Jenny Patterson

Jenny Patterson is a Research Fellow at the School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, specializing in maternal mental health and perinatal care experiences. Her work bridges clinical practice and research to address critical gaps in maternity services.

• Institution: Edinburgh Napier University
• School: School of Health and Social Care
• Research Focus: Maternal mental health, PTSD in childbirth, perinatal loss

Her research centers on psychological trauma in maternity contexts, particularly PTSD following childbirth and perinatal loss. She investigates care provider interactions, develops clinical guidelines for midwives, and creates interventions for vulnerable populations including refugees and women in disadvantaged communities. Key methodologies include systematic reviews and community-based intervention trials.

Analysis of her publications reveals consistent focus on trauma-informed maternity care, with emerging trends in culturally competent interventions for non-English speaking populations and evidence-based protocols for distinguishing PTSD from postnatal depression. Her work demonstrates increasing emphasis on participatory research approaches with frontline healthcare providers.

Patterson has secured competitive funding from major health research bodies including the Chief Scientists Office (£33,319), Royal Society of Edinburgh (£500), and Held in Our Hearts Limited (£68,751). Her projects address critical maternity care gaps: informed consent translation for limited-English speakers, EMDR therapy for PTSD after perinatal loss, and smoking cessation programs for disadvantaged women in Ireland.