Professor Rebecca Pearson
Professor
My profile
Biography
First Degree BSc, graduated 2004: Applied Psychology 1st Class, Cardiff University (Department of Psychology)
PhD, graduated 2011: Psychiatric Epidemiology, University of Bristol ( Bristol Medical School)
I have developed an interdisciplinary program of research investigating the mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of mental health disorders through relational processes. I combine Psychology and Epidemiology and have a particular focus on novel observational and computational methods to understand parenting relationships and apply this to real world interventions. I aim to work with data and experience to answer more meaningful questions. I have previously worked in the University of Bristol and Oxford University, as well as across the world. I work on multiple longitudinal cohorts globally and continue to build links and active grants utilising family mental health and psychological data. Most importantly I enjoy working in diverse teams with students and researchers with different skills and interests and at different stages of their journeys. I joined the Department of Psychology MMU in September 2021.
The 2 aims below are at the core of all of my research :
What I do
Interests and expertise
I lead a research area in psychological mechanisms underlying child and adolescent mental health and development. We focus on the challenge of rising mental health problems in young people and disparities in their access to support. We push the boundaries of traditional methodologies, through innovative methods in epidemiology, building evidence on the complex interplay between genetic mechanisms, parental mental health and relationships and cognitive and emotional development. We draw on multiple international longitudinal cohorts. We innovate in measurement, drawing on clinical insights and technology and industry partners to co-develop ecologically valid observational tools.
Impact
Impacts include citations in national and international policy to prioritise maternal mental health
UK NHS : Chief Medical Officer annual report 2014: women’s health - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Scotland: National Maternity and Perinatal Audit - Mental health sprint audit report (Scotland data) – HQIP
WHO: Integration of mental health and HIV interventions: key considerations (who.int)
Sweden: Identifiering av kvinnor med möjliga depressions- och ångestsyndrom under graviditet (sbu.se)
Research into mental health in COVID has also informed policy in the UK and Ireland :
Disrupted transitions? Young adults and the COVID-19 pandemic | ESRI
Mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults - POST (parliament.uk)
Scientific impacts in understanding the mechanisms linking parent to child mental health, a video can be found here:
Methodological impacts include development of user friendly wearable ‘head-cams’ adopted by studies internationally and an open access micro-coding system : OSF Preprints | Mental Health Intergenerational Transmission (MHINT) Process Manual
Projects
I currently lead a 1.5 Million Euro ERC grant investigating mechanisms to explain intergenerational mental health and novel measures of parenting using ‘baby-cam’ .
Baby cam has been co-designed with our industry partners Kinneir Dufort and Live City Lab We The Curious |
Current extensions to the project include development of ‘Teen-cam’.
This is in collaboration with Wirral Child Health and Development Study: First Steps - Institute of Population Health - University of Liverpool and Dr Nicky Wright.
I am a co-investigator for a RCT in Soweto, South Africa including baby-cams and feedback of footage to mothers,
See more : About - PLAY study
As well as a pilot study based in Chile Reunión Académica [S02] Miguel Cordero: Estilos parentales y aprendizaje temprano de la alimentación - YouTube
I work closely with a number of large longitudinal datasets internationally, but especially ALSPAC .
I am a co-applicant on a UKRI funded PAIN HUB, especially working on mental health and pain interplay using novel data methods Consortium to Research Individual, Interpersonal and Social Influences in Pain (CRIISP) (bath.ac.uk)
And the 2004 Pelotas Cohort in collaboration with Alicia Matijasevich, MD, PhD
Professora Associada do Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Professora Colaboradora do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel)
See, Centro de Epidemiologia Ufpel || Pesquisas Epidemiológicas (epidemio-ufpel.org.br)
https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/RFlaCRM64i8QrRZH0nVuD?domain=fm.usp.br
Teaching
I am an experienced postgraduate supervisor and I currently supervise a number of postgraduate MSC and PHD projects in the areas of intergenerational mental health, child mental health and parents mental health, including supervising students internationally.
PhD students
Team
Research outputs
An up to date list of publications and outputs can be found below:
We have an Observer and Face-reader lab based in the Department of Psychology, where we develop novel micro-coding systems and analysis. We have a fully open access coding manual and script : https://osf.io/s6n4h/
We are currently working with students and collaborators to develop a Teen micro coding system, we have hosted a number of undergraduate and postgraduate projects if you are interested get in touch!
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Chapters in books
Pearson, R.M., Cordero, M., Rajyaguru, P. (2019) 'Epidemiology of parenting.' Handbook of Parenting: Biology and Ecology of Parenting. pp. 349-370.
