There is a thriving, internationally recognised health and social psychology research group in Psychology; the largest core-funded health research group in Scotland. Our mission is to develop and apply psychological theory and methods to health and social behaviours. Areas of research include Health Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Community Psychology, Neuropsychology and Social Psychology.

The Stirling Suicidal Behaviour Research Group (SBRG), the only dedicated suicide research group in Scotland, is located within the Centre for Health and Behaviour Change. Our research has been funded by a wide variety of sources including the ESRC, MRC, Chief Scientist Office, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, NHS, Nuffield and Leverhulme. We run an MSc in Health Psychology and an MSc in Psychological Therapy and Primary Care. We welcome PhD applications, and offer supervision of Stage 2 training in Health Psychology.

Recent News

January 2012

BPS Division of Health Psychology Scotland AGM

August 2011

Ronan O'Carroll and colleagues (L McGregor and E Fergusson) had the following paper accepted: Living organ donation:the effect of message frame on an altruistic behaviour. Journal of Health Psychology (in press)
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Ronan O'Carroll and colleagues (C.E. Eades and J.S. Ferguson) had the following paper accepted: Public Health in community pharmacy: a systematic review of pharmacist and consumer views. BMC Public Health. 21;11:582
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Andrew Livingstone and colleagues (S.A. Haslam, P Postmes and J Jetten) had the following paper accepted: 'We are, therefore we should'. Evidence that ingroup identification mediates the aquisition of ingroup norms. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42, 1857-1876.

July 2011

The Psychologist, (May 2011). Vol 24 (no 5).
Emma Scott-Smith was accepted for publication in The Psychologist Magazine regarding her research “The Artivism Intervention”.
At Stirling University, Scotland, postgraduate student Emma Scott-Smith is researching how art can be used as a tool to stimulate critical discussion about individuals’ daily experiences of mental illness.
The research project, ‘The Artivism Intervention’, combines art, activism and awareness raising. ‘I’m using Conscientization,’ Scott-Smith tells us, ‘a concept developed by Freire whilst reading Marx. It can help mental health participants to become aware of social, psychological and political conditions that can oppress disadvantaged groups.’ Jon Sutton, 2011.
Full Details here
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Emma Scott-Smith’s website includes information regarding a new exhibition as part of The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, Publication in ARTMAG August/September issue, A Short Film directed, written and performed by Alan Kerr and Emma Scott-Smith featuring a quote from Paulo Freire, published in Pedagogy of The Oppressed (1973). Reflection was funded by Stirling Council and will be shown on large scale plasma screens throughout Stirling, The Changing Room: Art Gallery and The Tollbooth Venues during June, July and August 2011.
Full Details here
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Maggie Cunningham, Vivien Swanson, Ronan O'Carroll and RJ Holdsworth had the following paper accepted: A brief psychological intervention to increase walking in patients with intermittent claudication: results of a pilot randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Surgery (in press)
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Andrew Livingstone and colleagues (L Shepherd, R Spears and A.S.R. Manstead) presented the following paper: We feel, therefore we are: Emotion as a basis for group self-categorization. Paper presented at E.A.S.P. general meeting, Stockholm, Sweden, 16th July.
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Andrew Livingstone and colleagues (R Spears, A.S.R. Manstead, and M Bruder) presented the following paper: The more, the merrier? The dilemma of spreading stereotypical attributes within minority groups. Paper presented at small group meeting ‘Challenging stereotypes: When and how targets of negative stereotypes resist’, Lisbon, Portugal, 7th July.
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Andrew Livingstone and colleagues (R Spears, A.S.R. Manstead, and M Bruder) had the following paper accepted: The more the merrier? Numerical strength versus subgroup distinctiveness in minority groups. Journal of Experimental social Psychology, 47, 786-793
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Vivien Swanson has had the following paper published: Swanson,V,  Power, KG, Crombie, IK, Irvine, L, Kiezebrink, K, Wrieden, W, and Slane, P. (2011) Social eating behaviours and dietary quality : A study of socially deprived mothers of two-year old children using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, 8, 65.

