University of Exeter Medical School

Dr Rachel Hayes

Dr Rachel Hayes

Senior Research Fellow

 R.A.Hayes@exeter.ac.uk

 2978

 +44 (0) 1392 722978

 South Cloisters 2.05

 

South Cloisters, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK

Overview

I am a Senior Research Fellow working accross the Children and Young People's Mental Health Research Collaboration (ChYMe) and the Peninsula Mental Health Research Initiative (PenMHRI). I am interested in finding ways to support the emotional and social development of children and young adults. My focus has been evaluating complex interventions with families, schools and health services.

Within my work at PenARC (https://arc-swp.nihr.ac.uk/) I co-lead PenMHRI (https://arc-swp.nihr.ac.uk/research/projects/penmhri/) to identify key areas of uncertainty between local needs and mental health research which can be addressed either through conducting primary research or by adapting existing evidence to improve services. I do this by building relationships and connections with mental health services and public collaborators working in the South West, with a view to developing research partnerships. 

I am a professional author with the organisation MindEd who provide free educational resources on children and young people's mental health for any adult who works with them, for example, parents, teachers, therapists. I regularly work with children's charities such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and The Children's Society. I am also a research advisor for Place2Be and was delighted to be invited to be a judge on the Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards 2019. 

Qualifications

BSc Psychology

MSc Psychological Research Methods

PhD

Career

  • Research interest in the promotion of good mental health in young people and families, with a particular focus on prevention and school based intervention

  • Managed large successful trials of complex health interventions, main outcomes published in high quality scientific journals

  • A Ph.D. in developmental psychology investigating young infant’s perception of speech sounds

  • Experienced in all aspects of research – design, funding, implementation, analysis and dissemination

Links

Research group links

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Research

Research interests

Mental Health

Developmental Psychology

Clinical Psychology

School Based Research

Research projects

I co-lead The Peninsula Mental Health Research Initiative (PenMHRI) which aims to help tackle the existing gap between local needs and mental health research activity. Our programme aims to establish a South West Mental Health Research Programme to promote close working with mental health services and public collaborators to build research capacity in the region. It’s our aim that the programme increases the capacity of the system to deliver high quality research in mental health of direct relevance to service delivery and to improve services by better use of evidence. We want to work with partners including those with lived experience, practitioners and organisations to identify key areas of uncertainty which can be addressed either through research or by adapting existing evidence to improve services. We anticipate that our programme staff will work with these partners to deliver research projects and will seek external funding to address major research questions. An important part of the programme is the new Mental Health Associates strand, which offers an opportunity for people within the local system to develop their research/improvement skills during part-time secondments where they will address important problems facing their own organisations.

I have over 20 years working in psychological research, initially exploring cognitive developmental psychology and more recently mental health. I work the the Children and Young People's Mental Health Research Collaboration (ChYMe) here at Exeter. 

I am leading the Exeter site's involvement in the Stand Together Trial (https://standtogethertrial.weebly.com/) which is a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating whether a school based anti-bullying programme called KiVa reduces levels of bullying in UK primary schools and if so, whether it results in improvements in children’s mental health, school liking and attendance, and teacher confidence in dealing with bullying. We are working with 120 primary schools in four areas; i) North Wales and Cheshire, ii) the West Midlands, iii) South East and iv) South West England. Half of the schools will be randomly selected to use the KiVa programme, the remaining 60 schools continue with teaching as usual and will not access the programme during that school year.

I have worked with a number of different people in the Mood Disorders Centre (University of Exeter) including Heather O'Mahen and Kim Wright investigating group BA's efficacy for the treatment of depression, Tom Lynch looking at emotional sensitivity, and developing an on-line CBT programme for post-natal depression. The largest RCTs to date that I have managed are the CTIMP PREVENT trial which explored the relationship between mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and maintenance antidepressant medication (m-ADM) in preventing depression relapse / recurrence for patients with a history of recurrent depression (CI: Prof Willem Kuyken) and the STARS trials, one and two, which are both cluster RCT exploring the impact of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) programme in primary schools in England with Prof Tamsin Ford. 

