CEHP Seminar - PhD Takeover

Speaker 1: Ritika Chokhani

Talk title: Interpersonal childhood adversity and social thinning: a test of the empirical evidence

Abstract:

Interpersonal childhood adversity is one of the most consistent predictors of mental health problems in later life. There has been significant research on how childhood adversity confers risk for poor mental health by impacting neurobiological systems, however the pathways from childhood adversity to mental health problems are likely to be mediated by social processes as well. One of these processes has been termed “social thinning”, which refers to an objective reduction in the quantity and quality of relationships over time, as well as the subjective experience of loneliness and lower social support. 

My PhD project aims to advance the conceptual understanding and empirical evidence for these social thinning pathways from childhood adversity to mental health problems. My general hypothesis is that children exposed to interpersonal adversity show early disruptions in socio-cognitive mechanisms (which I refer to as “social-transactional” mechanisms), which will increase social thinning, in turn contributing to increased risk of transdiagnostic mental health problems. In this talk, I will aim to present an overview of several studies from my PhD: (a) a preregistered scoping review of 78 studies examining extant evidence for candidate mechanisms on these pathways (Study 1; completed), (b) a preregistered prospective observational study examining longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships between childhood adversity, social architecture and mental health (Study 2; completed) and (c) a set of experimental studies examining alterations in specific mechanisms such as trust processing and social behaviour such as initiation of social interactions in populations with a history of childhood adversity (Study 3 and 4; ongoing). 

By the end of the PhD, I hope to have meaningful evidence that can inform the development of a future preventive intervention for children and adolescents who have experienced adversity and are at risk of developing mental health problems later in life.

Speaker 2: Alex Truscott

Talk title: The role of self-kindness in how young people practice mental health self-care

Abstract:

Mental health self-care often includes resources and activities which are easily accessible and have the potential to benefit mental health and wellbeing. However, little is known about how young people with experience of mental health difficulties engage in mental health self-care in their everyday lives. A constructivist grounded theory developed from interviews with young people aged 16-25 years demonstrated a central role of self-kindness in three key processes: Creating space for self-care; Knowing when and how to self-care and Enabling daily life and wellbeing. Each of these processes supported each other, with self-care involving continuous learning about how to care for mental health in a way that finds a balance between challenging themselves and respecting their limits. This research focuses on young people’s perspectives of how they practice mental health self-care and the impacts on their wellbeing and daily lives, and the theory provides a practical foundation to support young people to use resources in their everyday lives to care for their mental health.

Speaker 3: Amira Broekema

Talk title: Post traumatic growth in complex mental health populations

Abstract:

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) refers to positive psychological change experienced following adversity, including shifts in self-perception, relational depth, and meaning-making. While PTG has been widely studied in populations exposed to discrete traumatic events, such as cancer or natural disasters, comparatively little is known about how growth manifests in individuals with complex mental health conditions characterised by repeated or developmental trauma.

This presentation will outline findings from a systematic review examining evidence of PTG and benefit finding in complex mental health populations, including individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD (C-PTSD), borderline personality disorder, and psychosis. The review highlights that while reports of positive change are present within these populations, growth often emerges alongside ongoing psychological distress rather than following recovery.

The findings also reveal significant conceptual and methodological challenges within the literature, including difficulties distinguishing PTG from related constructs such as resilience and coping, reliance on self-report measures, and limited cultural and contextual sensitivity. These issues raise important questions regarding how growth should be defined and measured in the context of chronic and ongoing adversity.

Drawing on these findings, the presentation will discuss implications for future research and clinical practice, including the need for more nuanced conceptual frameworks and mixed-methods approaches. It will also introduce an ongoing empirical study exploring PTG within a trauma-focused mentalization-based therapy (TF-MBT) trial, integrating quantitative measures and qualitative interviews to better understand the lived experience of growth in complex trauma.

Overall, this work aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of PTG, emphasising its relevance within complex mental health and its potential implications for therapeutic practice.