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Journal articles
Cadman, T., Strandberg-Larsen, K., Calas, L., Christiansen, M., Culpin, I., Dadvand, P., de Castro, M., Foraster, M., Fossati, S., Guxens, M., Harris, J.R., Hillegers, M., Jaddoe, V., Lee, Y., Lepeule, J., el Marroun, H., Maule, M., McEachen, R., Moccia, C., Nader, J., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., Nybo Andersen, A.M., Pearson, R., Swertz, M., Vafeiadi, M., Vrijheid, M., Wright, J., Lawlor, D.A., Pedersen, M. (2024) 'Urban environment in pregnancy and postpartum depression: An individual participant data meta-analysis of 12 European birth cohorts.' Environment International, 185
Agius, C., Eve, Z., Pearson, R. (2024) 'Exploring the lived experiences of compassion fatigue in parents who adopt children with trauma histories.' The British Journal of Social Work,
Costantini, I., López-López, J.A., Caldwell, D., Campbell, A., Hadjipanayi, V., Cantrell, S.J., Thomas, T., Badmann, N., Paul, E., James, D.M., Cordero, M., Jewell, T., Evans, J., Pearson, R.M. (2023) 'Early parenting interventions to prevent internalising problems in children and adolescents: a global systematic review and network meta-analysis.' BMJ Mental Health, 26(1) pp. e300811-e300811.
Burgess, R., Culpin, I., Costantini, I., Bould, H., Nabney, I., Pearson, R.M. (2023) 'Quantifying the efficacy of an automated facial coding software using videos of parents.' Frontiers in Psychology, 14
Skinner, A., Costantini, I., Stone, C., Darios, J., Gray, M., Culpin, I., Pearson, R.M. (2023) 'Identifying stakeholder priorities in use of wearable cameras for researching parent-child interactions.' Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2
Burgess, R., Costantini, I., Bornstein, M.H., Campbell, A., Cordero Vega, M.A., Culpin, I., Dingsdale, H., John, R.M., Kennedy, M.R., Tyson, H.R., Pearson, R.M., Nabney, I. (2023) 'A quantitative evaluation of thin slice sampling for parent–infant interactions.' Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 47(2) pp. 117-210.
Culpin, I., Hammerton, G., Stein, A., Bornstein, M.H., Tiemeier, H., Cadman, T., Fredriksen, E., Evans, J., Miller, T., Dermott, E., Heron, J., Sallis, H.M., Pearson, R.M. (2023) 'Maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and offspring emotional and behavioral development at age 7 years in a U.K. birth cohort: The role of paternal involvement.' Developmental Psychology, 59(4) pp. 770-785.
Prioreschi, A., Pearson, R., Richter, L., Bennin, F., Theunissen, H., Cantrell, S.J., Maduna, D., Lawlor, D., Norris, S.A. (2023) 'Protocol for the PLAY Study: A randomised controlled trial of an intervention to improve infant development by encouraging maternal self-efficacy using behavioural feedback.' BMJ Open, 13(3)
Costantini, I., Sallis, H., Tilling, K., Major‐Smith, D., Pearson, R.M., Kounali, D. (2023) 'Childhood trajectories of internalising and externalising problems associated with a polygenic risk score for neuroticism in a UK birth cohort study.' JCPP Advances, 3(1) pp. e12141-e12141.
Bornstein, M.H., Putnick, D.L., Esposito, G., Pearson, R.M. (2023) 'The nature and structure of maternal parenting practices and infant behaviors in U.S. national and international samples.' Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2
Culpin, I., Hammerton, G., Bornstein, M.H., Heron, J., Evans, J., Cadman, T., Sallis, H.M., Tilling, K., Stein, A., Kwong, A.S.F., Pearson, R.M. (2022) 'Maternal postnatal depression and offspring depression at age 24 years in a UK-birth cohort: the mediating role of maternal nurturing behaviours concerning feeding, crying and sleeping (version 2).' Wellcome Open Research, 6pp. 187-187.
Culpin, I., Heuvelman, H., Rai, D., Pearson, R.M., Joinson, C., Heron, J., Evans, J., Kwong, A.S.F. (2022) 'Father absence and trajectories of offspring mental health across adolescence and young adulthood: Findings from a UK-birth cohort.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 314pp. 150-159.
Campbell, A., Munafò, M.R., Sallis, H.M., Pearson, R.M., Smith, D. (2022) 'Culture and causal inference: The impact of cultural differences on the generalisability of findings from Mendelian randomisation studies.' Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 45
Cadman, T., Paul, E., Culpin, I., Sallis, H., Bould, H., Pearson, R. (2022) 'Parental monitoring longitudinally associates with reduced risk of adolescent mental health problems.' Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 10pp. 100420-100420.
Lewis, G., Button, K.S., Pearson, R.M., Munafò, M.R., Lewis, G. (2022) 'Inhibitory control of positive and negative information and adolescent depressive symptoms: A population-based cohort study.' Psychological Medicine, 52(5) pp. 853-863.
Warne, N., Heron, J., Mars, B., Kwong, A.S.F., Solmi, F., Pearson, R., Moran, P., Bould, H. (2021) 'Disordered eating and self-harm as risk factors for poorer mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK-based birth cohort study.' Journal of Eating Disorders, 9(1) pp. 155-155.
