BA, PhD, MPH, CPsychol
Senior Research Fellow
- About
-
- Email Address
- lucy.thompson@abdn.ac.uk
- Office Address
Centre for Rural Health
Centre for Health Science
Old Perth Road
Inverness IV2 3JH
Tel: 01463 255896
- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Biography
I am a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Rural Health within the Institute of Applied Health Sciences. I have PhD in Psychology and a Master of Public Health which have provided the ideal foundation for my research interest in early child development and parental wellbeing. Before coming to the University of Aberdeen I spent several years working in the NHS as a senior public health researcher and my research has continued to have an applied focus. My publications span subjects including whole population screening for neurodevelopmental problems, evaluation of parenting support interventions, use of whole population datasets and data linkage, and systematic literature reviews. I have recently been involved in running feasibility pilot trials and I am particularly interested in how we can optmise the application of trial methodology for complex socio-behavioural interventions.
Qualifications
- BA Social Sciences1996 - Glasgow Caledonian University
- PhD Psychology2003 - Glasgow Caledonian University
- MPH Public Health2009 - University of Glasgow
External Memberships
Part of my time is spent coordinating an international research network for the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre at Gothenburg University (gu.se/en/gnc), a role I have held since 2012. This programme includes groundbreaking work on early indicators of neurodevelopmental disorders through a national cohort study in Japan (www.env.go.jp/chemi/ceh/en/about/outline.html), a new cohort study in the Faroe Islands, and developing work in rural South Africa.
I am an Honorary Research Fellow with the University of Glasgow Institute of Health and Wellbeing.
- Research
-
Research Overview
My research focuses on early predictors of childhood mental health and neurodevelopmental problems, such as language delay, disruptive behaviour problems like ADHD, and autism spectrum conditions. I am particularly interested in the perinatal period and how best we can support parents and help developing families thrive. I value a multi-disciplinary and mixed-methods approach to obtaining the best quality evidence that reflects people’s lived experiences. I have taken a lead role in a number of studies investigating the effectiveness of parenting support interventions, including the Mellow Babies Trial. With colleagues I set up a whole population mental health screening project in the education system in Glasgow (the ChiME datasets), and have examined the predictive validity of health visitor screening and observation of video-recorded parent-child interaction for the later identification of neurodevelopmental problems.
I am keen to supervise research projects in the field of early child development, particularly around early identification of and support for neurodevelopmental problems. I am currently seeking a student to develop a programme of work on refining a method of parent-infant observation for use by non-specialist health and social care professionals. See bit.ly/CP_research_lucy_thompson for more information.
Research Areas
Applied Health Sciences
Psychology
Supervision
Group processes and social context in parenting interventions. Jessica Tanner, University of Aberdeen, current primary supervisor
Spatiotemporal variability in social, emotional and behavioural development of children. Samantha Ofili, Strathclyde University, current co-supervisor
Early predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in the Japan Environment and Children Study (JECS), Kahoko Yasumitsu-Lovell, Gothenburg University / Kochi Medical School, current co-supervisor
Development of a feasible and robust neurodevelopmental screen for South African children. Ben Truter, Gothenburg University / Stellenbosch University, current co-supervisor
The scope and predictive validity of screening for neurodevelopmental difficulties in pre-school aged children. Fiona Sim, University of Aberdeen, 2018
Modelling social, emotional and behavioural development in the first three years of school. Louise Marryat, University of Glasgow, 2014
Funding and Grants
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research (PHR). £1.2million. Does "Mellow Babies" improve the psychosocial health of mothers and their children? (2018-2022)
Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (CSO). £134,799. Parents InC.: A feasibility randomised controlled trial of a parenting support programme focussed on families affected by ADHD (2018-2021).
Feis Rois / Spirit of 2012. £4990. Evaluation of the Tàlaidhean Ùra Fèis Rois Lullaby Project (2020-2021).
Trygfonden. DKK 14,279,670. A general practice-based cluster-randomised trial of the impact of a Resilience Programme on early child development (2018-2023).
William Grant Foundation. £30,000. Development and External Evaluation of the Mellow Parenting Observation Scale (2016-2021).
EU Horizon 2020. €1,133,169. Clinical validation of the predictive value of the Harimata Play Care Pro assessment for autism (2017-2019).
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). £2.2 million. Trial of Healthy Relationship Initiatives for the Very Early-years (THRIVE) (2013-2019).
Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy. £39,788. Antenatal parenting support for women vulnerable in pregnancy: an exploratory randomised controlled trial of Mellow Bumps (2012-2013).
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Research and Development Group. £39,532. Characterising neurodevelopmental problems identified at a universal nurse contact with 30-months-old children (2011-2012).
Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy. £39,971. Enhancing Information Systems to Support Children’s Health and Development: Exploring Options in Glasgow (2010-2012).
Child and Maternal Health Division of the Scottish Government. £52,325. Screening for emotional and behavioural problems at school entry (2009-2010).
