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Dr Amanda Wilson

Job: Associate Professor Research and Innovation (Psychology)

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: School of Applied Social Sciences

Address: ºÚÁÏÍø, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: 0116 2078 815

E: amanda.wilson@dmu.ac.uk

W:

 

Personal profile

Dr Wilson (she/her) is a trauma informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, a Chartered Psychologist, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health. She is the Director of the Mary Seacole Research Centre. She uses a wide repertoire of research methods to better understand public health psychology through the lenses of marginalisation, health, and well-being, and is broadly interested in applying research to address disparities in local, national, international, and online communities/virtual reality. The underlying theme of her research is trauma (unplanned pregnancy, sexual abuse, homophobic/transphobic abuse, suicide/self-harm, PTSD, and technology based domestic abuse and coercive control). 

Dr Wilson completed a qualitative PhD in Psychology using discourse analysis to explore British men’s engagement in family planning to improve maternal and infant health, reducing unplanned pregnancy. She investigated multiple perspectives to further understand how British men’s engagement is influenced by: men themselves, health services, nurse practitioners, training manuals, female partners, male contraceptive methods, and semen constructs. She holds a professional AM degree from the University of Chicago, for which she completed independent research on poverty and marginalisation in India, focusing on family planning within a Muslim slum community. She also gained further experience in the non-profit sector in Chicago through internship placements.

Dr Wilson continues to use the principles of social justice and reproductive justice to guide her work, and remains active further volunteering in her community with the local LBGT+ sexual health service as a volunteer Trauma Focused CBT practitioner. In her spare time she is training three support dogs to use in her practice with adults and she is interested in dog assisted data collection. 

Research group affiliations

Social Science Research and Innovation Institute

Mary Seacole Research Centre (Director)

 

Publications and outputs

1.     Human Sexual and Reproductive Behaviors

Wilson, A., & Williamson, I. R. (2024). “Navigating Risk and Responsibility?”: A Mixed-Methods Study Addressing Stigma and Well-Being Among Men Who Have ‘Sex on Chems’ with Other Men in the English Midlands. In Healthcare (Vol. 12, No. 23, p. 2479). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232479

 Li, J., Jin, Y., Xu, S., Wilson, A., Chen, C., & Wang, Y. (2024). The influence of the severity of gender dysphoria on anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and non-suicidal self-injury in Chinese transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse youth. International Journal of Transgender Health, 25(3), 456-470. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2023.2273360 

Gheorghe, C. M., Slack, O., & Wilson, A. D. (2024). A thematic analysis of the perceptions of reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance as a potential family planning method in the United Kingdom. Urologia Journal, 03915603241261813. https://doi.org/10.1177/03915603241261813 

Kambashi, N., Rechdan, J., Noon, E., & Wilson, A. D. (2023). Adult male rape myths in England since 1994: A systemic mixed methods review. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. 

Smith, E., Short, E., Rai, R., Rajput, P., & Wilson, A. (2023). It Is Not Your Fault, Tell Someone: Case Studies of Young Women’s Experiences of Online Grooming in England. Journal of Victimology and Victim Justice, 6(1), 7-24

Jordan, A., & Wilson, A. D. (2023). A comprehensive overview by region of condoms, natural family planning, and spermicide as a contraceptive method among men aged 13–54 years attending contraceptive services in England. Public Health, 219, 110-116.

Wilson, A., Jin, Y., Xiao, C., Yan, H., Yu. B. Li, J., Wang, YY. (2023) A Confounding Discourse Analysis of Vietnamese Sex Workers’ Talk in the City of Kaiyuan, China. Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Li, J., Jin, Y., Xu, S., Luo, X., Wilson, A., Li, H., Wang, X., Sun, X. & Wang, Y. (2023). Anxiety and depression symptoms among youth survivors of childhood sexual abuse: a network analysis. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 278.

Li, J., Jin, Y., Xu, S., Wilson, A., Chen, C., Luo, X., Liu, Y., Ling, X., Sun, X. & Wang, Y. (2023). Effects of bullying on anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder among sexual minority youths: network analysis. JMIR public health and surveillance, 9(1), e47233.

Wydera, S., & Wilson, A. (2022). A 16-year overview of vasectomy and vasectomy reversal in the United Kingdom. AJOG Global Reports, 2(4), 100105.

Wilson, A. (2022). Men as Irrational Variables in Family Planning? Understanding the Landscape, Technological Advancements, and Extending Health Psychology Theories and Models. Technologies of Reproduction Across the Lifecourse, 225-246.