Garay, S.M., Sumption, L.A., Pearson, R.M., John, R.M. (2021) 'Risk factors for excessive gestational weight gain in a UK population: a biopsychosocial model approach.' BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21(1)
Kwong, A.S.F., Morris, T.T., Pearson, R.M., Timpson, N.J., Rice, F., Stergiakouli, E., Tilling, K. (2021) 'Polygenic risk for depression, anxiety and neuroticism are associated with the severity and rate of change in depressive symptoms across adolescence.' Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 62(12) pp. 1462-1474.
Paul, E., Kwong, A., Moran, P., Pawlby, S., Howard, L.M., Pearson, R.M. (2021) 'Maternal thoughts of self-harm and their association with future offspring mental health problems.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 293pp. 422-428.
Wrottesley, S.V., Pearson, R., Prioreschi, A. (2021) 'The headcam mother-infant interaction assessment tool: testing the feasibility and acceptability in Soweto, South Africa, using participatory engagement.' Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 7(1) pp. 140-140.
Redinger, S., Pearson, R.M., Houle, B., Norris, S.A., Rochat, T.J. (2021) 'Thoughts of self-harm in early and late pregnancy in urban South Africa: Investigating prevalence, predictors and screening options.' South African Medical Journal, 111(7) pp. 627-634.
Tsakiridis, I., Dagklis, T., Mamopoulos, A., Athanasiadis, A., Pearson, R., Papazisis, G. (2021) 'Antenatal depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in pregnant women from routine health care contact in Greece.' Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 49(6) pp. 656-663.
Rajyaguru, P., Kwong, A., Braithwaite, E., Pearson, R. (2021) 'Maternal and Paternal Depression and Child Mental Health Trajectories: Evidence from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.' BJPsych Open, 7(5) pp. e166-e166.
Kwong, A.S.F., Pearson, R.M., Adams, M.J., Northstone, K., Tilling, K., Smith, D., Fawns-Ritchie, C., Bould, H., Warne, N., Zammit, S., Gunnell, D.J., Moran, P.A., Micali, N., Reichenberg, A., Hickman, M., Rai, D., Haworth, S., Campbell, A., Altschul, D., Flaig, R., McIntosh, A.M., Lawlor, D.A., Porteous, D., Timpson, N.J. (2021) 'Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in two longitudinal UK population cohorts.' British Journal of Psychiatry, 218(6) pp. 334-343.
Costantini, I., Kwong, A.S.F., Smith, D., Lewcock, M., Lawlor, D.A., Moran, P., Tilling, K., Golding, J., Pearson, R.M. (2021) 'Locus of Control and Negative Cognitive Styles in Adolescence as Risk Factors for Depression Onset in Young Adulthood: Findings From a Prospective Birth Cohort Study.' Frontiers in Psychology, 12pp. 599240-599240.
López-López, J.A., Kwong, A.S.F., Washbrook, L., Tilling, K., Fazel, M.S., Pearson, R.M. (2021) 'Depressive symptoms and academic achievement in UK adolescents: a cross-lagged analysis with genetic covariates.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 284pp. 104-113.
Smith, D., Northstone, K., Bowring, C., Wells, N., Crawford, M., Pearson, R.M., Thomas, A., Brooks-Pollock, E., Lawlor, D.A., Timpson, N.J. (2021) 'The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children - A resource for COVID-19 research: Generation 2 questionnaire data capture May-July 2020.' Wellcome Open Research, 5(278) pp. 1-25.
Goin, D.E., Pearson, R.M., Craske, M.G., Stein, A., Pettifor, A., Lippman, S.A., Kahn, K., Neilands, T.B., Hamilton, E.L., Selin, A., MacPhail, C., Wagner, R.G., Xavier Gomez-Olive, F., Twine, R., Hughes, J.P., Agyei, Y., Laeyendecker, O., Tollman, S., Ahern, J. (2021) 'Depression and incident HIV in adolescent girls and young women in HIV prevention trials network 068: Targets for prevention and mediating factors.' American Journal of Epidemiology, 189(5) pp. 422-432.
de Mola, C.L., Blumenberg, C., Martins, R.C., Martins-Silva, T., Carpena, M.X., Del-Ponte, B., Pearson, R., Soares, A.L., Cesar, J.A. (2021) 'Increased depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian mothers: a longitudinal study.' Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 43(3) pp. 337-338.
Szekely, E., Neumann, A., Sallis, H., Jolicoeur-Martineau, A., Verhulst, F.C., Meaney, M.J., Pearson, R.M., Levitan, R.D., Kennedy, J.L., Lydon, J.E., Steiner, M., Greenwood, C.M.T., Tiemeier, H., Evans, J., Wazana, A. (2021) 'Maternal Prenatal Mood, Pregnancy-Specific Worries, and Early Child Psychopathology: Findings From the DREAM BIG Consortium.' Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 60(1) pp. 186-197.
