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Professor Douglas MacInnes

Douglas is a Professor of Mental Health within the School of Nursing.

I obtained my PhD from Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’ School of Medicine, King’s College, University of London. I also have a MSc. in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy from Goldsmiths College, University of London, a BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies, (1st Class), Registered Mental Nurse Qualification, Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Research Methods and a Diploma in Statistics.

I teach on the Graduate College’s Research Degree Programme and the Faculty's Master programme. I have successfully supervised ten students to completion of their PhD studies and acted as Chair for a further six successful students. I have been an examiner (internal and external) for several doctoral dissertations. I also supervise students undertaking Masters’ research and systematic review dissertations.

Current students

First supervisor
  • N. Holt - The Impact of Spirituality on Health by People who Identify as Spiritual but Not Religious
  • S. Maginn – Prison Officer Mental Health and Wellbeing (PrisOM) Study
  • V. Stirrup – Supporting Peer Support- A Grounded Theory Study of organisational support for Lived Experience Practitioners in an NHS Foundation Trust.
  • J. Tallent – An examination of a service designed to support prisoners with mental health problems on their release from prison
Chair of studies
  • T. Ben Grid - Non-invasive cardiology
  • J. Gilmore - An examination of the relationship between gay people and their health and healthcare providers
  • C. Laker – Spiritual distress in end of life (EOL) patients within a community setting.
  • A. Martin – A narrative correspondence inquiry of young adults’ (18-30 years) lived experiences of the diagnosis and management of long-term conditions: a case study of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type
  • C. Madzokere - Feasibility and Effectiveness of individualised patient-derived internet-based physical activity encouragement in people with co-morbid type-2 diabetes and leg osteoarthritis.
  • E. McCloskey - Baby loss, grief, and the quest for community: A mixed methods study investigating the role of ethnic diversity in peer support groups for stillbirth bereaved parents
  • A. Phillips - An ethnographic-based study into service user's perspectives on their recovery from drug and alcohol dependency.
PhD in professional practice
  • J. McCartney - Executive Functioning, Substance Use Disorder and the Therapeutic Community

Selected research

Completed projects

  • 2019: Restarting a prisoner's life onto a supportive path leading to RESETtlement in the community – The RESET Study. Funded: Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. £92,781. Principal Investigator.
  • 2018: Implementing and Evaluating Peer Supported Open Dialogue in NHS mental health services. Funded: Health Foundation. £233,659. Co-applicant.
  • 2017: Redesigning employment processes to ensure the sustainable implementation of individuals with lived experience of mental health as peer support workers. Funded: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme. £194,640. Academic Lead.
  • 2015: A pilot trial to assess the effect of a structured communication approach on quality of life in secure mental health settings (Comquol). Funded: NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme. £246,997. Principal Investigator.
  • 2015: A depression recognition and treatment package for families living with Stroke (DepReT-Stroke). Funded: Research for Patient Benefit Programme. £249,000. Chair of Steering Group.
  • 2012: The introduction and evaluation of remote communication technology in mental health practice. Funded: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme. £109,000. Academic Lead.
  • 2011: Developing a training package for carer support workers in forensic settings. Funded: Multiple funders. £49,834. Principal Investigator.

Current projects

  • Feasibility study to assess the delivery of a novel isometric exercise intervention for people with Stage 1 hypertension in the NHS. Funded by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Fund. £279,110.00. Co-applicant.
  • Scoping exercise - The introduction of Lived Experience Practitioner roles in emergency departments in South London. Funded by South London Partnership of Mental Health Trusts. £22,500. Co-applicant.
  • Transitions of Older People from Secure Services. Funded by South London Partnership of Mental Health Trusts. £35,000. Academic Lead.
  • The Social Networks of Service Users with Long Term Mental Health Needs. Funded by University Research grant. £3,950. Principal Investigator.
  • Scoping Exercise: Examining the Wellbeing and Quality of life Tools used with Individuals with Combined Mental Health and Housing needs. University Research Internship. £3,500. Project Lead

