Professor Bev John has worked in the field of psychological health for many years, in research, teaching and treatment delivery, developing and evaluating health related interventions. She has also delivered psychological therapies. 

Her main focus is applied research in psychological health, in particular promoting positive behaviour change in mental and physical health and substance misuse; and the development and evaluation of psychological interventions. 

She has developed assessment and screening instruments that are now recommended in NICE guidelines (e.g. FAST alcohol screening test). She has extensive expertise in a wide range of research methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative and desk based approaches. 

Professor John has contributed to policy developments and the public debate on alcohol and gambling harm; and has published widely in peer reviewed journals and other relevant media.

She is an invited observer member of the Cross Party Group on Problem Gambling at Welsh Government and an invited expert on the Welsh Government’s Substance Misuse Treatment Framework for alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) Project Board.

Together with Professor Roderique-Davies, Professor John is a steering group member of the Beat the Odds Initiative, an international alliance of Recovery groups, including The Victorian Responsible Gambling Federation, in Melbourne, Australia, leading academics and addiction charities. 

Current Research Activity:

ADDICTIONS RESEARCH GROUP

Current Addictions Research Group projects are loosely grouped within 3 main research programmes. These reflect the progression, development and potential impact for the medium/longer term. 

• Diagnosis and treatment

• Prevalence of and diagnosis of Alcohol-Related Brain Damage
• Factors Predicting Relapse and Drop out from substance-related care and support services
• Further validation of the FAST for screening for alcohol dependence

• Models of harm reduction

• Developing a public health model for reducing current and future gambling-related harm
• The use of apps as an intervention for problematic drinking.
• Factors that predict consumers’ alcoholic drink choices

• Behavioural addiction

• Psychological mechanisms in gambling behaviours
• Understanding Craving from a behavioural addiction perspective

Doctoral Students – Awarded

Dr Rob Heirene: Improving the Understanding of the Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Alcohol-Related Brain Damage: a Multi-Study Investigation. (DOS with Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies and Dr Ioannis Angelakis). Awarded 2019

Sheila Brennan. Social anxiety, public performance and student engagement (Director of Studies, with Dr Deborah Lancastle)Awarded 2019

Lenira Semedo. The development of a patient focus screening tool for psychological responses to pernicious anaemia (Director of Studies, with Dr Sue Faulkner). Awarded 2018

Laura Rees-Davies:). Management of Anorexia Nervosa in Wales:  An Intervention to increase efficacy in referral in health professionals.  (Director of Studies, with Dr Sue Faulkner). Awarded 2016

Dr Stuart Jones: The Emotional Responses following Injury in Recreational Athletes: The Development of the Emotional Response to Rugby Union Injury Scale (DOS with Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies). Awarded 2014

Doctoral Students – Current

Laura Drummond: Developing an App-based Self-help Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Consumption (DOS with Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies and Prof Neil Frude)

Marie O’Hanrahan: Factors predicting relapse and drop out from substance-related care and support services (DOS with Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies and Prof David Shearer)

Nyle Davies: The social impact of gambling harm: screening and intervention (with Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies and Dr Klara Sabolova)

Jamie Torrance: Development of harm reduction interventions for bespoke risk environments in the changing landscape of gambling and gaming (with Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies and Dr James Greville)

Robin Andrews: Evaluating an online symptom checking tool as an internvetion for menopausal symptoms (with Dr Deborha Lancastle)

Harriet Hughes: Screening and intervention for individuals with Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (with Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies and Dr Richard May)