About

I am an HCPC-registered (Health Care Professions Council) health psychologist. I conduct research on psychological and behavioural aspects of chronic illness, including pain coping and pain management, and how people use pain medication. I also have a longstanding interest in the psychology of learning and teaching, especially student writing.

Research interests

I am interested in behavioural and psychological aspects of pain management and pain medication use in painful chronic conditions such as hemophilia, sickle cell disease, dysmenorrhea and chronic headache. This includes developing and evaluating interventions to improve people's self-management of pain, and studies of the interpersonal staff-patient dynamics that affect the quality of pain management and people's satisfaction with treatment for pain, especially in hospital.

Most recently, I have been conducting research on people's experiences of treatment for end-stage kidney disease with haemodialysis, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the development of support based on psychological models for people receiving haemodialysis.

I am also interested in student learning and academic writing, especially in the transition to university. This includes developing and evaluating interventions that help students improve their academic writing and avoid unintentional plagiarism, especially by improving students' 'authorial identity' and their understanding of the assessment criteria for student writing.

Recent publications

• Elander, J., Kapadi, R., Danton, I., Louth, C., Mitchell, K., Stalker, C., Selby, N.M, & Taal, M.W. (2022). Adjustment and wellbeing among people receiving in-centre haemodialysis during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Kidney Care, 7(2), 70-79. 10.12968/jokc.2022.7.2.70 
• Lunt, J., Hemming, S., Elander, J., Baraniak, A., & Burton, K. (2022). Enabling Return to Work for Key Workers recovering from Covid-19: Exploration of Work-Relevant Experiences and Suitable Workplace Accommodations. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, special issue on Covid-19. Published online 23rd February 2022. DOI: 10.1108/IJWHM-03-2021
• Wyke, E. & Elander, J. (2022). It pays to quit: a review of evidence about how financial incentives may improve smoking cessation during pregnancy. Health Psychology Update, 31 (1), 3-12. 
• Elander, J. (2022). Preliminary evaluation of the ‘Living Well on Haemodialysis’ programme. Trial registration. ISRCTN10070371. ISRCTN Registry.
• Middleton, A. & Elander, J. (2022). A systematic review of the effectiveness of the cognitive behavioural treatment components of Pain Management Programmes (PMPs) on coping and self-management ability in adults with chronic pain (systematic review proposal). PROSPERO CRD42022307272
• Elander, J., Kapadi, R., Coyne, E., Taal, M., Selby, N., Stalker, K., & Mitchell, K. (2021). Using patient feedback to adapt intervention materials based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people receiving renal dialysis. BMC Urology, 21, Article number 157. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Elander, J., Kapadi, R., & Bateman, A.H. (2021). Patient-reported factors associated with degree of pain medication dependence and presence of severe dependence among spinal outpatients. Pain Management. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Telfer, P., Bestwick, J., Elander, J., Osias, A., Khalid, N., Skene, I., Nzouakou, R., Challands, J., Barroso, F., & Banu, K. (2021). A non-injected opioid analgesia protocol for acute pain crisis in adolescents and adults with sickle cell disease. British Journal of Pain. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Bell, T., Montague, J., Elander, J. & Gilbert, P. (2021). Multiple emotions, multiple selves: compassion-focused therapy chair-work. The Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, 14, e22, 1-17. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Kapadi, R., Elander, J., & Bateman, A.H. (2021). A systematic review of evidence about the role of alexithymia in chronic back pain. Health Psychology Update, 30 (1), 3-13. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Pitrolino, K. & Elander, J. (2021). How to capture research impact: a five-step process. Research Impact Bulletin, 5th November 2021. University of Derby
• Elander, J, Chan, A. & Kapadi, R. (2021). A systematic review of findings from controlled trials of psychological interventions for dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain). [Proposal] PROSPERO. CRD42021274185
• Clare, E., Elander, J., & Baraniak, A. (2020). How healthcare providers’ own death anxiety influences their communication with patients in end-of-life care: a thematic analysis. Death Studies. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Bell, T., Montague, J., Elander, J. & Gilbert, P. (2020). ‘Suddenly you are King Solomon’: Multiplicity, transformation and integration in compassion-focused therapy chairwork. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Whitelegg, V., & Elander, J. (2020). Using the Theoretical Domains Framework to improve access to cervical screening for women with intellectual disabilities. Health Psychology Update, 29 (2), 13-18. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Dhokia, M., Elander, J., Clements, K., & Gilbert, P. (2020). A randomized-controlled pilot trial of an online compassionate mind training intervention to help people with chronic pain avoid analgesic misuse. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 34 (7), 726-733. Advance online publication 9th April 2020. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive
• Kapadi, R. & Elander, J. (2020). Pain coping, pain acceptance and analgesic use as predictors of health-related quality of life among women with primary dysmenorrhea. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Vol 246 (March 2020), 40-44. Also available from the University of Derby online research archive

