University of Stirling

Stirling

FK9 4LA
Scotland, UK

Chartered Health Psychologist

• Secretary – British Psychological Society, Division of Health Psychology – Scotland. Feb. 2004 to 2007
• 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.

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, Department of 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

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)
• Students Helping Students: Evaluating Mentoring Schemes within UK Universities: R Phillips (Commenced October 2003)
• Psychosocial Factors and Peripheral Arterial Disease ; M Cunningham (Commenced october 2005)

• 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 (First View, published online 30 Sept 2008)  http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=2347680

• 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 PDF   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 School 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.