Dr Megan Armstrong

Profile

I am a Lecturer in Mental Health Research Methods in the Unit for Psychological Medicine in the Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health. I am a mixed method researcher and my main interests include reducing health inequalities, self-management of long-term conditions, and improving health and social care access. I research a wide range of populations including those experiencing homelessness, those experiencing socioeconomic deprivation, people with multiple long-term conditions, and palliative populations.

I have conducted research as a Principal Investigator funded by the NIHR School of Primary Care Research on the self-management of multiple long-term conditions in those experiencing socioeconomic deprivation. Additional grants I have led include how to actively include people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation in research and building a collaboration network between research academics and voluntary and community sector organisations to enhance research of health inequalities.

I also provided an impact case study for REF2021 on improving the quality and co-ordination of palliative care for people experiencing homelessness. I mentor and supervise post-doctoral researchers, as well as providing placements for In2Research students.

I am an editor for BMC Health Services Research and a representative for 'Developing an updated agenda for Primary Care research on Multiple Long-Term Conditions’ to complement the existing James Lind Alliance patient-led priorities for multimorbidity. I am also the support lead for PhD students in the Unit for Psychological Medicine.

Postgraduate Teaching

I teach Applied Research Methods on the following courses:

• MSc Mental Health: Psychological Therapies 
• MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health 
• MSc Forensic Mental Health: Research and Practice
• MSc Mental Health: Cultural Psychology and Psychiatry

Research

Research Interests:

Health inequalities, Self-management, multiple long-term conditions, palliative care, primary care.

Examples of research funding:

I am Principal Investigator on the following projects:

• Enhancing self-management in primary care for people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation with multiple long-term conditions. NIHR School for Primary Care Research. 
• Implementation of digital health interventions in primary care settings. Systematic review with narrative synthesis. NIHR School for Primary Care Research (Co-Principal Investigator).
• How to actively include people from low socioeconomic positions in research from participation to dissemination. UCL Beacon Bursary. 
• Building a collaboration network between research academics and voluntary and community sector organisations to enhance research of health inequalities. UCL Research Culture Awards. 

I am co-investigator on the following projects:

• Improving support services for family carers from the Pakistani ethnic group through social prescribing. NIHR School for Primary Care Research. 
• Understanding the mental health and wellbeing needs within primary care of family carers of people living with dementia from a South Asian background. NIHR School for Primary Care Research. 
• A Co-Produced Guide to Youth Involvement in Mental Health Research with Under-represented Communities of Young People. NIHR Mental Health Springboard funding. 

Publications

Outstanding publications

• Okpako, T., Woodward, A., Walters, K., Davies, N., Stevenson, F., Nimmons, D., Chew-Graham, C.A., Protheroe, J. and Armstrong, M. (2023). Effectiveness of self-management interventions for long-term conditions in people experiencing socio-economic deprivation in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Public Health, 45(4), pp.970-1041.
• Woodward, A., Davies, N., Walters, K., Nimmons, D., Stevenson, F., Protheroe, J., Chew-Graham, C.A. and Armstrong, M., (2023). Self-management of multiple long-term conditions: A systematic review of the barriers and facilitators amongst people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation. Plos one, 18(2).
• Armstrong, M., Aker, N., Nair, P., Walters, K., Barrado‐Martin, Y., Kupeli, N., Sampson, E.L., Manthorpe, J., West, E. and Davies, N., (2022). Trust and inclusion during the Covid‐19 pandemic: perspectives from Black and South Asian people living with dementia and their carers in the UK. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 37(3).
• Armstrong, M., Tuijt, R., Read, J., Pigott, J., Davies, N., Manthorpe, J., Frost, R., Schrag, A. and Walters, K., (2021). Health care professionals’ perspectives on self-management for people with Parkinson’s: qualitative findings from a UK study. BMC geriatrics, 21(1), pp.1-11.
• Armstrong, M., Shulman, C., Hudson, B., Stone, P., & Hewett, N. (2021). Barriers and facilitators to accessing health and social care services for people living in homeless hostels: a qualitative study of the experiences of hostel staff and residents in UK hostels. BMJ open, 11(10), e053185.
• Armstrong, M., Shulman, C., Hudson, B., Brophy, N., Daley, J., Hewett, N., & Stone, P. (2021). The benefits and challenges of embedding specialist palliative care teams within homeless hostels to enhance support and learning: Perspectives from palliative care teams and hostel staff. Palliative Medicine.

