Psychological and Social Medicine
- Group summary: Our research focuses on mental health problems such as self-harm, medically unexplained symptoms and physical and mental multi-morbidity as well as psychoses and substance misuse. We also research psychological aspects of medical practice, such as decision-making and informed choice.
What we do
Most of our staff are practising psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social scientists. Our division, led by Dr Cathy Brennan, conducts applied research into psychological and social aspects of health and healthcare.
Our research
We work across clinical contexts including:
- Causes and impacts of co-existing physical and mental disorder
- Self-harm and suicide.
- Health risks such as alcohol and substance misuse, obesity, eating disorders
- Chronic or long-term illness such as diabetes and renal failure
- Disorders associated with ageing such as stroke and dementia
- Genetic disorders.
In our research we use diverse methods quantitative, qualitative, often in a combined (mixed-method) approach.
Our research teams:
- Develop and evaluate psychological interventions such as family therapy and brief individual therapies
- Apply psychological approaches to health-related behaviour and decision
making. - Evaluate psychological and social outcomes in physical healthcare
- evaluate health services
Our research also underpins our undergraduate and postgraduate training for doctors, health services practitioners and researchers. We play a significant role in the undergraduate MBChB progamme helping to develop tomorrow’s doctors. Our postgraduate taught provision includes Health Research Methods, Systemic Practice and Family Therapy, Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry.
Our projects include:
- Liaison Psychiatry: Measurement and Evaluation of Service Types, Referral Patterns and Outcomes (LP-MAESTRO), NIHR HS+DR 2015-2019 (Allan House) https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/hsdr/135808/#/
- Function REplacement in repeated Self-Harm: Standardising Therapeutic Assessment and the Related Therapy: FReSH START, NIHR PGfAR 2018-2024 (Allan House)
- Trial on Improving Inter-Generational Attachment for Children Undergoing Behaviour problems (TIGA-CUB), NIHR RfPB (David Cottrell)
- The Yorkshire Dialysis and Conservative Management Decision Aid (YoDCA) development study, Kidney Research Yorkshire 2017-2019 (Hilary Bekker)
- Scalable behavioural weight management programme for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, NIHR PGfAR 2017-2023 (Andy Hill)
Who we work with
We work closely with service users and carers, local NHS Trusts, and research groups nationally and internationally. We recognize diversity in cultural and social backgrounds and the different healthcare needs within communities. Accordingly, much of our work is collaborative, providing the required psychological, social and methodological expertise within multi-disciplinary research teams.
Who we are
People
Division Lead
Dr Cathy Brennan
Academic Support Secretary
Helen Walters
Other Staff