Claire Carswell
NIHR Advanced Research Fellow
Profile
Biography
Claire Carswell is a registered mental health nurse and an NIHR Advanced Research Fellow within the Mental Health and Addiction Research Group. Her fellowship explores the relationship between severe mental illness (conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and chronic kidney disease.
Claire’s research focuses on the relationship between physical and mental health. Previously she worked as a research associate on the DIAMONDS Programme, an NIHR PGfAR funded programme developing and evaluating a type 2 diabetes self-management intervention for people with severe mental illness. She has also worked on research exploring the impact of long-term conditions on the mental health and wellbeing of patients and carers, including the Marie Curie Research Grants Funded ACORN study at Queen’s University Belfast which explored caregiver’s experiences of conservatively managed kidney disease.
Qualifications
- BSc Psychology - Queen’s University Belfast (2011)
- BSc Mental Health Nursing - Queen’s University Belfast (2017)
- PhD Nursing (Development and feasibility of an arts-based intervention for patients with end-stage kidney disease whilst receiving haemodialysis) – Queen’s University Belfast (2020)
Departmental roles
- Committee member of the Contract Researchers Forum, 2020 to date
- Co-ordinator of integrating research into pre-registration teaching, 2021 to date
University roles
- Postgraduate mentor, 2021 to date
Research
Overview
Claire is interested in research exploring the interface between mental and physical health, to address and reduce health inequalities. Her methodological expertise include mixed-methods, feasibility studies, intervention development and evidence synthesis. She is also passionate about patient and public involvement in research, and works closely with patients, service users and carers to develop and improve her work.
Claire is a member of the Scientific Board of the European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association (EDTNA) and is especially interested in the relationship between mental and physical health in the context of chronic kidney disease. She continues to work with colleagues in the Renal Arts Group, an international collaboration of patients, carers, clinicians, academics and artists based at Queen’s University Belfast, to explore novel ways to address the mental health impact of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
Additionally, Claire is enthusiastic about improving the representation of nurses in research, and promoting evidence-based practice.
Projects
- NIHR Advanced Fellowship: A mixed methods exploration of the relationship between severe mental illness and chronic kidney disease
Research group(s)
Supervision
Claire is interested in supervising Masters projects and PhD students in the area of mental and physical multimorbidity, and psychosocial aspects of chronic kidney disease.
Teaching
Undergraduate
As part of her role co-ordinating integration of research into pre-registration teaching, Claire assists in facilitation and contribution of content to the following modules:
BSc Nursing:
- Professional Development in Nursing: Evidence Based Nursing for Practice
- Applying Psychological and Sociological Aspects to Complex Care
BSc Midwifery:
- Evidence-based Midwifery Care
Claire also runs a Scholarship and Special Interest Module for second year MB BS students at Hull York Medical School on the topic of mental and physical multimorbidity.
Postgraduate
As part of her role co-ordinating integration into pre-registration teaching, Claire contributes content to both the MSc Nursing and MNurs Nursing courses.
She also contributes to the MSc in Mental Health Research and supervises dissertations for the Master of Public Health.
External activities
Memberships
- Nursing and Midwifery Council: Registered Mental Health Nurse
- Member of the Scientific board of the EDTNA/ERCA
- Member of the UK Kidney Association
- Member of the Renal Arts Group at Queen’s University Belfast
Editorial duties
- Editorial Board Member: BMC Nursing
Invited talks and conferences
- Invited Speaker: Using art in a haemodialysis setting – How can it help us communicate? The Danish Society of Renal Nurses, Copenhagen, Denmark. (2022)
- Invited Speaker: Mental Health and Kidney Transplantation, 29th South African Transplant Society & 6th South African Tissue Bank Association Congress, Johannesburg, South Africa. (2022)
