CHANSE Call Partner Search Tool

General Information

• Type: Partner looking for project
• Organisation: Department of Psychology, Institute for Population and Human Studies - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Country: Bulgaria (BG)

Research area

• Call theme: Enhancing well-being for the future
• Keywords:

  psychological well-being crises vulnerable groups coping mental health life satisfaction

• Brief description of your expertise / expertise you are looking for:

  I am an Associate Professor in Social and Counseling Psychology at the Department of Psychology, IPHS - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. My research interests and publications have been focused mostly on the study of subjective (psychological) well-being, including its affective and cognitive facets (e.g. life satisfaction, happiness, optimism and allied constructs) on the individual, community and country level. I have also been working as a PI and/or researcher on both national and international, including EU-funded, research projects relating to: - emotional experiences, stress, state-trait resilience and anxiety of vulnarable groups (chronically ill and jobless people, and parents of little children working from home) due to the crisis caused by COVID-19; - attachment styles and parental practices of victims of domestic violence: the mediating role of mental health and coping mechanisms (e.g. perceived social support, etc.); - psychological predictors of migration and interethnic attitudes - quality of life and psychological well-being, risk-taking propensity, values, life planning skills, etc.; diversity, multiculturalism and minority inclusion; - antecedents and facets of aggressive behaviour at school and prevention of bullying among students. I am experienced in the mixed methods approach, including both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

• Brief description of your project / the project you would like to join:

  I would gladly join any research project aimed to tackle the underlying psychological antecedents and mechanisms of well-being and mental health on the individual, community and/or country level. Furthermore, I would greatly appreciate if the research project was concerned with some vulnarable groups such as immigrant/ethno-national minorities, children/adolescents, victims of either domestic violence or school bullying, chronic sufferers (mental and/or physical), jobless people, etc. The role of stress coping mechanisms are of particular interest to me. Any project references to the perceived socioeconomic consequences of the crisis caused by either the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine are also welcomed.

Diana Ivanova Bakalova

• Organisation: Department of Psychology, Institute for Population and Human Studies - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Position: Associate Professor
• E-mail: diabakalova@gmail.com
• Phone: +359 888982858
• Web: iphs.eu/en/department-of-psychology/