Roxanne Hawkins (PhD, MRes, BSc)

Lecturer in Applied Psychology

Biography

Background

I am a chartered psychologist and have been a Lecturer in Applied Psychology at the University of Edinburgh since August 2022. I primarily teach on the MSc in Applied Psychology (Healthcare) For Children and Young People. Prior to this role, I was a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of the West of Scotland (2018-2022) teaching topics relating to research methods and analysis, clinical and developmental psychology. Between 2017-2018 I was a Teaching Fellow in Developmental Psychology at Moray House School of Education and then was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. I undertook my PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Edinburgh between 2015-2018 and my thesis title was 'The Psychological Factors Underpinning Child-Animal Interactions and Preventing Animal Cruelty'. While undertaking my PhD, I taught across several programmes within Clinical Psychology, and took on several Research Assistant roles, primarily focusing on research with children and adolescents in Scotland. Prior to my PhD, I was a Research Assistant (2014-2015), worked in a private medical company (2013-2014), obtained a Master in Research (MRes) degree from the University of Roehampton (2012), and obtained a BSc (Honours) in Psychology from Bangor University (2011).

Qualifications

BSc, MRes, PhD, CPsychol

Postgraduate teaching

I primarily teach and supervise projects on the MSc in Applied Psychology (Healthcare) For Children and Young People and the MSc Mental Health in Children and Young People: Psychological Approaches. 

  • Course teaching:
    • Promotion of Mental Health and Emotional Well-being (course co-ordination, lecturer)
    • Evaluation and Research (course co-ordination, lecturer)
    • Dissertation (course co-ordination, lecturer)
    • Child and Adolescent Development (lecturer)

Other teaching input:

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) (research supervisor)

PhD Clinical and Health Psychology (research supervisor)

MSc Psychology of Mental Health (Conversion) (guest lecturer, marking)

MSc Mental Health in Children & Young People: ODL and campus (dissertation marking)

MSc Psychology of Individual Differences (dissertation supervisor)

MSc Social Psychology (dissertation supervisor)

MSc Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare (dissertation supervisor, guest lecturer)

MSc Education: Child and Adolescent Psychology pathway (guest talk)

 

Admin/citizenship roles:

Director of the Human-Animal Interaction Research Group

Athena Swan Working Group Lead (career progression and mentoring working group)

Clinical Psychology Ethics Committee Member

PGR Panel Member

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Current PhD students supervised

Annalyse Ellis

Suzanne Lawrie

Mingzhen Liang

Lauren Bruha (maternity cover)

Past PhD students supervised

Katie Riddoch

Research summary

My research examines the psychological significance of human–animal relationships and broader connections with nature, exploring how these shape mental health, wellbeing, and development across the lifespan. Using mixed methods, I capture both measurable outcomes and lived experiences to understand these complex interactions.

Grounded in the One Health – One Welfare framework, my work recognises the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental wellbeing, contributing to strategies that promote healthier, more sustainable lives for all species.

Through an applied, interdisciplinary lens, I investigate how human–animal interaction can both support and challenge psychological wellbeing—particularly within child and adolescent development, mental health interventions, and animal welfare. This research advances the University of Edinburgh’s Strategy 2030 mission to shape the future of health and care by generating insights that inform practice, policy, and intervention design.

Collaborating with practitioners, charities, and community organisations, I aim to translate research into tangible benefits, fostering a more compassionate and inclusive understanding of wellbeing across species and contexts.

My research programme is organised around four interconnected themes, each grounded in the One Health – One Welfare framework, my work addresses the shared wellbeing of people and animals, generating knowledge and resources that support welfare organisations, educators, and health professionals.

1. Human–Animal Interaction and Mental Health / Wellbeing I examine how relationships with companion animals influence psychological wellbeing in individuals with and without mental health diagnoses, particularly anxiety and depression. This includes work on perinatal mental health, pet attachment, and the role of animals in everyday self-care and emotional regulation. My findings inform the development of applied resources and evidence-based approaches for organisations supporting mental health and human–animal wellbeing.

2. Animals in Contexts of Adversity and Trauma This theme explores the complex roles of animals within experiences of childhood adversity, domestic abuse, and early life stress. I focus on animals’ potential protective and buffering functions during hardship, as well as the developmental implications of witnessing or engaging in animal cruelty. Insights from this work contribute to trauma-informed practice and safeguarding strategies in both human and animal welfare contexts.

3. Promoting Positive and Ethical Human–Animal Relationships I investigate risk and resilience factors affecting the human–animal bond and collaborate with animal welfare charities to develop education and prevention programmes that foster compassion and reduce relinquishment. My research has informed school-based interventions and animal cruelty prevention initiatives, translating psychological theory into practical resources for promoting empathy, ethical behaviour, and responsible care.

4. Nature Connection, Wellbeing, and Resilience I examine how connection with nature supports wellbeing, resilience, and self-care across the lifespan. This work explores everyday interactions with the natural world as pathways to improved mental health and psychological restoration, highlighting their potential role in preventive health and wellbeing promotion. By generating evidence that informs community and organisational wellbeing initiatives, my research contributes to the One Health – One Welfare vision of integrated human, animal, and environmental wellbeing

I am committed to public engagement and knowledge exchange, ensuring that my research directly benefits animal welfare organisations, industry, educators, and mental health practitioners. By co-producing knowledge with community partners and sharing findings with academic and non-academic audiences, I aim to promote a more compassionate, sustainable, and evidence-informed approach to wellbeing across species.

