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Dr Katie Bell

Job: Lecturer in Psychology

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: School of Applied Social Sciences

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: 0116 201 3881

E: katie.bell@dmu.ac.uk

W: https://www.dmu.ac.uk

 

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Personal profile

Dr Bell is a Lecturer in Psychology who’s research interests lie within clinical and health psychology; focusing on eating behaviour within adults. Her doctoral research has focused the role of self-disgust and emotion regulation in those who suffer from anorexia and bulimia nervosa. 

She is also interested in how other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression impact on our eating behaviour across the lifespan.  

Research group affiliations

  • DMU Institute for Psychological Science
  • Health Psychology Cluster

Publications and outputs

  • The Role of Self-Disgust within Disordered Eating Behaviour
    The Role of Self-Disgust within Disordered Eating Behaviour Bell, Katie Self-disgust has already been implicated within eating psychopathology (Moncrieff-Boyd & Nunn, 2014; Bell et al., 2017; Palmeria et al., 2017) and investigating this emotion may offer more of an understanding of the factors that contribute to the aetiology and maintenance of disordered eating behaviour. Therefore, the research aimed to examine the role of self-disgust within disordered eating behaviour and argues that this emotion can impact on all stages of an eating disorder. This research employed a simple, exploratory sequential mixed-design. The first phase (Phase 1) of data collection involved a large on-line questionnaire-based study, whereby 584 participants completed measures of emotional, coping and sensory factors including self-disgust. This battery of questionnaires was completed at baseline and then 12 months later. Findings from Phase 1 indicated that those with an eating disorder experience significantly higher levels of self-disgust compared to those who have never suffered from disordered eating behaviour. Self-disgust was associated with several sensory processing patterns as well as anxiety, depression and disgust-sensitivity. Self-disgust was significantly associated with several difficulties in emotion regulation strategies and disordered eating behaviour. Self-disgust mediated the relationship between specific emotion regulation strategies and disordered eating behaviour, but this relationship was not consistent over time. Finally, although self-disgust did not predict changes in disordered eating behaviour, the relationship between these two variables did persist over 12-months. The second phase (Phase 2) of data collection involved semi-structured interviews with 12 participants who had taken part in the previous phase and who had technically recovered. Findings from Phase 2 suggest that self-disgust is something that continues to affect a person's eating behaviour, even after clinical recovery and in turn may act as a trigger back into the cycle of disordered eating behaviour. Specifically, four superordinate themes "The Volume of the Voice" "Trapped in a body you do not want" "Disgust as a trigger" and "If I am not the eating disorder what am I?" are discussed. The findings have both academic and clinical relevance and provide compelling evidence that self-disgust is implicated within disordered eating behaviour and is an emotion that continues to affect a person even following recovery.
  • The mediating effect of self-disgust on emotion regulation and eating disorder symptoms: A longitudinal perspective.
    The mediating effect of self-disgust on emotion regulation and eating disorder symptoms: A longitudinal perspective. Bell, Katie; Coulthard, Helen; Wildbur, D. 1) Background There is a substantial body of literature supporting the view that disordered eating behaviour is broadly characterized by emotion dysregulation but little attention has been paid to the possible mediators that could explain this relationship. 2) Method Two hundred and fifty eight female participants, with a self-reported diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (n=156), bulimia nervosa (n=34) or no previous history of an eating disorder (n=68) took part in a questionnaire based longitudinal study, using measures of eating disorder symptoms as the outcome variables and scores of self-disgust (SD) and emotional regulation as the predictor variables. 3)Results SD was significantly, positively associated with all sub types of difficulties in emotion regulation and disordered eating behaviour, as well measures of anxiety and depression. In line with this, SD also predicted eating disorder symptomology after controlling for anxiety, depression and emotional regulation difficulties. SD was found to mediate the relationship between depression, non-acceptance of emotion responses and difficulties in controlling behaviours when upset and disordered eating behaviour. The differences in change scores compared to base line measures were also examined. 4) Discussion Difficulties in emotion regulation have already been established as a useful target for therapeutic intervention and therefore targeting and developing strategies to deal with SD explicitly may offer another strand of potential treatment for those with an eating disorder. Bell, K., Coulthard, H., and Wildbur, D. (2018) The Mediating Effect of Self-Disgust on Emotion Regulation and Disordered Eating Behaviour. Eating Disorders International Conference, London, UK, March 2017.
  • It’s like the onion skins are stripped away; Caregiver accounts of supporting a long-term partner through cancer
    It’s like the onion skins are stripped away; Caregiver accounts of supporting a long-term partner through cancer Bell, Katie; Williamson, I.; Wildbur, D. Purpose: To explore the experiences of caring for a long-term partner or spouse through cancer diagnosis, treatment and aftercare. Background: Although research around caregiving is becoming more theoretically advanced and nuanced, there continues to be a need for in-depth qualitative research into the experiences of caregiving in the context of different caregiver/care-recipient relationships and for different conditions - this is especially apt with cancer because of the serious side-effects of most treatments and possibility of metastasis. Methods: In-depth interviews were carried out in person with 8 long-term partners of an individual who was undergoing or who had recently completed treatment for cancer. Five participants were in opposite-sex relationships and three were in same-sex relationships. Their partners were experiencing a range of cancer types. Participants were interviewed in their homes, typically with their partner present. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: In this paper we explore some of the ways in which relationships change through cancer and its treatment with a focus on two related themes: "cancer has given us the bond" looks at how relationships evolve in the context of cancer threat with a particular focus on sexuality, spirituality and finding 'silver linings'. "we've had to be really inventive about what can we do together" explores the importance of maintaining or developing new shared everyday activities that reinforce intimacy and a sense of dyadic coping Conclusions: Methodological and ethical issues around interviewing couples and applications of the findings for interventions for the support of partners and couples are discussed. Bell, K., Williamson, I., Wildbur, D. (2017) It’s like the onion skins are stripped away; Caregiver accounts of supporting a long-term partner through cancer. Qualitative methods in Psychology Conference, Aberystwyth, Wales, July 2017.
