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Staff Profile

Dr Simon Hackett

Senior Clinical Lecturer in Applied Mental Health Research

Background

Background

I am a Clinical-Academic Allied Health Professional (AHP) and I currently hold a five-year Advanced Clinical Academic Fellowship (ACAF) within the NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) programme.

 

My clinical work is based at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) as a Consultant Arts Psychotherapist in Secure Care and Trust-wide lead for Arts Psychotherapies.

 

At Newcastle University I work at the Population Health Sciences Institute in the Faculty of Medical Sciences as a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Applied Mental Health Research. I hold a national role as the Deputy Lead for the NIHR Mental Health Implementation Network (MHIN), a collaboration of service users, local communities, health and care providers, commissioners, and a range of regional and national stakeholders, including charities and local government.

 

My primary research has been the development and testing of complex psychosocial interventions, with a specific interest in the use of accessible arts-based psychological therapies, Arts Psychotherapies (art/drama/music/dance-movement) and arts in health, to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes.

 

Much of my work has been developed around supporting the needs of people with a learning disability and/or neurodiversity. This has included studies of annual health checks and housing for people with learning disabilities. I am keen to support increased opportunities for people with a learning disability to be involved in advising on, developing, and conducting research.

 

In addition to this, I have broad interests generally in mental health for adults, children, and young people. This includes work with children who have long-term physical health conditions and the provision of secure care for adults using psychotherapy approaches targeted at reducing incidents of violence and aggression in inpatient settings.


Qualifications

PhD Art Psychotherapy, Northumbria University - 2012

MA Art Psychotherapy, University of Sheffield - 2003

PG Dip Art Psychotherapy, University of Sheffield - 1999

BA (Hons) Fine Art, Coventry University – 1995

 



 

Research

Research Interests


Arts therapies, arts in health, and participatory arts and mental well-being. 

Arts therapies and the arts in health can offer people struggling with mental health difficulties a broad range of accessible approaches that can aid mental health related well-being. My research interest is in understanding how the inclusion of creative approaches can support and engage people with mental health problems and those with additional needs, such as intellectual and developmental disabilities, cognitive disabilities, experiences of adverse events, and physical health needs. More recently I have been looking at how creative approaches can increase meaningful public and patient involvement in research.

 

Addressing inequalities in mental health.

People who have mental health problems need access to sustainable, joined up, high quality health and care services to maximise

mental health and well-being. There can be a wide range of inequalities and barriers ranging from addressing people’s individual needs and adjustments, service limitations, and societal attitudes. My research interest includes mental health inequalities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, cognitive and communication difficulties, children and young people, people who have experienced adverse events, and those with combined physical and mental health needs.

 

Aggression and violence in psychiatric and secure care settings. 

Aggression and violence in psychiatric and secure settings is an ongoing problem. This has a very high impact on patients, staff, family and friends. My research interest is in developing and testing accessible psychological interventions that target some of the social determinants of aggression occurring in psychiatric settings and secure or locked care environments. There is also a greater need to understand both the prevalence and contextual issues related to aggression and violence within residential care, the approaches that can work now, and the development of future innovations that could help.

Teaching

I supervise a number of of PhDs

Publications