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What we do:

Our research group specialises in developing and applying contemporary psychological science to address health-related challenges. Our focus is on improving the interventions, services, and technologies offered to individuals experiencing psychological and/or physical health difficulties – and advancing understanding of the psychological processes that promote wellbeing and personally-meaningful behaviour change.

Research interests within the group are aligned to the UK mental health research agenda 2020-2030, namely: mental health for children and young people (goal 1), links between physical and mental health (goal 2), development of new interventions for mental health (goal 3), and improving choice and decision-making in routine care settings (goal 4). Our research group connects with the broader university theme of Health and Wellbeing.

University research themes:

Health and Wellbeing | Digitalisation | Rurality

• The work of our group (in both our applied research activity and knowledge exchange activities) closely coheres with the University’s Health and Wellbeing Research Theme. For example, our funded work for ThriveTribe seeks to evaluate and improve the quality of health and wellbeing programmes in Lincolnshire (with additional relevance to core themes of Rurality and [given the COVID-responsive shift to telehealth delivery] Digitalisation).
• As a group, we are currently conducting multiple NIHR-funded research programmes: These projects have a common focus on developing and improving care provisions, to support Health and Wellbeing. Again, some of this work has relevance to other University Research Themes (e.g., the uses of machine learning in TRIPOD and computerised cognitive training in SMART MS/MCI connect with Digitalisation).
• Much of this work entails cross-disciplinary working and partnership with local services and stakeholders (e.g., the ThriveTribe evaluation, SMART MS, and TRIPOD projects): consistent with the University’s intersecting approaches of co-creation and interdisciplinarity, and the notion of the 21^st century lab.

Latest News

• Conformity and Competence Frustration: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
  Will Burkitt had the following paper published in Psychological Reports: Burkitt, W. T. (2025). Conformity and Competence Frustration: A…Continue Reading Conformity and Competence Frustration: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
• Current Advances in Gambling Research Conference
  Amanda Roberts and Elena Petrovskaya will be attending the Current Advances in Gambling Research Conference at the University of…Continue Reading Current Advances in Gambling Research Conference
• Psychometric Properties of the Comprehensive Assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Processes (CompACT) Scale: Extending Validity Research to a French Population
  Dave and Nima, in collaboration with colleagues from France, Switzerland, and Canada, have published a new adaptation and validation…Continue Reading Psychometric Properties of the Comprehensive Assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Processes (CompACT) Scale: Extending Validity Research to a French Population