Psychology @ Bolton: Meet our Professor and what he has been Researching

Professor Jerome Carson has been working at the University of Bolton since 2012. He has a wealth of experience in clinical psychology and particularly in mental health recovery. Jerome studied psychology at the University of Reading before completing a master’s degree in clinical psychology at the University of East London. He worked in the NHS for 32 years, as a senior lecturer for the Institute of Psychiatry and obtained his PhD from King’s College London. 

It took Jerome 10 years to gain his PhD and he is open about some of the setbacks that he faced and how he overcame them in his TEDx talk. He also goes into detail about his time in the NHS, how he suffered burnout and his journey to becoming a respected professor at the University of Bolton. You can watch this honest account of Jerome’s career journey here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXLumxB0X_s  

Publications and Research interests 

Jerome has a passion for research and has published over 200 journal papers and book chapters, and has co-edited eight books, three on the topic of mental health recovery. He has a keen interest in positive psychology and was proud to open the only MSc in Positive Psychology in the North West, here at the University of Bolton. 

Some of Jerome’s recent journal articles have focused on some of the following topics: 

- Be honest - Why did you decide to study psychology? A recent graduate and a professor reflect  
- Loneliness and mental health at the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in England 
- Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health: The Novel Use of Chatbots to Support Trainee Counsellors and Recovering Addicts 
- Short-term psychological effects of Covid-19 on British University students 
- Grit and Resilience and their link to academic tenacity 

 Jerome’s recent research: 

One of Jerome’s most recent research papers was written alongside Steven Barnes (an associate lecturer at the University of Bolton) and Kevin Gournay¹. It looked at the impact that supported accommodation could have on people living with severe and persistent mental health problems. Supported housing provides help to the most vulnerable people within our society in order to improve their quality of life.  

They partnered with Northern Healthcare, who provide an enhanced form of supported living for people who may have accessed medium-secure services or acute admissions wards. A lot of these residents will have experienced homelessness or will have encountered the criminal justice system and the majority will demonstrate substantial challenges with daily functioning. 

They found three noteworthy themes: 

- Residents felt comprehensively supported in their recovery process 
- Residents frequently commented that there was a feeling of community offered by their tenancy and that they had developed connections that felt like friendships 
- Residents felt that the support they received had a positive impact on their independence and autonomy 

If you want to read more about this study please see the link within the reference, at the bottom of this blog. 

Psychology and Mental Health at Bolton 

If you are passionate about mental health and well-being, then the University of Bolton has launched a new course for September 2023: BSc (Hons) Mental Health, Wellbeing and Counselling. This degree combines psychology, counselling, social work, law, and health care with the opportunity to gain a qualification in counselling skills. The wealth of knowledge you will gain from these disciplines will enable you to understand how to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities.  
Learn more about this exciting course here or, for an overview of all our psychology courses, head to our subject area page.
 
¹ Barnes, S., Carson, J., & Gournay, K. (2022). Enhanced supported living for people with severe and persistent mental health problems: A qualitative investigation. Health and Social Care in the Community, 00, 1-10. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13822