Cancer and Chronic Conditions

The Cancer and Chronic Conditions research group covers topics broadly within the field of Health Psychology.

An Asian woman in her 60s embraces her mid-30s daughter who is battling cancer

We are interested in the application of psychological theory and interventions within cancer care and the management of chronic health conditions. Specific areas of expertise include cancer survivorship and applying behavioural science to encourage healthy lifestyle behaviours. We work in partnership with charities (e.g., Maggie’s, Marie Curie, North West Cancer Research) and professional services to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological therapies and services for patients and families affected by this condition.

Members

Research Projects

Here are some of the projects we are working on:

Psychological interventions for people living with and beyond cancer
Supporting healthcare professionals’ well-being as a means to improving patient care
Psychological response and resilience in the face of crisis and loss
Lifestyle change in recovery from head and neck cancer treatment
Applying cognitive psychology knowledge to medical image perception and error rates
Stigma and inequality issues in cancer care
Caregiver research- what happens when a caregiver is also diagnosed with cancer?

Featured Research

Finding my Way- Online

Professor Nick Hulbert-Williams and colleagues are leading the project Finding My Way- Online. This is an online self-help coping program that offers information, suggestions, and support for people who have been diagnosed with a cancer.

The original Australian version of Finding My Way was developed as part of a research study, funded by the NHMRC. The UK version of Finding My Way has been adapted in a separate research study funded by North West Cancer Research (led by Prof Nick Hulbert-Williams).

This version of the programme has been developed as part of a clinical trial for anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer in the past 6 months. The project team is evaluating how people use and benefit from the programme.

See the Finding my Way- Online project

Training health practitioners

Using the principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Professor Nick Hulbert-Williams and colleagues deliver training to health and social care professionals to enhance communication skills. Since 2016, more than 350 professionals across the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia have received this training.

Psychological response to crisis

Professor Mark Forshaw specialises in psychological response and resilience in the face of crisis and loss. He is the founder of Crisis and Resilience Expertise (CaRE), which is a collaborative home for researchers internationally who are working on projects relating to COVID-19 and any aspect of human crisis such as terrorism, natural disaster and economic crashes. The network currently hosts more than 25 projects across psychology, health, law and business.