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Olivia Hughes   BA, MSc, GMBPsS

Miss Olivia Hughes BA, MSc, GMBPsS

Research student

School of Psychology

Email
HughesOA@cardiff.ac.uk
Campuses
Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT

Overview

My research focuses on investigating mindfulness-based online interventions to support children and their families affected by skin conditions. For more information about my work, please see the 'Research' tab.

Undergraduate Education

2016 - 2019: Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Counselling Studies and Psychology - University of Wales Trinity Saint David (First Class Honours).

Postgraduate Education

2020 - Present: Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology), Cardiff University School of Psychology.

2019 - 2020: Master of Science (MSc) Clinical Psychology and Mental Health - Swansea University (Distinction).

Awards

2019: British Psychological Society Best Undergraduate Dissertation.

2019: British Psychological Society – Welsh Branch Annual Student Conference, Poster Presentation Prize.

2019: Swansea University Taught Masters Excellence Scholarship.

Membership

Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) 'Teach Paws B' to 7-11 Year old Children: Qualified Teacher. 

Graduate Member of The British Psychological Society (GMBPsS).

Publication

2023

2022

Articles

Research

My research interests include visible difference and the psychological impact of living with a skin condition (e.g. psoriasis, eczema, acne, vitiligo, ichthyosis, etc.). I have experience in mixed methods and qualitative methodologies.

I volunteer as a Trustee to Skin Care Cymru, and featured in BBC article "Instagram: From boy bullied for acne to beauty guru." I was part of the Welsh Senedd Cross Party Group on Skin (CPG), working with Skin Care Cymru and the government to address issues relating to skin conditions in Wales. I am a Patient Associate Editor for the British Journal of Dermatology, and work as part of the editorial team to produce plain language summaries of research articles. As part of this role, I was first-author for a published editorial article: Patient Engagement with the BJD: Encouraging the patient voice and readership.

I am passionate about improving support for people with skin conditions, which is reflected in an perspectives article I published, highlighting the need for psychological support in routine dermatological care across the UK. Further, I am a Patient Representative for the British Association of Dermatologists Biologics Intervention Register (BADBIR). I have assisted with several research projects, including co-delivering a workshop on the 'Psychological and Psychosocial Impact of Living with Ichthyosis' for members of the Ichthyosis Support Group, and I worked as part of the report writing team for the Global Atlas for Atopic Dermatitis (GADA).

I have had several empirical studies published, including my undergraduate dissertation focusing on stigma, social appearance anxiety and coping in men and women with skin conditions. I have also had my masters dissertation published, which consisted of a qualitative investigation into the experiences of anger in the onset and progression of psoriasis.

My PhD research surrounds the use of a mindfulness-based online intervention to support children and families affected by skin conditions. I have had some of my doctoral research published, investigating the parent and child experience of skin conditions: relevance for the provision of mindfulness-based interventions. A short author video summarising the study can be found here. Focusing on mindfulness as a therapeutic approach for physical health conditions, I have had a systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions for children, adolescents, and their parents published.

I have previously been an Honorary Assistant Psychologist in the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, Morriston Hospital, Swansea (February - December 2020), and co-authored a published study investigating the use of inpatient goal planning in a regional burns centre: A thematic analysis of staff and patient experiences.

Supervisors

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Skin Conditions
  • Visible Difference
  • Psychodermatology
  • Mindfulness