Psychopathologies

This group conducts research focusing on a range of psychiatric disorders/mental health problems, including bipolar disorder, neurodegenerative diseases, eating disorders, and psychosis. A range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies are used to assess the development of psychopathologies and devise interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of those affected. 

Examples of projects and partnerships include:  

Student Mental Health 

Members of the Psychopathologies group lead a number of research projects investigating student mental health and wellbeing. In addition, they are involved in projects attempting to better our understanding of what matters to student quality of life and of what sorts of interventions can help students to navigate common challenges they face whilst at university. This work has been funded and/or developed in collaboration with the Office for Students, the UKRI-funded SMaRteN Network, and the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust. 

Memory Problems in Older Adults 

Members of the Psychopathologies group are involved in projects investigating memory and related functions in human health and disease. This research combines a range of different methods including sensitive memory tests, brain activity recording methods, and virtual reality technology. The long-term aims of these projects are to develop new tools to help diagnose conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease at an earlier stage, and to develop safe, low-cost interventions to support memory and reduce forgetting in those living with and without dementia. 

Bipolar Disorder 

Members of the Psychopathologies group are involved in projects that aim to better our understanding of the psychological risk factors for bipolar disorder, of which interventions can help people with lived experience of bipolar disorder, and of the ways in which young people at risk of developing bipolar disorder can be supported. This work has been funded and/or developed in collaboration with the Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research at Lancaster University, the Northern Centre for Mood Disorders at Newcastle University, the Mood Disorders Centre at Exeter University, and the National Institute for Health Research. 

Hallucinations and Psychosis 

Members of the Psychopathologies group are involved in projects investigating how hallucinations develop in people with psychosis and in people without mental health problems, as well as projects that aim to develop interventions to help patients who experience distressing hallucinations. These projects are under-pinned by an ‘open science approach’ that emphasises reproducibility and replicability through, for example, engaging in large-scale, multi-site studies that aim to evaluate the ‘trustworthiness’ of previous research findings. This work has been funded and/or developed in collaboration with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Tees, Esk, and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust, Durham University, and the University of Cambridge. 

Body Image Concerns in Clinical Populations 

Members of the Psychopathologies group are involved in projects that aim to better our understanding of body image concerns in both clinical (e.g., patients diagnosed with an eating disorder) and non-clinical groups. The primary aim of this programme of research is to develop interventions that effectively alleviate the body image concerns of patients diagnosed with an eating disorder. This work has been developed in collaboration with Lincoln University, Tromso University, and Durham University.