Peter Kinderman, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool, has been appointed the new President of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
His appointment was announced at the BPS Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Nottingham.
Professor Kinderman said: “I’m delighted and honoured to have been chosen to serve as President of the Society. This is a massive privilege and I will do all I can, during my term of office, to ensure that psychological science and practice contribute effectively to our shared goal of enhancing society and improving psychological health and wellbeing.
“Our profession and discipline are based on our science, our professional practice and our values. We should acknowledge and help others understand the social and psychological determinants of human behaviour – how people’s behaviour is shaped by how they have learned to make sense of their experiences. This means we should assist Government where we can, but it also means we need to be prepared to speak out (even though it is painful) when we observe injustice.”
Professor Kinderman’s research interests are in the psychological processes underpinning wellbeing and mental health, and in particular psychotic phenomena such as delusions and hallucinations. He has published widely on the role of psychological factors as mediators between biological, social and circumstantial factors in mental health and wellbeing.
He is also interested in the application of such psychological science to public policy, having worked with the Department of Health, the Health Professions Council, the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency and the Office for National Statistics, amongst others.
His current research includes leading a three-year evidence synthesis programme for the ‘What Works Centre for Wellbeing’ and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council exploring the effectiveness of policies aimed at improving community wellbeing.