The University of Sheffield
Clinical Psychology Unit

Clinical Health Psychology Picture

Research in Clinical Health Psychology

The aim of the clinical health psychology research group is to further our understanding of the interaction between psychological, social, and cultural factors in relation to physical health.

Primary areas of expertise include: psychological aspects of reproductive health (including pregnancy, the postpartum and gynaecological conditions), adjustment in appearance altering conditions, and psychological management of long-term health conditions.

Key areas of interest

Adjustment in appearance altering conditionsPicture of face sculpture

  • The experience of living with a visible difference or disfigurement. This includes exploring the role played by cultural, social, and psychological factors in accounting for the variance in adjustment evident in a range of conditions.
  • Psychodermatology. Exploring the relationship between skin conditions and psychological factors.
  • The psychological management of long-term health conditions. This includes the development of psychosocial interventions aimed at facilitating adjustment or alleviating distress that maybe associated with illness.

Staff undertaking research in this area

Name Summary of thematic area Key collaborators
Dr Andrew Thompson Adjustment to illness, particularly those that affect appearance/body-image; adjustment after trauma/PTSD; somatisation/medically unexplained symptoms. Active collaborations within hospitals across Yorkshire and links with a variety of medical specialities including Oncologists, Dermatologists, & Plastic Surgeons. Also, links with The Centre for Appearance Research at the University of West of England, and with charities such as Changing Faces and The Vitiligo Society. Internal collaborations with Dr. Paul Norman, Professor Paschal Sheeran, and Dr. Tom Webb within the Psychology department.
Dr Stephen Kellett Psychodermatology and medically unexplained symptoms; Long term conditions Active collaborations within hospitals across Yorkshire and links with a variety of medical specialities including Oncology, Dermatology, & Plastic Surgery. Active collaboration with General Practice clusters. Active collaborations with Yorkshire and Humber IAPT services.
Dr Anastasia Lavda Psychodermatology; psychological factors that influence adjustment to appearance affecting conditions particularly cognitive and dispositional factors; psychological interventions for long term health conditions; attachment and coping with health conditions. Dr Andrew Thompson; Dr Abigail Millings; Claire Lewis, Andy Chandry, Garrett Brown; Tatjana
Schneider.

Key Collaborators

Selected Key Publications for the Clinical Health Psychology theme

See Clinical Psychology Key Publications & Grant Awards for a wider selection of key publications/grants for the whole unit. A full list of publications and grants for each member of staff can be accessed via individual web pages.

Lavda, A., Webb, T. & Thompson A. (2012). A Meta-Analysis of the effectiveness of psychological interventions for adults with skin conditions. British Journal of Dermatology, 167,(5), 970-979

Thompson, A. R., Clarke, S. A., Newell, R., Gawkrodger, G., & The Appearance Research Collaboration. (2010). Vitiligo linked to stigmatisation in British South Asian women: A qualitative study of the experiences of living with vitiligo. The British Journal of Dermatology, 163, 481-486.

Palayiwa, A., Sheeran, P., & Thompson, A. R. (2010). "Words Will Never Hurt Me!": Implementation Intentions Regulate Attention to Stigmatising Comments about Appearance. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 29, 575-598.

Clarke, A., Thompson, A.R., Rumsey, N., and Members of the Appearance Research Collaboration (in press). A clinical manual for of intervention for addressing appearance concern associated with disfigurement. Wiley

Selected Key Grant Awards

Research of the Futures 2022 Proof of Concept Grant. Lewis, C.E., Chandry, A.D., Lavda, A.C., Brown, G. W., Schneider, T.; StemCure: An interdisciplinary approach to the preventative cure of breast cancer (awarded July 2013). £20,000

Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) Health Partnership Scheme Start Up Grants. Thompson, A.R. Reducing psychological distress associated with skin conditions: A Partnership between The Psychology Department, The University of Sheffield, UK, and The Nigerian Association of Dermatologists, and The Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation (VITSAF) (awarded October 2012). £4715.58

The Healing Foundation. Rumsey, N. (PI) (Bristol), Newell, R. (Bradford), Clarke, A. (Royal Free Hospital, London), Newman, S. (UCL), Moss, T. (UWE), Kent, G. (Sheffield), Thompson, A. R. (Sheffield), Harcourt, D. (UWE), Charlton, R. (Warwick): Identifying factors and processes contributing to successful adjustment to disfiguring conditions in collaboration. (June 2004). £500,000

Current PhD/DClin Psy Supervision 2012-13