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Dr Thomas Richardson

Dr Thomas Richardson

Principal Clinical Psychologist

I'm a Clinical Academic

Contact me: thomas.richardson@solent.nhs.uk

 

 

My role

I am a Principal Clinical Psychologist working in Mental Health Recovery Teams in Portsmouth. I have a range of clinical responsibilities, delivering evidence based psychological therapies to adults with severe and enduring mental health problems. As part of my role I lead research and service evaluation within the psychological therapies team and work with the research team.

Principal Investigator Roles

I have been or am currently Principal Investigator for recruitment in Solent for the following studies:

  • A Cognitive Behavioural Model of Cannabis Related Paranoia: Pilot Evaluation in a Clinical Sample.
  • A rapid appraisal of healthcare workers’ perceptions of care delivery in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • An Evaluation of the Impact of a Brief Compassionate Mind Training on Burnout and Self-Criticism in Mental Healthcare Professionals.
  • Exploring Unusual Feelings: A Questionnaire Study.
  • Hearing nasty voices: Developing new ways to measure the experience.
  • NIHR Mental Health BioResource for Depression and Anxiety.
  • Prevalence and Correlates of Debt in Bipolar Disorder and Depression: A Comparison and Prospective Study of Changes over Time.
  • The cap-mem study. Exploring the cause and prevalence of memory problems in people mental health, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
  • Voices Impact Scale (VIS): A test of the psychometric properties of a new outcome measure of psychological interventions targeting voices.

My responsibilities

In terms of service evaluation I am responsible for overseeing and often conducting service evaluations and audits for psychological therapies in the mental health recovery teams. For example I linked with talking change to look at the reliability of questionnaires we use to measure depression and anxiety. I often also supervise student or trainee projects and provide advice for people leading their own projects.

I lead my own programme of research linking with academics and think tanks. My main research interest is around the relationship between financial difficulties and mental health. I am also writing up research on the psychological mechanisms underlying why cannabis use can make people paranoid. I help support the research team who are delivering portfolio studies, acting as principal investigator on psychology based studies where appropriate.

My background

I did my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. I started publishing research whilst I was an undergraduate, mostly to make my CV look good, but I found I really enjoyed it so I carried on. I then worked as a research assistant based at the University of Bath researching CBT for depression and anxiety in children and adolescents, and I conducted my own research around dual diagnosis and Bipolar Disorder. I did my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton qualifying in 2013 and I have worked at Solent ever since. As part of my Doctorate I continued pieces of research and published work, such as essays and a small research project. My dissertation looked at tuition fees increases impact on student mental health. I continued this project after I qualified which has led to my research stream in finances and mental health. A Research Capability Fund internship helped me increase my research and service evaluation output and establish research as part of my role.

Why I love my job

I love doing both clinical work and research, being a scientist-practitioner. My role allows me to evaluate the therapies we’re delivering and make sure we are delivering the best service possible. The service users I work with have also given me ideas for new research projects and helped me plan them, and are very keen to take part. I love being able to develop my own research stream. My work on finances and mental health has got interest of charities, financial institutions and the media, and I have been to events at House of Commons on the back of it. It’s great that the research I am conducting is having a big impact to help people both inside and outside of the NHS.

More about me

I have young children so I’m not going to pretend I have a lot of hobbies! I play the drums, swim and cycle when I can. I’m very interested in politics and current affairs, and am a self-confessed coffee snob. I have a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder myself, which allows me to see therapy from both sides (I try to practice what I preach!), and often my research ideas around Bipolar Disorder are partly inspired by my own experiences.

Current projects/research studies

I am currently acting as Principal Investigator for two national studies we are running in Solent NHS Trust : CAP-MEM and GLAD. I am also involved with some projects evaluating the NHS response to COVID-19. I am writing up a few papers and working on applying for some larger grants as part of my transitional/bridging award for Health Education England Wessex/National Institute Health Research.

Published work

Below is the work I’ve published during my time with Solent NHS Trust. A list of my other publications and conference presentations is here:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Richardson5#

Grants

  • Awarded £14,461 Transitional/Bridging Award from Health Education England Wessex/National Institute Health Research [2019].
  • Awarded £14,705 from Research Capability Fund to test a Cognitive Model of Relationship between Cannabis use and Paranoia [2016].
  • Awarded £8000 Team Research Award from Health Education England Wessex to study a ‘Worry’ group for people with psychosis and predictors of drop-out [2016].
  • Awarded £7985.20 from Research Capability Fund for Research Assistant for study on Debt in Bipolar Disorder [2015].
  • Awarded £9954.27 through Economic and Social Research Council Impact Acceleration Account (via University of Southampton) to develop resource packs and deliver training to universities, public sector and charities on relationship between debt and mental health in students [2015].
  • Awarded £10k by Solent NHS Trust (via Research Capability Fund) for ‘Research and Academic Career Development Grant’ to fund overtime and mentorship to develop research [2014].

