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Dr Rashpal Dhensa-Kahlon

Positions held:
  • Senior Lecturer, Social and Organisational Psychology; School of Psychological Sciences
  • UG Admissions Tutor, School of Psychological Sciences
  • Ethics Committee Member, School of Psychological Sciences
Email
  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Rashpal (Rashi) is a Chartered Psychologist (BPS) and Senior Lecturer in Social and Organisational Psychology in the School of Psychological Sciences at ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, University of London. She earned her PhD (Organisational Behaviour) and MSc (Social and Organisational Psychology) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

    She is an applied Social and Organisational Psychologist and her research explores psychological wellbeing through a social psychological lens. Her broad interest lies in mental health and wellbeing, and her specific focus is on how people navigate adversity, particularly trauma, in two applied contexts: work-related as well as collective trauma across populations.

    Prior to joining ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, Rashi held appointments at the University of Surrey and Aston University. Prior to academia she worked in consulting within banking and professional services.

    Office hours

    All students will be communicated module specific office hours at the start of each term.

    In-person and online meetings can be arranged upon request by email.

    Web profiles

    Administrative responsibilities

    • Member, Ethics Committee, School of Psychological Sciences
    • Undergraduate Admissions Tutor (BSc Psychology), School of Psychological Sciences

    Professional memberships

    • Chartered Psychologist, 

    • Fellow (FHEA) [Higher Education Academy] (United Kingdom)

    • Member,

    Honours and awards

    • Special Recognition for Outstanding Contribution to Occupational Health Research Society of Occupational Medicine, January 2023
    • PhD Studentship Leverhulme Trust, June 2011
    • Research Fellow (3 years) Leverhulme Trust, January 2011

    ORCID

  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Mental health and well-being
    • Work-related trauma
    • Collective trauma
    • Recovery and post-traumatic growth
    • Mixed methods researcher
    • Social support
    • Humour
    • Workplace health interventions

    Research overview

    My research explores psychological wellbeing through an applied social psychology lens. I am specifically interested in how people navigate adversity, particularly trauma, within two different social contexts: work-related trauma in organisations (e.g., with bus drivers, military, ordinary work) and collective trauma across populations (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic in England, terror bombings) using mixed methods. My research draws on surveys, populations based studies, and more recently, a return to qualitative methods (narrative and thematic analysis). I am interested in unearthing the effects of social connections and behaviours on psychological wellbeing and specifically the role played by social support and humour. I am also interested in the role played by interventions in positively infleuncing people’s lived experiences. I am keen on finding opportunities to dissemeniate research into the domains of public practice where we can make a real differences to people’s lives.

    Research Centres and Institutes

    • ,
    • ,

    Research clusters and groups

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions external to ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú:
    3
    Supervisions within ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú:
    1

    I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of my areas of research interest. Please contact me by email to discuss potential research projects and supervision.

    PhD students supervision:

    Emily Kitson. Thesis title "See it, Say it, Sort it: How Personality and Decision Making Affects Safety Behaviours." Awarded by the University of Surrey in June 2021. (with Prof Stephen Woods).

    Megal Ramsell. Thesis topic: An investigation of the relationships between stigma, psychosocial working conditions and post-traumatic growth following extra-organisational trauma. Principal Supervisor. January 2023 onwards (with Dr Kevin Teoh).

    Sophia Ruhland. Sep 2024 onwards (with Prof Fiona Tasker)

    Andrew Cole. January 2026 onwards (with Prof Almuth McDowall)

    Current doctoral researchers

    • MEGAN RAMSELL
      Nature of supervision:
      PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,

    Teaching

    Rashi teaches on both undegraduate and postgraduate modules on Social Psychology and Trauma. 

    Teaching modules

    • The Psychology of Trauma and Addiction
    • Social Psychology
    • Perspectives in Social Psychology
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashi and Cohen-Chen, S. and Coyle-Shapiro, J. and Wan, T. and Pliskin, R. (2026) . Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma ISSN 1092-6771.
    • Teoh, Kevin and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Christensen, M. and Nielsen, K. (2026) . Work and Stress ISSN 0267-8373.
    • Dhensa-Kahlon, Dr Rashi and Wan, S.T. and Coyle-Shapiro, J. and Teoh, Kevin (2025) . BJPsych Open 11 (1), pp. e16. ISSN 2056-4724.
    • Holloway, Victoria G. and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Beauregard, T. Alexandra (2024) . Community, Work & Family ISSN 1366-8803.
    • Cohen-Chen, S. and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Hamieri, B. (2024) . Sex Roles ISSN 0360-0025.
    • Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Woods, S.K. (2022) . Personality and Individual Differences 186 (A), pp. 111336. ISSN 0191-8869.
    • Baer, M.D. and Rodell, J.B. and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Colquitt, J.A. and Zipay, K.P. and Burgess, R. and Outlaw, R. (2018) . Academy of Management Journal 61 (5), pp. 1764-1788. ISSN 0001-4273.
    • Baer, M.D. and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Colquitt, J.A. and Rodell, J.B. and Outlaw, R. and Long, D.M. (2015) . Academy of Management Journal 58 (6), pp. 1637-1657. ISSN 0001-4273.
    • Long, D.M. and Baer, M.D. and Colquitt, J.A. and Outlaw, R. and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal (2015) . Personnel Psychology 68 (3), pp. 463-498. ISSN 0031-5826.
    • Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal (2011) . Academy of Management Proceedings 2011 (1), pp. 1-6. ISSN 0065-0668.

    Book section

    • Reich, T.C. and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal (2021) . In: Brough, P. and Gardiner, E. and Daniels, K. (eds.) Handbook on Management and Employment Practices. Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences. Springer. pp. 1-22. ISSN 2730-7409. ISBN 9783030249366.
    • Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Coyle-Shapiro, J.A.M. (2014) . In: Oreg, S. and Michel, A. and Todnem By, R. (eds.) The Psychology of Organizational Change: Viewing Change from the Employee’s Perspective. Cambridge University Press. pp. 173-194. ISBN 9781107477773.
    • Coyle-Shapiro, J.A.M. and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal (2011) . In: Townsend, K. and Wilkinson, A. (eds.) Research Handbook on the Future of Work and Employment Relations. Edward Elgar. pp. 305-404. ISBN 9781848448469.

    Conference item

    • Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Niven, K. and German, H. . Occupational Health Psychology Conference, Bordeaux, France

    Monograph

    • Teoh, Kevin and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Christensen, M. and Frost, F. and Hatton, E. and Nielsen, K. (2023) . ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, University of London.
    • Teoh, Kevin and Dhensa-Kahlon, Rashpal and Christense, M. and Frost, F. and Hatton, E. and Nielsen, K. (2023) . London, UK: SOM and ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, University of London.
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    Media

    I am happy to receive enquiries from the media on the following topics:

    • Mental health and wellbeing
    • Work-related trauma
    • Collective trauma
    • Health related interventions
    • Social connections/social support

    Outreach

    Organisational Interventions to Support Staff Wellbeing in the NHS. NHS Employers Health and Wellbeing Network

    Podcasts:

    Managing and Overcoming Trauma. The Workplace Podcast with YellowWood. Jan 2022. 

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    Showcase panel ‘Resilience in an Uncertain World’ at ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú’s Business, Economics and Informatics Engagement Week. Sharing insights from my research on trauma and recovery.

    Stress Productivity and Wellbeing. Showcase session, involving use of interactive wellbeing technology, at the Surrey Festival of Science