- A206, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584815
- helen.lloyd-1@plymouth.ac.uk

Profiles
Professor Helen Lloyd
Professor of Applied Social and Cultural Psychology
School of Psychology (Faculty of Health)
- Health inequalities
- Psychology
- Health services
- Mental health
- Primary care
- Social care
- Social prescribing
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Case–control studies
- Clinical trials
- Cohort studies
- Content analysis
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
Associate Professor, School of Psychology.
I am a mixed methods researcher focused on utilising action and design informed research to create health and social improvements for marginalised, seldom heard or stigmatised groups. My research to date has explored how notions of race, ethnicity and identity influence health behaviour and the experiences and outcomes of care and medical treatment. I am particularly interested in how structural factors interact to shape access to care and health inequality. My multi-disciplinary approach to research and teaching blends concepts from psychology with anthropology and the sociology of medicine, and incorporates aspects of creative and design arts and humanities. I have led a successful funding application to the NIHR HS&DR programme to develop a community based peer led intervention to support the mental health of refugees. This project commences in May 2022. Recent completed projects also include a successful project funded by Gamble Aware to explore the interface between online gaming and gambling related harms, which forms part of my emerging interest in digital harm. Prior to joining the school of Psychology I spent 5 years working for the south west Peninsula Collaboration for Applied Heath and Care focusing on complex interventions and experiences of care. During this time I developed the Person Centred Coordinated Care (P3C) collaborative. This applied health services work continues, and is focused on improving the experiences and outcomes of care for people with long term conditions.
Qualifications
My research experience spans the health sciences from occupational health, psychiatry (Imperial College), epidemiology, health services research and public health (UCL). In 2003 I completed an MSc in medical anthropology at UCL, followed by the successful completion of my D.Phil. in Anthropology and Psychiatry at the University of Oxford.
Following this I established a research consultancy based in Oxford to promote and integrate medical anthropology as an applied approach in UK public health research. This was achieved by securing research contracts with a range of clients including the Department of Health and various UK Primary Care Trusts. My public sector contracts included a novel qualitative synthesis for the Department of Health to investigate drivers of health inequalities across a range of health concerns including, childhood obesity, smoking, alcohol and drug use, sexual health and teenage pregnancy, and mental health. An example of this work is the Sub-21 project to reduce under age street drinking. This project utilising participant observation sessions with youths engaging in street drinking and depth interviews to shape the subsequent intervention. Young people and retailers shaped the intervention development of the intervention; a rolling program of youth activities and a retailer’s campaign providing new tools to help them reduce illegal alcohol sales. The project reached over 3000 young people and resulted in a 30% decrease in anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related incidents (LSHTM).
Professional membership
I am a member of the British Psychological Society and a visiting lecturer at the Centre for Person Centred Care (GPCC), University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Roles on external bodies
I am an NIHR grant application reviewer and regularly review academic papers for a range of peer reviewed journals.
Key publications
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
Module lead/lecturer:
PSYC577 – Advanced Interpretive Methods (MSc)
PSYC783 – Applied Health Research and Service Evaluation (MSc Clinical)
PSYC7993 – Ethical and Professional Practice (MSc CAPS)
Lecturer:
PSYC519/719 – Research Skills in Practice S2 (BSc)
PSYC416 – Connecting Psychology S1: Art and Psychology (BSc)
PSYC750 – Personal and Professional Development (3 cohorts)
ADV733 - The role of the First Contact Practitioner within Primary Care
Project Supervision:
Currently supervising: 3 UGs, 5 MScs, 18 MSC CAPS, 1 DClin and 4 PhD students
Currently Tutoring:
- 1x S4 UG group
- 2 x MSc groups
Research
Research
Research interests
My doctoral research investigated caregiving in UK Punjabi Indian Sikh and White British parents with a son or daughter with schizophrenia. It explored the clinical, family and service use variables associated with caregiver burden, and if burden predicted one-year patient outcome. This cross-disciplinary study integrated a quantitative psychological and anthropological methods to explore the local, social, and cultural factors that shaped perceptions and experiences of burden and caregiving. The findings from this study suggest that parental burden in schizophrenia is influenced by contextual and domestic features over and above ethnicity. Furthermore, many parents with stabilised offspring do not perceive their role as burdensome and community patients with the right support can live independently, work, and maintain quality relationships with their families. More importantly, the findings remind us how local socio-environmental factors shape human experience, and that while Indian Punjabi parents and White British parents differ in a number of respects, they share fundamental characteristics that exist above and beyond ethnicity, race or religion.