Stand Together: https://standtogethertrial.weebly.com/

Research grants

  • 2022 NIHR Programme Grant
    Teenage depression knocks normal development off course and damages family relationships. Young people are more likely to get recurrent depression than people first depressed as adults. We need more options for young people who still have symptoms after treatment or relapse quickly, so we developed Mindfulness for Adolescents and Carers (MAC). Mindfulness-based cognitive-therapy (MBCT) is now an established treatment for adults with recurrent depression, yet is untested with young people. MAC is teenager friendly MBCT, which could helps young people avoid recurrent depression, and so reduce damage to their life chances and future health. This programme will have five parts that aim to: 1. Finalise training for practitioners to deliver MAC 2. Co-produce an app to support mindfulness skills practice 3. Test whether MAC works and is value for money 4. Find out how MAC works and for whom it works best 5. Understand how best we can scale up MAC
  • 2020 National Institute for Health Research
    A combined mindfulness-based approach for adolescent non-responders to first-line treatments of depression or anxiety and their carers: establishing feasibility of implementation and delivery.
  • 2019 National Institute for Health Research
    A multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of KiVa to reduce bullying in primary schools: The UK KiVa Trial
  • 2018 Education Endowment Foundation
    EEF - Review of Evidence on Behaviour

Links


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Publications

Journal articles

Russell A, May F, Ford T, Janssens A, Newlove-Delgado T, Salim J, Ukoumunne O, Hayes R (In Press). Attainment, attendance and school difficulties in UK primary school children with probable ADHD. British Journal of Educational Psychology
Dunn B, Hanna W, Merle K, Frenk P, Marieke W, Rachel H, Willem K, Nicole G (In Press). Increases in external sensory observing cross-sectionally mediate the repair of positive affect following Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in individuals with residual depression symptoms. Mindfulness Abstract.
Finning K, Haeffner A, Patel S, Longdon B, Hayes R, Ukoumunne O, Ford T (In Press). Is neighbourhood deprivation in primary school-aged children associated with their mental health and does this association change over 30 months?. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Mareva S, Chapman B, Hardwick R, Hewlett C, Mitchell S, Sanders A, Hayes R (2024). The Mental Wellbeing of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Workers in England: a Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study Reporting Levels of Burnout, Wellbeing and Job Satisfaction. Healthcare, 12(4), 430-430. Abstract.
Saenz AA, Burn A-M, Allen K, Hansford L, Hayes R, Allwood M, Longdon B, Price A, Ford TJ (2023). 3.58 Teachers’Perceptions on the Sustainability of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Program: a One-Year Qualitative Follow-up Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 62(10).
Badger JR, Zaneva M, Hastings RP, Broome MR, Hayes R, Patterson P, Rose N, Clarkson S, Hutchings J, Bowes L, et al (2023). Associations between School-Level Disadvantage, Bullying Involvement and Children’s Mental Health. Children, 10(12), 1852-1852. Abstract.
Dunn BD, Wiedemann H, Kock M, Peeters F, Wichers M, Hayes R, Kuyken W, Geschwind N (2023). Correction to: Increases in External Sensory Observing Cross‑Sectionally Mediate the Repair of Positive Affect Following Mindfulness‑Based Cognitive Therapy in Individuals with Residual Depression Symptoms (Mindfulness, (2023), 14, 1, (113-127), 10.1007/s12671-022-02032-0). Mindfulness, 14(11), 2829-2830. Abstract.
Russell AE, Dunn B, Hayes R, Moore D, Kidger J, Sonuga-Barke E, Pfiffner L, Ford T (2023). Investigation of the feasibility and acceptability of a school-based intervention for children with traits of ADHD: protocol for an iterative case-series study. BMJ Open, 13(2), e065176-e065176. Abstract.
Cohen ZD, DeRubeis RJ, Hayes R, Watkins ER, Lewis G, Byng R, Byford S, Crane C, Kuyken W, Dalgleish T, et al (2023). The Development and Internal Evaluation of a Predictive Model to Identify for Whom Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Offers Superior Relapse Prevention for Recurrent Depression Versus Maintenance Antidepressant Medication. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 11(1), 59-76.  Author URL.
Russell A, Moore D, Sanders A, Dunn B, Hayes R, Kidger J, Sonuga-Barke E, Pfiffner L, Ford T (2022). Synthesising the existing evidence for nonpharmacological interventions targeting outcomes relevant to young people with ADHD in the school setting: systematic review protocol. Systematic Reviews, 11 Abstract.