Redinger, S., Pearson, R.M., Houle, B., Norris, S.A., Rochat, T.J. (2020) 'Antenatal depression and anxiety across pregnancy in urban South Africa.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 277pp. 296-305.
Costantini, I., Paul, E., Caldwell, D.M., López-López, J.A., Pearson, R.M. (2020) 'Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials examining the effectiveness of early parenting interventions in preventing internalising problems in children and adolescents.' Systematic Reviews, 9(1)
Dagklis, T., Tsakiridis, I., Mamopoulos, A., Athanasiadis, A., Pearson, R., Papazisis, G. (2020) 'Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on antenatal mental health in Greece.' Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 74(11) pp. 616-617.
Culpin, I., Bornstein, M.H., Putnick, D.L., Sallis, H., Lee, R., Cordero, M., Rajyaguru, P., Kordas, K., Cadman, T., Pearson, R.M. (2020) 'Specific domains of early parenting, their heritability and differential association with adolescent behavioural and emotional disorders and academic achievement.' European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29(10) pp. 1401-1409.
Quevedo, L.D.A., Loret de Mola, C., Pearson, R., Murray, J., Hartwig, F.P., Gonçalves, H., Pinheiro, R.T., Gigante, D.P., Motta, J.V.D.S., Quadros, L.D.C.M.D., Barros, F.C., Horta, B.L. (2020) 'Mental disorders, comorbidities, and suicidality at 30 years of age in a Brazilian birth cohort.' Comprehensive Psychiatry, 102
Matijasevich, A., Pearson, R.M., Loret de Mola, C., Maruyama, J.M., La Maison, C., Munhoz, T.N., Barros, F.C., Santos, I.S., D Barros, A.J. (2020) 'Early child stimulation and attention-related executive functions at 11 years: 2004 Pelotas birth cohort study.' European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29(9) pp. 1265-1276.
Srinivasan, R., Pearson, R.M., Johnson, S., Lewis, G., Lewis, G. (2020) 'Maternal perinatal depressive symptoms and offspring psychotic experiences at 18 years of age: a longitudinal study.' The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(5) pp. 431-440.
Nath, S., Pearson, R.M., Moran, P., Pawlby, S., Molyneaux, E., Howard, L.M. (2020) 'Maternal personality traits, antenatal depressive symptoms and the postpartum mother–infant relationship: a prospective observational study.' Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(5) pp. 621-634.
Lopez-Lopez, J.A., Kwong, A.S.F., Washbrook, E., Pearson, R.M., Tilling, K., Fazel, M.S., Kidger, J., Hammerton, G. (2020) 'Trajectories of depressive symptoms and adult educational and employment outcomes.' BJPsych Open, 6(1)
Sussmann, L.G.P.R., Faisal-Cury, A., Pearson, R. (2020) 'Depression as a mediator between intimate partner violence and postpartum sexual issues: A structural analysis.' Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia, 23pp. 1-12.
Jones, C.L., Culpin, I., Evans, J., Pearson, R.M. (2020) 'Relative effects of breastfeeding intention and practice on maternal responsiveness.' Infant Mental Health Journal, 41(1) pp. 82-93.
Smith, D., Northstone, K., Bowring, C., Wells, N., Crawford, M., Pearson, R.M., Thomas, A., Brooks-Pollock, E., Lawlor, D.A., Timpson, N.J. (2020) 'The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children - A resource for COVID-19 research: Generation 2 questionnaire data capture May-July 2020.' Wellcome Open Research, 5
Paul, E., Pearson, R.M. (2020) 'Depressive symptoms measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in mothers and partners in the ALSPAC Study: A data note.' Wellcome Open Research, 5
Nath, S., Pearson, R.M., Moran, P., Pawlby, S., Molyneaux, E., Challacombe, F.L., Howard, L.M. (2019) 'The association between prenatal maternal anxiety disorders and postpartum perceived and observed mother-infant relationship quality.' Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 68
Sallis, H., Szekely, E., Neumann, A., Jolicoeur-Martineau, A., van IJzendoorn, M., Hillegers, M., Greenwood, C.M.T., Meaney, M.J., Steiner, M., Tiemeier, H., Wazana, A., Pearson, R.M., Evans, J. (2019) 'General psychopathology, internalising and externalising in children and functional outcomes in late adolescence.' Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 60(11) pp. 1183-1190.
Bolea-Alamañac, B., Davies, S.J.C., Evans, J., Joinson, C., Pearson, R., Skapinakis, P., Emond, A. (2019) 'Does maternal somatic anxiety in pregnancy predispose children to hyperactivity?.' European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 28(11) pp. 1475-1486.
Pearson, R.M., Culpin, I., Loret de Mola, C., Quevedo, L., Murray, J., Matijasevich, A., Tilling, K., Barros, F.C., Stein, A., Horta, B.L. (2019) 'Transition to parenthood and mental health at 30 years: a prospective comparison of mothers and fathers in a large Brazilian birth cohort.' Archives of Women's Mental Health, 22(5) pp. 621-629.
