Centre for Mental Health and Society

Associate Member, CFMHAS

Psychology Researcher

phD, MSC

Honorary Research Fellow, Bangor University

p.spanakis@uoc.gr

03000847086

Panagiotis Spanakis

My first degree is in Psychology (2010 – University of Crete) and I also have an MSc in Clinical and Developmental Psychopathology (2014 – VU University of Amsterdam) and a PhD in Addiction Psychology (2018 – University of Liverpool). From 2014 to 2021 I have worked as teaching and research personnel in the School of Psychology / Department of Psychological Sciences in the University of Liverpool and in the Department of Health Sciences in the University of York. In 2021 I returned to my home-country (Greece), where I worked as teaching personnel in the School of Psychology in the Mediterranean College Athens and in the Department of Psychology in the University of Crete. Since 2022 I am based on the island of Crete where I hold a position as Special Teaching Staff in the Department of Psychology in the University of Crete. In 2024 I was honoured to be accepted as an Honorary Research Fellow by the School of Health Sciences in the University of Bangor.

My research interests are about the psychological underpinnings of substance use behaviours, focusing on cognitive processes. I am also interested in the applications of digital technology in mental health research and intervention as well as in digital inequalities (e.g. digital exclusion) in disadvantaged populations (e.g. people with several mental illness).

In 2020 I was the principal investigator of the SPIDER project, funded by the Closing the Gap Network and the UKRI, which examined digital skills in people with severe mental illness.

Papers

  • Boyland, E., Spanakis, P., O’Reilly, C. and Christiansen P. Associations between everyday exposure to food marketing and hunger and food craving in adults: An ecological momentary assessment study. Appetite. 2024. Vol 196,107241. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107241
  • Spanakis, P., Lorimer, B., Newbronner, E., Wadman. R., Crosland, S., Gilbody, S., Johnston, G., Walker, L., Peckham, E.. Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making . 2023. 23, 193 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-023-02299-w
  • Tew, G. A., Bailey, L., Beeken, R. J., Cooper, C., Copeland, R., Brady, S., Heron, P. N., Hill, A., Lee, E., Spanakis, P., Stubbs, B., Traviss-Turner, G. D., Walker, L., Walters, S., Gilbody, S. & Peckham, E. J., 31. Physical Activity in Adults with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: A Large Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring Patterns, Preferences, Barriers, and Motivating Factors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023. 20, 3, 23 p., 2548.. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032548
  • Peckham, E. J., Lorimer, B., Spanakis, P., Heron, P. N., Crosland, S., Walker, L. & Gilbody, S.,. Health-risk behaviours among people with severe mental ill health: understanding modifiable risk in the Closing the Gap Health Study. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2022.143
  • Heron, P. N., Henderson, L. M., Crosland, S., Gilbody, S. M., Johnston, G. A., Moriarty, A. S., Newbronner, E., Paterson, A., Spanakis, P., Wadman, R., Walker, L. & Peckham, E., . Sleep health among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a linked UK population cohort study. Frontiers in psychiatry. 2022. 13, p. 975593. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.975593
  • Spanakis, P., Wadman, R., Walker, L., Heron, P., Mathers, A., Baker, J., Johnston, G., Gilbody, S. & Peckham, E., . Measuring the digital divide among people with severe mental ill health using the essential digital skills framework. Perspectives in public health. 2022. p. 17579139221106399 10 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139221106399
  • Spanakis, P., Gribble, R., Stevelink, A. M. S., Roberto, J. R., Fear T. N. and Goodwin, L.. Problem drinking recognition among UK military personnel: prevalence and associations. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2022. Volume 58, pages 193–203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02306-x
  • Smith, J. J., Spanakis, P., Gribble, R., Stevelink, S., Rona, R. J., Fear, N. T., & Goodwin, L. Prevalence of at-risk drinking recognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2022. Volume 235 , 109449. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109449
  • Peckham, E., Spanakis, P., Heron, P., Crosland, S., Johnston, G., Newbronner, E., Wadman, R., Walker, L. & Gilbody, S.,. A Year Into the Pandemic: The Diversity of Experience Amongst People With Severe Mental Ill Health. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2022. 12, 10 p., 794585. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.794585
  • Newbronner, E., Spanakis, P., Wadman, R., Crosland, S., Heron, P., Johnston, G., Walker, L., Gilbody, S. & Peckham, E., . Exploring Access to Mental Health and Primary Care Services for People With Severe Mental Illness During the COVID-19 Restrictions. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2022. 12, 8 p., 799885. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.799885
  • Heron, P., Spanakis, P., Crosland, S., Johnston, G., Newbronner, E., Wadman, R., Walker, L., Gilbody, S. & Peckham, E., . Loneliness among people with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a linked UK population cohort study. PLOS one. 2022. 17, 1, 11 p., e0262363. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262363
  • Shoesmith, E. K., Spanakis, P., Peckham, E. J., Heron, P. N., Johnston, G., Walker, L., Crosland, S. & Ratschen, E., . The role of animal ownership for people with severe mental illness during the Covid-19 pandemic: a mixed-method study investigating links with health and loneliness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . 2021. 18, p. 1-16 16 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211908
  • Spanakis, P., Peckham, E. J., Young, B., Heron, P. N., Bailey, D. & Gilbody, S., 25 Oct 2021,. A systematic review of behavioural smoking cessation interventions for people with severe mental ill health—what works?. Addiction. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15724
  • Peckham, E. J., Allgar, V., Crosland, S., Heron, P. N., Johnston, G., Newbronner, E., Spanakis, P., Wadman, R. E., Walker, L. & Gilbody, S., . Health risk behaviours among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of linked cohort data. PLoS ONE. 2021. 16, 10, p. 1-13 13 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258349
  • Spanakis, P., Heron, P. N., Walker, L., Crosland, S., Wadman, R. E., Newbronner, E., Johnston, G., Gilbody, S. & Peckham, E. J., . Use of the Internet and digital devices among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Frontiers in psychiatry. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.732735
  • Peckham, E., Allgar, V., Crosland, S., Heron, P., Johnston, G., Newbronner, E., Ratschen, E., Spanakis, P., Wadman, R., Walker, L. & Gilbody, S., . Investigating smoking and nicotine dependence among people with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of linked data from a UK Closing the Gap cohort. British Journal of Psychiatry Open. 2021. 7, 3, e86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2021.45
  • Spanakis, P., Peckham, E. J., Mathers, A., Shiers, D. & Gilbody, S., . The Digital Divide: Amplifying health inequalities for people with severe mental ill health in the time of COVID-19. The British journal of psychiatry. 2021. 3 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2021.56
  • Spanakis, P., Jones, A., Field, M., and Christiansen, P.. A Stroop in the Hand is Worth Two on the Laptop: Superior Reliability of a Smartphone Based Alcohol Stroop in the Real World. Substance use and Misuse. 2018. Pages 692-698. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2018.1536716
  • Creemers, H.E., Spanakis, P., Delforterie, M.J. and Huizink, A.C. . Alcohol use of immigrant youths in The Netherlands: The roles of parents and peers across different ethnic backgrounds. Drug and Alcohol Review . 2017. 36, 761-768. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12555