Dr. Eleanor Bryant
Associate Professor
- Area
- School of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Mgmt, Law & Social Sciences
- Phone
Biography
I am the Psychology Research Lead at the University of Bradford, with a primary research focus on mental health in children and young people. I am a member of both the Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research and the Centre for Applied Educational Research (CAER). I also co-led a successful £2.5 million NIHR Mental Health Leader Award bid, strengthening research capacity in mental health and applied psychology.
Much of my work explores the psychological and behavioural factors influencing mental health in children and young people, including how early experiences shape emotional wellbeing. I am particularly interested in how social, environmental, and cognitive influences impact body image, self-esteem, and eating behaviours in young people.
I am also involved in Dying 2 Talk, an AHRC-funded project that works directly with children and young people to co-produce tools that help facilitate conversations about death, dying, and bereavement. By developing accessible and age-appropriate resources, this work aims to support young people in navigating difficult emotional topics and improving their psychological wellbeing.
Alongside this, I have an established research profile in eating behaviour and appetite regulation, particularly in the context of children’s mental health and wellbeing. I investigate Disinhibition and Uncontrolled Eating, examining their effects on weight regulation in children and adults, as well as their relationship with exercise, dietary interventions, and bariatric surgery for weight loss. I recently developed and validated the Child Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr17), which has been translated and validated in multiple languages (French, Turkish, Brazilian, and Romanian), with further translations underway.
Through my leadership and research, I am committed to developing evidence-based strategies to support children and young people’s mental health, with a particular focus on the intersection between psychological wellbeing, eating behaviours, bereavement support, and public health interventions.
Research
My primary research focus is on children and young people’s mental health, with a particular interest in the psychological and behavioural factors that shape emotional wellbeing. I explore how early-life experiences, social and environmental influences, and cognitive factors impact mental health outcomes, body image, and self-esteem in young people. As Psychology Research Lead at the University of Bradford, I work within both the Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research and the Centre for Applied Educational Research (CAER). I also co-led a successful £2.5 million NIHR Mental Health Leader Award bid, aimed at strengthening research capacity in this critical area.
A key strand of my research focuses on eating behaviour and appetite regulation, particularly in relation to mental health and wellbeing in children and young people. I investigate eating behaviour traits such as Disinhibition (as measured by the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire; Stunkard & Messick, 1985) and their role in appetite regulation, weight management, and psychological wellbeing. My work also examines the relationship between physical activity, appetite control, and weight regulation, as well as the factors that influence the effectiveness of weight management interventions, including bariatric surgery outcomes.
I am also actively involved in Dying 2 Talk, an AHRC-funded project that works with children and young people to co-produce tools that help facilitate conversations about death, dying, and bereavement. This research explores how young people navigate difficult emotional topics and aims to develop age-appropriate, accessible resources to support their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
I work internationally on projects examining the links between psychological traits, body weight, and weight loss success. I also developed and validated the Child Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr17), which has been translated and validated in multiple languages (French, Turkish, Brazilian, and Romanian), with further translations ongoing.
Through my research and collaborations, I aim to develop evidence-based approaches to support children and young people’s mental health, particularly in relation to eating behaviours, body image, bereavement support, and long-term wellbeing.