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Dr Rachael Powell

Rachael Powell
Dr Rachael Powell

RCUK Academic Research Fellow

Psychology
School of Life and Health Sciences
Aston University
Aston Triangle
Birmingham B4 7ET
Telephone: +44 (0) 121 204 4188
Email: r.k.powell@aston.ac.uk

Member of the Health & Lifespan Psychology Research Group

Research Interests

  • Use of self-testing/self-monitoring equipment
  • Psychological factors involved in the development of chronic post-surgical pain
  • Psychological preparation for medical procedures
  • Measurement methodology

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Powell, R., Johnston, M., Smith, W.C.S., King, P.M., Chambers, W.A., Krukowski, Z., McKee, L., Bruce, J. (2011). Psychological risk factors for chronic post-surgical pain after inguinal hernia repair surgery: A prospective cohort study.  European Journal of Pain.  Published online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2011.08.010.  DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2011.08.010.

Ewer, A. K., Furmston, A. T., Middleton, L. J., Deeks, J., Daniels, J. P., Pattison, H. M., Powell, R., Roberts, T., et al. (In press). Pulse oximetry as a screening test for congenital heart defects in newborn infants: a test accuracy study with evaluation of acceptability and cost-effectiveness. Health Technology Assessment.

Powell, R., Bruce, J., Johnston, M., Vögele, C., Scott, N., Shehmar, M., Roberts, T. (2010). Psychological preparation and postoperative outcomes for adults undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. (Protocol) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 8. Art. No.:CD008646. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008646.

Powell, R., McKee, L., Bruce, J. (2009). Information and behavioural instruction along the healthcare pathway: The perspective of people undergoing hernia repair surgery and the role of formal and informal information sources. Health Expectations, 12, 149–159.

Powell, R., Allan, J., Johnston, D.W., Gao, C., Johnston, M., Kenardy, J., Pollard, B., Rowley, D.I., (2009).  Activity and affect: Repeated within-participant assessment in people after joint replacement surgery. Rehabilitation Psychology, 54 (1), 83–90.

Powell, R., Johnston, M. & Johnston, D.W. (2008).  The effects of negative affectivity on self-reported activity limitations in stroke patients: Testing the Symptom Perception, Disability and Psychosomatic Hypotheses.  Psychology and Health, 23(2), 195-206.

Powell, R., Johnston, M. & Johnston, D.W.  (2007).  Assessing walking limitations in stroke survivors: Are self-reports and proxy-reports interchangeable?  Rehabilitation Psychology,52(2), 177-183

Donkin, L., Ellis, C.J., Powell, R., Broadbent, E., Gamble, G., & Petrie, K.J. (2006).  Illness perceptions predict reassurance following a negative exercise stress testing result.  Psychology and Health, 21(4), 421-430.

Ireland, J.A., Reid, M., Powell, R. & Petrie, K.J. (2005) The role of illness perceptions: Psychological distress and treatment seeking delay in patients with genital warts.  International Journal of STD & AIDS, 16 (10), 667-670.

Books/Chapters

Dixon, D., Powell, R., Johnston, M. (2009). Health screening.  In Alder, Abraham, van Teijlingen & Porter (Eds). Psychology and Sociology Applied to Medicine. P68-69. 3rd Edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier Ltd.

Powell, R., Dixon, D., Johnston, M. (2009). Psychological preparation for surgery. In Alder, Abraham, van Teijlingen & Porter (Eds). Psychology and Sociology Applied to Medicine. P104-105.3rd Edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier Ltd.

Powell, R., Dixon, D., Johnston, M. (2009). Cancer. In Alder, Abraham, van Teijlingen & Porter (Eds). Psychology and Sociology Applied to Medicine. P110-111. 3rd Edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier Ltd.

Dixon, D., Powell, R., Johnston, M. (2009). Physical Disability. In Alder, Abraham, van Teijlingen & Porter (Eds). Psychology and Sociology Applied to Medicine. P118-119. 3rd Edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier Ltd.

Powell, R., Johnston, M. (2008).  Psychological aspects of preparation for painful procedures. In A. Rice, R. Howard, D. Justins, C. Miaskowski, T. Newton-John (Eds) Textbook of Clinical Pain Management. Vol. 4 (Practice and Procedures in Pain Management, 2nd Ed; H. Breivik, W. Campbell, M.K. Nicholas, Eds). P245-255. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.

Powell, R. & Johnston, M. (2007).  Hospitalisation in adults.  In S. Ayers, A. Baum, C. McManus, S. Newman, K. Wallston, J. Weinman & R. West (Eds).  Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health & Medicine.  2nd Edition.  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Funding


Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates (CSO): Research Training Fellowship (Powell, Smith, McKee, Johnston, Bruce). Psychological predictors of chronic pain after hernia surgery and the impact of chronic pain on activity limitations and quality of life. £104,422 (2005 – 2008).

Cancer Research UK (Campbell, Smith, Murchie, Wyke, Ritchie, Nicolson, Johnston, Lee, Powell). Reducing time to presentation with symptoms of lung cancer: phase II complex intervention study. £105,249 (2007 – 2010).

Royal Society of Edinburgh International Exchange Programme (Powell). £868. Grant enabling Dr Marie-Carmen Neipp, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche to visit the University of Aberdeen and develop a research collaboration to develop the cross-cultural validation of measures (2007).

CSO (Tucker, Farmer, Smith, Fitzmaurice, Humphrey, Powell). Psychological wellbeing and social support in hospitalised women in the perinatal period: a prospective urban/rural comparison. £105,310 (2007 – 2009).

Development Trust (UCAN) (Francis, Powell, N’Dow). Using psychological theory to explore patients’ behavioural choices in the context of urological cancer’. £51,718 (2007 – 2010).          

British Academy (Powell).Psychological preparation and postoperative outcomes for adults undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. £7,480 (2011 – 2013).  

ExtraCare (Holland, Powell, West, Leask, Carter, Shaw, Cooke, Bellary, Overton). Collaborative Research between Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing (ARCHA) and the ExtraCare Charitable Trust. £224,609 (2011 - 2014).              

Named collaborator on:
Cancer Research UK. Prospective study of risk factors for the development of chronic pain after breast cancer surgery. Bruce, Heys, Chambers, Johnston, Thompson, Scott. £188,572. (2006 – 2009).

PhD Students

  • Mahadir Ahmad: Psychological preparation for MRI scanning. Completed 2011.

  • Moira Cruickshank: Influence of information provision on patients receiving a diagnosis of urological cancer. Completed 2011.

Professional Registration and Society Membership

  • Registered Health Psychologist (Health Professions Council).

  • Full member of the British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology. 

  • Approved Stage 2 Health Psychology Supervisor; listed on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors.                            

  • Member of the European Health Psychology Society.