Alžběta Lebedová (Elizabeth) - PG Researcher Profile

PhD Supervisors: Prof. Orla Muldoon and Dr. Siobhán Griffin

Proposed PhD Title: Group Support and Health among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Project Description:

My research delves into the health and wellbeing of survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) who access support groups.

The project is rooted in existing research highlighting positive health and wellbeing outcomes associated with group participation, often referred to as the “social cure”. The social cure phenomenon is attributed to group processes including the sense of connection, belonging, and trust which develop between group members. Harnessing these potential benefits is particularly significant for survivors of traumas like IPV, where experiences of isolation are profound.

Despite the recognised advantages of group participation, the precise elements that underly the social cure remain unclear. For example, is belonging more important than trust? My research seeks to identify which processes drive the positive effects of groups. Therapists and support group facilitators can use this knowledge to tailor their approaches and make their support groups even more effective.

Secondly, past research regarding group benefits has primarily relied on self-reported health and wellbeing data. This project takes a step further by also examining the influence of support group participation on measurable stress-related biomarkers (like blood pressure and salivary immunoglobulin A). By assessing physical health indicators, we can discern whether the positive effects of groups extend to tangible improvements in survivors’ physical wellbeing.

Project Funding:

Funded as part of the European Research Council Advanced Grant to Professor Orla Muldoon (2022 – 2026).

Publications:

PROTOCOL: Lebedová, A., Griffin, S. M., & Muldoon, O. T. (2023). The effects of group-based interventions and their underlying processes on physiological stress: A systematic review.

Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023390747

Griffin, S. M., Lebedová, A., Ahern, E., McMahon, G., Bradshaw, D., & Muldoon, O. T. (2023). PROTOCOL: Group‐based interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the role of trauma type. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 19(2), e1328. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1328

Awards and Honours:

2022: Highest QCA (Psychology Department; MSc).

2021: Best Final Year Project (Psychology Department; BSc).

2021: Cooperative Education Award (Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences)

Training:

2023: Doc Talent4EU Winter School. ‘Enhancing Communication and Negotiation Skills for PhD Candidates’. Nice, France.

2022: Salivary Immunoglobulin A Analysis. Cambridge University, UK.

2022: Salivary Cortisol Analysis. University of Limerick, Ireland.

Conferences:

Lebedová, A., Griffin, S. M., Gallagher, S., & Muldoon, O. T. (June 2023). Adjusting to university: Social group memberships, depression, and cortisol. 19th General Meeting, European Association for Social Psychology. Krakow, Poland.

Memberships:

Centre for Social Issues Research http://www.ul.ie/csi-r/

Groups on Well-being, Trauma & Health Lab https://growth-ul.wixsite.com/psychology

American Psychosomatic Society https://psychosomatic.org/

Twitter/X:

@ alzlebedova