MAIN PROJECTS
The i4i Mental Health Challenge Award: Immersive virtual reality to transform the lives of patients with psychosis
NHS NIHR Research Professorship: Overcoming Persecutory Delusions
Oxford Virtual Reality (VR) for Mental Health
The Feeling Safe Study
Immersive Virtual Reality Cognitive Treatment (VRCT) for persecutory delusions
Daniel Freeman
PhD DClinPsy CPsychol FBPsS FBA
Professor of Clinical Psychology
- Lead, Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis (O-CAP)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Psychological therapies theme co-lead, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre
- Founder of Oxford VR
- Fellow, University College Oxford
- Fellow, British Psychological Society
- Fellow, British Academy
Follow Daniel Freeman on Twitter
Research Group: Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis (O-CAP)
BBC Radio 4 Series: A History of Delusions
* Please note that from April 2023 I have moved to the Department of Experimental Psychology
Email address: daniel.freeman@psy.ox.ac.uk
The purpose of my work is to make significant advances in the understanding and treatment of mental health disorders, particularly the problem of paranoia. Drawing on a variety of approaches, including epidemiological studies, psychological experiments, clinical trials, and a ground-breaking virtual reality laboratory, I use the theoretical knowledge to develop carefully tested psychological treatments that will truly make a difference.
At the moment several randomised controlled treatment trials are in progress. This includes a test of a new targeted, personalised psychological treatment for persecutory delusions, called the Feeling Safe Programme. This is a translational treatment built upon advances by my research group in the theoretical understanding of paranoia. The target is a recovery rate of 50% for persecutory delusions that have not responded to previous treatment. There are also a number of studies running that will lead to a greater understanding of the causes of psychotic experiences. The research is supported by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), UK Medical Research Council (MRC), and the Wellcome Trust.
I pioneered the use of virtual reality (VR) to assess, understand, and treat paranoia. Subsequently I have led work designing and testing new automated VR psychological therapies for mental health disorders. The aim is to produce VR therapies that produce greater clinical effects than face-to-face therapies. I founded and am a non-executive board member of Oxford VR, a spinout company from the University. Oxford VR built on my research into the use of virtual reality to understand and treat psychological disorders. I founded the company in 2016 with Jason Freeman, Mel Slater, Bernhard Spanlang, and Mavi Sánchez-Vives.
I’m also committed to making knowledge of the best psychological research and treatments for mental health problems available to the general public. Therefore I’ve written a number of popular science books on mental health issues. The latest to appear is The Stressed Sex: Uncovering the Truth about Men, Women, and Mental Health, which sets out to answer a simple, but crucial, question: are rates of psychological disorder different for men and women? This important issue has been largely ignored in all the debates raging about gender differences.
I studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge, completed a PhD and a doctorate in clinical psychology (DClinPsy) at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, then held a Wellcome Trust Fellowship and a Medical Research Council Senior Clinical Fellowship. In 2011 I moved to the University of Oxford and set up the Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis (O-CAP) research group. From 2015-2020 I was an NIHR Research Professor. I am the recipient of the 2020 British Psychological Society Presidents' Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Knowledge.
Recent open access papers
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the UK
Injection fears and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders
Automated virtual reality cognitive therapy for patients with psychosis
Automated psychological therapy using virtual reality (VR) for patients with persecutory delusions
Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs, mistrust, and compliance with government guidelines in England
Automated psychological therapy using immersive VR for treatment of fear of heights
Virtual reality in the assessment, understanding, and treatment of mental health disorders
Treatable clinical intervention targets for patients with schizophrenia
The weeks before 100 persecutory delusions
The effects of improving sleep on mental health (OASIS)
Persecutory delusions: a cognitive perspective on understanding and treatment [pdf]
Suicidal ideation and behaviour in patients with persecutory delusions
The Dunn Worry Questionnaire and the Paranoia Worries Questionnaire: new assessments of worry
The revised Green et al., Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS)
Virtual reality in the treatment of persecutory delusions
The concomitants of conspiracy concerns
Effects of cognitive behaviour therapy for worry on persecutory delusions (WIT)
Targeting recovery in persistent persecutory delusions
Advances in understanding and treating persecutory delusions
Height, social comparison, and paranoia: an immersive virtual reality experimental study
Key publications
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Automated virtual reality (VR) therapy (gameChange) treating agoraphobic avoidance and distress in patients with psychosis: a multicentre, parallel group, single-blind, randomised controlled trial in England with mediation and moderation analyses
Journal article
FREEMAN D. and FREEMAN D., (2022), Lancet Psychiatry
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The psychological treatment of persistent persecutory delusions: an explanatory randomized controlled trial comparing a new theoretically-driven psychological treatment (Feeling Safe Programme) to befriending
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2021), Lancet Psychiatry
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Reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: a randomised controlled trial of the effects of different types of vaccination information (Oxford Coronavirus Explanations, Attitudes, and Narratives Survey (OCEANS) III).
