Faculty of Science and Information Technology

Professor Mike Startup

• PhD, London University, UK
• MSc (Clinical Psychology), Surrey University, UK
• BA, London University, UK

• Processes and outcomes of psychological treatments for mental health problems, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy for psychotic disorders.
• Cognitive processes in psychotic experiences, especially delusions, lack of insight, and mania.
• Autobiographical memory and affect regulation.
• Schizotypy and dissociative experiences.

My chief interest is in improving psychological treatments for mental health problems and I follow this interest both through training mental health professionals and through research. I believe that training professionals to deliver psychological treatments at a high level of expertise requires keen attention to three levels of skill: formulation (what, fundamentally, is causing the problems), design of intervention, and therapy process (the moment-by-moment implementation of the intervention strategy). I have contributed to such improvements by teaching clinical psychologists in training and, as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the UK National Health Service, by establishing programmes of training for qualified mental health professionals. I have also contributed by conducting research designed to improve understanding at all three levels, for example: Formulation - studies of cognitive processes underlying psychotic experiences, such as delusions and mania; Choice of intervention - randomised controlled trials of cognitive and psychodynamic-interpersonal therapies for depression (the Second Sheffield Psychotherapy Project), and of cognitive therapy as an adjunct to standard treatment for schizophrenia (the North Wales Trial of CBT for Acute Schizophrenia); Therapy process - studies of therapist adherence to treatment manuals and responsiveness to client requirements. I intend to continue with all these activities at the University of Newcastle.

• Clinical and Health Psychology Research Group

• Anet Babakhani - PhD - Vulnerability to Manic and Depressive Symptoms in Bipolar Affective Disorder
• Robert Hodgson - PhD
• Tamar Reid - PhD - Autobiographical Memory in Borderline Personality Disorder
• Alison Teal - M - Antenatal and Postnatal Depression: Women's explanations and understandings of why some women do not accept, or delay seeking help, An Interpretive Phenomenological Study