Psychological health and wellbeing

Postgraduate researcher: Rainah Seepersad

Supervisors: Dr Bernice Wright, Dr Rachel Anderson, Dr Sue Stebbings

Qualitative analysis of psychological therapy in the United Kingdom (UK) and Trinidad and Tobago (TT): An intersectional and culturally responsive perspective.

Method

Data is being collected using semi structured individual interviews and focus groups to explore the experiences of practitioners and service users in psychological therapy surrounding social identity characteristics such as race, ethnicity and culture.

Preliminary findings

Barriers to mental health access vary in diverse settings as diaspora communities may have similar experiences, but they are not the same. Practitioners and service users have suggested reflective practice from practitioners to help to meet the needs of service users, given barriers surrounding their social identity. A reflective model which acknowledges the intersections of these mental health barriers, informed by intentional practices such as cultural competence, cultural attunement and cultural humility in the therapy room, is being developed for use within mental health intervention and practice.

Goals

• Decolonising mental health practice, research literature and curriculum
• Open discussions around culturally relevant mental health care 

Project team: Dr Bernice Wright and Clare Marney

SPARC research has focused on evaluating ways to improve mental and physical wellbeing in disordered eating populations. Our study explored participants thoughts about their maladaptive schema modes. Participants identified with their high scoring modes and thought them useful for self-understanding, thus supporting schema therapy as a promising way of understanding the psychopathology underlying enduring eating disorders.

Output: Marney, C., Reid, M., & Wright, B. (2024). A mixed methods study of schema modes amongst people living with eating disorders. Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(1), 78.

Project team: 

Suicide and media:

Dr Jo Bell

Dr Chris Westoby

Dr Duncan Hunter

Patricia Routh

Suicide and domestic abuse:

Dr Victoria Burton

Dr Nicola O'Leary

Camille illett

Suicide and homelessness:

Dr Jo Bell

Dr Catherine Wynne

Dr Paul Whybrow

Andrew Smith

Josmi Puthettu

Suicide and addiction:

Prof Thomas Phillips

Dr Philippa Case

Dr Chao Huang

Koren-Marie Cowap

Our research focuses on addressing suicide as a global public health issue by exploring how social justice and structural inequalities contribute to vulnerability, aiming to develop more effective, society-level suicide prevention interventions.

By taking an interdisciplinary approach to developing novel interventions that reduce suicide risk across society, this PhD cluster will directly align with key strategic priorities. The World Health Organisation has identified suicide as a public health issue and one that is not reduceable to any singular explanation. We have four interdisciplinary PhD projects: Suicide and media, suicide and domestic abuse, suicide and addiction, suicide and homelessness.

Visit Suicide prevention and social justice webpage

Project team:

Dr Henning Holle, Chloe North, Dr David George, Dr Paul Skarratt (University of Hull)

Prof Shernaz Walton (Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)

Prof Antoinette IM van Laarhoven (University of Leiden, Netherlands)

Sylvia van Beugen (University of Leiden, Netherlands)

Visible skin diseases like eczema or psoriasis affect up to 20% of the population and are associated with significant psychological distress including increased rates of anxiety and depression. Although there have been repeated calls in the UK parliament for improved psychosocial support, patients rate the current NHS mental health provision for skin as poor.

Led by Dr Henning Holle, the interdisciplinary team of psychologists and dermatologists seeks to understand the psychological mechanisms around psychological distress, stigma and anxiety in patients with eczema and psoriasis. Funded by various skin health charities, including the British Skin Foundation, the Psoriasis Association and most recently the National Eczema Association, the team aims to understand factors of resilience and vulnerability in patients with visible skin diseases.

Our aim is to address the currently unmet need for psychosocial support and increase stress resilience of those affected by visible skin diseases. This involves creating and offering internet-based behavioural training, raising the fascinating possibility of being able to provide interventions for large groups of patients via the internet in a convenient, accessible way at minimal cost.