Our impact

The Department’s research has impact across a wide range of mental and physical health conditions and in basic psychological research on cognition, learning and pedagogy.

Since the Department of Psychology was founded in 1950, it has carried on a distinguished programme of research, teaching and clinical practice, with a long-standing link with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. In 2004, the psychology sections of Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ School of Medicine merged with the Department, creating one of the world’s largest groupings of clinical and health psychologists.

The Department’s research has impact across a wide range of mental and physical health conditions. In terms of mental health, these include psychosis, anxiety, depression, trauma, and somatoform disorders. We also focus on neurodegeneration and on childhood and lifespan approaches to neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. In physical health, we work at the interface between physical health and mental health focusing on understanding the mechanisms that (1) maintain psychological distress in long term conditions, (2) exacerbate physical symptoms, and (3) promote illness self-management.

Research is also conducted within Department by researchers in a variety of domains that complement our traditional strengths around physical and mental health. This research has ongoing impact in a variety of domains, including the transfer of psychological knowledge and practice to low resource settings; risk communication tools to support surgical treatment decisions; and education research that develops and promotes educational effectiveness and inclusion, alongside student and staff wellbeing in higher education.