Jennifer Sweetman, Research Associate, Department of Health Sciences

Jennifer has been working in applied mental health research since 2009, contributing to projects focused on access to healthcare, child and adolescent mental health, addiction, dementia and workforce wellbeing.  She completed her PhD in Health Sciences at the University of York in 2021 and has been working in the Mental Health and Addictions Research Group ever since.

Email: jennifer.sweetman@york.ac.uk

Our 60-second interview with Jennifer:

Could you please tell us what work you do in the field of mental health?

Currently I’m working on two projects: 1) a programme of research to support continued smoking cessation following a smokefree mental health in-patient stay (SCEPTRE), and 2) a project to explore the experiences of presenteeism (working while being unwell) in NHS employees.

What do you find most rewarding and inspiring in this work?

Meeting and learning from people with lived experience of mental health conditions and service provision.

What is the most challenging or complicated aspect of this work?

Securing funding for research projects can be extremely challenging.

What impact do you hope your work is having - or can potentially have?

I hope that our work enables people to feel they are contributing meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge and clinical practice. Ultimately, I hope that our work improves the wellbeing and care provision for people with mental health conditions.

Could you share with us one piece of advice that you follow for your own mental health?

There’s nothing that can’t be improved by a cup of tea and a chat with a friend.