Dr Stuart Spicer

Researcher in applied healthcare, with a background in applied and cognitive psychology. 

My current role is Research Fellow at PenARC (NIHR Applied Research Collaboration - South West Peninsula), and I am also part of the Community & Primary Care Research Group.

I am currently involved in several research projects, predominantly within mental health and frailty/dementia. I have an interest in the relationship between the overprescribing of medication prescribed for pain and mental health conditions (e.g. opioids and antidepressants) and socio-economic inequality; and how to support individuals to safely reduce unnecessary medication. My previous research includes problem gambling, video game loot boxes, associative learning, and spatial navigation. 

My position is research-focused, although I have also been involved in developing teaching materials, and delivering teaching to undergraduate and MSc students. I am also currently involved in doctoral project supervision. 

I am working within PenARC to develop a wider research programme in overprescribing for chronic pain and psychological distress. This involves collaborating with researchers both within PenARC and at other institutions, as well as local PCN’s, PPI groups, lived experience experts, community groups, and the Academic Health Science Network. Activity to date includes: understanding the challenges and experiences of individuals prescribed medication for pain and distress; analysing practice level prescribing data along with geographic, census and index of multiple deprivation data, to understand the associations between prescribing and inequalities; feasibility work within practices to develop a methodological process for identifying patients who might benefit from support to taper medication; and development of a research plan for enhancing and improving primary healthcare provision for individuals in communities with high levels of deprivation, who are being overprescribed medication for pain and distress.

Within my current role, I have been involved in several other research projects. These include evaluating a primary care-based intervention for people with dementia and their carers (D-PACT), evaluating an intervention for offenders with common mental health problems (Engager), in addition to evaluations of multi-disciplinary occupational health services, transformation within mental health services, and comprehensive geriatric assessments with advanced care planning. My role has a particular focus on working with data from electronic healthcare record systems. 

My published research from previous projects encompasses both applied and cognitive psychology. This includes research into problem gambling and video game loot boxes. I have also studied cognition from an experimental and theoretical perspective, covering associative learning, decision making and spatial navigation. These are all areas in which I maintain an active research interest. 

My methodological background is in quantitative research, statistical analyses, and modelling, although I have also expanded into mixed-methods and qualitative research.