Dr Vivien Swanson

Health Psychologist; C Psychol, MSc Course Director

• 
  
• Scottish Diabetes Group Psychology Working Group member - 2007 to date
• Member, Psychology Advisory Group to Chief Medical Officer, Scotland.  March 2004 to 2006.
• Health Education Board for Scotland : Breastfeeding Education in Schools : Member of Special Working Group Committee. October 2001 - 2003.

• Member of NHS Health Scotland Breastfeeding Expert Group, October 2003 to 2006.

  Health Psychology

  • Chair – British Psychological Society, Division of Health Psychology – Scotland. Feb. 2010 to date
  • Secretary – British Psychological Society, Division of Health Psychology – Scotland. Feb. 2004 to 2007
  • Founder member of BPS Division of Health Psychology Scottish Committee. Feb. 2003
  • Division of Health Psychology, Exam Board.  Member 2004 – date
  • Stage 2 Examiner 2008
  • Division of Health Psychology, Training Committee.  Member, 2004 - date
  • Review Panel : Validation of MSc Course, Liverpool John Moore’s University, 2005
  • Member, Psychology Advisory Group to Chief Medical Officer, Scotland. 2004-6

   

  Infant Feeding

•  Health Education Board for Scotland : Breastfeeding Education in Schools : Member of Special Working Group Committee. October 2001 - date.
• Founder member Scottish Infant Feeding Research Network. April 2002 to date.
• Fife PC NHS Trust : Breastfeeding in Schools Project Committee. June 2002 to date.
• Member of NHS Health Scotland Breastfeeding Expert Group, October 2003 to date

 

Diabetes

• Member of Scottish Diabetes Group Psychology Working Group – 2007 – date
• Member Diabetes Education Action Group 2008 to date
• SIGN Guideline Group – Diabetes  Lifestyle  September 2008 - 2009

University of Stirling

• Mental Health Panel University of Stirling: November 2000 – October 2003
• Education Design Committee Psychology, June 2003 to date.
• Stress at Work : University Working Group, University of Stirling. Jan 2004 to date

My research falls into 4 broad areas, all using health psychology models and theories with a broad social-cognitive focus. I am particularly interested in ‘testing’ theories which are often developed in an academic context, by putting them into practice in applied settings.  These include :

• The relationship between stress and health : My PhD investigated occupational stress in health professionals. More recent work related to the relationship between role conflicts, stress and wellbeing, including student wellbeing and adjustment to university life.  I also have an interest in psychosocial stress and diabetes, and parental stress in parents of pre-term babies. 1995- 2002 I was a founder and principal member of Anxiety and Stress Research Centre, Psychology, University of Stirling.
• Infant feeding - psychosocial factors influencing early feeding patterns; attitudes to infant feeding in different groups, including adolescents, new mums and dads, and parents of premature babies
• Diet and obesity : Investigating multiple risk factors for obesity as a basis for clinical interventions. Assessing social-cognitive influences on the diet of disadvantaged children.
• Diabetes : Including evaluating behaviour change interventions for Type 2 diabetes, and current proposal re: understanding self-monitoring of blood glucose.

Research Grants (since 2005)

Crombie IK, Irvine L, Swanson V, Power KG, Slane P, Wrieden W, Coyle J. (2004) How can we improve the diet of young children living in areas of high deprivation? £115,020 CSO

Swanson V. Auditing of Smoking Cessation Services and Client use in Forth Valley NHS. £15,722. Forth Valley NHS Board, October 2005

Dixon D, O’Carroll R, O’Connor R, Swanson V.  Banning Smoking in public places : the impact on smoking, physical activity and diet.  Forth Valley NHS Trust, £5,000. February 2006

Swanson V., McInnes R., Cheyne H., Mactier H, Callander E, Nicol H.  Centre for Integrated Healthcare Research : Developing Maternal Confidence in the Neonatal Unit: Which infant  feeding practices promote self-efficacy in mothers of pre-term babies?  £19,135. (9 months)

Swanson V., Chambers J. Dixon D (2008) Evaluation of Patient Safety Project.  Forth Valley and Tayside. £11,000.