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2021), Lancet Public Health
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Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2020), Psychological Medicine
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Injection fears and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2021), Psychological Medicine
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2020), Lancet Psychiatry, 7, 628 - 637
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2018), The Lancet Psychiatry, 5, 625 - 632
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2017), The Lancet Psychiatry, 4, 749 - 758
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2017), Psychological Medicine, 47, 2393 - 2400
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Journal article
Freeman D., (2016), The Lancet Psychiatry, 3, 685 - 692
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2016), British Journal of Psychiatry, 209, 62 - 67
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2015), The Lancet Psychiatry, 2, 305 - 313
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2015), The Lancet Psychiatry, 2, 975 - 983
Recent publications
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Journal article
Jenner L. et al, (2024), Psychological Medicine, 1 - 9
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Potential research priorities for understanding and treating severe paranoia (persecutory delusions): a priority setting partnership between patients, carers, mental health staff, and researchers.
Journal article
Sher D. et al, (2024), BMJ Mental Health
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Journal article
Aunjitsakul W. et al, (2024), Behav Cogn Psychother, 1 - 15
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Journal article
Rovira A. et al, (2024), Sci Rep, 14
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Journal article
Rosebrock L. et al, (2024), JMIR Serious Games, 12
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Journal article
Wei S. et al, (2024), Scientific Reports, 14
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Journal article
Pyle M. et al, (2024), Trials, 25
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Journal article
Isham L. et al, (2024), Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 1 - 15
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Journal article
DIAMOND R., (2024), BMJ Mental Health
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Paranoia: A Journey Into Extreme Mistrust and Anxiety
Book
Freeman D., (2024)
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Understanding and treating persecutory delusions
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2024), Schizophrenia Bulletin
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Developing Psychological Treatments for Psychosis
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2024), British Journal of Psychiatry
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Conference paper
Wei S. et al, (2024), Proceedings - 2024 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops, VRW 2024, 891 - 892
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A Randomised Controlled Trial of Automated VR Therapy to Improve Positive Self-Beliefs and Psychological Wellbeing in Young People Diagnosed with Psychosis: Study Protocol for the Phoenix VR Self-Confidence Therapy Trial
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2023), BMJ Open
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Journal article
Freeman D. and Loe BS., (2023), BMJ Ment Health, 26
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Explaining Paranoia
Journal article
FREEMAN D. and Loe BS., (2023), BMJ Mental Health
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Automated VR therapy for improving positive self-beliefs and psychological wellbeing in young patients with psychosis: a proof of concept evaluation of Phoenix VR self-confidence therapy
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2023), Behavioual and Cognitive Psychotherapy
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Journal article
Tolmeijer E. et al, (2023), Trials, 24
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A psychological framework to understand interpersonal violence by forensic patients with psychosis.
Journal article
LAMBE S. et al, (2023), British Journal of Psychiatry
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Journal article
Raffard S. et al, (2023), Encephale
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2023), Lancet Psychiatry
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Measuring dissociation across adolescence and adulthood: Developing the short-form Černis Felt Sense of Anomaly scale (ČEFSA-14)
Journal article
Cernis E. et al, (2023), Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
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Journal article
Waite F. et al, (2023), The Lancet Psychiatry, 10, 706 - 718
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Journal article
Wei S. et al, (2023), Sci Rep, 13
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AN EARLY CLINICAL PHASE COMPARISON OF AN AUTOMATED VR COGNITIVE THERAPY WITH VR MENTAL RELAXATION THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF PERSISTENT PERSECUTORY DELUSIONS IN PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH PSYCHOSIS (THRIVE): A PARALLEL GROUP, SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN ENGLAND WITH MEDIATION ANALYSES.
