Abigail Millings

Professor Abigail Millings is a Professor of Applied Social Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, affiliated with the Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences and the Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology. Her research focuses on attachment theory, behavioral science, and digital technologies for mental health and well-being. She has held roles at the University of Sheffield, University of Bristol, and Bath, and co-founded the UK Attachment Network. Her current projects include behavioral interventions for parenting support (Department for Education), evaluating mentalizing-based therapy for families (Youth Endowment Fund), and exploring digital societal impacts via the £4m ESRC-funded Digital Good Network.

Education:

• PhD in Family Attachment Relationships, University of East Anglia (2008)
• BSc in Psychology

Research Interests: Combines attachment theory with behavioral science to improve interpersonal relationships and mental health outcomes. Explores digital technologies' role in mental health support, including CBT-based programs and robot-assisted therapy. Current projects address parenting interventions, inter-parental conflict reduction, and defining 'digital good' in society.

Key Projects:

• Family Hubs Behavioral Science Project (£280k total funding)
• MBT-PP Randomised Controlled Trial (£450k)
• Digital Good Network (£4m Co-Investigator)

Advising & Grants: Supervises 3 current PhD students and has graduated 13 students since 2016. Secured over £1M in research funding through ESRC, Youth Endowment Fund, and DfE grants. Active in clinical psychology training supervision.

Labs/Teams: Leads research within the Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology at Sheffield Hallam, collaborating with Tavistock Relationships and local authorities on applied projects.