Research Mapping Exercise 2025

Below is a list of planned, ongoing, or recently completed studies relevant to forensic mental health services. The purpose of this list is to capture current research activity, connect colleagues with shared interests, and help reduce duplication of effort. This page is best viewed on a desktop device.

This list is updated each April. If you would like to contact any of the project leads for more information about their study, please email tsh.forensicnetwork@nhs.scot, and we will be happy to facilitate an introduction.

3	Project Title	Lead NHS Board or Organisation	Clinical Area (e.g. discipline)	Project Lead	Study Status	End Date (if known)	Single Site or Multi Site Project
	Understanding Needs, Securing Public Safety: The Forensic Network Census and Database – annual	Forensic Network	Multidisciplinary	Jamie Pitcairn
	Registered Practitioners’ Perspectives on Trauma Informed Care within a Forensic Low Secure Unit, Scotland: A Qualitative Study	Forth Valley	Forensic	Heather Laithwaite, Adam Mahoney & Karen McKeown	Ongoing		Single
	A pilot evaluation of the quality of forensic formulations and recommendations from structured professional judgement risk assessments in a forensic mental health service: using the Case Formulation Quality Checklist – Revised (CFQR-R)	Forth Valley	Forensic	Heather Laithwaite, Adam Mahoney & Karen McKeown	Ongoing		Single
	IRAMP: Investigation of risk assessment and management processes	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Multi-disciplinary	Brian Gillatt	Recently Completed		Multi
	Exploring Terminology Preferences Among Patients in Medium Secure	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Psychology	Heather Tolland	Ongoing	May 2025	Single
	Staff perceptions and experiences of psychological safety Stage 2	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Multi-disciplinary	Heather Tolland	Ongoing
	Understanding Staff Perspectives on Patients Moving on From Forensic Care	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Multi-disciplinary	Moira Paterson	Planned
	Evaluation of patient views of different kinds of restraints	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Multi-disciplinary	Rona Gow/Mark Gillespie	Planned
	Evaluating Patient-Centered Improvement Initiatives in a Female Medium Service	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Psychology	Becky Korezeniewski	Ongoing
	Forensic Mental Health Patients’ Experiences of Recovery and Rehabilitation under the Care Programme Approach	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Psychology Doctorate Project	Emma Drysdale (field supervisor)	Planned
	Development of a trauma measure for forensic patients who have offence-related trauma	Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Psychology Doctorate Project	Emma Drysdale (field supervisor)	Planned
	Trauma-informed care in low secure forensic settings in Scotland	NHS Grampian	Staff views on the implementation of trauma informed care	Nadine Genz	Ongoing	June 2025	Multi
	CSo Researcher Fellowship Pre-Doctoral Award: Art Psychotherapy with Women in a Trauma-Informed Prison Setting	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	Art Psychotherapy (AHP)	Ruth Switalski	Ongoing	March 2026	Single
	Switching On Inclusion: A Service Evaluation Exploring Patient Experiences of Electronic Device Access in a Forensic Mental Health Ward	NHS Lanarkshire	Forensic	Tanya Grant\nDr Sarah Lawson	Ongoing	TBC	Single
	Understanding dementia rates and features within the prison population	NHS Lanarkshire/ University of Glasgow	Forensic/ older adults\nDClinPsy MRPs	Dr Alex Fradera\nDr David Grinter	Ongoing	2026	Multi
	Understanding NHS healthcare staff perceptions and experiences of delivering trauma-informed care in adult male forensic settings	NHS Lanarkshire/ University of Glasgow	Forensic\nDClinPsy MRPs	Dr Moya Clancy \nDr Sarah Lawson\nDr Robert Turton	Ongoing	2027	Multi
	Improving awareness of physical ability in The Orchard Clinic	NHS Lothian	MDT – Medical, OT & Dietitian	Susan Bradford, Gavin Third & Heather Conn	Ongoing		Single
	A review of the implementation of the Order for Lifelong Restriction	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Ongoing		Single
