Rate My Professor Ben Britton

Professor Ben Britton is Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle, appointed in 2025. He holds a Doctor of Clinical and Health Psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychiatry from the University of Newcastle, a Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology from Macquarie University, and a Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences (Government and International Relations) from the University of Sydney. Britton has worked clinically as a clinical and health psychologist within the Australian public health system since 2005, primarily in general hospitals. He previously served as Head of Psychology for Hunter New England Mental Health, leading the psychology workforce across a diverse health district serving nearly one million people, encompassing acute psychiatric care, community mental health, and specialized services. He is the Co-Founder of the Applied Clinical Communications, Effectiveness Skills and Systems (ACCESS) Lab at the University of Newcastle, dedicated to improving health and wellbeing through understanding and facilitating sustainable behavior change in patients and clinicians.

Britton's research centers on behavior change to enhance health outcomes, with a focus on cancer care, including developing interventions to improve patient adherence and quality of life. Notable work includes the Eating As Treatment (EAT) trial for head and neck cancer patients, with five-year mortality outcomes published in 2024 in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics. Other key publications encompass studies on situational anxiety in head and neck cancer (Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences, 2024), effectiveness of nutrition interventions in cardiac rehabilitation (European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 2023), procedural anxiety during radiation therapy (Cancer Medicine, 2023), and adapted motivational interviewing (British Journal of Health Psychology, 2023). Additional research explores psychological benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for mental health, veterans’ health support, and health service improvements for chronic conditions such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, personality disorders, suicidality, homelessness, and end-of-life care. His contributions emphasize innovative models of care, digital interventions for somatic symptom and related disorders, and optimizing communication and effectiveness skills in healthcare.