Chris Barker

University College London, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty Member

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Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology, UCL.

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Sara Scott

Lu Walker

Dickon Bevington

University of Cambridge

nicola hoyne

Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick

Université de Genève

University of Sussex

Hunter College

Hunter College, CUNY

Manchester Metropolitan University

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Papers by Chris Barker

Service users as the key to service change? The development of an innovative intervention for excluded young people

Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2015

Service users as the key to service change? The development of an innovative intervention for exc... more

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The Relationship Between Post-Migration Problems and Refugee Mental Health

by Pennie Blackburn and Chris Barker

PsycEXTRA Dataset

A randomised controlled trial of guided internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for perfectionism: Effects on psychopathology and transdiagnostic processes

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 2019

A randomised controlled trial of guided internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for perfecti... more

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Psychologically informed environments for homeless people: resident and staff experiences

Housing, Care and Support, 2017

Purpose Many homeless people have significant levels of early adverse experiences and consequent ... more Purpose Many homeless people have significant levels of early adverse experiences and consequent mental health difficulties. The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of residents and staff living and working in a psychologically informed environment (PIE), a new model of hostel for homeless people which aims to update and make more flexible the principles of the therapeutic community, thereby meeting the psychological and emotional needs of residents. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were carried out with nine residents, ten staff and five psychotherapists at two PIE hostels in London. The data were analysed using thematic analysis with a phenomenological epistemological approach. Findings Analysis generated 18 themes for residents and staff combined, organised into five domains: what makes a home, resident needs, managing relationships, reflective practice and theory vs practice of PIEs. The study suggests that PIEs broadly meet their aim in pro...

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Practice to policy: Clinical psychologists’ experiences of macrolevel work

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice

Aims: Social inequalities are positively associated with poor mental health. Changing socio-econo... more Aims: Social inequalities are positively associated with poor mental health. Changing socio-economic conditions through social policy interventions can improve population level mental health. Improving living conditions can improve physical health, but less is known about the impact on mental health. The aim of the review was to explore the evidence relating to housing improvement policy initiatives and their effect on mental health. Method: A systematic search of the literature was used to identify housing improvement interventions (2005 -2015) in the UK that measured mental health outcomes. Three areas of policy interventions were included: housing improvements, area-based regeneration and warmth and energy initiatives. A combination of electronic database searches was used to find key studies. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP). Results: Nine studies met inclusion criteria for the review, two reported findings from housing improvement interventions, five reported findings from area-based regeneration initiatives and two reported findings from warmth and energy initiatives. Four studies were in England and five in Scotland. One used a randomised controlled design, six studies used non-randomised controlled designs and two were uncontrolled studies. Overall, study quality was good although all studies were limited by constraints posed by large social interventions. Only two of the nine studies reported significant improvements in mental health, one found an increase in stress associated with the intervention and six found no improvements. The findings of this review were weak. Housing improvements have the potential to both improve mental health and increase stress due to the disruption

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On Researching a Health Condition That the Researcher Has Also Experienced

Qualitative Psychology, 2016

Thanks to Elizabeth Murray for setting up and managing the study on which this paper is based, an... more

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General practitioner psychological management of common emotional problems (I): Definitions and literature review

The British Journal of General Practice, Apr 1, 2000

General practitioners' (GPs') treatment of patients with common emotional problems often includes... more General practitioners' (GPs') treatment of patients with common emotional problems often includes some form of psychological management within the consultation. Such psychological management may be limited to listening and discussion or may also include more specific psychological approaches, such as use of counselling, problem-solving, or cognitive-behavioural techniques. This paper defines GP psychological management and reviews what is known about its frequency and effectiveness. MEDLINE and PsychLIT searches were undertaken of empirical studies of the psychological management of emotional problems by GPs in routine consultations published up to 1998. Thirty-six studies were identified. Most lacked details of the nature of the psychological management reported, making it difficult to compare studies. The frequency of use of psychological management by GPs was found to be generally less when rated by external observers than when assessed by GP selfreport. There is preliminary evidence from a few studies of the clinical effectiveness of GP psychological management in routine consultations.