Research papers:

Systematic Reviews/Meta Analyses:

  • Bohane, L., Maguire, N. & Richardson, T. (2017). Resilients, Overcontrollers and Undercontrollers: A Systematic Review of the Utility of Personality Types in Understanding Adult Mental Health Problems. Clinical Psychology Review, 57, 75-92.
  • Richards, D. Richardson, T., Timulak, L & McElvaney, J. (2015) The efficacy of online-delivered treatment for generalised anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Internet Interventions, 2(3), 272-28.

Reviews:

  • Knott, G., Pitfield, C. & Richardson, T. (2014). An Overview of Recent Adaptations to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. PsychPAG Quarterly, 92, 6-10.
  • Richardson, T. (2014). Clinical Psychologists and Research: Do we do any and should we do more? PsyPAG Quarterly, 90, 7-12.

Letters:

  • Richardson, T. Gaining Momentum for Honesty. (2016). The Psychologist, December Edition.
  • Richardson, T. The Dark Side of Being a Clinical Psychologist with Bipolar Disorder: A Response to Ho (2016). Psychosis, 7(4), 374.
  • Freeman, T. & Richardson, T. (2015). New challenges raised by ‘legal highs’. The Psychologist, 28(4), 255-256.
  • Richardson, T. Hughes, M., Leech, K. & Raman, S. (2014). Letter to the editor: Cannabis Use and Transition to Psychosis: Is Interpretation of Unpleasant Effects a Mediating Variable? Psychological Medicine, 46(13):2867.
  • Richardson, T., Jenkins, R., Maguire, N., Collard, S., Evans, J., Fitch, C., Barnes, M., McManus., S. & Frankham, C. (2021). Poverty, Depression and Anxiety: The Role of Debt. Science, E-Letter, 1-3-2021,

Blogs:

Podcasts:

Videos:

  • The Psychology of Bipolar Disorder:

  • Money and Mental Health: The Psychological Links:

  • Financial difficulties and Impulsive Spending in Bipolar Disorder: A Psychological Understanding. Webinar for International Bipolar Foundation, June 2020.

Media

Reports and Government Consultations

  • Invited to House of Commons for launch event with MPs and Martin Lewis on impulsive spending when unwell (2016).
  • Mental health advisor to ‘tech for good’ even run by Financial Conduct Authority and MMHPI.
  • Advisor to the Children’s Society Charity on their report about Debt and Mental Health (2016). 
  • Panelist for launch of report ‘The Other One in Four’ my Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. 
  • Bipolar group work quoted in ‘Who’s job is it anyway?’ report by Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (2017).

Conference Presentations

• Richardson, T., Burniston, D. & Mansell, W. (2020). The belief that being high is a
natural part of your personality predicts greater manic symptoms four months later in Bipolar Disorder. Oral presentation at Solent NHS Trust Research and Improvement Conference, 24/09/2020, online. 

• Richardson, T & Bell, L. (2020). The Development of ‘Split Commitment’ as a way to Reduce Dropout from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. Poster presented at Solent NHS Trust Research and Improvement Conference, 24/09/2020, online. 

 • Bayliss, P., Bell, L. & Richardson, T. (2020). Implementing and evaluating an intervention to reduce suicide risk in mental health service users. Oral presentation at Solent NHS Trust Research and Improvement Conference, 24/09/2020, online. 

• Woods, C. & Richardson, T. Does a ‘Readiness for Therapy’ Questionnaire Predict Attendance in Community Mental Health Psychological Therapy? Poster at Solent NHS Trust Research and Improvement Conference, 24/09/2020, online. 

• Were, S., Richardson, T. & Hughes, J. (2020). The Role of Psychological Therapy in Improving the Mental Health of Women with Endometriosis: An Exploratory Study. Poster at Solent NHS Trust Research and Improvement Conference, 24/09/2020, online. 

• Richardson, T., Dasyam B., Courtney, H., White, L., Tedbury, J., Butt, J., & Newman-Taylor, K. Predictors of Drop-Out from CBT for Psychosis. Oral presentation at Solent Research and Improvement Conference, Ageas Bowl Southampton, 11/07/2019.