- Publications
-
Page 1 of 1 Results 1 to 58 of 58
The Mellow Babies parenting programme: role of group processes and interpersonal change mechanisms
Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 3, no. 2024, 1395363Contributions to Journals: ArticlesCommentary: With great (statistical) power comes great responsibility: a comment on the ethics of using administrative data to investigate marginalised populations
Big Data and SocietyContributions to Journals: Comments and DebatesInvestigating low birthweight and preterm birth as potential mediators in the relationship between prenatal infections and early child development: A linked administrative health data analysis
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 78, no. 9, pp. 585-590Contributions to Journals: ArticlesFace- to-face vs. online delivery of the Lullaby Project: a therapeutic community music group for mothers of infants
International Journal of Community Music, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 199 - 217Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPrenatal maternal infections and early childhood developmental outcomes: Analysis of linked administrative health data for Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Scotland
Journal of Child Psychology and PsychiatryContributions to Journals: ArticlesThe mellow babies trial: a randomised controlled trial to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Mellow Babies programme for mothers experiencing psychosocial stress
Public Health ResearchContributions to Journals: ArticlesThe importance of group factors in the delivery of group-based parenting programmes: a process evaluation of Mellow Babies
Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 3, 1395365Contributions to Journals: ArticlesValidity of the ESSENCE-Q neurodevelopmental screening tool in Japan
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, vol. 66, no. 12, pp. 1611-1621Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMellow Babies: a randomised feasibility trial of an intervention to improve the quality of parent-infant interactions and parental mental wellbeing
Children, vol. 11, no. 5, 510Contributions to Journals: ArticlesVitamin D deficiency associated with neurodevelopmental problems in 2-year-old Japanese boys
Acta Paediatrica, vol. 113, no. 1, pp. 119-126Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPrenatal maternal infections and early childhood development outcomes: An analysis of Scottish linked administrative health data
ADR UK Conference 2023Contributions to Journals: AbstractsA protocol for a systematic review of randomised evaluations of strategies to improve recruitment of rural participants to randomised controlled trials
Rural and Remote Health, vol. 23, no. 3, 7793Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA PRISMA systematic review of adolescent gender dysphoria literature: 3) treatment
PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 3, no. 8, e0001478Contributions to Journals: ArticlesWe need timely access to mental health data: implications of the Goldacre review
The lancet. Psychiatry, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 242-244Contributions to Journals: Comments and DebatesPre-/perinatal reduced optimality and neurodevelopment at 1 month and 3 years of age: Results from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)
PloS ONE, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. e0280249Contributions to Journals: ArticlesParent-infant observation for prediction of later childhood psychopathology in community-based samples: A Systematic Review
PloS ONE, vol. 17, no. 2, e0279559Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMapping Geographic Trends in Early Childhood Social, Emotional, and Behavioural Difficulties in Glasgow: 2010–2017
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 18, 11520Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA PRISMA systematic review of adolescent gender dysphoria literature: 2) mental health
PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 2, no. 5, e0000426Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA PRISMA systematic review of adolescent gender dysphoria literature: 1) epidemiology
PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 2, no. 3, e0000245Contributions to Journals: ArticlesInterpersonal trauma and its relation to childhood psychopathic traits: what does ADHD and ODD add to the equation?
BMC Psychiatry, vol. 21, 630Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPatient satisfaction with general practice in urban and rural areas of Scotland
Rural and Remote Health, vol. 21, no. 4, 6634Contributions to Journals: ArticlesBirth month and infant gross motor development: Results from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study
PloS ONE, vol. 16, no. 5, e0251581Contributions to Journals: ArticlesReaders and service commissioners require clear financial disclosures: Comment on innovation, research integrity, and change: A conflict of interest management framework for program developers (Sanders et al., 2019)
Australian Psychologist, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 102-107Contributions to Journals: Comments and Debates- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12448
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/15551/1/AP_commentary_AAM.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Hypothesis: The highly folded brain surface might be structured and located so as to facilitate inter-brain synchronization
Research Ideas and Outcomes, vol. 6, e48887Contributions to Journals: ArticlesStreamlining of the Mellow Parenting Observation System for research and non-specialist clinical use
Community Practitioner, vol. 92, no. 8, pp. 45-47Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPreschool developmental concerns and adjustment in the early school years: Evidence from a Scottish birth cohort
Child: Care, Health and Development, vol. 45, no. 5, pp. 719-736Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12695
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/12720/1/Sim_et_al_cch_preschool_development_VOR.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Trial of healthy relationship initiatives for the very early years (THRIVE), evaluating Enhanced Triple P for Baby and Mellow Bumps additional social and care needs during pregnancy and their infants who are at higher risk of maltreatment: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Trials, vol. 20, no. 1, 499Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTrial of healthy relationship initiatives for the very early years (THRIVE), evaluating Enhanced Triple P for Baby and Mellow Bumps for those with additional social and care needs during pregnancy and their infants who are at higher risk of maltreatment: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Trials, vol. 20, no. 1, 557Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3674-z
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Autism With and Without Regression: A Two-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study in Two Population-Derived Swedish Cohorts
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 49, pp. 2281-2290Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPredictive validity of preschool screening tools for language and behavioural difficulties: A PRISMA systematic review
PloS ONE, vol. 14, no. 2, e0211409Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211409
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/11867/1/journal.pone.0211409.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
Phase 3 diagnostic evaluation of a smart tablet serious game to identify autism in 760 children 3–5 years old in Sweden and the United Kingdom
BMJ Open, vol. 9, no. 7, e026226Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026226
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/12596/1/e026226.full.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
Development problems were common five years after positive screening for language disorders and, or, autism at 2.5 years of age
Acta Paediatrica, vol. 107, no. 10, pp. 1739-1749Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.14358
Primary schools and the amplification of social differences in child mental health: a population based cohort study
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 27-33Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe role of cholesterol metabolism and various steroid abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders: A hypothesis paper
Autism Research, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 1022-1044Contributions to Journals: Review articlesViolence is Rare in Autism: When It Does Occur, Is It Sometimes Extreme?