• Pigott JS, Davies N, Chesterman E et al. (2024). Compound impact of cognitive and physical decline: A qualitative interview study of people with Parkinson's and cognitive impairment, caregivers and professionals. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1111/hex.13950

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Walters K, Armstrong M, Gardner B et al. (publicationYear). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of ‘Live Well with Parkinson’s’ self-management intervention versus treatment as usual for improving quality of life for people with Parkinson’s: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07700-7

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Rookes T, Frost R, Barrado-Martin Y et al. (2023). Type of goals set and progress towards these goals, as part of a behaviour change intervention, in people with mild cognitive impairment: a secondary analysis. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02112-8

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Pigott JS, Davies N, Chesterman E et al. (2023). Delivering Optimal Care to People with Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease: A Qualitative Study of Patient, Caregiver, and Professional Perspectives. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1155/2023/9732217

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Okpako T, Woodward A, Walters K et al. (2023). Effectiveness of self-management interventions for long-term conditions in people experiencing socio-economic deprivation in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdad145

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Woodward A, Davies N, Walters K et al. (publicationYear). Self-management of multiple long-term conditions: A systematic review of the barriers and facilitators amongst people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282036

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Davis S, Serfaty M, Low J et al. (2023). Experiential Avoidance in Advanced Cancer: a Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/s12529-022-10131-4

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Shah R, Read J, Davies N et al. (publicationYear). People with Parkinson’s perspectives and experiences of self-management: Qualitative findings from a UK study. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273428

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Mitchinson L, Chu C, Bruun A et al. (2022). How best to capture the impact of complementary therapies in palliative care: A systematic review to identify and assess the appropriateness and validity of multi-domain tools. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/02692163221122955

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Rookes TA, Schrag A, Walters K et al. (2022). Measures of fidelity of delivery and engagement in self-management interventions: A systematic review of measures. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/17407745221118555

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Rawal R, Read J, Chesterman E et al. (2022). The effectiveness of aromatherapy and reflexology in neurodegenerative disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.2217/nmt-2021-0056

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Nimmons D, Armstrong M, Pigott J et al. (2022). Exploring the experiences of people and family carers from under-represented groups in self-managing Parkinson's disease and their use of digital health to do this. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/20552076221102261

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Lamirel D, Davis S, Low J et al. (2022). Talking control sessions in people with advanced cancer: a qualitative analysis of sessions. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00837-1

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Aker N, Nair P et al. (2022). Trust and inclusion during the Covid‐19 pandemic: Perspectives from Black and South Asian people living with dementia and their carers in the UK. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1002/gps.5689

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/89810
• Armstrong M, Tuijt R, Read J et al. (2021). Health care professionals’ perspectives on self-management for people with Parkinson’s: qualitative findings from a UK study. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02678-w

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Shulman C, Hudson B et al. (2021). Barriers and facilitators to accessing health and social care services for people living in homeless hostels: a qualitative study of the experiences of hostel staff and residents in UK hostels. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053185

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Aspden T, Armstrong M, Serfaty M (2021). Views of healthcare professionals on recruiting to a psychosocial randomised controlled trial: a qualitative study. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06817-2

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Shulman C, Hudson B et al. (2021). The benefits and challenges of embedding specialist palliative care teams within homeless hostels to enhance support and learning: Perspectives from palliative care teams and hostel staff. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/02692163211006318

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Tuijt R, Tan A, Armstrong M et al. (2020). Self-Management Components as Experienced by People with Parkinson’s Disease and Their Carers: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of the Qualitative Literature. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1155/2020/8857385

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Kupeli N, Flemming K et al. (2020). Complementary therapy in palliative care: A synthesis of qualitative and quantitative systematic reviews. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/0269216320942450

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Candy B, Armstrong M, Flemming K et al. (2020). The effectiveness of aromatherapy, massage and reflexology in people with palliative care needs: A systematic review. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/0269216319884198

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Anderson RJ, Bloch S, Armstrong M et al. (2019). Communication between healthcare professionals and relatives of patients approaching the end-of-life: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/0269216319852007

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Flemming K, Kupeli N et al. (2019). Aromatherapy, massage and reflexology: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of the perspectives from people with palliative care needs. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1177/0269216319846440

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Serfaty M, Armstrong M, Vickerstaff V et al. (2019). Acceptance and commitment therapy for adults with advanced cancer (CanACT): A feasibility randomised controlled trial. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1002/pon.4960

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Morris C, Abraham C et al. (2017). Interventions utilising contact with people with disabilities to improve children's attitudes towards disability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.10.003

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Morris C, Tarrant M et al. (2017). Rasch analysis of the Chedoke–McMaster Attitudes towards Children with Handicaps scale. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2016.1140833

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armstrong M, Morris C, Abraham C et al. (2016). Children’s contact with people with disabilities and their attitudes towards disability: a cross-sectional study. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2015.1074727

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref

Supervision

I am a PhD supervisor for:

• Jennifer Pigott. Supporting the needs of people with Parkinson’s Disease and Cognitive Impairment. (upgraded). (Tertiary)
• Mouhammed Ramadhan. Novel remote assessment methods in Parkinsonian disorders. (Subsidiary)
• Tasmin Rookes: How does Mild Cognitive Impairment in older adults’ impact engagement with complex interventions and maintenance of changes to behaviour? (Tertiary)

I supervise Dr Abi Woodward's fellowship:

• Addressing the unmet health and wellbeing needs of ethnic minority family carers through co-production of inclusive and accessible social prescribing opportunities. NIHR School for Primary Care Research

I am interested in supervising PhD projects on health inequalities, self-management, and the management of multiple long-term conditions. 

Public Engagement

How can researchers actively include people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation in research? | UCL Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health Blog

Health and social care access for people experiencing homelessness and lessons for primary care | UCL Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health Blog