Rowena Piers
Postdoctoral Research Associate - Site Coordinator
Background
I am a mixed-methods researcher in applied psychology, passionate about harnessing digital solutions to support youth mental health, particularly for populations underrepresented within current research. I currently work as a postdoctoral research associate and the site coordinator for the Contextual Mental Health research group, where I support a variety of multidisciplinary research projects. Within my current work, I often use Ecological Sampling Methodology (ESM) / Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). My research interests include digital mental health, participatory research methods, coproduction and codesign, intersectionality and inequalities, and adolescent development.
Current research interests
Digital mental health, developmental psychology, health equity, marginalisation, mental health literacy, intersectionality, social justice, coproduction, participatory action research methods, PPIEAffiliated research centres
Project activity
Current projects:
- I am currently the study coordinator for the Edinburgh site of the IMMERSE study. Within IMMERSE, we aim to further transform ESM/EMA into an innovative, clinical digital health tool, Digital Mobile Mental Health (DMMH), in close collaboration with stakeholders, while also specifically evaluating the implementation of this tool in routine mental health care in four countries in Europe.
- I am also currently collaborating on a project with researchers in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to better understand young people's mental health experiences in Kazakhstan using ESM/EMA. This builds upon a previous project that I contributed to, which involved a collaboration between the University of Edinburgh, Data for Children Collaborative and UNICEF project officers in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.