Dr Marc Serfaty

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Personal Profile

Name: Marc Serfaty Email: m.serfaty@ucl.ac.uk
Title: Dr Tel: +44 (0) 20 7679 9712
Department: Mental Health Sciences Unit Fax: +44 (0) 20 7679 9426
Position: Senior Clinical Lecturer Address: Charles Bell House, 67-73 Riding House Street, London, W1W 7EJ
Research Domain: Neuroscience, Population Health Web Page: Personal Web Page

Profile

Research Description

My main interest is in conducting Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT). I have a particular interest in difficult to reach populations. My research is primarily focussed on two main areas of interest. First, the evaluation of talking therapies, with particular interest in the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) and secondly, research into melatonin and sleep disturbance.

I have conducted numerous funded RCTs using CBT in a variety of groups, especially those who may be neglected from receiving help; older people, cancer patients, eating disorders, people with intellectual disabilities and those with Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

With thanks to my esteemed colleagues, without whom my research would not be possible, I was one of the first people to conduct a trial of CBT in anorexia nervosa. We also explored whether CBT, delivered by email would be helpful in bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. I pioneered the first RCT to compare CBT with a complementary therapy called aromatherapy massage. In an internationally recognised trial of CBT in older people, I demonstrated that not only was individual CBT effective in this group, dispelling the prejudice that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, but also demonstrated that improvement was not attributed to common, non specific factors in therapy, but rather due to the specific CBT techniques. My work has also includes completed pilot work, the Helping Aged Victims of Crime (HAVoC) study, investigating the impact of crime on older people and whether a cognitive behaviourally based Victim Improvement Package (VIP) appears promising. Our results were very positive and we plan more work in this area. I have also conducted pilot work with my colleague Dr Hassiotis determining how CBT, using a more cognitive elements than previously researched, could be delivered to people with Intellectual Difficulties. This study has also generated promising results. I am also working with Dr Veale to investigate the use of CBT in Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I am currently leading on a national UK study investigating the clinical and cost effectiveness of CBT in people with advanced cancer and depression. Finally, now that I have also trained as a therapist in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I will be leading a trial piloting a third wave ACT in people with cancer in palliative care. Further research is planned in the field of neurology and in older victims of crime.

My interest in melatonin and sleep disturbance arose from a clinical Doctorate (MD Res) in the use of melatonin for sleep disturbance in dementia and depression depression respectively. The first trial was the first randomised trial to investigatr the use of slow release melatonin 5mg orally, in people with dementia and sleep disturbance, using wrist actigraphy as an objective measure of sleep. Our cross-over design demonstrated a more robust method of investigating the effects of melatonin, but neverless our findings were negative. I also conducted an RCT using slow release melatonin 5mg, in people in depression. Though caution is required when interpreting data with trials that involve small numbers, findings suggest that melatonin, which is not subject to patent, may be antidepressant and that it may be as effective as melatonin agonists, currently being promoted by a number of pharmaceutical companies.


Research Activities

CanTalk: the clinical and cost effectiveness of CBT plus treatment as usual for the treatment of depression in cancer; a randomised trial.

Development of manualised CBT for adults with mild learning disabilities & anxiety or depression.

HAVoC study: determining the psychosocial effects of crime on older people and the development of a trial of Treatment As Usual (TAU) versus a Victim Improvement Package (VIP).

Health services research including mixed methods evaluation of interventions for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and mental health problems

The addition of ACT or a Talking Control to treatment as usual for the management of dysfunction in advanced cancer: a feasibility randomised controlled trial

Education Description

I am an accredited teacher and Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Post graduate teaching: (i) 1996-2006. I set up and organized the MRCPsych Academic training programme for post graduate psychiatric trainees. The training programme was developed to be consistent with the syllabus detailed by the Royal college of psychiatrists and was regarded as one of the best academic training programmes for psychiatry in the UK which achieved consistently high pass rates on the theory papers for candidates sitting the MRCPsych exam. My programme is still used as the template for the MRCPsych course today at UCL. (ii) I am responsible for the psychotherapy academic programme on the MRCPsych course. I have introduced novel and up to date psychotherapeutic interventions onto the training programme, including interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). (iii) I have consistently achieved extremely high ratings for teaching on the MRCPsych course, with comments such as exhilarating and best lecture this year.

Undergraduate teaching: (iv) I am the academic tutor for 4 medical students sent to the Priory Hospital North London from the UCL medical student rotation. I set up the undergraduate training package for medical students and this has consistently received high ratings through independent on line feedback.