June 2011

Ronan O'Carroll and Andrew Livingstone were awarded the following grant: British Academy award of £7,483 - Implicit attitudes as barriers to registration as an organ donor with Livingstone (Stirling)

May 2011

Ronan O'Carroll and colleagues (E Fergusson - Nottingham, and PC Hayes - Edinburgh) were awarded the following grant: CSO award of £162,650 - A randomised controlled trial to test if a simple anticipated regret manipulation leads to a significant increase in organ donor registrations.
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Ronan O'Carroll, Rory O'Connor and M Harper had the following paper accepted: Increased mortality in parents bereaved in the first year of their child's life. BMJ Palliative Care (in press)
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Gerry Molloy and colleagues (P Thompson and M Chung) had the following paper accepted: The effects of perceived social support on quality of life in patients awaiting CABG and their partners: testing dyadic dynamics using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Psychology, Health & Medicine (in press)
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Gerry Molloy and colleagues (A Steptoe, N Messerli-Burgy, A Wikman, G Randall, L Perkins-Porras, and JC Kaski) had the following paper accepted: Fear of dying and inflamation following acute coronary syndrome. European Heart Journal (in press)
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Ronan O'Carroll and colleagues (A Dickson, R Ward, G O'Brian, and D Allan) had the following paper accepted:  Difficulties adjusting to post-discharge life following a spinal cord injury: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Psychology, Health & Medicine (in press).
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Vivien Swanson has had the following paper published: Chambers, J.A., Swanson, V. Stories of weight management: factors associated with successful and unsuccessful weight maintenance.  British Journal of Health Psychology

April 2011

Ronan O'Carroll and colleagues (A Dickson, G O'Brian, R Ward, P Flowers, and D Allan) had the following paper accepted: Adjustment and coping in spousal caregivers following a traumatic spinal cord injury: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Health Psychology (in press)

March 2011

Vivien Swanson has had the following paper published: Gilinsky, A., Swanson, V., , Merrett, M., Power, KG., & Marley, L. Development and testing of a theory-based behavioural change intervention: A pilot investigation in a nursery school in a deprived area of Scotland. Community Dental Health
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Vivien Swanson and colleagues (Sharpe, T., Porteous C, Hunter, C) with Glasgow Housing Association were awarded the following grant: Arts and Humanities Funding Council /Scottish Funding Council.  Sunshine, Health and Wellbeing in Housing. £41,632 June 2011- May 2012
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Vivien Swanson and colleagues (Swanson V., Keen A., Gold A)  have had the following paper published: Doing Diabetes : An Evaluation of  Communication Skills and Behaviour Change Training for Health Professionals. Practical Diabetes International, 28, 3, 1-6

February 2011

Ronan O'Carroll, Maggie Cunningham, Vivien Swanson and R Holdsworth were awarded the following grant: CSO award of £49,977 - A brief intervention to increase walking in patients with peripheral arterial disease: long term follow up.
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Andrew Livingstone and colleagues (S.E. Jones, L Bombieri, and A.S.R. Manstead) have had the following paper accepted: School norms and social identities influence children's responses to bullying. British Journal of Educational Psychology (in press)
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Andrew Livingstone and colleagues (S.E. Jones and A.S.R. Manstead) have had the following paper accepted: Ganging up or sticking together? Group processes and children's responses to text message bullying. British Journal of Psychology, 102, 71-96

January 2011

Alex Gillespie has won one of six worldwide NVivo Grants from QSR International, for the teaching of qualitative research methods. Full details here.
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The AGM and Scientific Meeting for the Division of Health Psychology in Scotland is on 24th February 2011 in the Senate Room, Collins Building, University of Strathclyde. Full details here.
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Andrew Livingstone has had the following 2 papers accepted for publication:
Livingstone, A. G., Spears, R., Manstead, A. S. R., Bruder, M., & Shepherd, L. (in press). We feel, therefore we are: Emotion as a basis for self-categorization and social action. Emotion.
Livingstone, A. G., Young, H., & Manstead, A. S. R. (in press). “We drink, therefore we are”: The role of group identification and norms in sustaining and challenging heavy drinking ‘culture’. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.
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Gerry Molloy has had the following paper accepted for publication: Steptoe A, Molloy GJ, Messerly-Burgy N, Wikman A, Randall G, Perkins-Porras L, Kaski JC (in press). Emotional triggering and low socioeconomic status as determinants of depression following acute coronary syndrome. Psychological Medicine
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Andrew Livingstone and colleagues (R Spears, A.S.R. Manstead, and M Bruder) were invited to give the following talk: The dilemmas of resistance: Intergroup strategies among minority groups. Talk given at the University of Exeter, 20th January
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Vivien Swanson has had the following paper published: Gilinsky, A., Swanson V., Power KG. Interventions delivered during antenatal care to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy: A systematic review.  Addiction Research and Theory