Role
Amanda is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and a member of the Department of Psychology in the School of Social Sciences. She is a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society (CPsychol).
Amanda is primarily involved in learning and teaching related to mental health and illness. She is module leader for Contemporary Issues in Mental Heath, and Contesting Mental Illness. She also teaches on several other modules including Psychology in Context, Analytical Thinking in Psychology, Professional Practice in Psychology and Research Methods (Qualitative). Amanda is particularly interested in mental health and wellbeing and supervises a number of undergraduate and post graduate students in related topic areas. She is also passionate about using visual methods in qualitative research.
Research areas
Amanda is an experienced mental health and health services researcher with a particular interest in mental health and wellbeing. She has undertaken mental health research related to topic areas such as sexual health, sexual assault, suicide, self-harm, diabetes, and cancer using various methods of data collection and analyses.
Amanda’s first post-doctoral research position involved leading a multi-centre psychological wellbeing study in teenage and young adults diagnosed with cancer at the University of Leeds. Since then she has project managed and/or collaborated on various externally funded projects. Examples include:
- a multisite Randomised Evaluation of Sexual Health Promotion Effectiveness informing Care and Treatment (RESPECT) NIHR HTA funded feasibility trial
- a systematic review of the treatment of mental health and substance misuse problems in Sexual Assault Referral Centres (NIHR funded)
- an international review to understand conversations about work in healthcare and identify opportunities to make work conversations a part of everyday health interactions, funded by Public Health England
- a pilot study exploring the care of diabetes in a secure forensic service (Research for Change funding)
- a photovoice study exploring healthy lifestyles for people with serious mental illness (Research for Change funding)
- an evaluation of creative approaches to mental health and wellbeing (Health Foundation Q funding)
Amanda is a journal board member for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. She also reviews manuscripts for the Journal of Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, Qualitative Health Research, BPS Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin, Psychology and Psychotherapy, and Journal of Writing Research. She is also a reviewer for the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).