My role also involves liaising between UCL and Priory group, an independent health care provider. Delivering medical education in Primary care: I conduct regular lectures in primary care to GPs and to GP training schemes on behalf of UCL and PHNL. Talks have included seminars on CBT for depression, anxiety and panic, CBT for Cancer, Sleep problems, CBT for eating disorders and obesity, Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) and work related stress. These seminars consistently achieve high ratings and disseminate findings from research at UCL.

 

UCL Collaborators

Prof Michael King; Dr Andre Strydom; Dr Angela Hassiotis

External Collaborators

Publications

    2012

    • Serfaty MA, Raven PW (2012). Could melatonin be a more suitable alternative to synthetic melatonin agonists?. Lancet, 379, 217 - 217.
    • Veale D, Ellison N, Werner TG, Dodhia R, Serfaty MA, Clarke A (2012). Development of a Cosmetic Procedure Screening Questionnaire (COPS) for Body Dysmorphic Disorder.. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg, 65(4), 530 - 532. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2011.09.007

    2011

    • Serfaty MA (2011). The clinical effectiveness of individual cognitive behaviour therapy for depressed older people in primary care and the use of a talking control (TC).
    • Serfaty MA (2011). Its good to talk, or is it?.
    • Low JTS, Davis S, Drake R, King M, Tookman A, Turner K, Serfaty M, Leurent B, Jones L (2011). The role of acceptance in rehabilitation in life threatening illness.. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 43, 20 - 28.
    • Veale D, Ellison N, Werner TG, Dodhia R, Serfaty MA, Clarke A (2011). Development of a Cosmetic Procedure Screening Questionnaire (COPS) for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 64(4), 530 - 532.
    • Hassiotis A, Serfaty MA, Azam K, Strydom M, King M, Martin S, Parkes C, Blizard R (2011). Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression in adults with mild intellectual disabilities (ID): a pilot randomised controlled trial.. Trails, 12, 95 - . doi:10.1186/1745-6215-12-95
    • Serfaty MA, Csipke C, Haworth D, Murad S, King M (2011). A Talking Control for use in evaluating the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. BRAT, 49, 433 - 440.
    • Holman AJ, Serfaty MA, Leurent BE, King MB (2011). Cost-effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy versus talking and usual care for depressed older people in primary care.. BMC Health Serv Res, 11, 33 - . doi:10.1186/1472-6963-11-33
    • SERFATY M, Wilkinson S, Mannix K, Freeman C, King MB (2011). ) The ToT Study: Helping with Touch or Talk (ToT ): a pilot randomised controlled trial to examine the clinical effectiveness of aromatherapy massage versus cognitive behaviour therapy for emotional distress in patients in cancer/palliative care.. Psycho-oncology, , - .

    2010

    • Holt S, SERFATY M (2010). Larger studies of melatonin for depression/sleep needed. Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 15(4), 317 - 318.
    • Serfaty MA, Osborne D, Buszewicz MJ, Blizard R, Raven PW (2010). A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of treatment as usual plus exogenous slow-release melatonin (6 mg) or placebo for sleep disturbance and depressed mood.. Int Clin Psychopharmacol, 25(3), 132 - 142. doi:10.1097/YIC.0b013e32832c260b

    2009

    • Blanchard M, Serfaty M, Duckett S, Flately S (2009). Adapting services for a changing society: a reintegrative model for old age psychiatry (based on a model proposed by Knight and Emanuel, 2007).. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 24(2), 202 - 206. doi:10.1002/gps.2083
    • Serfaty MA, Haworth D, Blanchard M, Buszewicz M, Murad S, King M (2009). Clinical effectiveness of individual cognitive behavioral therapy for depressed older people in primary care: a randomized controlled trial.. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 66(12), 1332 - 1340. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.165

    2008

    • Robinson PH, Serfaty M (2008). Getting better byte by byte: a pilot randomised controlled trial of email therapy for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. European Eating Disorders Review, 16(2), 84 - 93.

    2007

    • King M, Dinos S, Serfaty M, Weich S, Stevens S (2007). Measuring Stigma. British Journal of Psychiatry, 191, 364 - . doi:10.1192/bjp.191.4.364
    • King MB, dinos S, Serfaty M, Weich S, Stevens S (2007). Authors reply.
    • King M, Dinos S, Shaw JW, R Stevens S, Passetti F, Weich S, Serfaty M (2007). The Stigma Scale: development of a standardised measure of the stigma of mental illness. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 248 - 254.

    2006

    • Serfaty M (2006). MD thesis: The Use of melatonin in depression and dementia.
    • Csipke E, Serfaty M, Buszewicz M (2006). Optimizing recruitment from primary care: methods of recruiting older people with depression. Primary Health Care Research and Development, 7(2), 116 - 123.