My current research includes two major NIHR HS&DR funded projects (Forced to Flee as PI, and Restore 2 as CI).
Developing Culturally Relevant Person Centred Coordinated Care:
I have a proven record of accomplishment in research leadership evidenced through the establishment and continuation the P3C programme. This research aims to improve the experiences and outcomes of care for people with multiple long-term conditions and other marginalised groups. The P3C work contributed a Research Excellence Framework (REF) impact case study for Unit 4; ‘Improving long term conditions (LTCs) and multiple long term conditions (MLTCs) through data driven practice change using a newly developed P3C model’. National and international collaborations continue under this programme of P3C work through the ongoing development and intersection of the following themes:
· Culturally Relevant Person Centred Care: NIHR134589 - Forced to Flee. Co-designing a peer-led community to support the mental health of refugees: as PI
· Optimising The Measurement of Person Centred Care: GPCC; as second supervisor
· Cultural Validation Of The P3CEQ: Widening the Engagement and Prioritising the Voice of Service Users in the Redesign of Heath Care in the UK, EU and Beyond. As Collaborator.
Workforce Wellbeing and Person Centred Care:
In line with my CAPS teaching and teaching on applied clinical modules, this research aims to improve the delivery of care services by supporting clinicians to practice safely and with compassion, in addition to providing support for their workplace wellbeing.
· Optimising the delivery of existing professional support programmes for doctors: A participatory co-design and realist evaluation approach (RESTORE 2): NIHR130922; as CI
· Using experience-based co-design to explore healthcare professionals’ and patients’ perspectives on how staff wellbeing impacts on the delivery of person-centred care and the support interventions required: TMRF; as 2nd supervisor
The Health and Psychology of Online Gambling-Gaming & Digital Harms: Funded by Gamble Aware; as PI, and associated projects
Our Gamble Aware funded successfully completed this year, but I have now expanded our focus to include children, resulting in a large data set of Key stage 2/3 children which currently under analysis. This is one of very few surveys to explore the mergence between gambling and gaming in children, and the first to explore motivations for engaging with loot boxes alongside measures of wellbeing and academic and social functioning. I have also set up a number of pilot projects with undergraduate and postgraduate students in the school of psychology to investigate the impact of broader digital harms such as internet use and social media use in young people.
Research groups
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Successful PhD supervision :
A nursing student-led intervention to improve digital health of patients with long-term conditions. Professor Ray Jones (DoS), Dr Helen Lloyd (2nd) and Dr Graham Williamson (3rd). Toni Page (PhD Student). Submitted.currently supervising four PhD students:
Ongoing supervision:
A realist evaluation of UK health interventions focused on patients with Multimorbidity: Jose Valderas (Dos), Professor Rob Anderson (2nd), Dr Helen Lloyd (3rd) and Dr Christopher Dickens (4th), Ms Charlotte Bramwell (PhD Student)
PREM-CAT: A Person Centred Patient Reported Experience Measure for people with multiple complex conditions using Computer Adaptive Tests. Professor Anna Dencker (Dos), Helen Lloyd (2nd). University of Gothenburg.
The Experience of Women in Male Dominated Specialist Police Units. Karen Blakemore, Dr Jaysan Charlesford (Dos), Helen Lloyd (2nd).