Allen K, Hansford L, Hayes R, Longdon B, Allwood M, Price A, Byford S, Norwich B, Ford T (2022). Teachers' views on the acceptability and implementation of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme in English (UK) primary schools from the STARS trial. Br J Educ Psychol, 92(3), 1160-1177. Abstract.  Author URL.
Clarkson S, Bowes L, Coulman E, Broome MR, Cannings-John R, Charles JM, Edwards RT, Ford T, Hastings RP, Hayes R, et al (2022). The UK stand together trial: protocol for a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of KiVa to reduce bullying in primary schools. BMC Public Health, 22(1). Abstract.  Author URL.
Wilkinson K, Ball S, Mitchell S, Ukoumunne O, O'Mahen H, Tejerina-Arreal M, Hayes R, Berry V, Petrie I, Ford T, et al (2021). The longitudinal relationship between child emotional disorder and parental mental health in the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health surveys 1999 and 2004. Journal of Affective Disorders, 288, 58-67.
Tickell A, Byng R, Crane C, Gradinger F, Hayes R, Robson J, Cardy J, Weaver A, Morant N, Kuyken W, et al (2020). Recovery from recurrent depression with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and antidepressants: a qualitative study with illustrative case studies. BMJ Open, 10(2).
Mathews F, Newlove-Delgado T, Finning K, Boyle C, Hayes R, Johnston P, Ford T (2020). Teachers' concerns about pupil's mental health in a cross-sectional survey of a population sample of British schoolchildren. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, TBC(TBC). Abstract.
McKinnon A, Kuyken W, Hayes R, Werner-Seidler A, Watson P, Dalgleish T, Schweizer S (2020). The psychometric properties of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (CERQ) in a clinical sample of adults with recurrent depression. J Affect Disord, 276, 212-219. Abstract.  Author URL.
Toth K, Samad L, Golden S, Johnston P, Hayes R, Ford T (2020). What issues bring primary school children to counselling? a service evaluation of presenting issues across 291 schools working with Place2Be. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 20(4), 571-579. Abstract.
Allen KL, Hansford L, Hayes R, Allwood M, Byford S, Longdon B, Price A, Ford T (2019). Teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme on their practice and on the social and emotional development of their pupils. British Journal of Educational Psychology Abstract.
Hayes RA, Titheradge D, Allen K, Allwood M, Byford S, Edwards V, Hansford L, Longdon B, Norman S, Norwich B, et al (2019). The Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme and its impact on teachers’ professional self-efficacy, work related stress and general well-being: results from the STARS randomised controlled trial. Journal of Educational Psychology Abstract.
Ford T, Hayes RA, Edwards V, Logan GS, Norwich B, Allen KL, Hansford L, Longdon BM, Norman S, Price A, et al (2019). Training teachers in classroom management to improve mental health in primary school children: the STARS cluster RCT. Public Health Research, 7
Titheradge D, Hayes R, Longdon B, Allen K, Price A, Hansford L, Nye E, Ukoumunne O, Byford S, Norwich B, et al (2018). Psychological distress amongst primary school teachers: a comparison with clinical and population samples. Public Health, 166, 53-56.
Ford T, Hayes RA, Byford S, Edwards V, Fletcher M, Logan G, Norwich B, Pritchard W, Allen K, Allwood M, et al (2018). The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme in primary school children: results of the STARS cluster randomised controlled trial. Psychological Medicine Abstract.
Allwood M, Allen K, Price A, Hayes R, Edwards V, Ball S, Ukoumunne OC, Ford T (2018). The reliability and validity of the pupil behaviour questionnaire: a child classroom behaviour assessment tool. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 23(4), 361-371. Abstract.
Price A, Allen K, Ukoumunne OC, Hayes R, Ford T (2017). Examining the psychological and social impact of relative age in primary school children: a cross-sectional survey. Child Care Health Dev, 43(6), 891-898. Abstract.  Author URL.
Bremner JG, Slater AM, Hayes RA, Mason UC, Murphy C, Spring J, Draper L, Gaskell D, Johnson SP (2017). Young infants' visual fixation patterns in addition and subtraction tasks support an object tracking account. J Exp Child Psychol, 162, 199-208. Abstract.  Author URL.
Allen K, Marlow R, Edwards V, Parker C, Rodgers L, Ukoumunne O, Chan Seem E, Hayes R, Price A, Ford T, et al (2017). ‘How I feel About My School’: the construction and validation of a measure of wellbeing at school for primary school children. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55
Ma H, Warren FC, Kuyken W, Taylor RS, Whalley B, Crane C, Bondolfi G, Hayes R, Huijbers M, Schwelzer S, et al (2016). Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in prevention of depressive relapse: an individual patient data meta-analysis from randomized trials. JAMA Psychiatry
