KB

Kirsten Barnicot

City University of London, City, University of London, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Research areas: Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications · Psychiatric care and mental health services

ORCID iD 0000-0001-5083-5135
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About

I am a Reader in Mental Health Services Research, the Programme Director for the MRes in Clinical Research, and the Programme Manager for NIHR INSIGHT North London at City St George's, University of London. As a psychologist with a special interest in the prevention and treatment of inter-generational mental health difficulties, my research has particularly focussed on the experiences of people diagnosed with personality disorder who may be survivors of complex trauma, and on parent-infant interventions in the perinatal period. I joined City in 2020, having previously held NIHR Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship positions at Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London. I have recently co-lead a project aimed at improving recognition and differentiation of autism in women/ transwomen/ AFAB people who may otherwise be given a diagnosis of personality disorder, funded by the McPin Foundation/ Words That Carry On. I have recently completed two evaluations of adaptations of the video feedback intervention for positive parenting (VIPP) for mothers using perinatal mental health services: an NIHR-funded randomised controlled trial of VIPP for parents with enduring difficulties in managing emotions and relationships, consistent with a personality disorder, and a Barts Charity funded feasibility evaluation of the VIPP intervention adapted for young babies. I am now leading an NIHR EME funded randomised controlled trial of VIPP in 10 perinatal mental health services across the UK. Prior to this, my NIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship explored the interplay between personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and evaluated outcomes and experiences of dialectical behaviour therapy and mentalization-based psychological therapies.

Employment

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

  • Efficacy, optimal targeting and mechanisms of a video feedback parent-infant intervention for mothers and birthing persons with severe or complex non-psychotic perinatal mental illness. National Institute for Health and Care Research
    2026 - 2031
  • Enhancing the quality of interactions between parents with psychosis and their young children: A feasibility randomised controlled trial of video feedback. National Institute for Health and Care Research
    2025 - 2028
  • NIHR INSIGHT: Inspiring Students into Research (R1 2023) National Institute for Health Research
    2024 - 2028
  • The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Structured Psychological Support for people with personality disorder: Randomised controlled trial. NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre
    2022 - 2024
  • The BOOST-2 study: Optimising video feedback for perinatal mental health Barts Charity
    2021 - 2022
  • Improving recognition, understanding and differentiation of autism and personality disorder: A mixed-methods lived experience study The McPin Foundation
    2021 - 2024
  • A feasibility trial of video feedback for parents with personality disorder National Institute for Health and Care Research
    2017 - 2021
  • The impact of post-traumatic stress disorder on psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder NIHR Academy
    2014 - 2017
  • The relative importance of skills acquisition and non-specific therapeutic factors for the outcome of dialectical behaviour therapy in borderline personality disorder NIHR Academy
    2009 - 2012

Publications (72)