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=th7M6VMAAAAJ&hl=en

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roxanne-Hawkins

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8486-0304

OSF: https://osf.io/tmgkx/

Current research interests

Attachment; Adversity; Child and Adolescent Development; Companion Animals; Domestic Abuse; Emerging Adulthood; Human-Animal Interactions; Pets; Mental Health; School-Based Interventions; Animal Welfare; Nature; Wellbeing; Self-care

Knowledge exchange

  • Development of materials for animal welfare organisations (2025 - ongoing)
  • TV Interview on BBC Morning Live (September 2025) on benefits of cats for autistic individuals.
  • Invited talk for Abused Men in Scotland (AMIS). “The Role of Animal Cruelty in Domestic Abuse”. June 2025. Led to the inclusion of animal-related questions in helpline conversations with victim-survivors.
  • Mental Health Awareness Week for the Edinburgh Mental Health (EMH) Blog titled ‘Pets & Prams: Do pets play a role in maternal wellbeing?’. May 2024.
  • Invited speaker at public event ‘Human-animal relationships and mental health: complicating the story’. Talk title: "Getting a pet will improve your mental health! Or will they?”. Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University. July 2023. Involved practitioners and policy makers.
  • Research used as evidence in parliament: Written evidence submitted by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) (PWA003) EFRA – call for evidence in to pet welfare and abuse. (2023). https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/120092/pdf.
  • Invited speaker for the 2023 SCAS Conference, ‘Are pets really good for us? The role of pets in mental and physical health’. Talk title, ‘Living with pets and mild-severe mental health difficulties: drawing from people’s lived experiences’. September 2023.
  • Interview for BBC Radio Scotland Lunchtime Live (March 2022) on pets and domestic abuse during covid-19 lockdown.
  • Wide media coverage for research on domestic abuse during covid-19 (e.g., The Times, The Herald, Sunday Post, Womensgrind, Scotsman).
  • ‘Locked Down: The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Domestic Abuse’, Eventbrite seminar targeted at professionals, policymakers and the public. (March 2022).
  • Co-authored a piece for The Conversation (2021: “Pets and the pandemic: the impact our animals had on our mental health and wellbeing”), here: https://theconversation.com/pets-and-the-pandemic-the-impact-our-animals-had-on-our-mental-health-and-wellbeing-153393
  • Speaker at ESRC Social Science Festival event "Human-animal interaction before and since Covid-19: lessons & priorities". 11th Nov 2021. Child-dog attachment and psychological wellbeing.
  • Research featured within Nicky Campbell’s podcast One of the Family. 2021.
  • Psychology Today (‘How Pets Boost Our Mental Health’). 2021.
  • Guest blog for Psychreg (‘Here’s Why We Should Take Pet Loss More Seriously’). 2019.
  • Invited External Expert, Human-Dog Attachment Panel, Dogs Trust UK, 2019.

  • Series of research & knowledge exchange events and conferences through the Children, Adolescents and Animals Research Group (CAAR): https://www.ed.ac.uk/health/research/centres/cadp/child-animal-research/research-and-knowledge-exchange-projects

  • Research findings used as evidence in parliamentary debate and invitation to contribute to a Defra consultation on welfare of pet primates (November 2019).

Affiliated research centres

  • Director of the Human-Animal Interaction Research Group
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Research (CAMHR) Centre
  • Edinburgh Mental Health Network
  • Participatory Research Network
  • Health and Wellbeing CAHSS Theme
  • Childhood and Youth CAHSS Theme

Current project grants

Loughnan, S., Hawkins, R.D., & Janssens, M. (2025). The Dynamics of Human Companion Animal Bonds. PPLS Small Project Grant.
Hawkins, R.D. & Cyr, K. (2024-25). An In-Depth Exploration into the Complex Interplay between the Human-Animal Bond, Perinatal Mental Health, and Companion Animal Welfare. SCAS Pump Priming Funding Award.
Hawkins, R.D. (2022-25). The Human-Animal Bond in Young People’s Self-Management of Mental Health Difficulties. SCAS Pump Priming Funding Award.
Williams, J., Gardiner, A., Leeder, J., Hawkins, R.D. & Wauthier, L. (2022-24). Paws on Campus: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study of a Canine-assisted Intervention for Student Wellbeing . PTAS Award.

Past project grants

Hawkins, R.D., Douglas-Smith, N., & Jenkins, N. (2022). UWS PhD Studentship Scheme: Supporting Student Mental Health and Academic Success through On-Campus Nature and Animal Interventions.
Brodie, Z. P., Hawkins, R.D., & MacLean, C. (2021). Exploring the experiences of domestic abuse helpline staff and service users during COVID-19 lockdown. ESRC/UKRI Rapid COVID-19 Response Fund.
Hawkins, R.D. & McGuigan, N. (2020). Nestle Purina 2020 Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies. The Emotional and Behavioural Basis of Child-Dog Bonds.
Brodie, Z. P., Hawkins, R.D., & MacLean, C. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on domestic abuse helpline provision: Perspectives from helpline staff. UWS Crucible Research Fund.
Hawkins, R.D. & McGuigan, N. (2019). The Neurological Basis of Human-Dog Bonds. Carnegie Research Incentive Grant.
Révész, E., Hawkins, R., & Hatin, B. (2020). Visuospatial Attention Bias in Viewing Human and Canine Emotional Faces. Carnegie Trust Vocation Scholarship Scheme.

This article was published on