Rachel Houweling is a postgraduate research student in the Geography and Social Science Department at the University of Southampton. Rachel worked as an Occupational Therapist for a number of years and more recently completed a Masters in Public Health (University of Newcastle, Australia) and a Masters in Social Research Methods (University of Southampton).
I graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Southampton in the late 1990s and went on to work in a number of roles, mainly in mental health care, in the UK and Australia. I also spent a year volunteering with family support services in Botswana.
In 2018 I graduated with Distinction from a Masters in Public Health (University of Newcastle, Australia) and then completed a Masters of Social Research Methods at the University of Southampton in 2019.
My PhD will explore relationships between inequality and mental health in England and in particular, how families experience mental health risk factors, resilience and support.
It is certainly interesting to be studying again and now, to be balancing my studies with the needs of my children and wider family. However, I am really enjoying it and finding it so interesting to explore Health from a new perspective.