Prof Betsy Thom

Professor

Betsy Thom

  • School Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education

  • Department Mental Health & Social Work

  • Location London

Research activities

Research interests include drug and alcohol policy and practice issues and the cultural uses of alcohol/ drugs; mental health and substance use. Currently, specific emphasis on - young people and substance use; substance use and BAME groups, drug-related deaths. My social science background is a good basis for working with social workers and nurses. Currently collaborating on a new NIHR application 'The impact of Simulation Training on Skills, Staff Wellbeing, Retention and Quality of Care among Adult Social Care Staff’. I am predominantly a qualitative researcher.

Current/ recent research projects:

·       Thom B. (joint lead Fiona Spargo-Mabbs DSMF; co-applicants: Karen Duke and Camille Alexis- Garsee) Developing and evaluating a multi-component drug education programme Phase 1,Funded NIHR. Phase 2 application submitted)

·       Thom B. (co-applicant; CGL lead; with Karen Duke) Evaluating CGL's Derbyshire 1625 service's impact on reducing demand for drugs amongst young people and young adults (aged 16-25) and improving wider health and social outcomes: a multi-stakeholder preparatory project. Phase 1, Funded NIHR.

·       Thom B. (joint PI with Trish Hafford-Letchfield, Strathclyde University) Review of university student drug use.  Funded UNITE and UUK, 2022.

·       Thom B. (co-applicant), O’Gorman A. (PI, Univ. West of Scotland); Whittaker A. (Stirling Univ.); Munro A. (Dundee Univ.); Mercer S. (Edinburgh Univ.); Robertson R. (Edinburgh Univ.); Mohan A. (Dundee Univ). Understanding the Role and Potential of Primary Care in the Prevention of Drug Deaths post COVID-19. Funded: Drug Deaths Task Force, Scottish Government 2020-2021.

Thom B. (PI with Karen Duke) 3rd. EU Health programme (CHAFEA). EPPIC: Exchanging Prevention practices on Polydrug use among youth in Criminal justice systems. 2017- 2020. Middlesex project co-ordinator

 


Current Teaching

Currently supervising eight doctoral students across social work and nursing and thirteen master students. Teaching on research methods to post-graduate students (NIP2802, NSA4050, WBH4760). 


Biography

Betsy Thom is co-director of the Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. She is a sociologist with a background in medical sociology and health studies and with a focus on alcohol and drug research, She has conducted research funded by the EU, national funding organisations, charities and local authorities. Past activities include acting as editor-in-chief for Drugs: education, prevention and policy for over 20 years, consultancy work for UNODC, the UN and the Commonwealth Institute, and participating in research advisory boards and research funding activities. She is currently an Honorary Professor in the Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark and the Co-ordinator for the UK chapter of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP). A key area of her research is young people, risk and substance use, and current work has included research on school-based prevention programmes and university students' substance use. 

Publications

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