Easey, K.E., Mars, B., Pearson, R., Heron, J., Gunnell, D. (2019) 'Association of birth order with adolescent mental health and suicide attempts: a population-based longitudinal study.' European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 28(8) pp. 1079-1086.
De Carli, P., Costantini, I., Sessa, P., Visentin, S., Pearson, R.M., Simonelli, A. (2019) 'The expectant social mind: A systematic review of face processing during pregnancy and the effect of depression and anxiety.' Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 102pp. 153-171.
Kwong, A.S.F., López-López, J.A., Hammerton, G., Manley, D., Timpson, N.J., Leckie, G., Pearson, R.M. (2019) 'Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors Associated With Trajectories of Depression Symptoms From Adolescence to Young Adulthood.' JAMA Network Open, 2(6)
Pearson, R.M., Culpin, I., Loret De Mola, C., Matijasevich, A., Santos, I.S., Horta, B.L., Barros, F.C., Stein, A. (2019) 'Grandmothers' mental health is associated with grandchildren's emotional and behavioral development: A three-generation prospective study in Brazil.' BMC Psychiatry, 19(1)
Cortina, M., Jack, H.E., Pearson, R., Kahn, K., Tollman, S., Hlungwani, T., Twine, R., Stein, A., Fazel, M. (2019) 'Relationship between children's cognitions and later educational progress in rural South Africa: A longitudinal study.' Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 73(5) pp. 422-426.
Kwong, A.S.F., Manley, D., Timpson, N.J., Pearson, R.M., Heron, J., Sallis, H., Stergiakouli, E., Davis, O.S.P., Leckie, G. (2019) 'Identifying Critical Points of Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms from Childhood to Young Adulthood.' Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(4) pp. 815-827.
Bornstein, M.H., Hahn, C.S., Putnick, D.L., Pearson, R. (2019) 'Stability of child temperament: Multiple moderation by child and mother characteristics.' British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 37(1) pp. 51-67.
Irish, M., Solmi, F., Mars, B., King, M., Lewis, G., Pearson, R.M., Pitman, A., Rowe, S., Srinivasan, R., Lewis, G. (2019) 'Depression and self-harm from adolescence to young adulthood in sexual minorities compared with heterosexuals in the UK: a population-based cohort study.' The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 3(2) pp. 91-98.
Lawlor, D.A., Lewcock, M., Rena-Jones, L., Rollings, C., Yip, V., Smith, D., Pearson, R.M., Johnson, L., Millard, L.A.C., Patel, N., Skinner, A., Tilling, K. (2019) 'The second generation of the avon longitudinal study of parents and children (ALSPAC-G2): A cohort profile [version 2; peer review: 2 approved].' Wellcome Open Research, 4
Rajyaguru, P., Moran, P., Cordero, M., Pearson, R. (2019) 'Disciplinary Parenting Practice and Child Mental Health: Evidence From the UK Millennium Cohort Study.' Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(1) pp. 108-116.e2.
Rochat, T.J., Houle, B., Stein, A., Pearson, R.M., Bland, R.M. (2018) 'Prevalence and risk factors for child mental disorders in a population-based cohort of HIV-exposed and unexposed African children aged 7–11 years.' European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(12) pp. 1607-1620.
Bornstein, M.H., Hahn, C.S., Putnick, D.L., Pearson, R.M. (2018) 'Stability of core language skill from infancy to adolescence in typical and atypical development.' Science Advances, 4(11)
Bolea-Alamañac, B., Davies, S.J., Evans, J., Joinson, C., Pearson, R., Skapinakis, P., Emond, A. (2018) 'Do mothers who are anxious during pregnancy have inattentive children?.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 236pp. 120-126.
Rai, D., Culpin, I., Heuvelman, H., Magnusson, C.M.K., Carpenter, P., Jones, H.J., Emond, A.M., Zammit, S., Golding, J., Pearson, R.M. (2018) 'Association of autistic traits with depression from childhood to age 18 years.' JAMA Psychiatry, 75(8) pp. 835-843.
Pearson, R.M., Carnegie, R.E., Cree, C., Rollings, C., Rena-Jones, L., Evans, J., Stein, A., Tilling, K., Lewcock, M., Lawlor, D.A. (2018) 'Prevalence of Prenatal Depression Symptoms Among 2 Generations of Pregnant Mothers: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.' JAMA network open, 1(3)
Barros, F.C., Matijasevich, A., Santos, I.S., Horta, B.L., da Silva, B.G.C., Munhoz, T.N., Fazel, S., Stein, A., Pearson, R.M., Anselmi, L., Rohde, L.A. (2018) 'Social inequalities in mental disorders and substance misuse in young adults: A birth cohort study in Southern Brazil.' Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 53(7) pp. 717-726.
