About Dr Sidra Afzal
I graduated from Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan, and pursued my master’s in psychology and MS in Clinical Psychology from Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan. I completed my PhD in December 2017 with a particular emphasis on psychosocial predictors of Postnatal Blues and Postnatal Depression in Pakistani women from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan.
I joined the University of Sunderland as a lecturer in 2022 after an enriched teaching experience at Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman. Before that, I served Pakistani academia for six years as a lecturer at Beaconhouse National University and later as an assistant professor University of Management and Technology, Lahore.
Teaching and supervision
- Mental Health and Illness
- Patient Engagement and Reflective Practice
Interests
I am interested in male psychology, masculinity, and toxic masculinity. How being socialised as men in different cultures can affect the mental health of males. i.e., in what ways the stereotypical mindsets and behaviours expected of men in patriarchal cultures are related to adverse effects on men themselves?
Research
My research in my PhD allowed me to define Postnatal Blues and Postnatal Depression based on the empirical symptoms' manifestations indigenous to Pakistan's culture and social norms. After almost a decade of international experience in teaching, research, counselling, and clinical practice, I have learned the significance of social context in determining the causes, predictors, consequences, and aetiology of any psychological issue. I have closely observed the importance of change in the social context for improving the individual and vice versa.
During my PhD years, I have learned the significance of social powers in the establishment of specific conditions as clinical or non-clinical. We worked on the psychological predictors' profile of mothers vulnerable to postnatal blues and depression along with the indigenous screening tools. My work gave me further insight into the social standing of a mother with psychological illness; therefore, I devised the assessment protocol providing the assessment timeline appropriate to the social norms, benign yet subtle enough to screen the mothers at risk. This assessment protocol is only the first of its kind in Pakistan.
Further information
Conference presentations:
- Afzal, S., & Khalid, R. (2019). Ensuring perinatal wellness of Pakistani mothers by
screening them for Postnatal Depression. Poster presentation in the international
psychiatric conference on Prescription for Wellness: Working across boundaries held on
Aug 2nd and 3rd at department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Fatima memorial hospital Lahore, Pakistan. - Haider, T., Afzal, S., & Ashraf, F. (2017). Relational Aggression and personality traitsamong University Students. Oral presentation in 1st International conference on clinical psychology and the developing world; Issues, Challenges and Solutions held on 9th – 10th March at Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of management & Technology, Lahore.
- Anwer, A., Tariq, R, & Afzal, S. (2016). Exploring Death Anxiety: Difference in Gender and Age Groups. Poster presented in 6th international conference on Psychology of Gender and Perspective, Issues and Challenges (ICPG 2016). National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.
- Shaukat, K., Irfan, G., & Afzal, S. (2016). Retirement: A gap between Expectations and reality. Poster presented in 6th International conference on Psychology of Gender and Perspective, Issues and Challenges (ICPG 2016). National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.
- Tahir, N. & Afzal, S. (2015). Aggression and General Health problems among Undergraduate University Students. Paper (Oral) presented in 1st National Conference
in Indigenizing Clinical Psychology: Issues and Challenges held on 17-18 December
at Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of management & Technology, Lahore. - Afzal, S. & Batool, F. (2015). Coping and Mental Health Problems among university Students. Paper (poster) presented in 1st National Conference in Indigenizing
Clinical Psychology: Issues and Challenges held on 17-18 December at Institute of
Clinical Psychology, University of Management & Technology, Lahore. - Afzal, S., & Khalid, R. (2015). Indigenization of Postnatal Blues in Pakistani context. Paper Presented at 14th International Conference of Psychology (ICP 2015).19th-21st
March 2015 at Punjab University, Lahore. - Zahra, A., & Afzal, S. (2015). Optimism and General Health problems among University Students. Paper presented at 14th International Conference of Psychology (ICP 2015) 19th-21st March 2015 at Punjab University, Lahore.
- McDonald, K.L., Siddiqui, S., Afzal, S., Aslam, S., & Sarfraz, N. (2015, March). A cross-cultural examination of interpretations and revenge goals in response to peer provocation. In D. Findley-Van Nostrand (Chair), Peer adversity and adolescent social
motivation: New perspectives, cross-cultural evidence. Paper symposium presented at the biennial conference of the Society for Research on Child Development, Philadelphia, PA. - Afzal, S., & Khalid, R. (2014). Social support and Postnatal depression in Pakistani Context. Paper presented at International Conference on Social Psychology (ICSP 2014) 20th and 21st May. 2014.
- Mcdonald, L, K., Siddiqui, S., Afzal, S., Aslam, S., &Sarfaraz, N. (2014). Seeking revenge for Peer Provocations: How do Emotions and Attributions Predict Revenge Goals for adolescents from Pakistan and the United States? Poster presented at 23rd Biennial Meeting of International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Shanghai, China.
- Afzal, S., Saleem, S., Mehmood, Z. (2012). “A development of scale for measuring stress among special education teachers particularly dealing with mental deficits”. Paper presented in 4th International psychology conference, National Institute of Psychology, (NIP) Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.