Rob Allison
Senior Lecturer in Mental Health

Profile

Biography

Rob is a lecturer in the Department of Health Sciences, University of York. He has clinical experience in a variety of clinical settings with people experiencing a wide range of mental health problems, particularly working with people and families who experience psychosis. He trained as a mental health nurse in Newcastle upon Tyne and joined the Department in 2008 as a mental health lecturer.

Rob is interested in alternative approaches to supporting mental health problems. In collaboration with colleagues and people with lived experience, he previously established and co-facilitated a ‘Thinking about Medication’ group to support people wishing to take more control, reduce or stop their prescribed psychiatric medication.

For his PhD, Rob investigated the experiences of voice hearing within mental health treatment settings from the perspectives of people who hear voices and mental health practitioners.

Qualifications

RMN
MSc
PGCAP
Registered NMC teacher
PhD

Departmental roles

Member of Undergraduate Programmes Board
Member of Board of Studies
Member of Board of Examiners

Teaching

Undergraduate

Rob teaches across a range of undergraduate nursing modules.

Research

Overview

Rob's research interests are in the role of mental health nursing, particularly regarding coercion across mental health treatment, experiences and approaches to understanding and treating distress related to voice hearing; the administration (and prescription) of psychiatric medication; exploring more meaningful and effective ways for mental health nurses to engage with and work alongside people distressed with mental health problems entering services; the power imbalance within mental health services and the impact of this in terms of shared decision making and ‘treatment’.

External activities

Memberships

Nursing and Midwifery Council
Higher Education Academy
Steering Group Member and convener of York conference regarding mental health-related issues

Editorial duties

External Examiner Roles

External examiner for the BSc (Hons)/MSc Mental Health Nursing (University of Central Lancashire).

Publications

Selected publications

Allison, R. (2024) Differences between nurses’ and patients’ perceptions regarding therapeutic relationships exist but are not fully understood. Evidence-Based Nursing. DOI: 10.1136/ebnurs-2023-103897
Allison, R. (2023) Alignment of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are required to encourage nurse educators to remain in academia. Evidence-Based Nursing. DOI: 10.1136/ebnurs-2023-103726
Allison, R. (2023) Four ways nurses can help people who hear voices. Mental Health Practice, 26, 4, 16-17.
Allison, R., (2022) A tripartite relationship theory of voice hearing: a grounded theory study. Psychosis, pp.1-13.
Lafferty, R., & Allison, R. (2021). Voice Dialogue. In The Practical Handbook of Hearing Voices: Therapeutic and Creative Approaches (pp. 194-202). Monmouth: PCCS Books.
Allison, R & Flemming, K (2019) Mental Health patients' experiences of softer coercion and its effects on their interactions with practitioners: a qualitative evidence synthesis. Journal of Advanced Nursing. DOI: 10.1111/jan.14035
Simpson, A., Allison, R. and Lambley, R. (2017) The acute care setting. In Chambers, M. (ed.) (2017) Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The craft of caring (3rd edition), 53: 587-594. New York: Routledge.
2014 Flemming M, Savage Grainge A, Allison R, Martin C, 2014, Practitioners undertaking modular family intervention training: measuring competence, British Journal of Mental Health Nursing 3(1): 12-17 (Jan 2014)
Allison R (2011) “Engaging clients through outdoor activities: a small group of clients and staff organised a series of camping trips as an alternative to institutional respite care”. Mental Health Practice, vol. 14, no. 5, 16-19.
Allison R, Flowerdew K & Elmslie A (2012) Promoting a discussion about adherence to psychiatric medication. Mental Health Practice, vol.16, no.3, pp. 18-22.
Allison R & Bergin G (2013) “A flexible and integrated approach to family intervention”. Mental Health Practice, 16, (8), 18-23.

Rob Allison Senior Lecturer in Mental Health