Research Projects

  • ‘A Public Health Perspective of the Impact of Spirituality on Health by People who Identify as Spiritual but not Religious’. Researcher(s): Dr Nicole Holt. Supervisor(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes, Dr Jennifer Dvorak. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Organisational Support for Lived Experience Practitioners in an NHS Foundation Trust. Researcher(s): Mrs Victoria Stirrup. Supervisor(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes, Dr Fergal Jones. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • A Qualitative Study to Explore the Experience of Therapeutic Self-Disclosure and Shared Lived Experience in Occupational Therapy Practice. Researcher(s): Ms Sarah Harvey. Supervisor(s): Dr Ian Marsh, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • An examination of a service designed to support prisoners with mental health problems on their release from prison.. Researcher(s): Mrs Jacqueline Tallent. Supervisor(s): Dr Janet Parrott, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • An exploration of the factors impacting on Student Mental Health Nurses' development towards empathic post-registration practice. Researcher(s): Mr Niall Mclaughlin. Supervisor(s): Dr Ian Marsh, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • An exploration of the perceptions and practice of community nursing staff within two care settings in relation to spiritual distress at the end of life.. Researcher(s): Rev Clive Laker. Supervisor(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Dr Tarek Ben Grid. Supervisor(s): Dr Jamie O'Driscoll, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Dr Ann Price. Supervisor(s): Professor Trevor Cooling, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Mrs Emma-May Alton. Supervisor(s): Dr Elisabetta Corvo, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Is my mind my own? Inside managing self-diagnosed insomnia in a mixed economy: A critical autoethnography. Researcher(s): Mrs Anne Martin. Supervisor(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes, Dr Sarah Christie. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Living Well Together: A social network-based intervention for improving the physical health of people with severe mental illness living in the community. Researcher(s): Mr DENIS Richards. Supervisor(s): Professor Chris Burton, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Mental health and Wellbeing of Prison Officers. Researcher(s): Dr Sarah Maginn. Supervisor(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes, Dr Ian Marsh. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Perceptions, impacting decision making and social behaviour of adult men engaged in a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme with histories of former school exclusions and early engagement with substance misuse and prison incarceration.. Researcher(s): Mr James Mccartney. Supervisor(s): Dr Tamara Leeuwerik, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Perimenopause, menopause, mood disorders and their link to societal and family support. Researcher(s): Mrs Claire Frost. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacqueline Wier, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Queer Expressions: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of how Irish Gay Men discuss sexuality with Healthcare Practitioners. Researcher(s): Dr John Gilmore. Supervisor(s): Dr Toni Wright, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Queering the sick room: A queer feminist narrative inquiry into the lived experience of lesbians with cancer. Researcher(s): Dr Paula Kuzbit. Supervisor(s): Dr Toni Wright, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Restarting a prisoner's life onto a supportive path leading to RESETtlement in the community: The RESET Study. Researcher(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes, Mrs Jacqueline Tallent. [Project report]
  • Road to hope through grief: A qualitative mixed methods study investigating stillbirth bereavement support pathways for ethnically diverse bereaved parents. Researcher(s): Ms Erin McCloskey. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacqueline Wier, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • The development of a questionnaire to measure in-patient satisfaction with forensic services - the Forensic Satisfaction Scale. Researcher(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Project report]
  • The effects of anticipatory grief on carers supporting a person with dementia at home and in a care home. Researcher(s): Mrs SHEILA CLARKE. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacqueline Wier, Dr Pat Chung, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Tracking the Timeline and Societal Impact of Inequality Between Autistics And Non-Autistics in the United Kingdom From the 19th Century To The Current Day. Researcher(s): Mrs Joyce Coombersewell. Supervisor(s): Dr Elisabetta Corvo, Professor Douglas MacInnes, Professor Susan Millns. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Understanding and monitoring early post-intensive discharge: exploring the role of eHealth to signpost PICS symptoms. Researcher(s): Mr Daniel Lai Jie. Supervisor(s): Professor Teresa D'Oliveira, Professor Sukhwinder Singh Shergill, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Understanding and monitoring early post-intensive discharge: exploring the role of eHealth to signpost PICS symptoms. Researcher(s): Dr Daniel Lai. Supervisor(s): Professor Sukhwinder Shergill, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Using film as a tool for mental health promotion. Researcher(s): Ms Athene Lane-Martin. Supervisor(s): Professor Douglas MacInnes, Dr Andy Birtwistle. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Women’s Experiences of Long-Term Impact of Traumatic Childbirth on Their Lives: Examining Relationships, Healthcare Access, and Quality of Life. Researcher(s): Mrs Natalija Kolesnikova. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacqueline Wier, Professor Douglas MacInnes. [Postgraduate Research Project]

I am member of the national Mental Health Nurse Academics UK. I am also a member of the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust Research and Development Group and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Research and Development Steering Committee. I am currently a Member of the Research Working Group reporting to the NHS England Adult Secure Clinical Reference Group and also a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Invited Review Service. Previously, I was a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Forensic Faculty Working Group on the Management of Violence and helped develop the published guidance on management of violence.

I am an Associate Editor for BMC Psychiatry (2020 Impact Factor: 2.86) and a reviewer for a number of journals including: International Journal of Nursing Studies; International Review of Psychiatry, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing; Journal of Mental Health, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology; Perspectives in Public Health; and BMJ Open. I also peer review for the following funding bodies: National Institute of Health Research, Programme Grants for Applied Research; National Institute of Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit Fund; Health Review Board, Ministry of Health, Ireland; The Big Lottery Fund.

I am currently a member of the University Research Research and Enterprise Integrity Committee. On a Faculty level, I am the Chair of the Faculty Mental Health Research hub and a member of the Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy Unit of Assessment (UoA 3) REF Steering Committee and lead author of the mental health research impact case study which will be part of the REF submission. I am also a member of the School of Nursing Strategic Executive Team.