Sarah Wilkie

Email: sarah.wilkie@bristol.ac.uk

Project title: Development of a Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention to Support Behaviour Change for Hazardous Drinkers

Supervisors: Dr Jon Bird, Professor Angela Attwood, Professor Leah Avery (Teeside University)

 

Project summary:

Development of an adaptive intervention to reduce alcohol consumption in hazardous drinkers. Alcohol consumption is an increasing problem worldwide with many people drinking over the recommended amounts, this places them at greater risk of developing disease such as cancer and further burdens on already overwhelmed healthcare systems. Hazardous drinkers are those who are drinking more than the recommended amounts but not enough to be classified as dependant or problem drinkers.  The first stage of the research has involved a systematic review of the literature looking into which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) have been effective in helping hazardous drinking to reduce their consumption. Secondly, qualitative interviews were conducted with hazardous drinkers to explore barriers and facilitators of alcohol consumption. The findings of both these studies will be combined using the COM-B model of behaviour change which examines Capability, Opportunity and Motivations and how these impact on Behaviour. Finally, this will be trialled in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study to provide adaptive interventions to help hazardous drinkers manage their consumption in the wild.

General Profile:

I have an Undergraduate Diploma and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology from Charles Sturt University in Australia, these were undertaken as conversion courses as my original Bachelors was in Business Management. During my studies I also worked simultaneously in mental health, residential care for looked-after children and substance misuse. I started my MSc in Health Psychology in 2018 just after the birth of my son and completed it in 2020 just after the birth of my daughter making it a busy couple of years. Most recently I worked as an Assistant Psychologist in Neurorehabilitation for the MOD assessing patients after stroke and brain injury. My professional experiences have given me a lot of insight into working with people with co-morbid difficulties and supporting people in changing maladaptive behaviours through difficult life challenges. I am passionate about improving health outcomes for under-represented groups and am looking forward to developing ways of integrating behaviour change theories with adaptable technologies to empower individuals to enact and sustain health behaviour changes.

Other projects:

• COMPASS 2025 - collaborative paper on The Work to Make a Heat Pump Work – Investigation into the Adoption of Domestic Heat Pumps through Social Practice and Complex Systems which began as part of a student research project with Abdelrahmen Otify, Qiushuo Cheng, Cicely Mathews, Fin Schofield and Ellen Weir
• Scoping review on digital interventions used in adults with autism and ADHD conducted with Fin Schofield