Dr Amy Burton

Senior Lecturer

School of Health, Science and Wellbeing

I graduated from Staffordshire university with a first class degree in Psychology and went on to complete the MSc in Health Psychology. Following this I completed a PhD investigating the impact and experience of living with age related macular degeneration at Aston University.

Alongside my PhD I worked as a Research Associate at Manchester University and then as a Research Associate at Aston University co-ordinating a project exploring the impact of vision impairment on older people’s ability to manage their general health. In 2013 I was appointed as a Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire University and went on to complete the BPS stage 2 training in Health Psychology enabling me to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Health Psychologist.

Professional memberships and activities

  • Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society
  • Health Psychologist registered with the HCPC
  • Member of the British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology
  • Member of the Qualitative Methods in Psychology section of the British Psychological Society

Academic qualifications

  • BPS Stage 2 Qualification in Health Psychology (2013-2015). Supervised by R. Shaw.
  • Post Graduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education (2013-2014).
  • PhD Health Science: Quality of Life and Wellbeing in Older Patients with Macular Degeneration: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study (2009-12). Supervised by J. Gibson (Principal supervisor), R. Shaw and E. Peel. ARCHA Studentship.
  • MSc Health Psychology, Staffordshire University
  • BSc Psychology, Staffordshire University

Expertise

  • I have expertise in health psychology and behavioural science.
  • My research methods expertise is in the use of qualitative methods (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Thematic Analysis, and Grounded Theory), systematic reviews, and qualitative meta-synthesis.
  • I have a specialised research interest and expertise in the use of photo elicitation

Research interests

  • Improving health experiences in a range of areas including gerontology, pain management, breastfeeding and maternal care, visual impairment and sensory disability.
  • The use of photo elicitation to explore and improve health experiences,
  • Quality of life and wellbeing in older people.

Enterprise and commercial interests

Design and delivery of workshops in qualitative research methods and healthcare communication.

Teaching

Undergraduate (BSc Psychology programmes):

  • Seminar tutor for the Understanding the social world module,
  • Lecturer on the Health psychology module,
  • Project supervision.

Postgraduate:

  • Module leader: Communication issues in health care settings, and Impact and experience of long-term conditions modules. (Msc Health Psychology),
  • Tutor: Core issues in health psychology, Psychology research methods (MSc Health Psychology),
  • Tutor: Advanced research methods (Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology),
  • Project supervision (MSc Health Psychology, MSc Clinical Psychology).

 

Postgraduate supervision

  • Supervisor on the Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology

PhD Supervision:

Completed: Doreen Fleet, “Transformation hidden in the sand; developing a theoretical framework using a sand-tray intervention with adult clients”. 2013-2019 (Co-Supervisor with Dr Mani Das Gupta and Dr Andrew Reeves).

Publications

Journal papers:

  • Burton, A. E., Dean, S., Atherton, H., & Rees, J. (In preparation). Journal clubs for postgraduate students: An exploration of experiences and perceived impacts on skill development.
  • Burton, A. E., Dean, S., Demeyin, W., & Rees, J. (Under review). A systematic review of measures of self-directed stereotype in older adults.
  • Mansfield, R. & Burton, A. E. (In press). The meaning and experience of quality of life for older adults living in assisted living: A photo-elicitation study. Geriatric Nursing.
  • Burton, A. E., Hissey, L., & Milgate, S. (2019). Exploring thoughts about pain and pain management: Interviews with South Asian community members in the UK. Musculoskeletal Care. doi: 10.1002/msc.1400.
  • Hughes, M., Burton A. E., & Dempsey, R. C. (2017). ‘I am free in my wheelchair but pain does have a say in it though’: The meaning and experience of quality of life when living with paraplegia and chronic pain. Journal of Health Psychology, doi: 10.1177/1359105317750254
  • Byrne-Davis, L. M. T., Bull, E. R., Burton, A., Sharni, N., Gillison, F., Maltinski, W., Mason, C., Sharma, N., Armitage, C., Johnston, M., Byrne, G., & Hart, J. (2017). How behavioural science can contribute to health partnerships: the case of The Change Exchange. Globalisation and Health.
  • Burton A. E., Hughes, M., & Dempsey, R. C. (2017). Quality of life research: A case for combining photo-elicitation with interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2017.1322650. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Burton, A. E., Clancy, L., Cowap, L. (2017). Exploring the facilitators and barriers to physical activity in older people with sight loss. Journal of Ageing and Physical Activity, Mar 24:1-29. doi: 10.1123/japa.2016-0123. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Byrne-Davis, L., Bull, E., Burton, A., Dharni, N., Gillison, F., Maltinsky, W., Mason, C., Sharma, N. and Hart, J., (2017). Global Health Psychology: Research, Volunteering & Consultancy. The European Health Psychologist, 19 (2), pp. 321-325..
  • Fleet, D., Burton, A. E., Reeves, A., Das Gupta, M. (2016). A case for taking the dual role of counsellor-researcher in qualitative research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 13(4), 328-346 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2016.1205694
  • Burton, A. E., Burgess, C., Dean, S., Koutsopoulou, G., & Hugh-Jones, S. (2016). How effective are mindfulness-based interventions for reducing stress among healthcare professionals? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Stress and Health. 33(1):3-13. doi: 10.1002/smi.2673. Epub 2016 Feb 25.
  • Burton, A. E., Priest, H. M., Dent, H. R., Dempsey, R. C., Hutton, S., & McGarry, S. (2016). Wellbeing: How is it conceptualised by psychology students? Psych-Talk, 83, 31-33.
  • Burton, A. E., & Gibson, J., & Shaw, R.L. (2016). How do older people with sight loss manage their general health? A Qualitative Study. Disability & Rehabilitation. 38(23):2277-85. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2015.1123310. Epub 2016 Jan 14.
  • Burton, A. E., Shaw, R. L., & Gibson, J. M. (2015). Living together with age related macular degeneration: A qualitative analysis of sense making within a dyadic relationship. Journal of Health Psychology, 20, 1285-1295. DOI: 1359105313511134
  • Burton, A. E. (2015). Lecturers’ experiences of using wikis to support student group work. Innovative Practice in Higher Education, 2, 2. Available from: http://journals.staffs.ac.uk/index.php/ipihe/article/view/73
  • Burton, A. E., & Shaw, R. L. (2015). Pain management programmes for non-English speaking people with long term or chronic pain. Musculoskeletal Care. Dec;13(4):187-203. doi: 10.1002/msc.1099. Epub 2015 Mar 18. – No Impact Factor, Citation Count 3 (May 2017)
  • Gibson, J. M., Shaw, R. L. & Burton, A. E. (2014). Patients’ perceptions of an AMD service: What they won’t tell their ophthalmologist. Digest, Journal of the Macular Society, 66-67.
  • Burton, A. E., Shaw, R. L., Gibson, J. M. (2013) 'I'd like to know what causes it, you know, anything I've done?' Are we meeting the information and support needs of patients with macular degeneration? A qualitative study. BMJ Open, 3(11):e003306
  • Burton, A. E., Shaw, R. L., Gibson, J. M. (2013) Experiences of patients with age-related macular degeneration receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy: A qualitative study. British Journal of Vision Impairment, 31(3), 178-188
  • Craven O, Hughes C. A., Burton A. E., Molassiotis, A. (2013). Is a nurse-led telephone intervention a viable alternative to home care and standard care for patients receiving at home chemotherapy treatment? European Journal of Cancer Care, 22 (3), 413-419. DOI 10.1111/ecc.12047
  • Bennion, A. E., & Molassioitis, A. (2012). Qualitative research into the symptom experiences of adult cancer patients after treatments: a systematic review and meta-synthesis. Supportive Care in Cancer. 21(1):9-25. doi: 10.1007/s00520-012-1573-x. Epub 2012 Sep 13.
  • Bennion, A. E., Shaw, R.L., Gibson, J. M. (2012). What do we know about the experience of living with macular degeneration? A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Social Science and Medicine, 75, 976-985.
  • Bennion, A. E., & Forshaw, M. J. (2012). Insights from the experiences of older people with hearing impairment in the United Kingdom: recommendations for nurse-led rehabilitation, International Journal of Older People Nursing. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-3743.2012.00318.x.
  • Maslin-Prothero, S. E. & Bennion, A. E. (2010). Integrated team working: a literature review. International Journal of Integrated Care, 10, 1-11.