• Atuk, E. & Richardson, T. Dysfunctional Attitudes, Self-Esteem and Mood Changes in Bipolar Disorder. Poster presented at Solent Research and Improvement Conference, Ageas Bowl Southampton, 11/07/2019. 

• Frankham, C., Richardson, T. & Maguire, N. Hope and Shame link Money Problems and Mental Health. Poster presented at Solent Research and Improvement Conference, Ageas Bowl Southampton, 11/07/2019. 

• Richardson, T. & White, L. The Impact of a Psychoeducation Group on how people see and feel about their Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. Poster presented at Solent Research and Improvement Conference, Ageas Bowl Southampton, 11/07/2019. 

• Wrightman, M., Ghomi, M., Richardson, T. Pickup, T. & Ghaemian, A. Development of a readiness for treatment questionnaire in IAPT and correlations with drop-out and treatment outcome. Poster presented at Solent Research and Improvement Conference, Ageas Bowl Southampton, 10/7/18. 

• Richardson T., Bell, L., Mensch, G., Raman, S., Burr-Lonnon, L. Dropout from DBT: How many, when and why? Poster presented at Solent Research and Improvement Conference, Ageas Bowl Southampton, 10/7/18. 

• Richardson T., Freeman, T., Newman-Taylor, K., Bolderston, H. & Bloomfield, M. Cognitive mechanisms in cannabis-related paranoia: Does cognitive fusion increase psychotic symptoms from THC consumption? Poster presented at Solent Research and Improvement Conference, Ageas Bowl Southampton, 10/7/18. 

• Richardson, T. (2017). Bipolar Disorder and Financial Difficulties: A Preliminary Study and Psychological Model. Oral presentation at Royal College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of General Adult Psychiatry Annual Conference, Newcastle 06/10/2017. 

• Richardson, T., Newman-Taylor, K & Perry, E. (2017). A preliminary examination of a cognitive model of cannabis and paranoia in a clinical population. Oral presentation at Solent NHS Trust Research Conference, St Ages Bowl Southampton, 11/07/2017. 

• Courtney, H., White, L., Richardson, T., Tedbury, J., Dasyam, B., Butt, J & Newman-Taylor, K.. (2017). The Worry Group- Findings and Reflections. Oral presentation at Solent NHS Trust Research Conference, St Ages Bowl Southampton, 11/07/2017. 

• Richardson, T., Courtney, H., White, L., Tedbury, J., Dasyam, B., Butt, J & Newman-Taylor, K.. (2017). Predictors of Dropout from Psychological Therapy for Psychosis. Poster presentation at Solent NHS Trust Research Conference, St Ages Bowl Southampton, 11/07/2017. 

• Bramwell, K. & Richardson, T. (2017). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The relationship between mental health outcomes, fusion and values. Poster presented at  University of Southampton Psychology Postgrad Conference 2017, At University of Southampton, 20/06/17. 

• Richardson, T., Jansen, M. & Fitch, C. (2016). The Relationship Between Financial Difficulties and Mental Health in Bipolar Disorder: A Preliminary Investigation. Presented at Knowledge is Power: Using Evidence for Improvement (Solent NHS Trust), Botleigh Grange Hotel, Hedge End, Hampshire; 12/07/2016 

• Richardson, T., Jansen, M. Turton, W. & Bell, L. (2016). The Relationship Between Bipolar Disorder and Financial Difficulties: A Qualitative Examination of Patient’s Views. Presented at Knowledge is Power: Using Evidence for Improvement (Solent NHS Trust), Botleigh Grange Hotel, Hedge End, Hampshire; 12/07/2016 

• Richardson, T. (2015). Evaluation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy delivered by Psychologists and Non-Psychologists in Community Adult Mental Health. Presented at Demonstrating the value of research, evaluation and clinical audit via clinical impact (Solent NHS Trust), Botleigh Grange Hotel, Hedge End, Hampshire; 09/07/2015.

• Richardson, T. (2015). Debt and Mental Health. Presented at National Numeracy Forum, London 21/04/2015. 

• Richardson, T. & Bell, L. (2014). Evaluation of an ACT Trans-diagnostic Pathway in an NHS Community Mental Health Team for Adults. Presented at ACT/Contextual Behaviour Science Conference, Dublin, Ireland 4-5th December 2014. 

• Richardson, T., Elliott, P & Roberts, R. (2014). Tuition Fees, Finances and Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety in Students: A Prospective Cohort Study. Presented at Anxiety- Targeting the Mechanisms of Menace, 2/09/2014, University of Southampton. 

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