Lydia Munns
Psychology PhD student
Profile
Biography
Following completion of my BSc (Hons) in Psychology in 2017 at Sheffield University, I worked in the NHS for several years as a support worker and Assistant Psychologist. These roles were based in adult and child mental health and neurodevelopmental services. Following this clinical experience, I underwent an MSc at University College London whilst working as a research assistant at UCL and the University of Bath. This led me to pursue a PhD, with ambitions for a career in academia investigating women’s health.
My PhD project at the University of York is looking at the long-term impacts of body satisfaction during pregnancy on mother and infant outcomes.
Career
- PhD in Psychology, University of York, 2021 – present
- MSc in Mental Health Science Research, University College London, 2020 – 2021
- Research Assistant for Dr Josie Millar, University of Bath, 2020 – 2022
- Research Assistant for Dr Natalie Marchant, University College London, 2020 – 2021
- Assistant Psychologist, Child Development Service, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Trust, 2019 – 2020
- Assistant Psychologist, CAMHS, South West London & St George’s NHS Trust, 2018 – 2019
- Support Worker, Adult Rehabilitation Ward, Central & North West London NHS Trust, 2018 - 2017
Departmental roles
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
Research
Overview
The long-term effects of body satisfaction during pregnancy on mother-infant outcomes
Projects
Pregnancy is a time of great change for women and their bodies. Many of the bodily changes are conflicting with the social ideals of the appearance of the female body, leaving women pressured to maintain a socially desirable pregnant body shape. These pressures can impact on how satisfied women are with their changing pregnant bodies which is supported by recent research, suggesting that around ¾ of women have negative or mixed feelings about their body during pregnancy.
The proposed project aims to fill an important gap in the research by looking at the long-term effects of body satisfaction and interoceptive changes during pregnancy on mother-infant outcomes. It is hoped that this would result in a better understanding of how to support women and their babies in the long term and could inform early interventions during pregnancy. It could also contribute to a better awareness for those supporting pregnant women around how these bodily changes influence a mother’s bond with their new-born babies, and how they feel in themselves.
Grants
- Departmental Studentship
Collaborators
- Dr Catherine Preston
Teaching
Undergraduate
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
Publications
Selected publications
- Demnitz-King, H., Saba, L., Lau, Y., Munns, L., Zabihi, S., Schlosser, M., ... & Marchant, N. L. (2023). Association between anxiety symptoms and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in cognitively healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 111159.
- Munns, L., Kaluzna, A., Liebmann, M., Koren, T. and Ke, C., 2021. Victimisation and loneliness: who is more likely to become lonely?. [online] National Elf Service. Available at: https://www.
nationalelfservice.net/ populations-and-settings/ loneliness/victimisation- loneliness/. - Munns, L., Williams, C., Carthigesan, S., Wilson, S. (2021) Is a sleep clinic effective at reducing sleep disturbance in children with complex neurodevelopmental difficulties and does gender influence this? Clinical Psychology Forum (338).
