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Psychiatry

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Current Research in Depression and Anxiety

The aim of this optional single module is for students to develop an advanced understanding of the current main questions in research on depression and anxiety and the ways in which they are being approached, spanning biological, psychological and social approaches to research. This will help to provide broad foundations for students to embark on research in this area, and/or to practice clinically in a way that is directly informed by current research.

The course will be taught over 7 half day sessions, accompanied by Moodle online materials and relevant sessions in the MSc journal club.

Module Leaders

Glyn Lewis, Marc Serfaty and Jo Billings will lead this module. Several other teachers from within and outside the Division of Psychiatry will also be involved.

Glyn Lewis

Professor Glyn Lewis

Glyn Lewis is Head of the Division of Psychiatry. He moved to UCL from Bristol in 2013. His research interests include trying to find causal factors in depression, especially those that may be preventable and useful in improving our understanding of how to treat it. He carries out randomised controlled trials to evaluate treatments for depression in primary care, and research that has practical implications in improving clinical care of people with psychiatric disorder. A substantial number of the many epidemiological papers that he has published come from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a very large cohort study that has been in progress for over 20 years, yielding insight into the environmental factors in many physical and mental health problems 

Marc Serfaty

Dr Marc Serfaty

Dr Marc Serfaty is a Consultant Psychiatrist who also trained as a CBT therapist at the Newcastle Cognitive Therapy centre. He has undertaken trials investigating the effectiveness of CBT in a variety of groups, especially those who may be neglected from receiving help: older people, cancer patients, people with intellectual disabilities, those with Body Dysmorphic Disorder and victims of crime. One of his current major studies is the CanTalk Study, an investigation funded by the National Institute for Health Research of the effectiveness of CBT for low mood in advanced cancer.

Dr Jo Billings

Jo Billings

Jo Billings works part-time as a senior clinical lecturer in the Division of Psychiatry alongside working as a chartered clinical psychologist in the NHS. Her area of clinical specialty is PTSD and trauma. Her clinical and research interests include complex trauma, vicarious trauma, trauma and psychosis, early intervention, mental health wellbeing and resilience and qualitative methodology. 

Module Contents

  • Epidemiology of depression and anxiety and risk factors for depression
  • Gene*environment interactions in depression
  • Primary care and prevention
  • Suicide prevention and suicidal behaviour
  • Antidepressant effectiveness and use
  • Research on psychological models of treatment for depression and anxiety
  • Neural circuits and emotional processing in depression
  • Physical treatments for depression
  • Teachers on the 2014/15 have included Glyn Lewis, Marc Serfaty, Michael King, Jon Roisier and Eileen Joyce

Learning Outcomes

These are the intended learning outcomes for the module:

  • Students will be able to appraise papers based on biological, psychological and social approaches to research on depression and anxiety, and to explain how these perspectives may be integrated.
  • Students will be able to discuss strategies for managing depression and anxiety disorders that are based on an up-to-date understanding of research findings in these fields.
  • Students will be able to able to identify the key questions motivating current research on the aetiology and management of depression and anxiety and to explain how these are being addressed.
  • Students will be able to suggest ways of addressing research questions relating to the aetiology and management of depression and anxiety disorders.
  • To equip students with an advanced understanding of the current main questions in research on depressive and anxiety disorders.
  • To allow students to appraise and plan research in depression and anxiety in a way that integrates biological psychological and social paradigms.
  • To provide foundations for students to embark on doctoral level research on depression or anxiety, and/or to practice clinically in a way that is directly informed by current research.