I am a methodological specialist in qualitative research in the field of mental health. I work in large mixed-methods, policy-relevant programmes of research that develop, evaluate and implement complex psychosocial interventions and service models in mental health. Much of my work gives voice to the experiences and views of stakeholders in mental healthcare (service users, family carers and practitioners), enabling these to inform research agendas and outputs, intervention development, and service evaluations. I am the qualitative lead, and a co-applicant on numerous research projects funded by the National Institute of Health Research. These are principally in two areas:

1) Acute mental health care, and alternatives to hospital admission: I have led qualitative work in a series of related studies to address problems with, and alternatives to, standard hospital-based acute psychiatric care, including crisis houses and home treatment. 

2) Shared decision-making (SDM) in mental healthcare. My focus has been on SDM in medication management. I have led work to explore service users’ views and experiences of taking medication and related discussions and decisions with prescribers; developed a conceptualisation of SDM in mental healthcare contexts that has guided intervention development; and worked on projects to design, develop and evaluate interventions to enhance SDM.

In addition, I conduct qualitative work in perinatal mental healthcare, with a focus on women's experiences of services, and the views of their partners and 'significant others'. I have also conducted qualitative work on psychosis in community settings (early detection and help-seeking; psychosocial support for carers; employment experiences in social firms); and on CBT-based treatments (MBCT for recurrent depression; school-based groups for depression and anxiety; and CBT for post-traumatic stress disorder in children and young people).