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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney

@nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social
1.5K followers 407 following 112 posts

Lecturer at Bath | Postdoc at Oxford | Blog Coordinator at The Mental Elf | researching young people’s mental health | views my own | she/her | 🏳️‍🌈

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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Mental Health Research Incubator @mhrincubator.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Congratulations to @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social for successfully running the first session of her 8-part webinar series exploring research methods for #mentalhealth #researchers! Spotted a method on the list below that you'd love to learn more about? Sign up now! mentalhealthresearch.org.uk/tbme/
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Mental Health Research Incubator @mhrincubator.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
We're really excited to share this amazing opportunity by @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social! Learn about a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods in this 8-part webinar series for #mentalhealth and addiction #researchers. Sign up below! mentalhealthresearch.org.uk/tbme/
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
If you are an ECR in mental health and addiction research and are interested in learning about a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, head over to the @mhrincubator.bsky.social website, where sign-ups are live for The Big Methods Exchange! mentalhealthresearch.org.uk/tbme/
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Dr Lucy Foulkes @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
🌟 NEW PRE-PRINT! 🌟 “It seems that everyone has got something”: A qualitative study of adolescents’ attitudes towards self-diagnosing with mental health problems from me and @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social osf.io/preprints/ps...
AbstractBackground:There is growing concern about adolescents self-diagnosing with mental health problems, with potential links to increased mental health awareness efforts and social media. However, little is known about adolescents’ attitudes towards self-diagnosis, including why they think it happensand potential consequences.Methods:We conducted online semi-structured interviews with 24 UK school-aged adolescents (13-to 17-years-old)recruited from four schools. Data wasanalysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results:Four themes were generated. Acceptable versus unacceptable motives for self-diagnosishighlights the different reasons adolescents perceived to driveself-diagnosis, which were given a value judgement. Self-diagnosis was more acceptable when carefully researched and used for self-understanding or help-seeking, andless acceptable when used superficially to seek attention or excuse bad behaviour. Rules for determining (in)authenticityexplores the implicit criteria adolescents set for judging the credibility of someone’s self-diagnosis, including openness, severity, and gender. Self-diagnosis is the only viable route to supportencompasses adolescents’ belief that self-diagnosis is understandable given the current inaccessibilityof healthcare systems, providingaccess to informal sources of emotional, practical, and social support. Finally, modern adolescence is fertile ground for self-diagnosisdiscusses how the current context of adolescence, including social media and the widespread use of diagnostic language, facilitates self-diagnosis. Conclusions:School-aged adolescents view self-diagnosis as an understandable yet potentially problematic practice. While it may be a pragmatic response to inaccessible services, adolescents are concerned about the impact of inaccuracy. Improving access to timely mental health support and promoting balanced information may reduce reliance on self-diagnosisNote: This version of the article is a pre-print and has not been peer-reviewed.
Title:"It seems that everyone has got something”: A qualitative studyof adolescents’ attitudes towardsself-diagnosing withmental health problems
Nina Higson-Sweeney1* & Lucy Foulkes1
Affiliations:1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Life and Mind Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3EL, UK*Corresponding author: Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney, nina.higson-sweeney@psy.ox.ac.uk
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
🗣️ Recruiting UK undergraduate students - please repost! My third year student, Stan, is looking for university students to take part in an anonymous online survey about attitudes towards individuals with mental health disorders. Sign up here: tinyurl.com/536j5j3t
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ACAMH - Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health @acamh.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
#MindtheKids pod hosts @drjanegilmour.bsky.social & @umartoseeb.bsky.social are joined by @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social to explore the blurred distinctions between fatigue, tiredness, & executive function challenges, considering how depression complicates these concepts. bit.ly/45lt8ZU
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
The Mental Elf @thementalelf.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
🧵 Does harsh parenting raise the risk of self-harm in young people? New review in The Lancet Psychiatry looked across 38 cohort studies on parenting, family dynamics & youth suicide risk. The findings aren’t what you might expect. 👇 #YouthMentalHealth #Parenting #SelfHarm #SuicidePrevention
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
I cannot convey how pleased I am to say that this paper has finally found a home! It’s so tricky publishing COVID-19 research - everyone is “over it”, and yet there is still so much learning that can be transferred to potential future situations.