  • Associations with disgust sensitivity, anxiety and levels of sensory processing
    Associations with disgust sensitivity, anxiety and levels of sensory processing Bell, Katie; Coulthard, Helen; Wildbur, D. The factors that may contribute to the emergence of self-disgust have not yet been established (Power, Overton & Simpson, 2015) however there is an increasing interest into the physiological and inherent contributors to the onset of disordered eating. It remains unclear whether sensory processing is associated with self-disgust within disordered eating, but it can be argued that understanding the motivation to change the subjective body experience within disordered eating is critical to understanding and altering the pathophysiology of this illness (Zucker et al., 2013). Bell, K., Coulthard, H. and Wildbur, D. (2016) Associations with disgust sensitivity, anxiety and levels of sensory processing. Eating Disorders International Conference, London, UK, March 2016.
  • The Role of Self-Disgust and Emotion Regulation within Recovering from an Eating Disorder: A Mixed Methods, Longitudinal Perspective
    The Role of Self-Disgust and Emotion Regulation within Recovering from an Eating Disorder: A Mixed Methods, Longitudinal Perspective Bell, Katie; Coulthard, Helen; Wildbur, D. J. 1) Background There is a substantial body of literature supporting the view that disordered eating behaviour is broadly characterized by emotion dysregulation but little attention has been paid to the possible mediators that could explain this relationship. 2) Method Three hundred and fifteen female participants, with a self-reported diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (n=155), bulimia nervosa (n=97) or no previous history of an eating disorder (n=63) took part in a questionnaire based longitudinal study, using measures of eating disorder symptoms as the outcome variables and scores of self-disgust (SD) and difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) as the predictor variables. Out of this sample, twelve were also interviewed to learn more about their lived experiences of recovery and how SD may have impacted on this. 3) Results SD was significantly, positively associated with all sub types of difficulties in emotion regulation and disordered eating behaviour, as well measures of anxiety and depression. In line with this, SD also predicted eating disorder symptomology after controlling for anxiety, depression and emotional regulation difficulties. Key themes from the interviews are also discussed. 4) Discussion Difficulties in emotion regulation have already been established as a useful target for therapeutic intervention and therefore targeting and developing strategies to deal with SD explicitly may offer another strand of potential treatment for those with an eating disorder. Bell, K., Coulthard, H., and Wildbur, D. (2019) The Role of Self-Disgust and Emotion Regulation within Recovering from an Eating Disorder: A Mixed Methods, Longitudinal Perspective. Paper presented at 9th World Congress of Behavioural & Cognitive Therapies, Berlin, Germany.
  • Self-disgust within eating disordered groups: Associations with anxiety, disgust sensitivity and sensory processing.
    Self-disgust within eating disordered groups: Associations with anxiety, disgust sensitivity and sensory processing. Bell, Katie; Coulthard, Helen; Wildbur, D. J. This study aimed to assess the relationship between self-disgust and sensory processing within eating psychopathology. Five hundred and ninety one women with a self-reported diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or who had no previous history of an eating disorder completed a battery of on-line questionnaires measuring disgust, emotion and sensory variables. Those with an eating disorder reported significantly higher rates of self-disgust than those with no history of disordered eating. In groups of women with self-reported bulimia, self-disgust was associated with sensation avoidance and sensation seeking. Within the group with anorexia nervosa, self-disgust was associated with low registration and sensation seeking. This report is the first to examine the expression of the emotion self-disgust within eating psychopathology and examine associations of this factor with sensory processing. The emotion self-disgust needs to be further examined to understand its possible role in the onset and maintenance of disordered eating. The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link. Bell, K., Coulthard, H. and Wildbur, D. (2017) Self-disgust within eating disordered groups: Associations with anxiety, disgust sensitivity and sensory processing. European Eating Disorders Review, 25 (5), pp. 373-380
  • An exploration of the experience of using the TENA Pants product compared to usual continence products as perceived by carers of people with dementia in care homes
    An exploration of the experience of using the TENA Pants product compared to usual continence products as perceived by carers of people with dementia in care homes Knifton, Chris; Bell, Katie; Padley, Wendy; Brown, Jayne Abstract: Incontinence is a common symptom experienced by many older people with dementia, with an increased prevalence noted in care home settings when compared to community dwellings. Incontinence may often be a reason for care home admission. Absorbent continence pads are a common form of intervention with this client group. However, disposable continence pants are becoming more common and TENA Pants are one such example. Research Aim: To understand what are the key product satisfaction indicators for absorbent continence pads; and in light of this review the experience of using the TENA Pants product compared to currently used continence products with people with dementia in care homes. Methods: A review of the literature was undertaken to identify factors reported to affect user experience of absorbent continence pads. These results led to the development of a pre and post carer intervention questionnaire that focused on user satisfaction, which together with a semi-structured interview, reviewed a 4 week user trial of the TENA pull-up pants. Findings: Overall, high satisfaction levels with the product were recorded suggesting this to be a suitable continence product for people with dementia residing in care homes. However, the qualitative data showed that satisfaction with the pads was greatest when used with people in the early and mid-stages of disease progression. Three key factors were found to account for the highest percentage of satisfaction and as such are likely to become key predictor variables for good quality and satisfaction when developing absorbent continence pads for this client group, as well as key points for product development and marketing. These were: • Absorbent pads are comfortable to wear when they are dry • Absorbent pads need to be designed so they can be easily fitted and removed • Absorbent pads need to control odour well • Considerations for further research in this area are also discussed. Knifton, C., Bell, K., Padley, W., Brown, J. (2018) An exploration of the experience of using the TENA Pants product compared to usual continence products as perceived by carers of people with dementia in care homes. Bedfordshire: ESSITY UK Ltd.
