• Question: How do you link Psychology with your cancer research; is it mainly Biological Psychology?

    Asked by Tsubaki7 to Steve, Michelle, Jermaine, Jack, Gem on 20 Jun 2017.
    • Photo: Michelle Jamieson

      Michelle Jamieson answered on 20 Jun 2017:

      I think this is a question for Steve.

    • Photo: Steven Brown

      Steven Brown answered on 20 Jun 2017:

      Psychology helps to gain a fuller understanding of what it is like to have cancer. Clinicians can only measure their symptoms and progress, based on treatment. I work alongside ‘health psychologists’. Most big projects call upon the expertise of people with different backgrounds. I work mostly alongside pharmacists actually. It’s useful to be able to work with people who have different insights, points of view.

    • Photo: Jermaine Ravalier

      Jermaine Ravalier answered on 21 Jun 2017:

      In answer to this question – psychologists will look at both the psychosocial (i.e. psychological and social) determinants of cancer even more than biological determinants. So we can look at what lifestyles increase the risk of developing cancer, for example, or whether certain types of work increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer as a more specific type of example. Then if we can change those lifestyles/workplaces then hopefully reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.

Comments