The bio-psychosocial model of health proposes that individuals experience health and illness through a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. These factors can inter-relate (e.g. increased psychological focus on a bodily stimulus can make that stimulus appear more pronounced). Therefore the psychological and social factors that influence how individuals perceive their general health are of relevance in considering help-seeking behaviour, and when investigating the outcomes of people with hearing or balance difficulties.
Our research examines these interactions, applied to audiology services and patients.
Our research is concerned with biopsychosocial influences on the development of hearing and balance in children.
We are interested in the role of internally held cognitions such as illness perceptions and their relationship with help-seeking behaviour.
We are interested in the way that individuals experience hearing, define hearing difficulties and adopt socially sanctioned ‘sick roles’ as audiology patients.