Membership of professional bodies

• British Psychological Society (Chartered Psychologist)
• Health Care Professions Council (Registered Health Psychologist)
• Higher Education Academy (Registered Practitioner and National Teaching Fellow)

Qualifications

• BSc Psychology
• PhD

Recent conferences

• Secular, F, Lipka, S. & Elander, J. (2022). Exploring behaviour changes techniques in motivational interviews for cardiovascular disease prevention. Paper to be presented at the 36th annual conference of the European Health Psychology Society, Bratislava, Slovakia, and online, 23-27th August 2022
• Elander, J., Stalker, C., Arborg, M., Coyne, E., Kapadi, R., Selby, N.M., Taal, M.W. & Mitchell, K. (2022). Preliminary findings from a feasibility and acceptability trial of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention for people receiving renal dialysis. Paper presented at the UK Kidney Week conference, Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel,  7-9th June 2022
• Kapadi, R., Elander, J., Danton, I., Louth, C., Selby, N.M., Taal, M.W. Stalker, C., & Mitchell, K. (2022). An exploration of adjustment experiences among people with chronic kidney disease who continued attending in-centre haemodialysis during the pandemic. Paper presented at the UK Kidney Week conference, 7-9th June, Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel,  2022
• Kapadi, R., Elander, J., Burton, A., Taylor, J., Coyne, E., Taal, M.W., Selby, N. Stalker, C., & Mitchell, K. (2022). An exploration of positive adjustment to long-term in-centre haemodialysis. Paper presented at the Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, 28-29th June, 2022
• Louth, C., Danton, I., Kapadi, R. & Elander, J. (2021). Coping, adjustment and wellbeing among people receiving in-centre haemodialysis during the Covid-19 pandemic. Paper presented at the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care Showcase event, University of Derby, 24^th November 2021
• Elander, J. (2021). Behavioral interventions for pain management and how we can help. Invited talk as part of a symposium on Psychosocial Pain Research: Pain Impact and Intervention. Annual National Hemophilia Foundation Bleeding Disorders conference, Georgia, Atlanta, USA, week of 23rd August 2021 (paper presented Saturday 28th August)
• Kapadi, R., Elander, J., Coyne, E., Taal, M.W., Selby, N. Stalker, C., & Mitchell, K. (2021). Using patient feedback to adapt intervention materials based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people receiving renal dialysis. Poster presented at the UK Kidney Week conference, October 2021
• Kapadi, R., Elander, J., Coyne, E., Taal, M.W., Selby, N. Stalker, C., & Mitchell, K. (2021). What does successful adjustment to haemodialysis look like? An exploration of positive adjustment to long-term in-centre haemodialysis. Poster presented at the UK Kidney Week conference, October 2021
• Danton, I., Kapadi, R., Elander, J. & Louth, C. (2021). Coping, adjustment and wellbeing among people receiving in-centre haemodialysis during the Covid-19 pandemic. Paper presented at the Midlands Health Psychology Network Conference, 10th June 2021
• Kapadi, R., Elander, J., Stalker, C., Mitchell, K., Coyne, E., Taal, M.W., & Selby, N. (2020). Tailoring Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for patients receiving renal dialysis. Poster presented at the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care Research Showcase (online conference), University of Derby, 25th November 2020
• Stalker, C., Elander, J., Mitchell, K., Stewart, P., Taal, M.W., & Selby, N. (2020). The longitudinal impact of acceptance of illness on quality of life outcomes for haemodialysis patients [Or ‘Do changes in acceptance lead to improved quality of life among haemMarchodialysis patients?’. Poster presented at the UK Kidney Week Conference, 24th-26th June 2020, Hilton Birmingham Metropole [rescheduled as a virtual conference October 2020]
• Kapadi, R., Elander, J. & Bateman, T. (2020). Predictors of analgesic dependence among patients with spinal pain. Paper presented at BritSpine 2020 Meeting, Glasgow, March 2020. [Postponed to 10-12th March 2021]

Teaching responsibilities

I teach undergraduate Psychology final year modules about forensic psychology, educational psychology, addictive behaviours, and the psychology of pain. I also teach on the MSc Health Psychology and MSc Behaviour Change and supervise undergraduate, MSc and PhD research.

Courses

• Health Psychology MSc (online)
• Behaviour Change (incorporating PG Dip/PG Cert) MSc