    2004

    • Warner J, Pitts N, Crawford MJ, Serfaty M, Prabhakaran P, Amin R (2004). Sexual activity among patients in psychiatric hospital wards. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 97(10), 477 - 479.
    • Dinos S, Stevens S, Serfaty M, Weich S, King M (2004). Stigma: the feelings and experiences of 46 people with mental illness. Qualitative study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 184, 176 - 181.

    2003

    • Robinson P, Serfaty M (2003). Computers, e-mail and therapy in eating disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 11(3), 210 - 221.
    • Serfaty MA, Osborne D, Buszewicz MJ, Raven PW (2003). The effect of Exogeneous Melatonin in Major Depression. Chronobiology International, 20(6), 1191 - 1192.
    • McKenzie K, Serfaty M, Crawford M (2003). Suicide in ethnic minority groups. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 183(2), 100 - 101.

    2002

    • Serfaty MA, Bothwell R, Marsh R, Ashton H, Blizard R, Scott J (2002). Event-related potentials and cognitive processing of affectively toned words in depression. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL, 16(1), 56 - 66. doi:10.1027//0269-8803.16.1.56
    • Serfaty MA, Bothwell R, Marsh R, Ashton H, Blizard R, Scott J (2002). Event-related potentials and cognitive processing of affectively toned words in depression. Journal Of Psychophysiology, 16(1), 56 - 66.
    • Serfaty M, Kennell-Webb S, Warner J, Blizard R, Raven P (2002). Double blind randomised placebo controlled trial of low dose melatonin for sleep disorders in dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17(12), 1120 - 1127.

    2001

    • Robinson PH, Serfaty MA (2001). The use of e-mail in the identification of bulimia nervosa and its treatment. European Eating Disorders Review, 9(3), 182 - 193.

    2000

    • Serfaty M, Clark D (2000). Cognitive behaviour psychotherapy. In Maxwell H (Ed.), Psychotherapy (pp. - ). : .

    1999

    • Serfaty MA, Turkington D, Heap M, Ledsham L, Jolley E (1999). Cognitive thereapy versus dietary counselling in the outpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa: effects of the treatment phase. European Eating Disorders Review, 7(1), 334 - 350.

    1998

    • Serfaty M, McCluskey S (1998). Compulsory treatment for anorexia nervosa and the moribund patient. European Eating Disorders Review, 6(1), 27 - 37.

    1997

    • Serfaty MA, Lawrie A, Smith B, Brind AM, Watson JP, Gilvarry E, Bassendine MF (1997). Risk factors and medical follow-up of drug users tested for hepatitis C--can the risk of transmission be reduced?. Drug Alcohol Rev, 16(4), 339 - 347. doi:10.1080/09595239700186721
    • Serfaty MA, Lawrie A, Smith B, Brind AM, Watson JP, Gilvarry E, Bassendine MF (1997). Risk factors and medical follow-up of drug users tested for hepatitis C. Can the risk of transmission be reduced?. Drug and Alcohol Review, 16, 333 - 347.

    1996

    • Serfaty MA, Martin LM, Lingham R, Ferrier IN (1996). The effect of psychotropic medication on seizure duration during bilateral electroconvulsive therapy: a retrospective study. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 10(4), 303 - 308.
    • Brind AM, Serfaty MA, Lawrie A, Watson JP, Johnson S, Gilvarry E, Bassendine MF (1996). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a drug dependency centre in North East England.. HEPATOLOGY, 23(1), P102 - P102.

    1995

    • BRIND AM, SERFATY MA, LAWRIE A, WATSON JP, JOHNSON S, GILVARRY E, BASSENDINE MF (1995). ASSESSMENT AND MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP OF INTRAVENOUS-DRUG-USERS (IVDU) POSITIVE FOR HEPATITIS-C VIRUS (HCV) IN NORTH-EAST ENGLAND. HEPATOLOGY, 22(4), 1114 - 1114.
    • Lawrie A, Serfaty MA, Smith C (1995). Is residential psychiatric on call justified?. Psychiatric Bulletin, 20(1), 12 - 14.
    • Serfaty MA, McCluskey S, Eccleston D (1995). Extreme suicidality following serotonin syndrome.. Br J Psychiatry, 167(3), 410 - .
    • Serfaty MA, McCluskey S, Eccleston D (1995). A case of extreme suicidality following serotonin syndrome. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 167, 410 - .

    1993

    • Serfaty M, Masterton G (1993). Fatal poisonings attributed to benzodiazepines in Britain during the 1980s. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 386 - 393.

    1992

    • Serfaty MA (1992). Benzodiazepine attributed deaths in Great Britain during the decade 1980-1989.

    • Hassiotis A, Serfaty A, Azam K, Strydom A, Martin S, Parkes C, King M (). A literature review of CBT treatment in people with mild to moderate ID. , , - .