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
After months of planning, yesterday was the launch of the BRIDGE Peer Mentoring Scheme! The half-day workshop was so well-attended, with wonderful engagement from everyone right up until the end. I can't wait to see these global peer mentoring relationships flourish 🤩 @eleanorchats.bsky.social
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
After an embarrassingly long time spent on my tiptoes trying to put this up…we’re ready! Come and chat with me at D2.043 about the two studies I am conducting with @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social on self-diagnosis. I am also on the conference app if you can’t find me and want to chat! #ESCAP2025
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
Delighted to have been able to make it to #ESCAP2025 this year! 😍 Amazing weather for it, too! You will find me at the poster stands tomorrow, presenting the postdoc work I’m doing with @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social @escaponline.bsky.social
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Dr Lucy Foulkes @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
I’m looking for a small number of secondary schools to help us with a research study exploring self-diagnosis of mental health problems in young people For more info or to express interest, please email @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social: nina.higson-sweeney [at] psych.ox.ac.uk Or DM us! Thank you 🙏🏼
Secondary schools! Can you help? We're looking for research participantsWe're looking for UK secondary schools to help us with a project about self-diagnosis. For more info or to express interest, please DM me or email Nina at nina.higson-sweeney@psych.ox.ac.uk
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
You have 6 DAYS LEFF to apply to BRIDGE, a 6-month peer mentoring scheme for ECRs to facilitate global collaborations in mental health research! It is free, remote, and focused in skills development, social support, and cross-cultural networking 👉🏽 mentalhealthresearch.org.uk/bridge/
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Dr Lucy Foulkes @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
I’ve had lots of messages about my Guardian article, in which I argued we should stop universal mental health lessons in schools. The messages have fallen into three categories, and I’m reflecting on this here because I think it exposes something interesting in the field (and research in general) 🧵
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Maria Loades @marialoades.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
So proud of the @lampresearchuk.bsky.social phd students who presented their work @psychologybath.bsky.social CMHD group today @nataliakika.bsky.social @sophiedallison.bsky.social @emmachubb.bsky.social
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
You still have 2 and a half weeks to submit your application to BRIDGE - but why not apply early? 👉 mentalhealthresearch.org.uk/bridge/ BRIDGE will begin with a half-day online workshop led by a trained coach foused on peer men toring skills and global collaboratin! How exciting is that? 🤩
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
The post below says it all! @eleanorchats.bsky.social and I have received some seed funding from the MHR Incubator to pilot a global peer mentoring programme for ECRs (including clinicians!) working in mental health research 🌎 If you are an ECR in the UK, Brazil or South Africa, apply below ⬇️
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Another brilliant blog by @emmacsullivan.bsky.social on a very hot topic! 👇
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Wellcome Trust @wellcometrust.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Our Accelerator Awards are open for applications. We’re supporting researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK to undertake activities that put them in a stronger position to reach their next career stage within academia. Learn more and apply by 15 July 2025 ⤵️
wellcome.org
Accelerator Awards | Grant funding | Wellcome
Eligibility and applications details for the Wellcome Accelerator Awards, which will support Black, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani researchers in the UK to make successful career transitions.
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Museum of Mental Health in the Media @museum-mh-media.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
⚡NEW PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT COMING SOON⚡ How are mental health problems portrayed in TV shows, films and music, and what impact does this have? Does it help us understand better? Can it ever be unhelpful? A new project from Dr Lucy Foulkes & Isaac Winterburn Follow this account for updates!
Logo: Museum of Mental Health in the Media
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Very pleased to see this paper published open access in BMC Psychology today, where we interviewed 24 young people to discover their thoughts towards online single-session interventions. It is the FIRST qualitative paper to focus on SSIs in UK-based young people 🤯 doi.org/10.1186/s403...
doi.org
Young people’s attitudes towards online self-help single-session interventions: findings from a co-produced qualitative study - BMC Psychology
Background Many young people experience at least subthreshold depression symptoms which impact their functioning. Yet, access to evidence-based help is limited, with barriers such as service threshold...
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Dr Lucy Foulkes @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
This paper has now been published 🤠
The romanticisation of mental health problems in adolescents and its
implications: a narrative review
Awa Ndour1
 · Lucy Foulkes1Romanticisation is the perception and portrayal of a phenomenon as more attractive, interesting, cool, profound or desirable
than it really is. There are concerns that mental health problems are increasingly romanticised, particularly among adolescents,
but there is limited research on this topic. This narrative review investigated: (1) what romanticisation is in the context of
adolescent mental health problems, (2) why adolescents might romanticise mental health problems, (3) the implications of
romanticising mental health problems in adolescence, and (4) what interventions might reduce this phenomenon. Sixty-one
publications were reviewed, including qualitative and quantitative analyses, cross-sectional and longitudinal self-report
studies and conceptual reviews. Most investigated romanticisation of mental health problems online, with most researchers
situated in a Western context. Identity formation, popular media infuences and peer infuences arose as potential explanatory
factors. Negative outcomes to romanticisation were indicated, including the reinforcement of mental health problems and
reduced help-seeking; few interventions to reduce the phenomenon have been proposed to date.