	Review of the RMA’s Risk Assessment Tools Evaluation Directory (RATED)	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Ongoing		Single
	Development of the RMA’s Risk Management Directory, Selecting Approaches for Effectively Responding to Risk (SAFERR) [Published and work ongoing]	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Ongoing		Single
	Exploring rates of personality disorder in the OLR population	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Ongoing		Single
	Experiences of justice social workers using an assessment framework for assessing individuals convicted of IIOC (indecent images of children)	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Ongoing		Single
	Exploring rates of psychopathy in the OLR population	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Ongoing		Single
	Literature review of ‘Risk Assessment without Convictions’ (pre-trial risk assessment)	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Recently Completed		Single
	Exploring lived experiences of progression through the Order for Lifelong Restriction and experiences of developing professional and social relationships	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Recently Completed		Single
	Exploring the inter-rater reliability of CPORT and CASIC	Risk Management Authority	Risk Management	Geoff Tordzro-Taylor	Recently Completed		Single
	Exploring the perception of Reflective Practice Groups	TSH	MDT	Helen Walker & Adam Polnay	Ongoing	End Dec 2025	Multi
	Staff experience from a clinical student to newly qualified practitioner in a high secure forensic mental health service and any impact of CV-19 educational arrangements on final year preparation for practice.	TSH	Nursing	Helen Walker, Hamish Fulford & Patricia Coia	Recently Completed	June 2025	Single
	Evaluation of the effectiveness of a 12-week Football Fans in Training (FFIT) course on the aerobic fitness and well-being of patients within a high secure forensic inpatient hospital.	TSH	Nursing	Craig Smith	Recently Completed	End 2025	Single
	Registered Practitioners’ Perspectives on Trauma-Informed Care within A High Secure Hospital, Scotland: A Qualitative Study	TSH	Nursing	Samantha Munoz	Recently Completed	End 2025	Single
	Linking Minds: The Impact of Psychological Link Nursing in a High-Secure Mental Health Setting	TSH	Nursing/Psychology	Dr Hamish Fulford, Hugh Cunningham	Recently Completed		Single
	Do mental health professionals feel a patient diagnosis of Personality Disorder effects their ability to care and treat this patient group?	TSH	Nursing	Frances Graham	Recently Completed		Single
	Recovery and risk: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of staff and patient experiences in a high secure forensic intellectual disability service.	TSH	Psychology	Kirsty Haig	Recently Completed		Single
	A mixed-methods study exploring mental health nurses’ views of the risk assessment process and how the outcomes of risk assessment influence nursing practice within forensic mental healthcare	TSH	Nursing	Josie Clark	Ongoing		Multi
	Can physiological monitoring identify imminent violence in mentally ill offenders?	TSH	Psychology	Dr Suzanne O’Rourke	Ongoing		Single
	Understanding Patient and Professional Experiences of Psychological Group Work	TSH	Nursing, Psychology	Dr Hamish Fulford, Hugh Cunningham, Alan Steel	Ongoing	2026-05-01 00:00:00	Single
	How is grief experienced by men who have killed a loved one? Perspectives of patients and staff within a high secure hospital.	TSH	Psychology	Olivia Shaw	Ongoing	2025-08-01 00:00:00	Multi
	Offenders, prisoners or patients? Risk needs and management differences of patients in high secure settings	TSH	Psychology	Greco Muratori	Ongoing	2026-05-01 00:00:00	Single
	Comparing models of care in forensic mental health systems: an international realist evaluation	University of Edinburgh and University of Quebec	Psychiatry / Psychology	Prof Lindsay Thomson
	Progression through services: data linkage and analysis of transitions and overall pathway of the 2013 Scottish forensic inpatient population	University of Edinburgh	Psychiatry	Prof Lindsay Thomson & Cheryl Rees	Ongoing	January 2026	Single
	Evaluation of the implementation and utility of the new State Hospital Clinical Model	University of Edinburgh	Psychiatry / multidisciplinary	Prof Lindsay Thomson & Cheryl Rees	Ongoing	January 2026	Single