Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: Main Research Portfolio

: 1) Is Problem Solving Therapy an effective psychological intervention for adults with medical conditions? A systematic literature review and meta-analysis; 2) Parents' experiences of the transitions process from CAMHS to Adult Learning Disability Services in Wiltshire; 3) The Common Sense Model in Raynaud's Phenomenon: Do illness perceptions account for variance in symptom severity and quality of life?

Abstract

Background: Those with Raynaud's Phenomenon (RP) experience poorer mental health and quality of life than the general population, however, there is currently a lack of evidence in favour of treatment options for RP, and so further research is required. The Common Sense model of Illness Representations (CSM) is a well-established theoretical model, which has not yet been robustly investigated in RP, but which may provide potential avenues for intervention.
Objectives: to investigate illness perceptions in RP and to examine the relationship between illness perceptions and symptom severity and quality of life in RP, to explore a theoretical basis for potential treatment avenues.
Design and Methods: A cross sectional design was employed with questionnaire data collected via online recruitment prior to quantitative analysis.
Results: Illness perceptions were found to significantly contribute to the variance in symptom severity and quality of life in adults with RP, clinical implications are discussed.
Conclusions: This novel study provides preliminary evidence regarding the applicability of the CSM to RP in a clinically meaningful way. Future research would benefit from exploration of potentially mediating factors and will be enhanced by the development of outcome measures specific to RP populations.

Date of Award	15 Sept 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Jo Daniels (Supervisor) & Cathy Randle-Phillips (Supervisor)