Book chapters:

  • Burton A (In preparation) Exercise, Physical Activity, and Older Adults. In Movement and Visual Impairment: Research across Disciplines. Routledge
  • Burton A. (2019) Vision Disorders. In The Cambridge Handbook of Psychology Health and Medicine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Research Methods Cases:

  • Shaw, R., Burton, A., Xuereb, C., Gibson, J., & Lane, D. (2014). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Applied Health Research. In SAGE Research Methods Cases. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications, Ltd. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/978144627305013514656

Conference Presentations:

  • ‘Widening horizons and deepening reflections: Using photo elicitation in IPA research’. Burton, A. E. Phenomenology of Health and Relationships: Creativity and Affect, Fazeley Studios, Birmingham, May 2019.
  • ‘Using photo elicitation to explore quality of life in people with paraplegia and chronic pain’. Burton, A. E., Hughes, M., & Dempsey, R. Midlands Health Psychology Network Conference, Kings Hall, Stoke on Trent, February 2016.
  • ‘Looking at things from a positive point of view: an IPA on the exercise experience of individuals with positive body image.’ Lawrence-Higton, R. (presenting), & Burton, A E. Midlands Health Psychology Network Conference, Kings Hall, Stoke on Trent, February 2016.
  • ‘Preferences for and facilitators and barriers to physical activity in people with vision loss:
    A focus group study’. Burton, A. E., Clancy, L., & Cowap, L. Midlands Health Psychology Network Conference, Derby University, February 2015.
  • ‘Managing general health with vision impairment’. A. E. Burton, R. L. Shaw, J. M. Gibson & Marsden, R. British Society of Gerontology 42nd Annual Conference. Oxford University, Oxford, September 2013.
  • ‘Living together with age related macular degeneration: an interpretative phenomenological analysis’ A. E. Bennion, R. L. Shaw, J. M. Gibson & E, Peel. British Society of Gerontology 41st Annual Conference, Keele University, Keele, July 2012.
  • ‘The experience of age-related macular degeneration: A case study’ A. E. Bennion, R. L. Shaw & J. M. Gibson. British Society of Gerontology 40th Annual Conference, Plymouth University, Plymouth, July 2011.
  • ‘An Evaluation of Integrated Care Services: Learning from Two Teams’ S. E. Maslin-Prothero (Presenter) & A. E. Bennion. International Federation on Ageing 10th Global Conference, Melbourne, Australia, May 2010.

Conference Posters:

  • ‘Journal clubs for post graduate health psychology students: experiences and perceived impact on skills development’. S Dean (Presenter), Burton, A., & Atherton, H. Division of Health Psychology/ European Health Psychology Society Conference, Aberdeen, August 2016.
  • ‘Vestibular Rehabilitation: Impact upon Quality of Life and Physical Daily Tasks. A Mixed Methods Approach’. Cooke, A., & Burton, A. E. Midlands Health Psychology Network Conference, Kings Hall, Stoke on Trent, February 2016.
  • ‘A systematic review to inform the delivery of interpreted pain management programmes in the UK’ A. E. Burton & R. L. Shaw. Division of Health Psychology Conference, Park Inn, York, September 2014.
  • ‘Changing bodies and minds: Impacts of age related macular degeneration’. A. E. Bennion, R.L. Shaw, J.M. Gibson & E. Peel. Qualitative Methods in Psychology Conference, London, April 2012. (DOI: 10.13140/2.1.3188.5444)
  • ‘Communicating with patients: Experiences of patients with wet age related macular degeneration (AMD)’. A. E. Bennion, R.L. Shaw, J.M. Gibson & E. Peel. Qualitative Methods in Psychology Conference, London, April 2012
  • ‘Using mixed methods to investigate the impact of age-related macular degeneration on quality of life’ A. E. Bennion. British Society of Gerontology 39th Annual Conference, Brunel University, London, July 2010.
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