Megan Smith
- Email: psmes@leeds.ac.uk
- Thesis title: Improving support for people with severe mental illness to quit smoking: comparing a bottom up with a top-down quality improvement approach.
- Supervisors: Professor Mark Conner, Dr Ruth Baxter, Dr Emily Peckham, Dr Andria Hanbury
Profile
I am currently a first year PhD student between the University of Leeds and the Bradford Institure for Health Research (BIHR), which is funded by NIHR Yorkshire & Humber Applied Research Collaboration. Prior to this, I completed my integrated masters degree (MSc) from the University of York in 2022 in Psychology, specialising in Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.
Research interests
My project aims to investigate smoking cessation within individuals with Severe Mental Illness (SMI), as this group have a lower life expectancy than the general population, with smoking being one of the most modifiable risk factors. Standard smoking cessation guidance is often ineffective within the SMI population, yet evidence suggests these individuals are just as capable of quitting with appropriate support.
I aim to use the positive deviance approach to identify high achieving smoking cessation practices, using this to develop a ‘gold standard’ for treatment within the SMI population. I hope for this to inform healthcare staff and patient’s knowledge of appropriate and effective services, and influence policy in a way which improves quality of life and life expectancy for patients with SMI.
My research interests are:
- Health psychology
- Smoking cessation
- E-cigarettes
- Positive deviance
Qualifications
- MSc Psychology- University of York