Culpin, I., Mars, B., Pearson, R.M., Golding, J., Heron, J., Bubak, I., Carpenter, P., Magnusson, C., Gunnell, D., Rai, D. (2018) 'Autistic Traits and Suicidal Thoughts, Plans, and Self-Harm in Late Adolescence: Population-Based Cohort Study.' Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(5) pp. 313-320.e6.
Lewis, G., Wen, S., Pearson, R.M., Lewis, G. (2018) 'The association between paternal depressogenic cognitive styles during pregnancy and offspring depressogenic cognitive styles: an 18-year prospective cohort study.' Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 59(5) pp. 604-614.
Rochat, T.J., Houle, B., Stein, A., Pearson, R.M., Newell, M.L., Bland, R.M. (2018) 'Erratum: Cohort profile: The Siyakhula Cohort, rural South Africa (Int J Epidemiol (2017) 46:6 (1755-1756n) DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyx148).' International Journal of Epidemiology, 47(2)
Netsi, E., Pearson, R.M., Murray, L., Cooper, P., Craske, M.G., Stein, A. (2018) 'Association of persistent and severe postnatal depression with child outcomes.' JAMA Psychiatry, 75(3) pp. 247-253.
Rochat, T.J., Houle, B., Stein, A., Pearson, R.M., Newell, M.L., Bland, R.M. (2018) 'Psychological morbidity and parenting stress in mothers of primary school children by timing of acquisition of HIV infection: A longitudinal cohort study in rural South Africa.' Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 9(1) pp. 41-57.
Redinger, S., Norris, S.A., Pearson, R.M., Richter, L., Rochat, T. (2018) 'First trimester antenatal depression and anxiety: Prevalence and associated factors in an urban population in Soweto, South Africa.' Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 9(1) pp. 30-40.
Freitas-Vilela, A.A., Pearson, R.M., Emmett, P., Heron, J., Smith, A.D.A.C., Emond, A., Hibbeln, J.R., Castro, M.B.T., Kac, G. (2018) 'Maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and intelligence quotients in the offspring at 8 years of age: Findings from the ALSPAC cohort.' Maternal and Child Nutrition, 14(1)
Pearson, R.M., Campbell, A., Howard, L.M., Bornstein, M.H., O'Mahen, H., Mars, B., Moran, P. (2018) 'Impact of dysfunctional maternal personality traits on risk of offspring depression, anxiety and self-harm at age 18 years: A population-based longitudinal study.' Psychological Medicine, 48(1) pp. 50-60.
Rochat, T.J., Houle, B., Stein, A., Pearson, R.M., Newell, M.L., Bland, R.M. (2017) 'Cohort Profile: The Siyakhula Cohort, rural South Africa.' International Journal of Epidemiology, 46(6)
Taylor, A.E., Carslake, D., De Mola, C.L., Rydell, M., Nilsen, T.I.L., Bjørngaard, J.H., Horta, B.L., Pearson, R., Rai, D., Galanti, M.R., Barros, F.C., Romundstad, P.R., Davey Smith, G., Munafò, M.R. (2017) 'Maternal Smoking in Pregnancy and Offspring Depression: A cross cohort and negative control study.' Scientific Reports, 7(1)
Stein, K., Pearson, R.M., Stein, A., Fazel, M. (2017) 'The predictive value of childhood recurrent abdominal pain for adult emotional disorders, and the influence of negative cognitive style. Findings from a cohort study.' PLoS ONE, 12(9)
Lee, R., Skinner, A., Bornstein, M.H., Radford, A.N., Campbell, A., Graham, K., Pearson, R.M. (2017) 'Through babies’ eyes: Practical and theoretical considerations of using wearable technology to measure parent–infant behaviour from the mothers’ and infants’ view points.' Infant Behavior and Development, 47pp. 62-71.
Freitas-Vilela, A.A., Smith, A.D.A.C., Kac, G., Pearson, R.M., Heron, J., Emond, A., Hibbeln, J.R., Castro, M.B.T., Emmett, P.M. (2017) 'Dietary patterns by cluster analysis in pregnant women: relationship with nutrient intakes and dietary patterns in 7-year-old offspring.' Maternal and Child Nutrition, 13(2)
Taylor, A.K., Netsi, E., O'Mahen, H., Stein, A., Evans, J., Pearson, R.M. (2016) 'The association between maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and offspring sleep problems in adolescence.' Psychological Medicine, 47(3) pp. 451-459.
Murray, E., Pearson, R., Fernandes, M., Santos, I.S., Barros, F.C., Victora, C.G., Stein, A., Matijasevich, A. (2016) 'Are fetal growth impairment and preterm birth causally related to child attention problems and ADHD? Evidence from a comparison between high-income and middle-income cohorts.' Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 70(7) pp. 704-709.
Williams, C.J., Kessler, D., Fernyhough, C., Lewis, G., Pearson, R.M. (2016) 'The association between maternal-reported responses to infant crying at 4 weeks and 6 months and offspring depression at 18: a longitudinal study.' Archives of Women's Mental Health, 19(2) pp. 401-408.