  • Understanding disgust-based food rejection in picky and non-picky eaters: Willingness to touch and taste familiar foods with changes
    Understanding disgust-based food rejection in picky and non-picky eaters: Willingness to touch and taste familiar foods with changes Coulthard, Helen; Abdullahi, Najma; Bell, Katie; Noon, Elizabeth The tendency to feel disgusted is associated with picky eating, however, no research has so far examined how this association translates into the evaluation of foods. 232 participants were recruited through the Prolific Academic crowdsourcing research tool: 127 picky eaters and 105 non-picky eaters. Online questionnaires about picky eating, disgust sensitivity, tactile sensitivity, and anxiety were completed. Participants were presented with 16 images of familiar foods (bread, chocolate, strawberries, pizza,) and rated their willingness to touch and taste the foods. The images were either an original image (e.g. plain bread), an edible change (e.g. bread with seeds), a contamination change (e.g. bread with a bite mark) or a degraded/spoil change (e.g. bread with mould). Across the whole sample, participants were more willing to say they would touch the food than taste it, and they were least likely to want to touch or taste food with signs of spoil or rot. Disgust sensitivity mediated the relationship between willingness to taste the original food and foods with both edible changes and signs of contamination or spoil. After controlling for willingness to touch and taste the original familiar food, picky eaters were less willing to touch and taste any food with a change compared to non-picky eaters. These findings indicate that picky eaters may perceive safe edible changes to food in a similar way to inedible changes, and for them any tactile contact with changed food is aversive. Further research is needed on strategies to lessen any maladaptive disgust responses in relation to changes to familiar, edible foods. The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link. Coulthard, H., Abdullahi, N., Bell, K. and Noon, E. (2021) Understanding disgust-based food rejection in picky and non-picky eaters: Willingness to touch and taste familiar foods with changes. Food Quality and Preference, 97, 104442.
  • Successful partnerships with third sector organisations to enhance the student experience: A partnership evaluation
    Successful partnerships with third sector organisations to enhance the student experience: A partnership evaluation Bell, Katie; Tanner, Judith; Rutty, Jane; Astley-Pepper, Maxine; Hall, Richard There is limited research surrounding academic partnerships and more research is needed to educate universities, and the private, public and third sectors about the benefits and limitations of such partnerships. The aim of this study was to outline the unique partnership between Macmillan Cancer Support and De Montfort University and to evaluate the progress of this partnership. A qualitative approach was employed which involved interviews with nine members of the partnership’s steering group. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that a partnership between a university and a third sector charity can have mutual benefits for all those involved, particularly for students and those affected by cancer. Furthermore, the module to develop volunteering among families affected cancer, created through this partnership is now being considered by other universities as a way of providing holistic and non-traditional lecture based learning experiences. Recommendations are made for future partnerships between third sector charities and universities. Bell, K., Tanner, J., Rutty, J., Astley-Pepper, M. and Hall, R. (2014) Successful partnerships with third sector organisations to enhance the student experience: A partnership evaluation. Nurse Education Today. 35 (3), pp. 530-534
  • Promoting students' psychological well-being through volunteering: What works and why?
    Promoting students' psychological well-being through volunteering: What works and why? Bell, Katie; Williamson, I. R.; Wildbur, D. J.; Tanner, J.; Matthews, H. Objectives: The study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the motives and experiences of university student volunteers who engage in volunteering to understand how they manage and sustain their volunteering, and how volunteering affects their well-being. Design: The study utilised semi-structured interviews consisting of a series of open questions, permitting flexibility and in-depth discussion. . Methods: Participants were a purposive sample of 45 university student volunteers aged 18 years or over and studying at British universities. Participants were volunteering or had undertaken regular voluntary work relating to chronic illness, psychological difficulties or disability within the twelve months prior to the interview. Using grounded theory a three phase model was developed which comprises five themes capturing key elements of the development and maintenance of student volunteering. Results: Phase one - 'Getting involved' outlines the 'Motives and catalysts' for students starting to volunteer. Phase two - 'Maintaining commitment' includes three themes ('Making connections' 'Developing resilience' and 'Keeping the balance'), which represent important components of sustained volunteering participation. Phase three - 'Reaping the rewards' focuses on the benefits of volunteering identified by participants around self-development and employability. We discuss our findings in relation to how successful volunteering enhances key components of psychological well-being and facilitates ‘flourishing’ among student volunteers. Conclusions: The findings provide valuable insight into the initiation and maintenance of student volunteering. Further, they have implications for educational institutes such as universities involved in initiatives which include the training, mentoring and support of student volunteers, as well as promoting their well-being. Bell, K., Williamson, I., Wildbur, D. J., Tanner, J., and Matthews, H. (2016) Promoting students’ psychological well-being through volunteering: What works and why?Poster presented at the BPS Annual Conference, Nottingham, UK.