Duan, Z., Wang, L., Guo, M., Ding, C., Huang, D., Yan, H., Wilson, A. & Li, S., (2021). Psychosocial characteristics and HIV-related sexual behaviors among cisgender, transgender, and gender non-conforming MSM in China. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1), pp.1-8.

Wang, Y., Zhang, Y., Wang, G., Duan, Z., Wilson, A., Yang, Y., Sun, S. & Chen, R. (2022). Latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of Chinese sexual minority adolescents at risk of suicidality. Preventive Medicine, 157, 107007. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107007

Lin, Y., Xie, H., Huang, Z., Zhang, Q., Wilson, A., Hou, J., Zhao, X., Wang, Y., Pan, B. Liu, Y., Han, M. & Chen, R. (2021). The mental health of transgender and gender non-conforming people in China: a systematic review. The Lancet Public Health, 6(12), e954-e969. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00236-X

Wilson, A., Wang, Y.Y., Chen, R., Cen, P., Wang, Y., Yao, X., Wang, T., Li, S., & Yan, H. (2021) A thematic analysis of experiences of HIV risks among female sex workers in the Yunnan-Vietnam Chinese border region. BMC Women's Health 21, 7.

Wang, Y., Feng, Y., Han, M., Duan, Z., Wilson, A., Fish, J., Sun, S. & Chen, R. (2021). Methods of attempted suicide and risk factors in LGBTQ+ youth. Child Abuse & Neglect, 122, 105352. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105352

Wang, Y., Ma, Z., Wilson, A., Hu, Z., Ying, X., Han, M., Cui, Z., & Chen, R. (2021). Psychopathological symptom network structure in transgender and gender queer youth reporting parental psychological abuse: a network analysis. BMC Medicine, 19(1), 1-15. doi: 10.1186/s12916-021-02091-5

Wang, Y., Wilson, A., Hu, Z. Lu, L., Li, W., Peng, K., Wu, L., Xin, Y., Drescher, J., Ou, J., & Chen, R. (2021) Counselling and psychotherapy service use in Chinese sexual minority populations: a nationwide survey. BMC Psychiatry 21, 11.

Wang, Y., Pan, B., Liu, Y., Wilson, A., Ou, J., & Chen, R. (2020). Health care and mental health challenges for transgender individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 8(7),564-565. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30182-0

Duan, Z., Wang, Y., Jiang, P., Wilson, A., Guo, Y., Lv, Y., Yang, X., Yu, R., Wang, S., Wu, Z.,& Xia, M. (2020). Postpartum depression in mothers and fathers: a structural equation model. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 20(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03228-9

Lu, L., Duan, Z., Wang, Y., Wilson, A., Yang, Y., Zhu, L., Guo, Y., Lv, Y., Yang, X., Yu, R., & Wang, S. (2020). Mental health outcomes among Chinese prenatal and postpartum women after the implementation of universal two-child policy. Journal of Affective Disorders, 264, 187-192. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.12.011

Wang, Y., Wilson, A., Chen, R., Hu, Z., Peng, K., & Xu, S. (2019). Behind the rainbow," Tongqi" wives of men who have sex with men in China: a systematic review Running head: Wives of Chinese MSM. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2929. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02929/full

Wilson, A. D. (2019). British Couples’ Experiences of Men as Partners in Family Planning. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 28(1), 22-44. https://doi.org/10.1177/106082651984283

Wilson, A. D. (2018). ‘Do you know how to use a condom?’–UK nurse practitioners’ conversation about men and family planning. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, 17, 26-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2018.05.005

Wilson, A. D. (2018). “Put It in Your Shoe It Will Make You Limp”: British Men’s Online Responses to a Male Pill. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 26(3), 247-265. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1060826518761433

Wilson, A. D., Fylan, F., & Gough, B. (2018). Marginalisation of men in family planning texts: An analysis of training manuals. Health Education Journal, 77(4), 387-397. https://doi.org/10.1177/0017896917751832

2. Psychiatric Wellbeing

Zhou, C., Zhang, Z., Wilson, A., Xu, H., Xie, Z., & Wang, Y. (2025). Nature connectedness alters the structure of the dehumanization-mental symptoms network: A comparative cross-sectional network analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research192, 112109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112109

Jin, Y., Fan, Y., He, J., Wilson, A., Li, Y., Li, J., ... & Wang, Y. (2024). Symptomatic associations and sexual differences in depression and communication. npj Mental Health Research, 3(1), 59. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-024-00098-3 

