Depression across Physical Illnesses

This project aims to explore the ways in which depression and symptoms of depression occur in patients with comorbid physical illness. In particular, this project hopes to better understand the similarities and differences in the presentation of depression symptoms across different physical illnesses. Similarities and differences in the explanatory mechanisms (e.g. behavioural. biological, clinical) explaining the association between mental and physical health will also be compared across different physical illnesses. A secondary aim of this project is to determine the extent to which depression comorbid to a physical illness is similar or distinct to psychiatric depression without physical comorbidity. These research questions will be explored using secondary data analysis of existing cohort studies and original data collection using qualitative research methods. This project is funded via a 3-year ESRC Future Leader's award to Dr Lydia Poole. 

Principal Investigator: Dr Lydia Poole

Contact: Dr Lydia Poole (lydia.poole@ucl.ac.uk)