Next generation of psychologists

Freya Mills is a final-year PhD student based at the University of Sussex. She started her journey into the world of psychology with an undergraduate degree at the University of Nottingham, where she had a keen interest in neuroscience (and even held a brain on a summer internship at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience in Bangalore!). 

However, after attending a lecture on Prospect Theory, she discovered the world of behavioural science. This led her to complete an MSc in Behaviour Change at University College London. She went to work at the Behavioural Science and Insights Unit at the UK Health Security Agency. 

Freya has maintained an interest in health behaviours and outcomes and has applied various psychological theories to topics such as blood donation and vaccination. She focuses on a systems approach and considers the potential spillover effects of an intervention, for example, whether Covid-19 certification influences other protective behaviours. 

The role of groups in shaping health outcomes

Freya is currently in the final year of her PhD at the University of Sussex, where she extends her interests to the role of groups in shaping health outcomes. Applying the social identity approach to health, Freya is particularly interested in understanding whether members of online Long Covid support groups develop a shared social identity (whether they feel part of the group) and, if so, what role this may have on their health outcomes. 

She also hopes to identify contextual factors that may also influence experiences of using online support groups, such as group size, platform and norms. By the end of her PhD, she hopes to have a series of recommendations for both group members and moderators to optimise the experiences of using online support groups and promote the health and wellbeing of those who use online support groups.

Freya is supervised by Professor John Drury at the University of Sussex, and by Dr Holly Carter, Dr Dale Weston, Dr Charles Symons and Professor Richard Amlôt at the UK Health Security Agency. Her PhD is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response, a partnership between the UK Health Security Agency, King's College London and the University of East Anglia. 

Check out Freya's work here.