Profile
Areas of expertise
- Community and social wellbeing interventions
- Psychological approaches to distress
- Dementia care and personhood
- Long-term mental health problems
- Qualitative and mixed-methods approaches
Academic biography
Dr Cheyann Heap has a background in applied psychology and human rights. She is interested in social connection, the links between structural inequalities and wellbeing, and using psychological ideas in community settings. Cheyann has worked on a range of mixed-method projects and literature reviews across clinical and non-clinical settings, with a focus on community-based mental health interventions. She welcomes international collaborations, and has hands-on experience on international development projects including human rights and disability, women’s rights, youth employment, and the mental health support for international volunteers.
Recent projects include: Community-Enhanced Social Prescribing (a mixed methods feasibility study); SCENE (randomised controlled trial of a social intervention for psychosis); realist review of participatory mental health interventions in low- and middle-income countries; developing a narrative wellbeing workshop for LGBT people (LGBTree of Life).
Publications
Recent publications
Ngamaba, K. H. & Heap, C. (2022). Benefits of Running a Multicultural Singing Project Among Older Adults in a Naturalistic Residential Environment: Case Studies of Four Residential Care Homes in England. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(9), 52-53.
Heap, C., Trigeorgis, C., Garzonis, K., Tribe, R., Mighetto , I & Vos, J. (2019). Austerity crisis. In Vos, J., Roberts, R., & Davies, J. (Eds.). Mental health in crisis (pp.16-30). London: SAGE Publications.
Heap, C. J., & Wolverson, E. (2018). Intensive Interaction and discourses of personhood: A focus group study with dementia caregivers. Dementia, 1471301218814389.
Heap, C. J. (2016). Physical touch as a pathway to personhood in dementia care (Doctoral dissertation, University of Hull).
Conference presentations
Ngamaba, K. H. & Heap, C. J. (2022, October). ‘No care without community’ Case study: Benefits of Running a Multicultural Singing Project Among Older Adults in a Naturalistic Residential Environment. Presented at Public Policy Exchange Webinar on Tackling the
Crisis in Care Homes (online). Heap C. (2022, October). Lockdown and the LGBTree of Life. Presented at the British Psychological Society Community Psychology Festival, Southampton, UK.
Heap. C. (2018, March). Reflections on being a newly qualified clinical psychologist in 2018. Presented at British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology Yorkshire and Humber Branch AGM, York, UK.
Heap. C., and Bright, B. (2019, January). Identities of clinical psychologists across the 'lifespan': positioning ourselves in 2019. Presented at British Psychological Annual Conference, Manchester, UK.
