Dr Stacey Heath

Dr Stacey Heath is a social and environmental psychologist whose research bridges social and environmental psychology, human geography, and health to explore how communities respond to societal and environmental change. Her work focuses on the health and wellbeing impacts of climate-related change, with a particular emphasis on the psychosocial dimensions of climate adaptation. She examines how group dynamics, collective identities, and psychological attachments to place shape community resilience, vulnerability, and sustainable adaptation in the face of environmental and societal changes.

Integrating insights across these disciplines, Dr Heath explores how social and relational processes can both facilitate and hinder positive change. Drawing on the Social Identity Approach, Place Attachment theory, Relational Wellbeing, Environmental Justice, and Transformational Adaptation frameworks, her work addresses the broader psychosocial impacts of climate-related change and how these influence adaptation responses.

Committed to participatory research and open science, Dr Heath employs a mixed methods approach to co-develop understanding of how climate-related change (such as adaptation strategies) impacts health and wellbeing. She applies theoretical insights to explore how psychosocial processes can be harnessed to promote positive change and equitable outcomes. Her interdisciplinary research informs academic scholarship and provides evidence-based guidance for policymakers and practitioners seeking to integrate social and psychological dimensions into adaptation planning.