معرفی
Kaat De Backer serves as an NIHR Research Fellow in Maternal & Perinatal Mental Health within the Women & Children's Health department. Her research focuses on vulnerable women navigating the intersection of maternal mental health and child protection systems during the perinatal period.
Her research interests center on maternal mental health crises, particularly suicide attempts during pregnancy and postpartum, women's experiences with child protection services during pregnancy, and the application of reproductive justice frameworks to maternity care. De Backer employs primarily qualitative methodologies including grounded theory and critical interpretive synthesis to explore these complex issues from both patient and healthcare provider perspectives.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward examining systemic failures in maternity care for women involved with social services, with increasing focus on reproductive justice frameworks. Her work spans clinical psychiatry, public health policy, and qualitative social science methodology, with particular emphasis on how social determinants of health impact maternal outcomes.
De Backer currently leads three major research projects funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), including the MOMS@RISC study investigating outcomes for women facing infant separation due to social care proceedings. She serves as Primary Investigator on the MUMS@RISC ESRC project and as Co-Investigator on two NIHR-funded studies examining maternal mental health and child protection interactions.
Her collaborative network includes researchers from multiple institutions, with frequent co-authorship with experts in maternal mental health including Sandall, Montgomery, and Easter. De Backer's work contributes significantly to Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and wellbeing, particularly for vulnerable women during pregnancy and early motherhood.
