Professor Vicky Bird

Profile

I am a Professor of Mental Health Care, based within the Centre of Psychiatry and Mental Health. I currently lead the Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry and am deputy lead for the Centre. I am also a member of the Senate. 

I have a background in psychology and health services research and currently lead a number of national and international research programmes focused on improving community approaches to mental healthcare funded by the NIHR, MRC, Wellcome Trust and ESRC. In particular, my current work focuses on strengthening community resources, including through the use of art-based and community engagement methods in Latin America, South Asia and Uganda. 

I am currently an expert panel member for a number of funding organisations including the EU Horizon Europe programme and the Norwegian Research Council. I work closely with clinical services in East London and beyond, developing resource-oriented interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals with mental illness.  My primary research interest is to use community resources to improve the quality of life for people experiencing mental health distress. This ranges from working with adolescents and young people with a particular focus on arts-based methods through to developing and evaluating evidence-based interventions within mental health services for adults with SMI.  

Research

Research Interests:

My primary research interest is to use community resources to improve the quality of life for people experiencing mental health distress. This ranges from working with adolescents and young people with a particular focus on arts-based methods through to developing and evaluating evidence-based interventions within mental health services for adults with SMI.  

 

Publications

 

 

 

 

Outstanding Publications

 

McNamee, P., Matanov, A., Jerome, L. et al. Clinical- and cost-effectiveness of a technology-supported and solution-focused intervention (DIALOG+) in treatment of patients with chronic depression—study protocol for a multi-site, cluster randomised controlled trial [TACK]. Trials 23, 237 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06181-4

Bird, V., Miglietta, E., Giacco, D., Bauer, M., Greenberg, L., Lorant, V., . . . Priebe, S. (2020). Factors associated with satisfaction of inpatient psychiatric care: A cross country comparison. Psychological Medicine, 50(2), 284-292. doi:10.1017/S0033291719000011 

Priebe, S., Fung, C., Sajun, S.Z. et al. Resource-oriented interventions for patients with severe mental illnesses in low- and middle-income countries: trials in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia and Uganda. BMC Psychiatry 19, 181 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2148-x 

Chevalier A, Ntala E, Fung C, Priebe S, Bird VJ (2018) Exploring the initial experience of hospitalisation to an acute psychiatric ward. PLOS ONE 13(9): e0203457. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203457 

Leamy, M., Bird, V., Boutillier, C., Williams, J., & Slade, M. (2011). Conceptual framework for personal recovery in mental health: Systematic review and narrative synthesis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(6), 445-452. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.110.083733

 

 

 

Supervision

Franziska Mosler, Barts Charity. 'Making routine communication in mental health consultations therapeutically effective.' 

Nadia Ayed, ESCR/ LISS. 'Social capital for homeless individuals with mental health problems.' 

Madison Stephens, ESCR/LISS DTP. 'Using Photovoice to understand youth mental distress in Rio de Janeiro and East London'

Vian Rajabzadeh, NIHR. 'Understanding global mental health.' 

Nikki Power, Barts Charity. 'Arts therapy for adults with learning disabilities.'