Sarah Halligan

Dr Sarah Halligan is a Reader in Developmental Psychopathology. Her research examines factors that contribute to psychological disorder in children and adolescents, particularly considering social influences.

Dr Halligan’s current research examines the potential role that parents may play in facilitating child adjustment following exposure to a traumatic event. This project builds on Dr Halligan’s previous work in identifying disturbances in cognition/appraisals, trauma memories, and biological stress response systems that contribute to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr Halligan’s PTSD work reflects a broader interest in the processes via which social experiences may contribute to psychological disorder in young people. Using longitudinal designs, Dr Halligan studies psychological and biological pathways via which early experiences may contribute to risk for depressive disorder. She has similarly applied this longitudinal approach to studying processes that contribute to the emergence of externalising difficulties in young people, and also examines the role of parents and peers in influencing youth aggression.

Alongside these research interests, Dr Halligan is involved in coordinating and delivering clinical psychology teaching to both Psychology undergraduates and to postgraduate students completing the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme.