Heidi Stevens
Research Assistant

Profile

Biography

Heidi previously worked for Teesside university on a qualitative project with Middlesbrough Council investigating inclusivity in local public health campaigns.  Heidi was also Research Associate at Teesside University on an NENC NIHR ARC funded project evaluating the NHS TEWV Nutrition and BMI Clinical Link Pathway for people living with Severe Mental Illness and/or Learning Disabilities.

Heidi joined the BALM study at the University of York in 2022 and has since worked on MODS and BASIL+. She is currently working on the SCEPTRE and ESCAPE studies and also assists on animal human interaction studies.

She is in the final year of a funded PhD at Teesside University focussing on healthy weight management for people with severe mental illness in the context of the community mental health transformation plan.

Qualifications

• BSc hons Food and Nutrition, 1st (Teesside University)
• MSc Public Health, distinction (University of York)

Research

Overview

Heidi is interested in the tailoring of mental health support and services to specific populations and in making public health information more inclusive and accessible to improve health literacy.

As an Association for Nutrition (AfN) registered nutritionist, Heidi is also interested in weight management and the obesogenic environment.

Previous projects

• ESCAPE RCT - e-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation and Reduction in People with Mental Illness
• SCEPTRE feasibility study - Smoking Cessation and Prevention of Relapse in Tobacco use Following a Smoke Free Mental Health Inpatient Stay
• Evaluation of a Family Dog Service for Children with Autism Spectrum Condition
• BALM Study – Behavioural Activation for Low Mood and Anxiety in Male NHS Frontline Staff
• BASIL+  – Behavioural Activation in Social Isolation for Older People.
• MODS – Managing Multiple Health Conditions in Older Adults

Research group(s)

• Mental Health and Addiction

External activities

Overview

• Fuse the Centre for Translational Research – associate research member
• Association for Nutrition (AfN)
• North East Obesity Forum (NEOF) – committee member

Publications

Full publications list

• Stevens H, Smith J, Bussey L, Innerd A, McGeechan G, Fishburn S, Giles E. Weight management interventions for adults living with overweight or obesity and severe mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Nutr. 2023 Aug 14;130(3):536-552. doi: 10.1017/S0007114522003403. Epub 2022 Nov 3. PMID: 36325987; PMCID: PMC10331435.

• Smith J, Stevens H, Lake AA, Teasdale S, Giles EL. Food insecurity in adults with severe mental illness: A systematic review with meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2024 Apr;31(2):133-151. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12969. Epub 2023 Aug 24. PMID: 37621069.

• Giles EL, Stevens H, McGeechan GJ, Walker L, Pakunwanich N, Whittaker V, Smith J. Evaluating the nutrition and body mass index clinical link pathway in mental health and learning disability services: A mixed-methods study. PLoS One. 2024 Jun 13;19(6): e0303893. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303893. PMID: 38870198; PMCID: PMC11175514.

• Shoesmith, EK, Hall, S, Sowden, AJ, Stevens, H, Pervin, JL, Riga, J, McMillan, D, Mills, D, Clarke, C, Wu, Q, Gibsone, S & Ratschen, E 2024, Dog-assisted interventions for children and adults with mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions: a systematic review, British Journal of Psychiatry.

• Shoesmith, E., Stevens, H., Gibsone, S., Miles, C., Beal, H., Jennings, K., & Ratschen, E. (2025). Supporting Families to ‘Make the Most’ of the Relationship Between Their Companion Dogs and Their Children with Autism Spectrum Condition: A Qualitative Exploration of the Family Dog Service. Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), 162. 

Blogs

• What came first, food insecurity or severe mental illness?
• Father’s Day is a reminder that men’s mental health is everybody’s concern
• Psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder: room for more evidence