Dr Lorna Camus is a Psychology Technician within the School of Psychology, Sociology and Education at QMU.
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Research Publications
I recently completed my PhD at Heriot-Watt University researching psychosocial factors affecting autistic people's mental health. Prior to this, I completed an MA (Hons) in Psychology and an MSc in Developmental Cognitive Science at the University of Edinburgh. I have experience working with disabled children within a support context, and have carried out research with autistic children and adults in educational and more general settings. I have previously been involved in teaching at Heriot-Watt University in topics of research methods, statistics, human development and intelligence, and social cognition. During my PhD I also interned at the Scottish Government where I worked on disseminating large-scale survey findings to a variety of audiences.
My research has focused on autism and mental health, and on how to improve quality of life for autistic people. I am particularly interested in understanding why autistic people are found to be more likely to experience mental health issues, and whether certain key social experiences (school, work, social interactions, etc.) play a role in the development or aggravation of mental ill-health. Central to my work is the commitment to carry out relevant research which will benefit the communities involved. I am more generally interested in developmental psychology and research on disability, mental health and education.
Active Research Interests:
- Developmental psychology
- Social cognition in children and adults
- Autism
- Disability
- Education
- Mental health and well-being
- Participatory research
Research Methods:
- Quantitative research methods
- Large-scale survey research
- Data visualisation
- Qualitative research methods
- Interviews and focus groups
- Thematic analysis
- Research dissemination/ public engagement
