Behaviour Change and Addictive Behaviours

Thursday 4th May 2017
With Public Health Network Cymru

The seminar was organised in conjunction with Bangor University and aimed to raise awareness and understanding of Behaviour Change in relation to addictive behaviours, and to inform delegates about current and evolving evidence and identify priorities for both future research and practice.

The seminar was chaired by Malcolm Ward, Principal Health Promotion Specialist with Public Health Wales and opened by Rob Roger who is based within the School of Psychology at Bangor University.

This was followed by two presentations which focused on alcohol. Marc Mordey from Alcohol Concern gave a presentation entitled ‘Poetry, football, ballroom dancing, and other ways to reduce alcohol harm’ to addressing alcohol related behaviour. Prof. Miles Cox from Bangor University presented on Differential Effects and Temporal Course of Attentional and Motivational Training on Excessive Drinking (Part 1 and Part 2).

The next two presentations focused on gambling. Prof. Simon Dymond from Swansea University delivered a presentation entitled Where in the world is gambling? A Wales perspective (Part 1 and Part 2) and Wynford Ellis Owen from the Living Room Cardiff spoke about Beat the Odds – an initiative to help excessive gamblers.

The next presentations focused on substance misuse with presentations from Dr Wolf Livingston from Glyndwr University on Substance Misuse: Analysing the contribution of policy and provision to outcomes and also Dr Lee Hogan which was entitled Facilitating recovery into treatment.

Three workshops were held during the afternoon:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for substance misuse: Dr Lee Hogan, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board / Bangor University
Making Every Contact Count: Rhiannon Hobbs, Senior Public Health Practitioner, Public Health Wales
Motivational Interviewing & Counselling – ‘The Life Enhancement and Advancement Programme for reducing drinking.’: Dr Steven Hosier, Bangor University