Pearson, R.M., Bornstein, M.H., Cordero, M., Scerif, G., Mahedy, L., Evans, J., Abioye, A., Stein, A. (2016) 'Maternal perinatal mental health and offspring academic achievement at age 16: The mediating role of childhood executive function.' Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 57(4) pp. 491-501.
Carnegie, R., Shepherd, C., Pearson, R.M., Button, K.S., Munafò, M.R., Evans, J., Penton-Voak, I.S. (2016) 'Changing mothers’ perception of infant emotion: a pilot study.' Archives of Women's Mental Health, 19(1) pp. 167-172.
Quarini, C., Pearson, R.M., Stein, A., Ramchandani, P.G., Lewis, G., Evans, J. (2016) 'Are female children more vulnerable to the long-term effects of maternal depression during pregnancy?.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 189pp. 329-335.
Davies, S.J.C., Pearson, R.M., Stapinski, L., Bould, H., Christmas, D.M., Button, K.S., Skapinakis, P., Lewis, G., Evans, J. (2016) 'Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder but not panic disorder at age 15 years increase the risk of depression at 18 years in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort study.' Psychological Medicine, 46(1) pp. 73-85.
Gonçalves, H., Pearson, R.M., Horta, B.L., González-Chica, D.A., Castilho, E., Damiani, M., Lima, R.C., Gigante, D.P., Barros, F.C., Stein, A., Victora, C.G. (2016) 'Maternal depression and anxiety predicts the pattern of offspring symptoms during their transition to adulthood.' Psychological Medicine, 46(2) pp. 415-424.
Macrae, J.A., Pearson, R.M., Lee, R., Chauhan, D., Bennert, K., Burns, A., Baxter, H., Evans, J. (2015) 'The impact of depression on maternal responses to infant faces in pregnancy.' Infant Mental Health Journal, 36(6) pp. 588-598.
Hammerton, G., Zammit, S., Sellers, R., Thapar, A., Collishaw, S., Mahedy, L., Pearson, R. (2015) 'In reply.' Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(10) pp. 868-869.
Bowes, L., Carnegie, R., Pearson, R., Mars, B., Biddle, L., Maughan, B., Lewis, G., Fernyhough, C., Heron, J. (2015) 'Risk of depression and self-harm in teenagers identifying with goth subculture: A longitudinal cohort study.' The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(9) pp. 793-800.
Capron, L.E., Glover, V., Pearson, R.M., Evans, J., O'Connor, T.G., Stein, A., Murphy, S.E., Ramchandani, P.G. (2015) 'Associations of maternal and paternal antenatal mood with offspring anxiety disorder at age 18 years.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 187pp. 20-26.
Hammerton, G., Zammit, S., Mahedy, L., Pearson, R.M., Sellers, R., Thapar, A., Collishaw, S. (2015) 'Pathways to suicide-related behavior in offspring of mothers with depression: The role of offspring psychopathology.' Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(5) pp. 385-393.
Collin, S.M., Tilling, K., Joinson, C., Rimes, K.A., Pearson, R.M., Hughes, R.A., Sterne, J.A.C., Crawley, E. (2015) 'Maternal and childhood psychological factors predict chronic disabling fatigue at age 13 years.' Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(2) pp. 181-187.
Newnham, E.A., Pearson, R.M., Stein, A., Betancourt, T.S. (2015) 'Youth mental health after civil war: The importance of daily stressors.' British Journal of Psychiatry, 206(2) pp. 116-121.
Pearson, R.M., Heron, J., Button, K., Bentall, R.P., Fernyhough, C., Mahedy, L., Bowes, L., Lewis, G. (2015) 'Cognitive styles and future depressed mood in early adulthood: The importance of global attributions.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 171pp. 60-67.
Stein, A., Pearson, R.M., Goodman, S.H., Rapa, E., Rahman, A., McCallum, M., Howard, L.M., Pariante, C.M. (2014) 'Effects of perinatal mental disorders on the fetus and child.' The Lancet, 384(9956) pp. 1800-1819.
Khandaker, G.M., Pearson, R.M., Zammit, S., Lewis, G., Jones, P.B. (2014) 'Association of serum interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein in childhood with depression and psychosis in young adult life a population-based longitudinal study.' JAMA Psychiatry, 71(10) pp. 1121-1128.
Bould, H., Araya, R., Pearson, R.M., Stapinski, L., Carnegie, R., Joinson, C. (2014) 'Association between early temperament and depression at 18 years.' Depression and Anxiety, 31(9) pp. 729-736.
Carnegie, R., Araya, R., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Glover, V., O'Connor, T.G., O'Donnell, K.J., Pearson, R., Lewis, G. (2014) 'Cortisol awakening response and subsequent depression: Prospective longitudinal study.' British Journal of Psychiatry, 204(2) pp. 137-143.