Evans, J.,  Lawton, J., Swanson V., Donnan P.,  Emslie-Smith, A., Morris A.,  Self-monitoring behaviour and its association with glycaemic control among non-insulin treated patients with type 2 diabetes.   £164,536. CSO Commence June 2009

Keeley A, Dennison F, Swanson V, McCoy J., Napier C  (2010) A Multi-Method Assessment of Barriers to Breastfeeding in Obese Women NHS Lothian health Services Support Programme. £65,156

Course Director, MSc Health Psychology, September 2002 to date

This BPS accredited course provides professional training for health psychology. It is only the second such course in Scotland. I also offer supervision for students wishing to complete Stage 2 by the PhD or independent routes.

Undergraduate Teaching

Provision of 3rd year undergraduate lectures on stress and health,  occupational stress and stress management to Psychopathology course. Provision of general lectures on ethics, and health psychology.

Research Supervision

Current Supervision of PhD theses;

• Parental Attitudes to MMR Immunisation; B Kaur (Commenced January 2003)
• Psychosocial Factors and Peripheral Arterial Disease ; M Cunningham (Commenced October 2005)

Completed PhDs

• Students Helping Students: Evaluating Mentoring Schemes within UK Universities: R Phillips (2010)
• An investigation of the nature of clinical judgements and decision making involved in the priority setting of patient care by gynaecology nurses: An Exploratory Study .  A Morrison, (Awarded: March 2007)