Click here to view a full listing of Katie Bell's publications and outputs.

Research interests/expertise

  • Self-disgust and emotion regulation in those who suffer from anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
  • The impact of anxiety and depression on our eating behaviour across the lifespan.  

Qualifications

  • PhD Psychology
  • PGCert Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education
  • MSc Abnormal and Clinical Psychology
  • BSc Psychology

Courses taught

  • PSYC1090 Introductory research methods in psychology 
  • PSYC1094 Empirical Psychology 
  • PSYC5607 Psychology of Health and Food Across The Lifespan

Conference attendance

  • Bell, K., Coulthard, H., & Wildbur, D. (2018) The Mediating Effect of Self-Disgust on Emotion Regulation and Disordered Eating Behaviour. Eating Disorders International Conference, London, UK

  • Bell, K., Williamson, I. & Wildbur, D (2017). “It’s like the onion skins are stripped away”: Caregiver accounts of supporting a long-term partner through cancer. British Psychology Society Qualitative Methods in Psychology, Aberystwyth.

  • Bell, K., Coulthard, H., & Wildbur, D. (2016) Associations with disgust sensitivity, anxiety and levels of sensory processing. Eating Disorders International Conference, London, UK

Recent research outputs

  • Bell, K., Coulthard, H., & Wildbur, D. (2017). Self‐Disgust within Eating Disordered Groups: Associations with Anxiety, Disgust Sensitivity and Sensory Processing. European Eating Disorders Review.
  • Williamson, I., Wildbur, D., Bell, K., Tanner, J., & Matthews, H. (2017). Benefits to University Students Through Volunteering in a Health Context: A New Model. British Journal of Educational Studies, 1-20.

Internally funded research project information

Black women's accounts of living with an eating disorder: Experiences of Recovery. Institute for Psychological Science Fund, Feburary 2021-December 2022, Lead investigator, Prof Bertha Ochieng & Dr Kerry Quincey. 

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