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Dr Caroline Davenport

Lecturer in Nursing

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Health Sciences
  • School of Nursing and Midwifery

Qualifications

  • BSc (University of Nottingham)
  • MA (University of Nottingham)
  • PGDip (Sheffield Hallam University)
  • PGCert (Sheffield Hallam University)
  • PhD / DPhil (Anglia Ruskin University)

Summary

Background:

Caroline is currently a lecturer at the University of Hull, having commenced her role in July 2023.

Caroline completed the MA Research Methods in 2015. Having conducted empirical research into maternal mental health in the National Health Service [NHS], she later trained as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse [SCPHN]-Health Visiting.

In September 2020 Caroline was granted a Vice Chancellor PhD scholarship at Anglia Ruskin University, where she focused on fathers with postnatal depression, completing this award in August 2023. During her PhD she conducted a series of studies including a systematic review, and four primary research studies into fathers, mothers, and health visitors. This has resulted in five publications across a range of health journals, offering original knowledge and recommendations for healthcare practice. Most recently, these have been requested by the UK Fatherhood Institute. One article was included in the Scottish Government's evidence synthesis for paternal mental health in January 2024. The impact of this research extends to wider professions. Caroline has recently published an editorial for the British Journal of General Practice on supporting fathers who present to Primary Care with perinatal depression.

External Activities:

Caroline is an external examiner for Robert Gordon University Aberdeen.

She is also a peer reviewer for a range of journals including the Joanna Briggs Institute. She has previously undertaken work as an education reviewer for the Royal College of Nursing.

Caroline also held the role of patient representative for the Royal College of Psychiatrists for two years between 2021-2023 and was a named contributor to their Early Years Position Statement for infant mental health, released in 2023.

Caroline is currently in the process of designing research to examine student health visitor and school nurses' beliefs and attitudes towards postnatal depression in fathers. Caroline is currently involved in a grant applications for maternal mental health and separately, paternal mental health.

Caroline holds Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy [FHEA]. She is module leader for the Level 7 Perinatal Mental Health Module. She teaches research methods, masculinity and men’s health, reproductive health, co-production, (perinatal) mental health, and public health promotion and health inequality. She teaches across a range of modules and programmes at all levels of learning.

Caroline is currently studying the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice.

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Digital Artefact

A public health pedagogy: working towards educational leadership

Davenport, C. (2024). A public health pedagogy: working towards educational leadership. [https://www.hull.ac.uk/choose-hull/study-at-hull/teaching-academy/news/a-public-health-pedagogy-working-towards-educational-leadership]. Online

Journal Article

Health professionals' practice experiences of infant mental health

Phillips, S., & Davenport, C. (2025). Health professionals’ practice experiences of infant mental health. Journal of Family and Child Health, 2(2), 72-78. https://doi.org/10.12968/jfch.2025.2.2.72

'Seeing and knowing' as processes to improve care experience: what actions facilitate these experiences and how can health professionals achieve them?

Davenport, C. (in press). ‘Seeing and knowing’ as processes to improve care experience: what actions facilitate these experiences and how can health professionals achieve them?. Evidence-Based Nursing, https://doi.org/10.1136/ebnurs-2024-104119

A content analysis of mothers' online communications of their partners' presumed paternal postnatal depression

Davenport, C., & Swami, V. (2024). A content analysis of mothers’ online communications of their partners’ presumed paternal postnatal depression. Journal of Health Visiting, 12(5), 210–216. https://doi.org/10.12968/johv.2024.12.5.210

Presentation / Conference Contribution

A co-produced curriculum: embedding mental health lived experience into mental health nurse education

Davenport, C., & Maile, C. (2024, July). A co-produced curriculum: embedding mental health lived experience into mental health nurse education. Presented at Teaching Excellence Academy International Annual Conference., University of Hull

Research interests

Perinatal Mental Health; Men's Health; Family Health.

Postgraduate supervision

Caroline welcomes prospective students who are interested in fatherhood, men’s mental health, perinatal mental health, health visiting, and public health/social inequality.

Membership/Fellowship of professional body

NMC Registered Nurse SCPHN(HV)

2020 - 2024

NMC Registered Nurse Adult

2014 - 2024

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