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 conditions
- 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 |
Key Collaborators
- Sheffield Teaching Hospital
- Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Trust
- Health and Social Psychological Research Group, University of Sheffield
- Centre for Psychological Services Research, University of Sheffield
- Centre for Appearance Research, University of West of England
- There is also collaboration with a number of charities
Current DClin Psy Trainee Projects 2011-12
- Psychotic-like experiences in pregnancy and the early postpartum period: Link to the continuum model of psychosis (Aisling Mannion, supervised by Dr Rebecca Knowles & Prof Pauline Slade)
- Postnatal sleep and its impact on first-time mothers (Alison Chenery, supervised by Prof Pauline Slade)
- Childbirth memory processing and perception of pain: the role of adult attachment (Kate Warren, supervised by Prof Pauline Slade & Dr Claire Isaac)
- The effectiveness of a self-help compassion-focused intervention with an in-built implementation intention in psoriasis (Zina Muftin, supervised by Dr Andrew Thompson)
- Experiences of UK Chinese adults living with a skin condition: a qualitative study (Erica Lam, supervised by Dr Andrew Thompson)
- Rachel Clements (supervised by Dr Andrew Thompson)
- Experiences of living with vitiligo in Nigeria: a participatory qualitative study (Nicholas Taylor, supervised by Dr Andrew Thompson)
- Randomised controlled trial into the effectiveness of a self-management booklet, augmented with implementation intentions for people whose physical symptoms are medically unexplained (Hilary Maxwell, supervised by Prof Paschal Sheeran & Dr Stephen Kellett)