Dr. Harbinder Sandhu
Assistant Professor, Warwick Medical School | University of Warwick
Coventry, UNITED KINGDOM
Harbinder Sandhu is an expert in behavioural change interventions for improving health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Areas of Expertise (9)
Opioid Reduction in Chronic Pain
Complex Interventions
Health and Wellbeing
Chronic Pain Management
Behaviour Change
Psychology
Self-Management
Health Psychology
Clinical Research
Accomplishments (1)
Investigator Network Grant Awards
European Association of Communication in Health Care (EACH), 2008
Education (2)
Staffordshire University: Ph.D., Health Psychology 2008
Coventry University: MSc, Health Psychology 2003
Affiliations (2)
- Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered Health Psychologist
- Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS)
Links (1)
Selected Media Appearances (3)
Opioids are not sleep aids, and can actually worsen sleep research finds
Science Daily online
2019-06-04
Concerns have been growing about prescriptions of opioids, which are increasing in the UK. Dr Harbinder Sandhu from Warwick Medical School, a co-author of the study, is leading a large clinical trial to support those with chronic pain to reduce their use of strong painkillers and manage their pain using non pharmacological alternatives. The NIHR-funded I-WOTCH (Improving the Wellbeing of People with Opioid Treated Chronic Pain) project is also collecting data on sleep quality. She comments: "The benefits of opioids on managing chronic pain in the short term is well-evidenced. But we have not seen long-term benefits in managing pain and the effect on sleep is unknown, results of the study will help to inform future interventions in opioid pain management. Anyone who has concerns about opioid therapy should talk to their GP..."
Chronic pain patients to receive group support in new opioid reduction trial
Pulse online
2018-01-23
Dr Harbinder Sandhu, lead researcher at associate professor at Warwick Medical School, said: ‘Structured, group-based, psycho-educational self-management interventions help people to better manage their daily lives with a long-term condition, including persistent pain, but few of these have specifically targeted patients considering opioid withdrawal...’
New NHS trial to look at reducing dependence on opioids
Nursing Times online
2018-01-23
The trial is being led by Dr Harbinder Sandhu, associate professor at Warwick Medical School, and Professor Sam Eldabe, consultant in pain medicine at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Sandhu noted that opioids were only effective in the short term and those taking them routinely needed to manage a range of side effects and could experience “devastating withdrawal symptoms”...
Selected Articles (6)
Experiences of people taking opioid medication for chronic non-malignant pain: a qualitative evidence synthesis using meta-ethnography
BMJ
Vivien P Nichols, Francine Toye, Sam Eldabe, Harbinder Kaur Sandhu, Martin Underwood, Kate Seers
2020 To review qualitative studies on the experience of taking opioid medication for chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP) or coming off them.
The effect of opioid therapy on sleep quality in patients with chronic non-malignant pain: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis
Sleep Medicine Review
Tang, N, Chantal Berna C, Banks P, Sandhu H and Stella M
2019 Current guidelines recommend opioid therapy to chronic non-malignant pain (CNP) patients when the benefits for pain and function outweigh risks. This systematic review examined the effects of opioid therapy on sleep - a valued functional outcome- in CNP.
Testing a support programme for opioid reduction for people with chronic non-malignant pain: the I-WOTCH randomised controlled trial protocol
BMJ Open
Sandhu H, Abraham C, Alleyne S, Balasubramanian S, Betteley L, Booth, K et al
2019 Chronic non-malignant pain has a major impact on the well-being, mood and productivity of those affected. Opioids are increasingly prescribed to manage this type of pain, but with a risk of other disabling symptoms, when their effectiveness has been questioned.
What interventions are effective to taper opioids in patients with chronic pain?
BMJ
Sandhu H, Underwood M, Furlan AD, Noyes J, Eldabe S.
2018 Opioids are commonly prescribed for short term pain relief in people with chronic pain (not caused by cancer). If they are used long term, most patients develop tolerance, their pain increases, and clinicians gradually escalate the dose (fig 1). Sales of prescribed opioids in the USA quadrupled between 2000 and 2010.
Development of an education and self-management intervention for chronic headache – CHESS trial (Chronic Headache Education and Self-management Study)
The Journal of Headache and Pain
Patel S, Potter, R, Matharu M, Carnes D, Taylor, S, Nichols V, Pincus T, Underwood M and Sandhu H.
2018 Self-management interventions are well recognised and widely used in chronic conditions. Their application to chronic headaches has been limited and generally of low quality. We describe here our process for developing an evidence based, and theory driven, education and self-management intervention for those living with chronic headache.
A combined behavioural and mindfulness programme for people living with Dystonia. A proof of concept study
BMJ Open
Sandhu H, Bernstein C, Davies G, Tang, N, Belhag, M, Tingle, A, Field, M, Foss, J, Lindahl, A, Underwood, M, and Ellard, D.
2016 To design and test the delivery of an intervention targeting the non-motor symptoms of dystonia and pilot key health and well-being questionnaires in this population.
Social