Dr. McWilliams’ research is primarily related to attachment theory. Most of this research has investigated attachment insecurity as a risk factor for various health conditions or as a risk factor for poor adjustment to several different health conditions. At present, his attachment research is focused on the relationships between adult attachment variables and attention (alerting, orienting, and executive functioning). This research is supported by an Insight Grant awarded in 2018 by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Dr. McWilliams has also recently developed an interest in network analysis. He has used this statistical and conceptual approach to study depression symptoms in the context of pain and adult attachment networks.

Dr. McWilliams has had a wide range of other research interests including personality and psychopathology, psychometrics, fear-avoidance models of chronic pain, anxiety disorders, and gambling. Aside from his attachment research, he is best known for his epidemiological studies regarding associations between pain conditions and psychiatric disorders.

If you are interested in receiving a copy of one of Dr. McWilliams’ journal articles or want to discuss potential research collaborations, please contact Dr. McWilliams at lachlan.mcwilliams@usask.ca. He also welcomes inquiries from students interested in participating in his research as volunteer research assistants, honours students, or graduate students. Dr. McWilliams is hoping to accept a student to the clinical psychology program in the coming year (applications submitted in December 2018). Given the current focus of his research, he is seeking students that would be well-prepared to participate in his SSHRC funded research (i.e., students with course work or laboratory experience relate to attachment theory and/or cognitive psychology).