Dr Chris Keyworth

Profile

I joined The University of Leeds as a Lecturer in Psychology in May 2021. I obtained my first degree in Psychology from Lancaster University (2007), and an MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology (2010) and a PhD in Health Psychology (2015) at The University of Manchester. My PhD research focused on health risk communication and health behaviour change in the context of psoriasis, a long-term inflammatory skin condition. Prior to moving to Leeds, I worked across a number of multidisciplinary research programmes, most recently as a research fellow within the Behavioural Science sub-theme of the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre.

I am a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, a member of the BPS Division of Health Psychology and UK Society for Behavioural Medicine, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I hold honorary positions at the University of Manchester and Leeds Beckett University. I am also Associate Editor at The British Journal of Health Psychology. 

Within the School of Psychology I teach across both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and I am the Programme Manager of the Psychological Approaches to Health MSc programme. 

Responsibilities

• Programme Manager - MSc Psychological Approaches to Health

Research interests

I have a background in mixed methods research, and my core interests are:

• Applying evidence-based theory to understanding behaviour change (both patients and healthcare professionals)
• Using psychological theory to understand and develop effective health risk communication strategies
• Healthcare professional-patient communication
• Patient safety and implementation science

Current research students:

• Mental health of paramedicine students in the UK and Saudi Arabia (Adnan Alzahraniu; 2021- )
• Exploring psychological safety in adult inpatient mental healthcare (Bethany Griffin; 2022- )
• Supporting parents in managing their child’s food allergy: Using the capability, opportunity, and motivation model of behaviour to increase parental quality of life (Maria Hills; 2023- )
• Employee silence and voice in healthcare: Two sides of the same coin or a different currency? (Olga Lainidi; 2023- )
• Understanding and improving experience and safety at transitions of care for patients with mental illness (Jessica Rich; 2022- )
• Understanding Bowel Cancer screening intention across different populations: Identifying predictors of bowel screening interventions (Soumya Shetty; 2022- )
• Evidence-based psychological interventions to promote Indonesian university students' self-regulated learning post-pandemic (Idei Swasti; 2023- )
• HPV home testing as a "teachable moment" for weight management in women with obesity (Hannah Truscott; 2023- )
• The effects of childhood trauma on mental-health, defeat-entrapment and stress-related outcomes (Leizhi Wang; 2024- )

Qualifications

• PhD Health Psychology
• MSc Clinical and Health Psychology
• BSc Psychology

Professional memberships

• British Psychological Society (Chartered Psychologist)
• UK Society for Behavioural Medicine
• International Society of Behavioural Medicine
• Division of Health Psychology
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Research groups and institutes

• Health and social psychology

Current postgraduate researchers

• Jessica Rich