PhD Student

Arya Yadegarfard, supervised by Dr Candan Ertubey and Dr Hossein Kaviani. Arya's PhD thesis investigates risky health behaviours among gay men and the usefulness of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in understanding these.

I am a part-time PhD student in social psychology at the University of Bedfordshire. Currently employed full-time by the NHS, I am a psychological practitioner registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a qualified psychologist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). My nine years’ experience as a psychologist includes the last five years spent working as a psychological therapist. I am also qualified as a Gender and Sexual diversity therapist (Pink therapist) since 2015. I consider myself as an evidence-based psychological practitioner and without doubt a combination of my personal and professional experience and background influenced the direction of my master’s studies, which in turn led me to a specific research paradigm. 

My research journey began in 2009 when I was studying for my master’s in counselling psychology in Thailand at Assumption University. At that time, I started to feel drawn to the study of sexual diversity, and I have gone on to publish five articles in peer reviewed journals, four of which were on sexual diversity. In my previous research, I focused on how social factors, particularly social isolation, loneliness, and family rejection, impact the well-being of gay men and transgender women.

Other References

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mohammadrasool-yadegarfard-6b839661
• Research gate: www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammadrasool_Yadegarfard
• ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0118-5006

Qualifications

• PhD Candidate in Social Psychology - University of Bedfordshire, 2015-2019
• MSc Psychological Approaches to Health and Management - University of Bedfordshire, 2013-2014
• Master of Science in Counselling Psychology - Assumption University of Thailand, 2009-2011

Area of Study

• Sexual diversity study
• LGBT health and sexual health
• Health behavioural change and life style
• Mental health in Primary care
• Psychological intervention in primary care (CBT)
• Social psychology

Supervisors

Dr Candan Ertubey and Dr Hossein Kaviani

Recent Conference Presentations

• Bahramabadian, F., Seyedghasemi, M., Yadegarfard, M., & Ho, R. (2015). The Influence of Social Support on Stress, Depression and Anxiety among Iranian Intravenous Drug Users. The 24th Inetrnational Harm Reduction Conference Kuala Lumpur: www.hri.global/files/2015/10/12/HRI_2015_ConferenceReader_web.pdf.
• Yadegarfard, M. (2019). How are Iranian Gay Men Coping with Systematic Suppression Under Islamic Law? A Qualitative Study. Euroacademia Conferences: Identities and Identifications: Politicized Uses of Collective Identities (8th Edition). Dublin: euroacademia.eu/presentation/how-are-iranian-gay-men-coping-with-systematic-suppression-under-islamic-law-a-qualitative-study/.
• Yadegarfard, M., Ertubey, C., & Kaviani, H. (2019). Why risky sexual behaviours? An in-depth understanding of risky sexual behaviours based on gay individual’s subjective experiences. British Society for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) Annual Conference. Birmingham: drive.google.com/file/d/1yuHft68gvRQIYYnf3oTy2EgQn93jJkxI/view
• Yadegarfard, M., Ertubey, C., & Kaviani, H. (in press). Biopsychosocial Predictors of Risky Sexual Behaviour (RSB): The Influence of Drug Use, Attachment Patterns, Well-being, Loneliness, Social Support, and Sexual Hyperactivation on RSB among Gay Males in the UK. British Society for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) Annual Conference. Birmingham: drive.google.com/file/d/1yuHft68gvRQIYYnf3oTy2EgQn93jJkxI/view

Recent Publications

• Yadegarfard, M., Ertubey, C., & Kaviani, H. (in press). Biopsychosocial Predictors of Risky Sexual Behaviour (RSB): The Influence of Drug Use, Attachment Patterns, Well-being, Loneliness, Social Support, and Sexual Hyperactivation on RSB among Gay Males in the UK. Health, Risk & Society .
• Yadegarfard, M. (2019). How are Iranian Gay Men Coping with Systematic Suppression Under Islamic Law? A Qualitative Study. Sexuality & Culture, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-019-09613-7.
• Zerang Sagha, M., Varma, P., & Yadegarfard, M. (2019). Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Cluster B Personality Disorders Among Adult Males and Females Diagnosed with The Disorder in Qeshm Island, Iran. Scholar: Human Sciences, 11, 28- 36.
• Yadegarfard, M., Ertubey, C., & Kaviani, H. (2019). Why risky sexual behaviours? An in-depth understanding of risky sexual behaviours based on gay individual’s subjective experiences. International Journal of STD & AIDS, 30 (pp. 1–114). Birmingham: SAGE.
• Yadegarfard, M., & Yadegarfard, N. (2016). The Influence of Parenting Styles and Parents' Perfectionism on Childrens' Sense of Entitlement in the City of Bandarabbas, Iran. Journal of Child and Adolescent Behavior, 4. doi:10.4172/2375-4494.1000315.
• Yadegarfard, M., Bahramabadian, F., & Ho, R. (2015). Iranian psychotherapists’ behaviours and beliefs toward sexual orientation and gender identity. Ethics and Behavior, 25, 256–270.
• Yadegarfard, M., & Bahramabadian, F. (2014). Sexual orientation and human rights in the ethics code of the psychology and counselling organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (PCOIRI). Ethic & Behaviour, 24, 350–363.
• Yadegarfard, M., Meinhold-Bergmann, M., & Ho, R. (2014). Family rejection, social isolation, and loneliness as predictors of negative health outcomes (depression, suicidal ideation and sexual risk behaviour) among Thai male-to-female transgender adolescents. Journal of LGBT Youth, 11, 347–363.
• Yadegarfard, M., Ho, R., & Bahramabadian , F. (2013). Influences on loneliness, depression, sexual-risk behaviour and suicidal ideation among Thai transgender youth. Culture, Health & Sexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care, 15, 726-737.

Other Relevant Information

• HCPC registered PYL33276
• Member of the British Psychological Society (MBPsS)
• Registered and Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
• Accredited Gender and Sexual Diversity Therapist (Pink therapy)

Contact Details

School of Psychology
University of Bedfordshire
Luton campus
University Square,
Luton, LU1 3JU

Email: mohammadrasool.yadegarfard@study.beds.ac.uk