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2023), Lancet Psychiatry
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Journal article
Henry AL. et al, (2023), J Affect Disord, 339, 58 - 63
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Preprint
Černis E. et al, (2023)
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Journal article
Isham L. et al, (2023), Schizophrenia Bulletin
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The Oxford Positive Self Scale: psychometric development of an assessment of cognitions associated with psychological well-being
Journal article
ROSEBROCK L. et al, (2023), Psychological Medicine
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The Oxford Positive Self Scale: psychometric development of an assessment of cognitions associated with psychological well-being
Journal article
FREEMAN D. et al, (2023), Psychological Medicine
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Journal article
Bond J. et al, (2023), JMIR Serious Games, 11, e38065 - e38065
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Journal article
Finnegan SL. et al, (2023), PLoS One, 18
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Journal article
Badger JR. et al, (2023), Virtual Reality
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Journal article
Moussa-Tooks AB. et al, (2023), Clinical Case Studies
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UNDERSTANDING THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SLEEP IMPROVEMENT ON ANXIETY SYMPTOMS USING DIGITAL CBT FOR INSOMNIA
Conference paper
Henry A. et al, (2023), SLEEP, 46
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Journal article
Sheaves B. et al, (2022), Clin Psychol Rev, 100
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Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2022), Schizophr Res, 250, 50 - 59
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Journal article
Altunkaya J. et al, (2022), Journal of Medical Internet Research
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Journal article
Havers L. et al, (2022), Psychol Med, 1 - 13
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Journal article
Diamond R. et al, (2022), Mental Health and Physical Activity, 23
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Journal article
Bain N. et al, (2022), Vaccines, 10, 1373 - 1373
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Journal article
Bond J. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Journal article
Taylor MJ. et al, (2022), JAMA Psychiatry
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Journal article
Rek SV. et al, (2022), Sci Rep, 12
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Listening to and believing derogatory and threatening voices
Journal article
SHEAVES B. et al, (2022), Schizophrenia Bulletin
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Chapter
Hertenstein E. et al, (2022), Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) Across the Life Span: Guidelines and Clinical Protocols for Health Professionals, 151 - 160
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Journal article
Hardy A. et al, (2022), JMIR Human Factors, 9, e29725 - e29725
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The meaning in grandiose delusions: measure development and cohort studies in clinical psychosis and non-clinical general population groups in the UK.
Journal article
Isham L. and FREEMAN D., (2022), Lancet Psychiatry
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The meaning in grandiose delusions: measure development and cohort studies in clinical psychosis and non-clinical general population groups in the UK.
