science DOI Publisher Url
Irizar P, Puddephatt J-A, Warren J, Field M, Jones A, Rose A, Gage SH, goodwin L. 2021. “Drinkers Like Me”: a thematic analysis of comments responding to an online article about moderating alcohol consumption PsyArXiv DOI Publisher Url
Conference publication
McCabe R, Amele S, Kibuchi E, Pearce A, Hainey K, Demou E, Katikireddi SV, Irizar P, Kapadia D, Nazroo J. 2023. OP60 Quality of ethnicity data within Scottish health records and implications of misclassification for ethnic inequalities in severe COVID-19: A national linked data study SSM Annual Scientific Meeting, Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts :A30.1-A30 DOI Publisher Url