Health and Wellbeing Research Cluster

This Health and Wellbeing research cluster comprises a set of research groups in the Psychology Department that explore issues around health and wellbeing from differing perspectives. NTUs sleep research covers the gamut of issues from basic biological processes underpinning sleep and waking, to how those with sleep challenges can live well, work and play satisfyingly and care for themselves and others. Specially, this research is actively engaged in studies exploring: the effects of probiotics on sleep and wellbeing (funded by Precision Biotics) mediating role of sleep in workplace wellbeing, stress and sleep loss in shift and emergency workers (with Derbyshire Constabulary and Cumbria Local Resilience Forum) remediation of workplace sleepiness (with Royal Derby Hospital), sleep in the community, and adolescent sleep and wellbeing (collaboratively with twelve schools nationally).

The group is supported by a dedicated on-site research facility The SleepWell Lab, which has its own wet laboratory for collecting and analysing a full range of blood and saliva assays, lab/home PSG/EEG sleep measurement, controlled bedroom environments, light controlled extended wakefulness facilities, extensive actigraphy, bespoke cognitive performance measurement and excellent on-line sleep and wellbeing survey resources.

The Work, Wellbeing & Performance (WWBP) research group brings together work psychologists and affiliates from across NTU with expertise in work-related health, wellbeing, and performance. It draws from and applies knowledge from a number of areas within psychology (e.g., occupational, social, personality, developmental) to improve our understanding of people in workplace settings.

NTUs Trauma, Social Isolation and Mental Health team (TSIMH) seeks to understand the underlying psychological drivers of health and wellbeing in those who suffer or previously were suffering from trauma, social isolation and mental health problems. The different research strands that make up TSIMH work together to develop new knowledge and understanding of how trauma, social isolation and mental health problems impact on individuals and communities, and to reduce this impact by evaluation and development of interventions and methodologies.

Current research endeavours in the trauma strand includes, for example, traumatic reactions after extreme life events from illness and accidents to war, torture and detention, traumatic reactions and wellbeing within critical occupations and their families, and chronic trauma as in child abuse and neglect and homelessness. In these research studies we collaborate with a wide range of charities and organisations (e.g., the Fire Fighters Charity, homelessness charities including Emmanuel House support centre for homeless people, disaster and emergency management and the national blue light bodies).

More details on each of the research groups in this cluster can be found below.