Leigh Kasstan

Leigh Kasstan is a Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at the School of Nursing, Midwifery, Allied and Public Health, Canterbury Christ Church University, where she joined in November 2023. She teaches on the Nursing (Mental Health) BSc program, integrating extensive clinical expertise into her academic role.

Her educational qualifications include:

• Mental Health Nurse qualification (2012)
• Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visitor) training at Canterbury Christ Church University (2016)

Her research and professional focus centers on specialized mental health domains across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on child and adolescent mental health services and perinatal mental health contexts. She applies clinical methodologies like Dialectical Behavioural Therapy within public health frameworks, informed by direct experience as a Health Visitor and Perinatal Mental Health Nurse.

Prior to her academic appointment, Kasstan held progressive clinical roles including Staff Nurse, Charge Nurse, and Clinical Lead for a Perinatal Mental Health Service in Essex. Her transition from frontline mental health services to academia enables evidence-based teaching that bridges theoretical knowledge and practical nursing application for undergraduate students.