Paul Morris (Paul Graham Morris)
Lecturer in Health Psychology

Contact details
- Tel: +44 (0)131 651 3956
- Email: p.g.morris@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Medical Quad, Teviot Place
- City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9AG
Background
I work primarily on the NHS Education for Scotland funded Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme. In more recent years I have taken an academic lead on our joint NHS / university selection process and coordinate the first year research teaching. I supervise DClin and PhD thesis, particularly in the domains of nature connection, values, eco-anxiety and mindfulness. I'm co-convenor of our Nature Connection Research group, which includes projects relating to ecodistress / planetary health. Previous roles have included coordinating our health psychology teaching and I was Research Director for the DClinPsychol programme from 2010 until 2014, developing our DClinPsychol research training to facilitate development of transferable research skills, greater dissemination of findings from thesis projects and the establishment of programmes of research.
Outside of work I like the great outdoors, enjoying both long treks in the hills, cycling and more gentle strolls. I am involved in projects which support a more sustainable approach to the environment, which is reflected in my research interests in the wellbeing benefits of nature connection, values and eco-emotions / planetary health.
Postgraduate teaching
I coordinate teaching and supervise theses on the University / NHS Scotland clinical psychology training programme. I also supervise MSc dissertations on the Psychology of Mental Health conversion programme and supervise several PhD students.
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Areas of interest for supervision
General Guidance to Applicants considering a PhD with me:
Issues I recommend considering before applying for a PhD include:
1) Whether a PhD is the right path for you – essentially considering the pros and cons of completing a PhD. It can be a difficult journey even for those who are academically capable and the career path following a PhD can be uncertain.
2) How the PhD would be funded. I have no funding available and it is difficult to attract funding. There is some guidance on this via the University website and there are details there of some scholarships, but these are very competitive. You would need a viable plan for funding the PhD.
3) Whether or how the research would fit with my active areas of research.
Areas of research in which I might be able to supervise a PhD project would usually primarily relate towards one or more of the following.
a) Nature Connection / GreenSpace / BlueSpace projects – essentially relating to wellbeing benefits of engaging with nature /outdoors (walks, gardening, taking an interest in wildlife etc.)
b) Values or Value directed living / value congruence
The above two are my priority areas, although depending on circumstances I may supervise projects in the following domains
c) Planetary health, such as eco-anxiety and/or environmental behaviour change
d) Mindfulness projects
e) Unexplained health conditions - including long covid
If after considering this, you would still like to explore completing a PhD with me here, then please email me with a) a two or three page summary of what your project may involve b) details of how you would fund the PhD and c) a copy of your CV, including details of any completed degrees d) A brief summary of why you wish to do a PhD and e) if possible, transcripts which outline course grades for those degrees.
If we subsequently meet to discuss a potential PhD, a key issue that I’ll be seeking to explore is whether a PhD is the right path for you. You might have the ability and funding to do a PhD, but it still might not be the right option for you. Thus reflect on why you wish to do a PhD, what the alternatives are, what skills you would be seeking to learn and why, and what you intend to go on to do with those skills beyond the PhD.
Research summary
My main research interests include:
- Values, Value Directed Living and their associations with Health, Wellbeing and behaviours
- The Wellbeing benefits of Nature Connection and GreenSpaces
- Unexplained symptoms / Functional Disorders
- Planetary Health, such as eco-anxiety
- Anxiety, Stress Reduction & Mindfulness
I would be interested in hearing from anyone considering a PhD project in any of these areas.
-
The physical and psychological health effects of pet ownership among children in China: A systematic review
In:
Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Accepted/In press) -
Effectiveness of mindful walking intervention on nature on sleep quality and mood among university student during Covid-19: A randomised control study
(12 pages)
In:
Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, vol. 19, pp. 405-416
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2022.08.004
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The relationships between valued living, depression and anxiety: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression
In:
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, vol. 28, pp. 102-126
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.02.004
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Factors associated with illness representations in adults with epileptic and functional seizures: A systematic review
(11 pages)
In:
Seizure - European Journal of Epilepsy, vol. 106, pp. 39-49
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2023.01.016
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
A systematic review of the effectiveness of compassion focused imagery in improving psychological outcomes in clinical and non-clinical adult populations
In:
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2801
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
The effectiveness of group-based gardening interventions for improving wellbeing and reducing symptoms of mental ill-health in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
In:
Journal of Mental Health, pp. 1-19
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2022.2118687
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
A systematic review of horticultural therapy’s influence on Chinese older adults’ psychosocial wellbeing
(11 pages)
In:
Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, vol. 8, pp. 1-11
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221093891
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (Published) -
Drop attacks as a subtype of FND: A cognitive behavioural model using grounded theory
In:
Epilepsy & Behavior Reports, vol. 16, pp. 100491
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebr.2021.100491
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Discerning the adverse effects of psychological therapy: Consensus between experts by experience and therapists
(11 pages)
In:
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2648
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
A network meta-analysis of psychological interventions for schizophrenia and psychosis: Impact on symptoms
(13 pages)
In:
Schizophrenia Research, vol. 228, pp. 447-459
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2020.12.036
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)