Nikki Dehmahdi – Assistant Psychologist (Research)
Nikki Dehmahdi is an Assistant Research Psychologist who will be working across a number of trials at PRU. At present she is assisting with the IF CBT trial which is a feasibility study investigating whether combined individual and family cognitive behavioural therapy CBT is beneficial for people who are at risk of developing Psychosis.
Nikki is also working towards establishing the minimum clinically important difference for the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR).
Nikki graduated from The University Of Lincoln with a BSc Honours degree in Psychology in 2013 and enjoyed gaining insight into a wide range of areas that the course offered, such as cognitive neuroscience, psychodynamic therapy and development in a cultural context.
Whilst completing her degree, Nikki volunteered as a Telephone Befriender for the Alzheimer’s Society and delivered support to service users and carers of individuals diagnosed with dementia. This experience significantly increased her understanding into the intricacies of the illness and ways in which carers are affected.
Following graduation, Nikki worked as a Mental Health Support Worker for an Adolescent PICU service helping young people experiencing a mental health crisis. Whilst extremely challenging at times, she enjoyed helping young people progress onto the pathway to recovery and it made her even more passionate about working with individuals experiencing mental health difficulties.
Nikki began working for Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust from 2016 and alongside this volunteered at PRU as an Honorary Research Assistant. During this time, she assisted multiple trials such as Bipolar At Risk Trial BART and IF CBT. More recently she has worked on the Meaning of Recovery Project (MORE) with Dr Heather Law and affiliated with partners at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. This study delves into what recovery means to young people and involves interviewing a sample of young people aged between 14-25 with a wide range of disorders and time in services.
Alongside her work, Nikki has enjoyed volunteering at a Psychiatric Unit in Trafford since 2014, whereby she facilitates activities and events for service users in the evenings. She loves to help others as much as she can and being told by service users that she has made a positive difference to their day is the main reason she has continued to volunteer.
In her free time, Nikki enjoys travelling and she is a massive movie fan; so much so that she travelled to Toronto last year for the international film festival!
Nikki would like to apply for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology within the next few years.