Dr Sophie Homer
Profiles

Dr Sophie Homer

Lecturer in Psychology

School of Psychology (Faculty of Health)

Dr Sophie Homer can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
  • Wellbeing
  • Loneliness
  • Anxiety
  • Social anxiety
  • Mental health
  • Correlation study
  • Cross-sectional studies
  • Experimental methods
  • Mixed-methods
  • Psychometrics
  • Surveys
Biography

Biography

Lecturer in Psychology

Qualifications

Following my PhD in Clinical Psychology, I managed a mental health and wellbeing intervention for postgraduate researchers at work. I am now a Lecturer in Clinical and Applied Psychology.

PhD in Clinical Psychology

Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Distinction)

MPsych (Hons) Advanced Psychology – Foundations in Clinical Psychology (First Class)

Professional membership

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Teaching) 

Roles on external bodies

Member of the Vitae Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group

Teaching

Teaching

Teaching interests

I enjoy teaching in clinical and applied psychology and research methods. Topics include mental health and wellbeing; classification, diagnosis / formulation, and intervention; mixed-methods research design; and psychometric scale construction and validation.


Research

Research

Research interests

My research interests are in clinical and applied psychology.

I am interested in the role of negative, intrusive mental imagery in mental health and its potential as a target for intervention. 

My PhD research explored the classification and theoretical understanding of social anxiety, and its overlap with paranoia.

I also conduct research into mental health and wellbeing, particularly in occupational and educational settings.

I like to take a mixed-methods approach to research, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect and analyse data. Methods I use include interviews, surveys, experiments, and psychometric scale construction and validation.


Grants & contracts

Office for Students / Research England CATALYST funding: £139,000 - March 2018. Peer Support for Postgraduate Research Student Wellbeing.

SMaRteN Student Mental Health Research Network: £10,000 - May 2020. Social Connectedness and Wellbeing in Students. 

PIHR Arts & Health Collaboration fund: £2,000 - November 2021. Public health messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic.

University of Plymouth, Faculty of Health Strategic Investment Fund: £7,307 - March 2022. Understanding menstruation in academia. 

Creative practice & artistic projects

Squire, V., Squire, R., & Homer, S. R. (2020). Love Letter. Knowledge Sharing and Exchange in a Pandemic. The Culture Capital Exchange.

https://www.theculturecapitalexchange.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FINAL-Document-V2_-Knowledge-Sharing-and-Exchange-in-a-Pandemic-1.pdf

Publications

Publications

Key publications

Key publications are highlighted

Journals
Articles
Milne-Ives M, Homer S, Andrade J & Meinert E (2022) 'Associations between Behaviour Change Techniques and engagement with mobile health apps: Systematic review protocol' JMIR Research Protocols 11, (3) , DOI Open access
Homer S, Solbrig L, Djama D, Bentley A, Kearns S & May J (2021) 'The researcher Toolkit: A preventative, peer-support approach to postgraduate research student mental health' Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education , DOI Open access
Squire V & Homer SR (2020) 'Under pressure: Psychological perspectives on letterpress, craft and well-being' Craft Research 11, (1) 97-114 , DOI Open access
Homer S (2018) 'Should Phd Students Teach?' Psychology Teaching Review 24, (2) 77-81 Open access
Homer SR & Deeprose C (2017) 'Eye movement attenuation of intrusive social anxiety imagery: A pilot study' J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 59, 87-91 Author Site , DOI Open access
Homer SR & Deeprose C (2017) 'Voluntary and Involuntary Imagery in Social Anxiety' Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy 1-15 Author Site , DOI Open access
Homer SR, Deeprose C & Andrade J (2015) 'Negative mental imagery in public speaking anxiety: Forming cognitive resistance by taxing visuospatial working memory' Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 77-82 , DOI Open access
Designs
Love Letter: Poster.
Personal

Personal

Reports & invited lectures

HOMER, S. R. (2019, December). Addressing the mental health crisis in postgraduate research students: A positive and proactive approach. Keynote presentation delivered at the Positive Interactions: Enhancing the Student Experience Event, Glasgow Caledonian University, London. 

HOMER, S. R. (2019, June). Addressing the mental health crisis in postgraduate research students: Can critical pedagogies help? Oral presentation delivered at Exploring Critical Pedagogies for Postgraduate Researchers: A Conversation, University of Derby.

HOMER, S. R. (2019, April). Addressing the mental health crisis in postgraduate researchers: An Office for Students funded peer support initiative. Keynote presentation delivered at the 8th Annual PedRIO Conference, University of Plymouth.


Conferences organised

Cognition Institute Conference 2016, University of Plymouth. 

Other academic activities

I am a member of the Plymouth Imagery Research Group and the Plymouth Social Psychology Research Group. 

Links

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEsGvFCs-WE8UGj2_AqJFRA