Health and Wellbeing

Addiction and Aberrant Behaviours

The Addiction and Aberrant Behaviours group comprises two main units – the International Gaming Research Unit (IGRU) and the Sexual Offences, Crime and Misconduct Research Unit (SOCAMRU) – alongside more individual work. The IGRU’s research focuses on behavioural addictions (e.g., particularly gambling, video games, exercise, sex, and Internet use) and utilizes quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods for both online and offline research. SOCAMRU’s research focuses on applied forensic research in the area of sex offending and sexual crime. It seeks an understanding of aggressive and violent behaviour, sexual predation in offline and online and also utlilizes a mixed methods approach.

Core staff: Mark Griffiths; Nick Blagden; Mick Gregson; Florentia Hadjiefthyvoulou; Laura Hamilton; Christine Norman; Claire Pooley; Karen Slade; Serena Simmons; Belinda Winder

Associate Staff: Maria Karanika-Murray; Alex Meredith; Garry Young; Jean Underwood; Andy Grayson

Work by the group has appeared in major international journals such as Addiction, Clinical Psychology Review, Computers in Human Behavior, PLoS ONE, and the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Our work has attracted funding from British Academy, ESRC, National Offender Management Service, Responsible Gambling Fund, Gambling Commission, and industry (Camelot, Svenska Spel, Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation).

Linked research unit (s): The International Gaming Research Unit; Sexual Offences, Crime and Misconduct Research Unit.

Wellbeing

Work from our group ranges from neuroscientific and clinical work aimed at understanding and improving the treatment of psychological disorders across the life span (e.g., ADHD, psychosis, depression, or dementia) to work focusing on a spectrum of health and wellbeing in community and workplace settings. We have a particular interest in the impact of stress and psychological trauma on wellbeing and behaviour. Our two primary attached research units include: The emergency services research unit (ESRU) which conducts award-winning research and provides teaching, training, and consultancy for the emergency services and allied organisations; and the Work and Organisational Psychology Research Unit (OWPRU) which focuses on the protection and promotion of quality of working life. Our cognitive neuroscience laboratory houses a 96 channel Biosemi active EEG system and a range of sophisticated EEG analyses packages.

Core staff: Alex Sumich; Kim Bartholomew; Viv Brunsden; Rowena Hill; Maria Karanika-Murray; Kevin Maguire; Hugh Miller; Preethi Premkumar; Sarah Seymour-Smith; Eva Sundin; Richard Trigg; Simon Watts; David Wilde; Glenn Williams

Associate Staff: Thom Baguley; Antonio Castro; Maria Kontogianni; Ben Oldfield; Louise Brown; Lucy Betts

Work by the group has been published in major international journals such as: Cortex, Psychological Medicine, Work & Stress, the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine and Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Our work has been funded by ESRC, HEFCE, NHS, Technology Strategy Board, as well as by charity, private sector and public partners (e.g., Department of Culture Media & Sport, Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, Highland & Islands Fire & Rescue Service, Care of the Elderly, Bristol Research in Alzheimer's and the Fire Fighter’s Charity).

Linked research unit (s): Emergency Services Research Unit; Work and Organisational Psychology Research Unit