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Patients' experiences of GP consultations for psychological problems: a qualitative study

The British Journal of General Practice the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Jul 1, 2006

Twenty-five to forty per cent of general practice consultations have a significant psychological ... more Twenty-five to forty per cent of general practice consultations have a significant psychological component. 1 Some involve relatively minor or selflimiting episodes of anxiety, depression and adjustment reactions. However, a substantial number involve more severe and chronic problems, with associated medical, social and psychological morbidity. 2 Ninety to ninety-five per cent of patients with psychological problems are seen solely by their GP or by primary care counsellors, psychologists or community psychiatric nurses, with a small minority referred to secondary care psychiatric services. 3 In addition to prescribing medication, such as antidepressants, GPs use a variety of consultation skills in trying to understand and help such patients. This qualitative study examines patients' experiences of GP consultations in which the patient presents explicitly with a psychological problem. The importance of obtaining patients' views on services has been emphasised 4 and there are some indications that patients' views may at times diverge from professionals' perspectives. 5,6 The current study aimed to investigate which aspects of routine GP consultations patients considered helpful or unhelpful, and what impact the doctor's communication had on

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Calling the shots: Young professional women's relationship with alcohol

Feminism & Psychology, 2015

Alcohol consumption by young professional women is increasing. Whilst the media and public health... more Alcohol consumption by young professional women is increasing. Whilst the media and public health campaigns have condemned this increase, societal attitudes and advertising discourses frame it as a display of “power femininity”. This qualitative study explored young professional women's “relationship with alcohol”: why they drank and how they felt about it. Twelve young professional women who reported drinking over official limits and had not sought professional help were recruited via UK public houses (drinking establishments, usually called pubs) and later interviewed. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Participants used alcohol to gain power; they saw drinking as a masculine ability demonstrating stamina, valued professionally and socially. However, women were also ashamed of their drinking; they felt criticised by health professionals and the media. Rather than perpetuating a blaming and shaming discourse, it may be important to counteract social norms associating alcoh...

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Adults with sickle cell disease: Psychological impact and experience of hospital services

Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1998

Twenty-seven adults with sickle cell disease previously admitted to hospital during a painful sic... more Twenty-seven adults with sickle cell disease previously admitted to hospital during a painful sickling crisis were interviewed in order to explore their experiences of hospital haemoglobinopathy services and the psychological impact of the disease. Evidence was gained of global psychological distress, depression and anxiety in the sample. Patients also reported criticisms of hospital services particularly with regard to staff attitudes and the giving of analgesia. Recommendations are made for improving the delivery of hospital and community services for this population.

Adults with sickle cell disease: Psychological impact and experience of hospital services

Psychology Health & Medicine - PSYCHOL HEALTH MED, 1998

The Therapeutic Relationship in CBT for Psychosis: Client, Therapist and Therapy Factors

Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2009

Background: This study investigated which factors are associated with the therapeutic relationshi... more Background: This study investigated which factors are associated with the therapeutic relationship in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for psychosis (CBTp). Method: Measures were taken between sessions two to nine in 24 therapist-client dyads. Clients and therapists completed the Working Alliance Inventory and measures of client (gender, age, ethnicity, positive and negative symptoms of psychosis, length of illness, admissions, social contacts, employment, cognitive insight, reaction to hypothetical contradiction), therapist (empathy, expertness, attractiveness, trustworthiness, number of years qualified and previous CBTp clients seen, confidence in CBTp), and therapy (number of sessions and CBTp interventions carried out, presentation of a formulation) factors. Results: On average, clients and therapists rated the therapeutic relationship as good, with clients giving higher ratings. None of the client variables was related significantly to the quality of the relationship. However, a n...

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The empirical analysis of help-intended communication: Conceptual framework and recent research

... Elliott, R and Stiles, WB and Shiffman, S and Barker, C and Burstein, B and Goodman, G (1982)... more

Can expressive writing aid recovery from primary surgery for gynaecological cancers?

Direction to an Internet Support Group Compared With Online Expressive Writing for People With Depression And Anxiety: A Randomized Trial

JMIR Mental Health, 2016

Background Depression and anxiety are common, often comorbid, conditions, and Internet support gr... more Background Depression and anxiety are common, often comorbid, conditions, and Internet support groups for them are well used. However, little rigorous research has been conducted on the outcome of these groups. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an Internet support group in reducing depression and anxiety, and increasing social support and life satisfaction. Methods A randomized trial compared direction to an existing Internet support group for depression and anxiety with an online expressive writing condition. A total of 863 (628 female) United Kingdom, United States, and Canadian volunteers were recruited via the Internet. Online, self-report measures of depression, anxiety, social support, and satisfaction with life were administered at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Results All four outcomes – depression, anxiety, social support, and satisfaction with life – improved over the 6 months of the study (all P

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Staff and patient experiences of decision-making about continuous observation in psychiatric hospitals

Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, Apr 1, 2017

Continuous observation of psychiatric inpatients aims to protect those who pose an acute risk of ... more Continuous observation of psychiatric inpatients aims to protect those who pose an acute risk of harm to self or others, but involves intrusive privacy restrictions. Initiating, conducting and ending continuous observation requires complex decision-making about keeping patients safe whilst protecting their privacy. There is little published guidance about how to balance privacy and safety concerns, and how staff and patients negotiate this in practice is unknown. To inform best practice, the present study, therefore, aimed to understand how staff and patients experience negotiating the balance between privacy and safety during decision-making about continuous observation. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with thirty-one inpatient psychiatric staff and twenty-eight inpatients. Most patients struggled with the lack of privacy but valued feeling safe during continuous observation. Staff and patients linked good decision-making to using continuous observation for short period...