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
It's been a little while since I've written a Mental Elf blog, and I found this fascinating qual paper on young people's views of CAMHS on TikTok. Give it a read below 👇
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Dr Madeleine Pownall @maddipow.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
We (@annayahprosser.bsky.social, Nicki Lisa Cole, Tamarinde Haven) are dreaming up an Open Qualitative Research Community. 🤝A co-created space for support & collaboration in open qualitative research 🌍 Focused on the European context (funding, policy) 💖 Open to all 🔗 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
Expression of Interest: Open Qualitative Research Community
As qualitative researchers, we want a dedicated space to foster support, collaboration, debate and discussion, alongside the sharing of resources to support ethical and appropriate openness and transp...
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
So inspired by the first day of the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum 🙌🏽 it’s reminded me of the importance of goal setting and authenticity, as well as having sponsors who champion your work. A key phrase I’m taking away from today is: what is meant for you won’t pass you by 💡 #MLSFF2025
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
In sunny Birmingham, ready for the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum tomorrow! Big thanks to @wellcometrust.bsky.social for funding this as part of my Accelerator Award - I can’t wait! Anyone else attending? 👀
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Maria Loades @marialoades.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
🌟 Exciting News! Our study on our method of Gillick Competence assessment in online, anonymous surveys is published! Empowering 13-15-year-olds to self-consent could overcome barriers to low risk, impactful mental health intervention research. Learn more: bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/3...
bmjopen.bmj.com
Consenting for themselves: a qualitative study exploring a Gillick Competence assessment to enable adolescents to self-consent to low-risk online research
Background Providing digital mental health interventions online could expand access to help for young people, but requiring parental consent may be a barrier to participation. We therefore need a meth...
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Reposted by Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney
Mental Health Research Incubator @mhrincubator.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Everyone has something to contribute when it comes to mental health research! Congrats to this team (who met on the GROW programme, woo!) on this paper! 🥳 mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1... Watch this space for a webinar discussing the opportunities in mixed methods #mentalhealth research!
mentalhealth.bmj.com
Advancing mixed methods in mental health research
In the mental health research field, there is a need for effective and robust methodological approaches that are able to address complexity. In this article, we reassert the importance of mixed method...
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Does anyone know of any good training courses, videos or articles on qualitative framework analysis? Bonus points if it's in the context of psychology and/or mental health! #PsychSciSky #AcademicSky #Qualitative #QualitativeResearch
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
I didn't realise how much I needed PeCo until I was in it. Not only do you get taught coaching skills vital for professional development, but you also become part of a cohort of ECRs who are going through similar experiences as you. I have made great friends through this programme 😄 Apply below!
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
✨Announcement time✨ I am over the moon to announce that I have been successful in receiving a £290k @wellcometrust.bsky.social Accelerator Award! Starting in 2026, for 2 years I have funding to research a topic that is close to my heart: help-seeking for OCD among ethnic minority adolescents 🥳
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Excited to share a pre-print of the latest paper from the Can We Connect study, where we explore young people’s attitudes towards single session interventions. Despite all the available literature on SSIs, this seems to be the first in-depth, qualitative study! Feedback welcome 👇🏽 osf.io/mz5as
osf.io
OSF
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Ola Demkowicz @olademk.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
We talk a lot about why adolescent girls report more low mood and anxiety, and why this might be getting worse. But what do girls themselves think might explain this? As you might have guessed, we don’t really know. So, we asked them: doi.org/10.1186/s129... 1/8
doi.org
Adolescent girls’ explanations of high rates of low mood and anxiety in their population: a co-produced qualitative study - BMC Women's Health
Background From early adolescence, girls face greater risk of experiencing low mood and anxiety relative to boys, with recent evidence that this may be worsening. There is a paucity of mental health r...
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Maria Loades @marialoades.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Delighted to share our latest study in @jmirpub.bsky.social - rct of a single session self help digital intervention in UK Uni Students.Thanks to my incredible team, incl @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social @victoriapile.bsky.social et al www.jmir.org/2025/1/e58164 #DigitalMentalHealth #MentalHealthResearch
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
My PhD student @nataliakika.bsky.social is still looking to recruit parents of teens aged 12-18 years to take part in a 1-hour online interview about looking for mental health information online. These findings will inform intervention development, so we need to close recruitment asap! 🙌
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
I had such a wonderful time graduating from my PhD last Thursday, and was fortunate enough to be surrounded by my family, colleagues, and some MSc students I got the pleasure of supervising last year. And the best news? I didn't trip on the stage! 🤣
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Woke up this morning to some good funding news! 😇 Watch this space, as @eleanorchats.bsky.social and I have a fun pilot project coming up for ECRs!
