Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: Main Research Portfolio

: 1) The psychological mediating factors between childhood maltreatment and eating disorders: a systematic review; 2) Team formulation in recovery teams: staff perspectives and recommendations for team managers and psychologists; 3) Parental illness perceptions in Type 1 Diabetes and JIA.

Abstract

The ‘Common Sense Model’ (CSM; Leventhal, Meyer, & Nerenz, 1980) aims to explain how psychological factors influence long-term health condition (LTC) management. Research has shown the CSM applies to children and young people (CYP) as well as adults. However, the model does not incorporate systemic factors, which are especially relevant for CYP, for whom families hold more illness management responsibilities. Caregiver perceptions of an illness have been linked with outcomes for the person with the health condition. Other factors which have been shown to affect illness perceptions include the LTC itself. This pilot study examines difference s in illness perceptions between two groups of parents: those whose children had type 1 diabetes, and parents of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This study also examined mood, anxiety and time since the child’s diagnosis as predictors of parental illness perceptions. It as found that having a child with type 1 diabetes was  predictive of anticipating longer illness duration and perceiving greater control over the condition. Additionally, having greater levels of anxiety was predictive of more perceived control, which may be associated with condition monitoring behaviours in type 1 diabetes. Finally, scores indicating lower mood predicted perceiving the consequences of the condition as more severe and lower levels of perceived control over the condition. Future research directions and clinical implications are discussed. 

Date of Award	23 Aug 2018
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	James Gregory (Supervisor)