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Guided parent-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for children with anxiety disorders: Outcomes at 3- to 5-year follow-up

The British journal of clinical psychology, Jan 9, 2017

Brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been developed to meet the de... more Brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been developed to meet the demand for non-intensive interventions for children with anxiety disorders, and initial trials have shown it to be effective for children with a range of anxiety disorders. This study examined outcomes 3-5 years post-treatment. A long-term follow-up (LTFU) cohort study. Families who (1) completed at least 50% of allocated treatment sessions of guided parent-delivered CBT for childhood anxiety as part of a randomized control trial (RCT), (2) provided consent to be recontacted, (3) had not received further mental health interventions, and (4) were contactable were invited to take part. Fifty-seven families (29% of the original sample) completed structured diagnostic interviews on average 50 months after treatment (39-61 months). At LTFU, 79% of the assessed children who had received the treatment no longer met criteria for their primary diagnosis, 63% did not meet criteria for any anxiety di...

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The Impact of an Internet-Based Self-Management Intervention (HeLP-Diabetes) on the Psychological Well-Being of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Method Cohort Study

Journal of diabetes research, 2016

This mixed-method study assessed the impact of an internet-based, self-management intervention (&... more This mixed-method study assessed the impact of an internet-based, self-management intervention ("HeLP-Diabetes") on the psychological well-being of adults with type 2 diabetes. Nineteen participants were recruited from 3 general practices. Data were collected at baseline and at 6 weeks follow-up. Access to HeLP-Diabetes was associated with a significant decrease in participants' diabetes-related distress (Z = 2.04, p = 0.04, and d = 0.28). No significant differences were found in emotional distress or self-efficacy. The qualitative data found that participants reported improvements including increased self-efficacy and support, better management of low mood, greater diabetes awareness, and taking the condition more seriously. Participants also reported making improvements to their eating habits, exercise routine, and medical management. Some negative experiences associated with using the intervention were mentioned including feelings of guilt for not using the interven...

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Psychological interventions for caregivers of people with bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal of affective disorders, Jan 15, 2018

Clinical guidelines recommend that psychological interventions be offered to caregivers of people... more Clinical guidelines recommend that psychological interventions be offered to caregivers of people with bipolar disorder. However, there is little clarity about the efficacy of such interventions. This review examined the efficacy of psychological interventions in improving caregiver-focused outcomes, including burden, psychological symptoms and knowledge. A systematic search for controlled trials was conducted using a combination of electronic database searches (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and CENTRAL), and hand searches. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. Outcomes were meta-analysed using Review Manager (RevMan). Nine studies met inclusion criteria. All meta-analyses compared psychoeducation to a control. At post-treatment there was a large effect of psychoeducation on burden (g = -0.8, 95% CI: -1.32, -0.27). However, there was high heterogeneity, confidence intervals were wide, and the effect was not maintained at follow-up. The apparent effect of psychoeducat...

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Developing an emotional coping skills workbook for inpatient psychiatric settings: a focus group investigation

BMC psychiatry, Jan 22, 2018

Evidence suggests an unmet need for provision of psychological interventions in inpatient psychia... more Evidence suggests an unmet need for provision of psychological interventions in inpatient psychiatric settings. However, inpatient wards can present a challenging environment in which to implement interventions. The authors developed the Emotional Coping Skills workbook, a psychosocial intervention designed to overcome these challenges and provide inpatients with an opportunity for psychologically-informed therapeutic engagement. The workbook includes information and exercises to empower inpatients to understand their emotions and learn to cope with their distress. A qualitative study using thematic analysis was undertaken in two UK inpatient psychiatric hospitals to explore staff's views about whether and how the workbook could be implemented, and on barriers to its use. Thirty-five nursing and occupational therapy staff members participated in four focus groups, and a further two psychologists in semi-structured interviews. Staff identified key barriers to successful implement...

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Service users as the key to service change? The development of an innovative intervention for excluded young people

Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2015

Service users as the key to service change? The development of an innovative intervention for exc... more

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The Relationship Between Post-Migration Problems and Refugee Mental Health

by Pennie Blackburn and Chris Barker

PsycEXTRA Dataset

A randomised controlled trial of guided internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for perfectionism: Effects on psychopathology and transdiagnostic processes

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 2019

A randomised controlled trial of guided internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for perfecti... more

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