• Health Psychology Research Group
• Healthy Ageing
• Stress and Well-being
• Diet, Mood and Mental Performance
• Growing a Healthy Older Population
• Outdoor Activities and Healthy Ageing
• Wellbeing in Teacher Education and Training

The Health Psychology Research Group has a primary research focus on health behaviours, risk communication and behavioural change. We also work collaboratively with other research groups with an interest in health behaviour for instance: the Ageing Research Group, Wales Diabetes UK, Swansea University and Glamorgan University.

We conduct internationally recognized research and also provide high quality training to practitioners in applied settings. The group has strong links with a range of health service providers including Cardiff Public Health Team, Institute of Medical Genetics and Cardiff and the Vale NHS Trust. HPRG carries out research on a range of projects relevant to our understanding of health behaviour: Alcohol education, abuse and addiction; attitudes and beliefs in food safety; food choices; effects of food on mood and mental performance; risk perception and communication; physical activity; complementary therapies; eating disorders; management of stress and healthy ageing.

Current Research Projects

 "Like mother, like daughter": an inter-generational study of food choices

Healthy ageing: "The effect of outdoor activities on physiological and physical health"

Retirement and lifestyle behaviours

Combined effects of diet and stress on biological markers of ageing

Stress and well-being in the workplace

Encouraging physical activity in the workplace

Stress in Omani women

Evaluating marriage preparation programmes in the Oman

An explanation of the social and cultural constructions of adolescent fathers in British society

Training programmes

Obesity "Is it all in the mind"

Motivational interviewing

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Anger Management

Research Grants

ESRC Funded Seminar Series "Motivational Interventions for treatment engagement and behavior change"

Group Members

Tina Alwyn, PhD, C Psychol, Reader in Addictions
Katie Thirlaway, PhD, C Psychol, HPC registered practitioner health psychologist, Principal Lecturer, Head of Psychology, Group Co-ordinator
Caroline Limbert, PhD C Psychol, HPC registered practitioner health psychologist, Senior Lecturer
Daniel Heggs, PhD, Senior Lecturer
Jenny Mercer, PhD, Senior Lecturer
Alyson Smith, PhD, DclinPsy, HPC registered practitioner clinical psychologist, Senior Lecturer
Paul Hewlett, PhD, C Psychol, Lecturer
Debbie Clayton, PhD, Lecturer
Lalage Sanders, PhD, C Psychol, Principal Lecturer, Graduate studies Coordinator
Shirley Hobbis BSc, Research Student
Jemma Hawkins BSc, Research Assistant
Joann Warner BSc, Research Asistant
Debra Kwan BSc, Research Student