Biography

I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield in 2009. It was there that I initially developed a curiosity around the psychology involved with physical health and illness, which subsequently led to my coming to Surrey to undertake the MSc in Health Psychology. My MSc dissertation explored the identity experiences of ex-service personnel during their transition from military to civilian life, and I then realised that I also had an avid interest in Military Psychology. I am now in my third year of a full-time PhD in collaboration with Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court, and I am also working towards completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Psychology Practice.

Research Interests

Externally funded by a charitable organisation, my PhD explores the effectiveness of a psycho-educational intervention for those military personnel reporting persistent postconcussive symptoms following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). More specifically, the research utilises a mixed-methods approach to determine how military personnel experience both their injury and the intervention received at DMRC; whether or not the programme demonstrates improvement in the nature and number of symptoms reported by follow-up (and additionally whether early intervention is effective); and also whether or not the programme is capable of both improving stress-management and enhancing benefit-finding (two key therapeutic elements) among its patients.

The programme offered at DMRC Headley Court provides active treatment to those military personnel who have sustained mTBI and are reporting persistent symptoms. As my research findings will likely reinforce and/or further inform current policy, the overall aim of the project is to use the data to help create a more efficient and effective treatment programme for military personnel.

Research group you are linked with: Health and Wellbeing

Supervisor: Prof Jane Ogden

Publications

Brunger, H., Serrato, J., Ogden, J. 'No Man's Land': The Transition to Civilian Life. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, in press.

Teaching

I have undertaken teaching assistant roles across a number of academic modules, including: UG (Level 2) Cognitive Research Methods and Social Research Methods, and MSc Research Methods and Data Analysis (both quantitative and qualitative). I have also delivered lectures on the MSc Health Psychology Course.

Presentations and Posters

Brunger, H., Ogden, J., Malia, K., Eldred, C., Terblanche, R., & Mistlin, A. (2012, June). ''Drop the 'm'': A qualitative analysis of military personnels' experience of living with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)'. Oral presentation at the Applied Qualitative Research in Psychology Conference, Derby, United Kingdom.

Brunger, H., Ogden, J., Malia, K., Eldred, C., Terblanche, R., & Mistlin, A. (2012, September). ''Drop the 'm'': A qualitative analysis of military personnels' experience of living with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)'. Oral presentation at the British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Brunger, H., Ogden, J., Malia, K., Eldred, C., Terblanche, R., & Mistlin, A. (2012, November). 'Military personnels' experience of a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) treatment programme'. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Wessex Branch: The Psychological Wellbeing of Serving Military Personnel and Veterans Conference, Sandhurst, United Kingdom

Brunger, H. (2012, November). 'Attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of a psycho-educational intervention for military personnel reporting persistent symptoms following a mild traumatic brain injury'. Seminar conducted at the University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom.

Brunger, H., Ogden, J., Malia, K., Eldred, C., Terblanche, R., & Mistlin, A. (2013, January). 'Living with persistent postconcussive symptoms following a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI): A qualitative interview study in UK military personnel'. Poster presented at the University of Surrey Postgraduate Research Conference 2013, Surrey, United Kingdom.