Mahedy, L., Heron, J., Stapinski, L.A., Pearson, R.M., Evans, J., Joinson, C., Bowes, L., Lewis, G. (2014) 'Mothers' own recollections of being parented and risk of offspring depression 18 years later: A prospective cohort study.' Depression and Anxiety, 31(1) pp. 38-43.
Stapinski, L.A., Bowes, L., Wolke, D., Pearson, R.M., Mahedy, L., Button, K.S., Lewis, G., Araya, R. (2014) 'Peer victimization during adolescence and risk for anxiety disorders in adulthood: A prospective cohort study.' Depression and Anxiety, 31(7) pp. 574-582.
Sullivan, S., Bentall, R.P., Fernyhough, C., Pearson, R.M., Zammit, S. (2013) 'Cognitive styles and psychotic experiences in a community sample.' PLoS ONE, 8(11)
Pearson, R.M., Fernyhough, C., Bentall, R., Evans, J., Heron, J., Joinson, C., Stein, A.L., Lewis, G. (2013) 'Association between maternal depressogenic cognitive style during pregnancy and offspring cognitive style 18 years later.' American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(4) pp. 434-441.
Pearson, R.M., O'Mahen, H., Burns, A., Bennert, K., Shepherd, C., Baxter, H., Chauhan, D., Evans, J. (2013) 'The normalisation of disrupted attentional processing of infant distress in depressed pregnant women following Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.' Journal of Affective Disorders, 145(2) pp. 208-213.
Pearson, R.M., Evans, J., Kounali, D., Lewis, G., Heron, J., Ramchandani, P.G., O'Connor, T.G., Stein, A. (2013) 'Maternal depression during pregnancy and the postnatal period: risks and possible mechanisms for offspring depression at age 18 years.' JAMA Psychiatry, 70(12) pp. 1312-1319.
Pearson, R.M., Melotti, R., Heron, J., Joinson, C., Stein, A., Ramchandani, P.G., Evans, J. (2012) 'Disruption to the development of maternal responsiveness? The impact of prenatal depression on mother-infant interactions.' Infant Behavior and Development, 35(4) pp. 613-626.
Pearson, R.M., Heron, J., Melotti, R., Joinson, C., Evans, J. (2012) 'The impact of alcohol use during pregnancy on maternal responses after birth.' Archives of Women's Mental Health, 15(6) pp. 433-443.
Pearson, R.M., Lightman, S.L., Evan, J. (2012) 'Symptoms of depression during pregnancy are associated with increased systolic blood pressure responses towards infant distress.' Archives of Women's Mental Health, 15(2) pp. 95-105.
Pearson, R.M., Heron, J., Melotti, R., Joinson, C., Stein, A., Ramchandani, P.G., Evans, J. (2011) 'The association between observed non-verbal maternal responses at 12 months and later infant development at 18 months and IQ at 4 years: A longitudinal study.' Infant Behavior and Development, 34(4) pp. 525-533.
Pearson, R.M., Lightman, S.L., Evans, J. (2011) 'Attentional processing of infant emotion during late pregnancy and mother-infant relations after birth.' Archives of Women's Mental Health, 14(1) pp. 23-31.
Pearson, R.M., Lightman, S.L., Evans, J. (2011) 'The impact of breastfeeding on mothers' attentional sensitivity towards infant distress.' Infant Behavior and Development, 34(1) pp. 200-205.
Pearson, R.M., Cooper, R.M., Penton-Voak, I.S., Lightman, S.L., Evans, J. (2010) 'Depressive symptoms in early pregnancy disrupt attentional processing of infant emotion.' Psychological Medicine, 40(4) pp. 621-631.
Pearson, R.M., Lightman, S.L., Evans, J. (2009) 'Emotional sensitivity for motherhood: Late pregnancy is associated with enhanced accuracy to encode emotional faces.' Hormones and Behavior, 56(5) pp. 557-563.
Pearson, R., Lewis, M.B. (2005) 'Fear recognition across the menstrual cycle.' Hormones and Behavior, 47(3) pp. 267-271.
Nunn, J.A., Postma, P., Pearson, R. (2001) 'Developmental prosopagnosia: Should it be taken at face value?.' Neurocase, 7(1) pp. 15-27.
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Conference papers
Burgess, R., Culpin, I., Bould, H., Pearson, R., Nabney, I. (2023) 'A Quantitative Comparison of Manual vs. Automated Facial Coding Using Real Life Observations of Fathers.' 12/12/2022 - 14/12/2022. Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 379-396.
Press and media
I have experience of global media , including live interviews on BBC breakfast, New York radio and Sky news.
Some highlights of media coverage of my research includes:
New Scientist: Pregnant women develop emotion-reading superpowers | New Scientist
The Guardian: Tantrums of ‘terrible twos’ seen in much older children in pandemic | Children | The Guardian
The Washington Post : Rise in perinatal and postpartum depression needs to be tackled - The Washington Post