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
A great debut blog by Amanda, co-written by the brilliant @louiselasala.bsky.social! I was lucky enough to listen to a talk about this study and Luisa’s broader PhD when she visited the University of Bath - this blog and the paper are definitely worth a read!
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
So pleased to see this brilliant debut blog by Zoe Firth as the first Mental Elf blog of 2025! 🤩 check it out below 👇
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Tamsin Ford @tamsinford.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
Particularly important @thementalelf.bsky.social blog & worth reading the review also
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
I’m very surprised to see well-regarded academics advocating for qualitative researchers with different epistemic perspectives to be “driven out” of the field 🤔 and here I was thinking that this variety in opinion and approach was something that made qual so great!
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Alex Lloyd @dralexlloyd.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Excited to share our new review on PPI with young people in mental health research, including recommendations for how to conduct co-production and co-design! We also have a response from two young people with experience of collaborating on mental health research. Link to the paper below
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
JCPP Advances | ACAMH Child Development Journal | Wiley Online Library
Involving young people with lived experience in youth mental health research is important. The current review examined this question and identified common practices for collaborating with experts by ...
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Dr Lucy Foulkes @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
NEW ARTICLE: In this short piece, Jack Andrews and I argue that, based on the evidence we now have, the field should move away from universal school-based mental health interventions and focus on more effective alternatives acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... summary thread below:
Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve mental health outcomes among young people. One approach taken to address this problem has been the design and delivery of universal school-based prevention, based on therapeutic models such as CBT and mindfulness. Such interventions are delivered to groups of young people, irrespective of risk or need. However, in this commentary, we argue that the initial appeal of universal interventions has not been supported by the evidence: universal school-based prevention is less effective than targeted approaches, often leads to null or unsustained positive effects, has the potential to elicit negative effects and is not well liked by young people themselves. In addition, many young people in each classroom already meet the criteria for a mental disorder, meaning that prevention approaches may not be appropriate or effective for this group. In this commentary, we respond to Birrell et al.'s (2025) paper by arguing that the field should move away from universal prevention and instead invest our limited resources in the refinement and dissemination of interventions with a stronger evidence base, such as one-to-one, targeted and indirect approaches.
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Maria Loades @marialoades.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Interested in mental health/young people's mental health? We have got post doc jobs out to advert now! www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/Vacancy... - this is part of the NIHR award to Bath, and the post doc opportunities are very exciting. Working potentially across work packages and getting training too!
bath.ac.uk
CH12270 Research Associate - Jobs at Bath
Research Associate
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Wanted to highlight what an incredibly useful paper this is by @lucysta02475610.bsky.social @alexandrapike.bsky.social & co on the use of AI in qualitative research: doi.org/10.1177/1609... Invaluable insights, including how to spot AI-generated text & ideas for monitoring! Thanks all! 🙌
doi.org
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Received some amazing news on Monday (more to follow soon!) swiftly followed by a paper I really believe in receiving its THIRD desk rejection. Just another week in academia 😎🤣
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
If you are a parent of a teenager and based in the UK, please do consider reaching out to Natalia below to take part in her doctoral research 👇 #PsychSciSky #studyrecruitment #researchrecruitment #research
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Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney @nhigsonsweeney.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Exciting to see that the website for @josefienbreedvelt.bsky.social's Prevention Matters Lab is finally live! preventionmatters.co.uk I've very much enjoyed being a part of this team as we work on a novel qualitative study exploring young people's attitudes towards risk prediction tools 🧐
preventionmatters.co.uk
Prevention Matters Lab
We do research to learn how we can prevent mental disorders in children and young people. A Prudence Trust Research Fellowship, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – King’s College London.
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University of Bath News & Media @uniofbathnews.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
The #ErasTour is wrapping up and for Swifties it's leaving a blank space, including @annayahprosser.bsky.social and @katewoody.bsky.social. Drawing on their expertise in identity, events and grief, they're sharing research-based tips to navigate post-tour blues theconversation.com/the-end-of-t...
theconversation.com
The end of Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour will be a loss for many – here’s how to handle it, according to experts and fellow fans
The tour has been going on for a long time and has been a source of stability for many.
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