Grants & contracts
- 2019-2021 J Lloyd, H Lloyd, J Close, T Rayman, O Smith, M. Uther, C Fullwood. Gamble Aware A mixed-method investigation of the gaming/gambling interface and health related harms. UK total grant £300K
- 2018-2021 H Lloyd & A Dencker. University of Gothenburg Centre for Person Centred Care) Methodological solutions to support the Assessment of Individualised Care: The Mosaic Project. £150K
- 2018-20 H Lloyd, N Britten, A Wolf, & O Naldermirici University of Gothenburg Centre for Person Centred Care. Narrative for Person Centred Care. £26K
- 2016-2017 H Lloyd, National Health Service for England (NHSE) Metrics for Person Centred Care: A knowledge Portfolio, Policy and Commissioners Guide £100K
- 2014-2017 H Lloyd & J Close et al. Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, Academic Health Science Network, NHSE: Somerset System Evaluations; Phase I&II Evaluation of the Somerset Practices Quality Scheme (removal of QOF for Person Centred Care); Test and Learn. 2014-2016. Principal Investigator. £222K
- 2016-2017 H Lloyd South West Academic Health Science Network & PenCLAHRC Research Support/Pump priming, Person Centred Care (P3C).£78K.
- 2016-2018 R Sheaff, R Byng, H Lloyd, J Valderas, M Pearson Funded by NIHR Health Services Delivery Research A Realist Review of Multi-Specialty Teams. £100K.
- 2016-2017 R Lillford, R Byng, F Griffiths, H Lloyd, Co-applicant. NIHR Programme Development Grant led by Education and facilitation to improve clinical decisions and multidisciplinary team working with older adults with multimorbidity. 2016. £100
- 2016-2017 H Lloyd. Academic Health Science Network for NHSE. An Evaluation of the SW Integrated Person Commissioning Pilot (IPC). £170K
- 2014-2015 H Lloyd South Devon and Torbay Joined Up Board. A Formative Evaluation of South Devon and Torbay’s Pioneer Hubs. £70K
Creative practice & artistic projects
Creative Recovery: Mapping Refugees’ Memories of Home as Heritage is one of just 31 projects awarded a grant from the European Cultural Foundation‘s Courageous Citizens 2018 programme, out of more than 500 applications from across the world. The project is led by Associate Professor (Spatial Practice) and the founder of the Displacement Studies Research Network, Dr Sana Murrani from the University of Plymouth in partnership with the British Red Cross, Plymouth branch. Part of the project was funded by the University of Plymouth’s Sustainable Earth Institute under the Creative Associate scheme 2019. Photojournalist Carey Marks of Scarlet Design was supported by this fund.
https://mappingcreativerecovery.org/
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsPersonal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
Lloyd, H (2017). Implementing Person Centred Care. EuroHeart. Jonkoping. Sweden. Presenter and Panel member.
Lloyd, H (2017). Masterclass: From Principles to Action for Person Centred Coordinated Care (P3C). College of Nursing, University College Dublin.
Lloyd, H. (2016). Measuring What Matters: embedding the patient voice in person centred redesign. CARE+. London July. Presenter.
Lloyd, H and Horrell, J (2016). The Development of the Organisational Change Tool for Person Centred Primary Care. 3rd International Primary Care Reform Conference. Brisbane, Australia. Presenter.
Lloyd, H (2016). Integrating Service Design, Evaluation and Research: A Strategy to Improve Person Centred and Coordinated Care: SWAHSN New Models of Care Conference. Exeter. Presenter.
Lloyd, H (2016). Logic Models: AHSN New Models of Care Conference. Exeter. Presenter.
Lloyd, H (2016). Integrating Service Design, Evaluation and Research: A Strategy to Improve Person Centred and Coordinated Care: SWAHSN New Models of Care Conference. Exeter University Apex Seminar. Presenter.
Conferences organised
- November 2017 - Plymouth University Workforce and Primary Care Conference. Development, strategic planning/organisation and delivery.
- March 2018 - South West Society for Academic Primary Care Organisation and planning, peer review, and delivery.
Other academic activities
- ‘UK Gender Politics: Where Are We Now?” Joint Psych in the Pub event with BPS Southwest Branch. 20th September 2019.
Links
https://www.p3c.org/
http://p3c.org.uk/
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/displacement-studies