Dr Sophie Faulkner completed a PhD at the University of Manchester funded by a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) / Health Education England (HEE) Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship, completing in 2022. Dr Faulkner continues to work on research related to sleep, circadian rhythm and mental health with University of Manchester researchers in Centre for New Treatments and Understanding in Mental Health (CeNTrUM) and Centre for Biological Timing (CfBT).

Dr Faulkner’s PhD research set out with the aim to develop an acceptable, safe and user-centred behavioural treatment for poor sleep in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, incorporating input regarding daytime activity, and delivered by an occupational therapist.  Occupational therapists specialise in addressing routines and daytime activity, and are therefore well placed to deliver sleep interventions, given suitable training in sleep science.

Phase one of this project involved two systematic reviews and meta-analysis, regarding interventions which alter light exposure patterns to improve sleep in populations with circadian dysregulation.  The meta-analysis examined intervention effects, and the review with mixed methods narrative synthesis examined acceptability and adherence related factors in these interventions.

Phase two involved an expert opinion study, to develop the intervention.  Expert and stakeholder perspectives were sought from mental health occupational therapists, sleep experts, mental health experts, patients and carers.

Based on these findings a novel intervention to improve sleep in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders was developed: Light-Dark and Activity Rhythm Therapy (L-DART).

Phase three evaluated the intervention developed, through a mixed methods feasibility study. Qualitative acceptability data was gathered, alongside light exposure, rest-activity pattern tracking, and a range of self-reported sleep and wellbeing measures.

Results will inform further development or larger scale testing of this intervention.  Data from this study will also support the development of a short training package to enable mental health occupational therapists to deliver this intervention.  It is the aim for this research to lead to in the widespread availability of an effective, non-pharmacological, first line treatment for sleep problems in this population.

Dr Faulkner works as a Specialist Occupational Therapist Researcher in GMMH NHS Foundation Trust, including the Psychosis Research Unit (https://www.psychosisresearch.com/), in a role split between various research projects and knowledge mobilisation activities.  Dr Faulkner has an interest in developing research capacity, runs the Research Interested Clinical Staff group, has provided mentoring to aspiring clinical academics, and has been involved in increasing the number of Research Advocates embedded within clinical teams.