Journal article
Isham L. et al, (2022), Lancet Psychiatry
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Journal article
Grech L. et al, (2022), Behavioral Medicine, 1 - 10
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Journal article
Day D. et al, (2022), Vaccines (Basel), 10
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Journal article
Greenwood KE. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Preprint
Brown P. et al, (2022)
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Journal article
Waite F. et al, (2022), Psychological Medicine, 1 - 9
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VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS: SATISFACTION AND SIDE EFFECTS
Journal article
FREEMAN D. et al, (2022), Psychological Medicine
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Automated virtual reality (VR) therapy (gameChange) treating agoraphobic avoidance and distress in patients with psychosis: a multicentre, parallel group, single-blind, randomised controlled trial in England with mediation and moderation analyses
Journal article
FREEMAN D. and FREEMAN D., (2022), Lancet Psychiatry
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Journal article
Brown P. et al, (2022), Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 1 - 8
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Journal article
Rosebrock L. et al, (2022), Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy, 1 - 12
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Journal article
Bird JC. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Journal article
Waite F. et al, (2022), Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
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Journal article
Nguyen M. et al, (2022), Asia Pac J Clin Oncol
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Journal article
Ward T. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Conference paper
Yu CJ. et al, (2022), Proceedings - 2022 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops, VRW 2022, 868 - 869
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Journal article
Černis E. et al, (2022), Journal of Psychiatric Research
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Journal article
Havers L. et al, (2022), Schizophr Bull Open, 3
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What moderates CBT for insomnia? Findings from a participant-level analysis of 8,549 individuals in 12 randomised controlled trials of digital CBT (Sleepio)
Conference paper
Miller C. et al, (2022), JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, 31
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Journal article
Alsuhibani A. et al, (2022), PLoS One, 17
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Journal article
Gorisse G. et al, (2021), Sci Rep, 11
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Dissociation in patients with non-affective psychosis: prevalence, symptom associations, and maintenance factors
Journal article
Cernis E. et al, (2021), Schizophrenia Research
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Associations Between the Subdomains of Negative Symptoms in the General Population and Genome-Wide Polygenic Scores for Major Depressive Disorder and Schizophrenia
Conference paper
Havers L. et al, (2021), BEHAVIOR GENETICS, 51, 709 - 709
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Journal article
Brown P. et al, (2021), JMIR Formative Research
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Journal article
Greenwood K. et al, (2021), Health Expect
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Willingness of children and adolescents to have a COVID-19 vaccination: results of a large whole schools survey in England
Journal article
FAZEL M. et al, (2021), E Clinical Medicine
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Journal article
Rek SV. et al, (2021), BMC Psychiatry, 21
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Journal article
Altunkaya J. et al, (2021), The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1 - 12
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Journal article
Garety P. et al, (2021), Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation, 8, 1 - 90
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Journal article
Rek SV. et al, (2021), Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci
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Journal article
McInerney J. et al, (2021), Behav Res Ther, 144
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The Oxford Agoraphobic Avoidance Scale.
Journal article
LAMBE S. et al, (2021), Psychological Medicine
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Injection fears and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2021), Psychological Medicine
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Journal article
Forkert A. et al, (2021), Behav Cogn Psychother, 1 - 13
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Preprint
Hardy A. et al, (2021)
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Reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: a randomised controlled trial of the effects of different types of vaccination information (Oxford Coronavirus Explanations, Attitudes, and Narratives Survey (OCEANS) III).
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2021), Lancet Public Health
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Journal article
Smith K. et al, (2021), Evidence Based Mental Health
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The psychological treatment of persistent persecutory delusions: an explanatory randomized controlled trial comparing a new theoretically-driven psychological treatment (Feeling Safe Programme) to befriending
Journal article
FREEMAN D., (2021), Lancet Psychiatry
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Journal article
Garety P. et al, (2021), JAMA Psychiatry
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Journal article
Chadwick A. et al, (2021), SOCIAL MEDIA + SOCIETY, 7
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Journal article
Kuhn SAK. et al, (2021), Psychol Med, 1 - 33
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Journal article
Knight I. et al, (2021), Design for Health, 1 - 22
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A new perspective and assessment measure for common dissociative experiences: ‘Felt Sense of Anomaly’
Journal article
Cernis E. et al, (2021), PLoS One
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Journal article
Henry AL. et al, (2021), Journal of Sleep Research, 30
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Journal article
Rosebrock L. et al, (2021), Psychol Med, 1 - 34
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Immersive virtual reality and digital applied gaming interventions for the treatment of mental health problems in children and young people: The need for rigorous treatment development and clinical evaluation
Journal article
CRESWELL C. et al, (2021), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
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Journal article
Bird JC. et al, (2021), Aust N Z J Psychiatry
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Reeve S. et al, (2021), PLoS One, 16
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Sheffield JM. et al, (2021), Front Psychiatry, 12
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Morrison AP. et al, (2021), Health Technology Assessment, 25, 1 - 124
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Cardno AG. et al, (2021), Psychiatr Res Clin Pract, 3, 67 - 75
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Journal article
Rosebrock LE. et al, (2020), Psychiatry Res, 297
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FREEMAN D., (2020), Psychological Medicine