Jin, Y., Xu, S., Shao, Z., Luo, X., Wilson, A., Li, J., & Wang, Y. (2024). The lasting effects of childhood trauma on developing psychiatric symptoms: A population-based, large-scale comparison study. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 11, e98. doi:10.1017/gmh.2024.100 

Niu, W., Feng, Y., Xu, S., Wilson, A., Jin, Y., Ma, Z., & Wang, Y. (2024). Revealing suicide risk of young adults based on comprehensive measurements using decision tree classification. Computers in Human Behavior, 158, 108272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108272 

Zhu, L., Wang, Y., Wu, Y., Wilson, A., Zhou, H., Li, N., & Wang, Y. (2024). Longitudinal associations between the frequency of playing Mahjong and cognitive functioning among older people in China: evidence from CLHLS, 2008–2018. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1352433. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1352433 

Yu, Y., Cui, X., Du, J., Wilson, A., Xu, S., & Wang, Y. (2024). Linear and curvilinear association of pain tolerance and social anxiety symptoms among youth with different subgroups of childhood trauma. Journal of Affective Disorders, 354, 491-499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.087 

Goodyer, L., Evans, D., Wilson, A., Palit, P., Ma, C., Lister, H. R., & Poletti, T. (2024). Experiences of community pharmacists in the United Kingdom on the provision of travel health services and associated educational requirements. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, riae024. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpp/riae024 

Kaya, E., Barlas, Z., Barlas, F., Wilson, A., & Dönmezler, S. (2024). Bereavement during lockdown: the potential impact of COVID-19 restrictions on grief and post-traumatic stress disorder in a Turkish-Muslim population. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2023.2244905 

Li, J., Jin, Y., Xu, S., Yu, Y., Wilson, A., Chen, C., & Wang, Y. (2024). Hazardous drinking in youth with co-occurring PTSD and psychosis symptoms: a network analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders.

Yu, Y., Feng, Y., Xu, S., Wilson, A., Chen, C., Ling, X., Chen, R. & Wang, Y. (2024). The influence of childhood trauma and chronotype on suicide attempts in Chinese emerging adults with severe depressive symptoms. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 12.

Jin, Y., Li, J., Ye, J., Luo, X., Wilson, A., Mu, L., Zhou, P., Lv, Y.,  & Wang, Y. (2023). Mapping associations between anxiety and sleep problems among outpatients in high-altitude areas: a network analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1), 1-14.

Wang, Y., Ma, Z., Lu, S., Duan, Z., Wilson, A., Jia, Y., Yang, Y., & Chen, R. (2023). Associations between sex differences, eating disorder behaviors, physical and mental health, and self-harm among Chinese adolescents. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1), 1-15.

Wang, Q., Xiao, X., Zhang, J., Jiang, D., Wilson, A., Qian, B., Song, P. & Yang, Q. The Experiences of East Asian Dementia Caregivers in Filial Culture: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 701.

Gao, J., Feng, Y., Xu, S., Wilson, A., Li, H., Wang, X., Sun, X. & Wang, Y. (2023). Appearance anxiety and social anxiety: A mediated model of self-compassion. Frontiers in Public Health, 11.

Marandure, B. N., Mhizha, S., Wilson, A., & Nhunzvi, C. (2023). Understanding the nature of substance use in Zimbabwe: State of the art and ways forward: A scoping review protocol. Plos One, 18(3), e0272240.

Raghavan, R., Brown, B., Hussain, S., Kumar, S., Wilson, A., Svirydzenka, N., Kumar, M., Ali, A., Chandrasekharan, A., Soletti, A.B., Lakhanpaul, M., Iyer, M., Venkateswaran, C., Dasan, C. Sivakami, M., Manickam, S., Barrett, A., & Wilson, M. (2023). How do Muslim service users, caregivers, and community members in Malappuram, Kerala, use their faith to address the challenges associated with mental ill health?. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 1-14.

Wang, Y., Ma, Z., Lu, S., Duan, Z., Wilson, A., Jia, Y., Yang,Y. & Chen, R. (2023). Associations between sex differences, eating disorder behaviors, physical and mental health, and self-harm among Chinese adolescents. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1), 1-15.

Liu, J., Wang, Y., Wilson, A., Chen, H., Liu, P., Chen, X., Tang, H., Luo, C., Tian, Y., Wang, X., & Zhou, J. (2022). Anticipating unipolar depression and bipolar depression in young adult with first episode of depression using