The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, vol. 151, pp. 49-68Contributions to Journals: ArticlesNo evidence of whole population mental health impact of the Triple P parenting programme: findings from a routine dataset
BMC Pediatrics, vol. 17, 40Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAccess to chlamydia testing in remote and rural Scotland
Rural and Remote Health, vol. 16, pp. 1-9Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMellow Parenting: systematic review and meta-analysis of an intervention to promote sensitive parenting
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, vol. 57, no. 12, pp. 1119-1128Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMapping area variability in social and behavioural difficulties among Glasgow pre-schoolers: linkage of a survey of pre-school staff with routine monitoring data
Child: Care, Health and Development, vol. 41, no. 6, pp. 853-864Contributions to Journals: ArticlesDevelopment of a triage tool for neurodevelopmental risk in children aged 30 months
Research in Developmental Disabilities, vol. 45-46, pp. 69-82Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2015.07.017
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/7553/5/RIDD_paper_revised_28_06_15_submitted.docx
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/7553/3/Appendix_06_02_15.docx
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/7553/1/figures_06_02_15.docx
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/7553/4/highlights_06_02_15.docx
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/7553/2/tables_06_02_15.docx
Extreme (“pathological”) demand avoidance in autism: a general population study in the Faroe Islands
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 8, pp. 979-984Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0647-3
Exploring the social, emotional and behavioural development of preschool children: is Glasgow different?
International Journal for Equity in Health, vol. 14, 3Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-014-0129-8
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/4316/1/s12939_014_0129_8.pdf
Antenatal parenting support for vulnerable women
British Journal of Midwifery, vol. 23, no. 10, pp. 724-732Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAssociations between social isolation, pro-social behaviour and emotional development in pre-school aged children: a population based survey of kindergarten staff
BMC Psychology, vol. 2, 44Contributions to Journals: ArticlesEarly parental physical punishment and emotional and behavioural outcomes in preschool children
Child: Care, Health and Development, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 337-345Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12061
Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial risk factors in serial killers and mass murderers
Aggression and Violent Behavior, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 288-301Contributions to Journals: ArticlesLanguage and social/emotional problems identified at a universal developmental assessment at 30 months
BMC Pediatrics, vol. 13, 206Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-13-206
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/3129/1/Sim_et_al_2013.pdf
Assessing wellbeing at school entry using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: professional perspectives
Educational Research, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 87 - 98Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2013.767027
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
A universal 30-month child health assessment focussed on social and emotional development
Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 13 - 22Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v3n1p13
Language delay is not predictable from available risk factors
The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2013, 947018Contributions to Journals: ArticlesDisruptive behaviour disorders: a systematic review of environmental antenatal and early years risk factors
Child: Care, Health and Development, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 611-628Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2012.01366.x
Matching parenting support needs to service provision in a universal 13-month child health surveillance visit
Child: Care, Health and Development, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 665–674Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01315.x
Behavioural problems from perinatal and neonatal insults
The Lancet, vol. 379, no. 9814, pp. 392-393Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61788-1
Rebuilding relationships: a pilot study of the effectiveness of the Mellow Parenting Programme for children with Reactive Attachment Disorder
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry , vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 73-87Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104510365195
Measuring attachment in large population studies: A systematic review
Educational and Child Psychology, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 22-32Contributions to Journals: ArticlesParent-child relationships: are health visitors’ judgements reliable?
Community Practitioner, vol. 83, no. 5, pp. 22-25Contributions to Journals: ArticlesWhat have birth cohort studies asked about genetic, pre- and perinatal exposures and child and adolescent onset mental health outcomes?: A systematic review
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1-15Contributions to Journals: ArticlesDyslexia and psycho-social functioning: an exploratory study of the role of self-esteem and understanding
Dyslexia, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 304-327Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.386