• McGregor LM, Swanson V, Hayes PC, Forsythe JR and O'Carroll RE. 2010. Considering adult living donor liver transplantation: a qualitative study of patients and their potential donors. Psychology and Health, 26, 6, 751-766 .
• Chambers J., Swanson V (2010) A health assessment tool for multiple risk factors for obesity: age and sex differences in the prediction of body mass index. British Journal of Nutrition, 104, 298-307 http://journals.cambridge.org/repo_A73gOWr3
• Chambers, J., Swanson V. (2008) A health assessment tool for multiple risk factors for obesity: Psychometric testing and age differences in UK adults. Obesity Facts, 1, 227-236. http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=Ausgabe&Ausgabe=241822&ProduktNr=233731
• Crombie, I., Irvine L., Brown K., Wrieden W., Swanson V., Power KG., Slane P. (2008) What maternal factors influence the diet of toddlers living in deprived areas: a cross-sectional survey. Public Health Nutrition 12 (8), 1254-1260 http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=2347680
• Kiezebrink, K., Crombie, IK, Irvine, L, Swanson, V., Power, KG., Wrieden WL., Slane, PW.. (2007) Achieving a high response rate in a home interview study: the utility of initial contact by telephone BMC Medical Research Methodology , 9:46 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2288/9/46
• Swanson V. (2007) Getting health psychology into the NHS: The route to funding for Stage 2 trainees in Scotland. Health Psychology Update, 16, 4; 3-7.
• Swanson, V., Broadbridge, A., Karatzias, A. (2006) Earning and Learning : Examining the Impact of Role Congruence on Students’ Adjustment to University Life. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 76, 895-914 PDF
• Karatzias,A., Chouliara F, Power KG., Swanson V. (2006) Predicting general well-being from self esteem and affectivity : an exploratory study with Scottish adolescents. Quality of Life Research 15, 1143-1151 PDF
• Karatzias, A., Power, K., McGoldrick, T., Brown, K., Buchanan R., Sharp, D.,Swanson, V. (2006) Predicting treatment outcome on three measures for post-traumatic stress disorder European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. (Published Online)
• Thomson, P., Dowding, D., Swanson, V., Bland, R., Mair, C., Morrison, A., Taylor, A., Beechey, C., Simpson, R., Niven, CA. (2006) A computerised guidance tree (decision aid) for hypertension, based on decision analysis : development and preliminary evaluation European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing., 5, 146-149.
• Chambers, J. A., Swanson, V. (2006) A health assessment tool for multiple risk factors for obesity: Results from a pilot study with UK adults. Patient Education and Counselling 62,1, 79-88 PDFF http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpsoc/bjep/2006/00000076/00000004/art00012?token=005619d971dc96eb4726e2d58464340592f3f3b576a573d2570252553234a2f2a312576353a3584066bf30
• Breastfeeding Expert Group (Scotland). Completing the Circle: Evidence into Practice. Breastfeeding initiation and duration –what works? NHS Health Scotland. March 2006. www.healthscotland.com
• Broadbridge A, Swanson V. (2006) Managing two roles : A theoretical study of students’ employment whilst at university. Community, Work and Family. 9, 2, 159-179. PDF
• Swanson V, Power KG, Kaur B, Carter H, Shepherd K. (2006) The impact of knowledge and social influences on adolescents’ breastfeeding beliefs and intentions. Public Health Nutrition, 9, 3, 297-305.. PDF
• Swanson V, Power KG (2005) Attitudes and normative beliefs : factors influencing initiation and continuation of breastfeeding. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 50 (3) 272-282 PDF
• Dowding D, Swanson V, Bland R, Thomson P, Mair C, Morrison A, Taylor A, Beechey C, Simpson R, Niven K. (2004) The development and preliminary evaluation of a decision aid based on decision analysis for two treatment conditions: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Hypertension. Patient Education and Counselling, 52, 209-215.
• Power KG, Swanson V. (2003) Evaluation of the revised SPS Suicide Risk Management Strategy. Scottish Prison Service Occasional Paper
• Power KG, McGoldrick T, Brown K, Buchanan R, Sharp D, Swanson V, Karatzias A. (2002) A controlled comparison of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing versus exposure plus cognitive restructuring versus waiting list in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 9, 299 – 318.
• Chouliara Z, Power KG, Swanson, V, Johnstone F. (2002) Factors associated with breast screening attendance: A controlled comparison between attenders and non-attenders in Scotland. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. 40,3, 78-90.
• Swanson V, Power KG. (2001) Employees’ perceptions of organisational restructuring: The role of social support. Work and Stress, 15,2, 161-178.
• McIntosh IB, Swanson V, Howell K. (2001) Health professionals’ attitudes to acute diarrhoea management. Journal of Travel Medicine. 8; 60-65
• Karatzias, A., Power KG & Swanson V. (2001) Quality of School Life: Development and Preliminary Standardisation of an Instrument Based on Performance Indicators in Scottish Secondary Schools. School Effectiveness and Schoo Improvement Journal. An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice. Vol.12, pp. 265 - 284.
• Swanson V, Power KG. (2000) A theoretically based, cross-cultural study of infant feeding in new mothers and their partners. In : J Watson, S Platt (Eds) Researching Health Promotion, Routledge, London and New York.
• Broadbridge, A.; Swanson, V and C. Taylor.(2000) 'Retail Change: Effects on Employees' Job Demands and Home Life', International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 10 (4) 417- 432.
• Loucks N, Power KG, Swanson V, Chambers J. (2000) Young People in Custody in Scotland. Scottish Prison Service Occasional Paper. (no.3/2000), pp1-123. Central Research Unit , Calton House, Edinburgh.
• Swanson V, Wright S, Power KG, Duncan B, Morgan J, Turner E, Gordon D. (2000) The impact of a structured programme of asthma care in general practice. International Journal of Clinical Practice,54,9, 573-50
• Sharp DM, Power KG, Swanson V. (2000) Reducing therapist contact in cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder and agoraphobia in primary care: global measures of outcome in a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of General Practice, 50,461, 963-968.

In Press :

• Gilinsky, A., Swanson V., Power KG. Interventions delivered during antenatal care to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy: A systematic review. Addiction Research and Theory.