Health Researcher

Evaluating mental health interventions in real-world settings.

What I do

I evaluate mental health interventions in clinical and organisational settings, focusing on how and why they work, for whom, and under which conditions.

I am particularly interested in depression and chronic illness, and in how people experience and respond to support in different contexts.

My work draws on realist evaluation methods to understand how complex interventions work in real-world settings.

I work across Europe and Canada in interdisciplinary teams.

Research Focus

  • Mental health programmes and services

  • Complex interventions in clinical and organisational settings

  • Depression in chronic illness

  • Person-centred care

  • Realist evaluation and realist synthesis

Academic Background

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Evidence-Based Healthcare, University of Oxford

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research, University of Oxford

  • Master of Studies in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), University of Oxford

  • Master of Arts in History of Art, Humboldt Universität, Berlin

Selected Publications

Peer reviewed articles:

  • Micklitz K, Greenhalgh J, Lo SHL, Sawatzky R, Schick-Makaroff K (2025). How are people undergoing dialysis expected to benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy? A realist analysis. Health Expectations 28(5): e70466. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70466.

  • Schick-Makaroff K, Sawatzky R, Greenhalgh J, Cukor D, Wong H, Klarenbach S, Berendonk C, Lee L, Micklitz K, Lo LSH, Kennedy M (2025). Protocol for 'Re: CBT Dialysis': A realist evaluation-why, for whom and in what circumstances does cognitive behaviour therapy work for people with depressive symptoms receiving dialysis? BMJ Open 15(6): e090228. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-090228.

  • Micklitz K, Wong G, Howick J (2021). Mindfulness-based programmes to reduce stress and enhance well-being at work: A realist review. BMJ Open, 11:e043525. https://doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043525.

Conference presentations:

  • Micklitz K, Greenhalgh J, Lo SHL, Sawatzky R, Schick-Makaroff K (2025). Cognitive behavioural therapy for people with depressive symptoms receiving dialysis: A realist evaluation perspective. 2025 International Conference for Realist Research, Evaluation and Synthesis, Atlanta, USA.

Contact

For collaborations, research opportunities, or enquiries, please get in touch. katrinm.micklitz@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrin-micklitz