Nye E, Gardner F, Hansford L, Edwards V, Hayes R, Ford T (2015). Classroom behaviour management strategies in response to problematic behaviours of primary school children with special educational needs: views of special educational needs coordinators. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 1-18. Abstract.
Kuyken W, Hayes R, Barrett B, Byng R, Dalgleish T, Kessler D, Lewis G, Watkins E, Brejcha C, Cardy J, et al (2015). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (PREVENT): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet, 386(9988), 63-73. Abstract.  Author URL.
Kuyken W, Hayes R, Barrett B, Byng R, Dalgleish T, Kessler D, Lewis G, Watkins E, Morant N, Taylor RS, et al (2015). The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse/recurrence: results of a randomised controlled trial (the PREVENT study). Health Technol Assess, 19(73), 1-124. Abstract.  Author URL.
Kuyken W, Byford S, Byng R, Dalgleish T, Lewis G, Taylor R, Watkins ER, Hayes R, Lanham P, Kessler D, et al (2014). Update to the study protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy with maintenance anti-depressant treatment depressive relapse/recurrence: the PREVENT trial. Trials, 15 Abstract.  Author URL.
Slater AM, Bremner JG, Johnson SP, Hayes RA (2011). The Role of Perceptual Processes in Infant Addition/Subtraction Experiments. Abstract.
Kuyken W, Byford S, Byng R, Dalgleish T, Lewis G, Taylor R, Watkins ER, Hayes R, Lanham P, Kessler D, et al (2010). Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy with maintenance anti-depressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse/recurrence: the PREVENT trial. Trials, 11 Abstract.  Author URL.
Slater AM, Bremner JG, Johnson SP, Hayes RA (2010). The role of perceptual and cognitive processes in addition-subtraction studies with 5-month-old infants. Infant Behav Dev, 33(4), 685-688. Abstract.  Author URL.
Richards DA, Hughes-Morley A, Hayes RA, Araya R, Barkham M, Bland JM, Bower P, Cape J, Chew-Graham CA, Gask L, et al (2009). Collaborative Depression Trial (CADET): multi-centre randomised controlled trial of collaborative care for depression--study protocol. BMC Health Serv Res, 9 Abstract.  Author URL.
Hayes RA, Slater, A.M. Longmore, C.A. (2009). Rhyming abilities in 9-month-olds: the role of the vowel and coda explored. Cognitive Development, 24, 106-112.
Hayes RA, Slater, A. (2008). Three-month-olds’ detection of alliteration in syllables. Infant Behavior and Development, 31, 153-156.
Slater AM, Brown EM, Hayes RA, Quinn PC (2001). Developmental change in form categorization in early infancy. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 19(2), 207-218.
Brookes H, Slater A, Quinn PC, Lewkowicz DJ, Hayes R, Brown E (2001). Three-month-old infants learn arbitrary auditory-visual pairings between voices and faces. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 10(1-2), 75-82.  Author URL.
Hayes RA, Slater A, Brown E (2000). Infants' ability to categorise on the basis of rhyme. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, 15(4), 405-419.  Author URL.
Hayes RA, Slater, A. Brown, E. (2000). Infants’ ability to categorise on the basis of rhyme. Cognitive Development, 15, 405-419.
Slater A, Bremner, J.G. Johnson, S.P. Sherwood, P. (2000). Newborn infants’ preference for attractive faces: the role of internal and external facial features. Infancy, 1, 265-274.
Quinn, P. Hayes, R. Brown, E. (2000). The role of facial orientation in newborn infants’ preference for attractive faces. Developmental Science, 3, 181-185.
Slater A, Quinn PC, Brown E, Hayes R (1999). Intermodal perception at birth: intersensory redundancy guides newborn infants' learning of arbitrary auditory-visual pairings. DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, 2(3), 333-338.  Author URL.

Chapters

Slater AM, Bremner JG, Johnson SP, Hayes RA (2010). The role of perceptual processes in infant addition/subtraction experiments. In Oakes LM, Cashon CH, Casasola M, Rakison DH (Eds.) Early perceptual and cognitive development, Oxford, UK.: Oxford University Press, 85-110. Abstract.

Conferences

Cohen Z, DeRubeis R, Hayes R, Watkins E, Lewis G, Byng R, Byford S, Crane C, Kuyken W, Dalgleish T, et al (2021). The Development and Internal Evaluation of a Predictive Model to Identify for Whom Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Offers Superior Relapse Prevention for Recurrent Depression Versus Maintenance Antidepressant Medication.  Author URL.

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External Engagement and Impact

I am a professional author with the organisation MindEd who provide free educational resources on children and young people's mental health for any adult who works with them, for example, parents, teachers, therapists. I regularly work with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) who are an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. I am also a research advisor for Place2Be and was delighted to be invited to be a judge on the Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards 2019. 

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