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
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
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).
FREEMAN D., (2021), Lancet Public Health
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FREEMAN D., (2020), Psychological Medicine
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Injection fears and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
FREEMAN D., (2021), Psychological Medicine
Recent publications
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Jenner L. et al, (2024), Psychol Med, 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.
Sher D. et al, (2024), BMJ Mental Health
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Diamond R. et al, (2024), Int J Soc Psychiatry
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Aunjitsakul W. et al, (2024), Behav Cogn Psychother, 1 - 15
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Rovira A. et al, (2024), Sci Rep, 14
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Rosebrock L. et al, (2024), JMIR Serious Games, 12
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Wei S. et al, (2024), Sci Rep, 14
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Pyle M. et al, (2024), Trials, 25
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DIAMOND R., (2024), BMJ Mental Health
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Paranoia: A Journey Into Extreme Mistrust and Anxiety
Freeman D., (2024)
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Understanding and treating persecutory delusions
FREEMAN D., (2024), Schizophrenia Bulletin
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Developing Psychological Treatments for Psychosis
FREEMAN D., (2024), British Journal of Psychiatry
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Daydreaming and grandiose delusions: development of the Qualities of Daydreaming Scale.
Isham L., (2024), Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
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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
FREEMAN D., (2023), BMJ Open
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Freeman D. and Loe BS., (2023), BMJ Ment Health, 26
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Explaining Paranoia
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
FREEMAN D., (2023), Behavioual and Cognitive Psychotherapy
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Tolmeijer E. et al, (2023), Trials, 24
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A psychological framework to understand interpersonal violence by forensic patients with psychosis.
LAMBE S. et al, (2023), British Journal of Psychiatry
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Raffard S. et al, (2023), Encephale
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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)
Cernis E. et al, (2023), Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
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Waite F. et al, (2023), Lancet Psychiatry
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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.
FREEMAN D., (2023), Lancet Psychiatry
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Henry AL. et al, (2023), J Affect Disord, 339, 58 - 63
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Černis E. et al, (2023)
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Isham L. et al, (2023), Schizophr Bull
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The Oxford Positive Self Scale: psychometric development of an assessment of cognitions associated with psychological well-being
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
FREEMAN D. et al, (2023), Psychological Medicine
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Finnegan SL. et al, (2023), PLoS One, 18
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Badger JR. et al, (2023), Virtual Reality
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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
Henry A. et al, (2023), SLEEP, 46
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Sheaves B. et al, (2022), Clin Psychol Rev, 100
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Freeman D. et al, (2022), Schizophr Res, 250, 50 - 59
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Altunkaya J. et al, (2022), Journal of Medical Internet Research
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WAITE F. et al, (2022), JMIR Serious Games
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Havers L. et al, (2022), Psychol Med, 1 - 13
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Diamond R. et al, (2022), Mental Health and Physical Activity, 23
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Bain N. et al, (2022), Vaccines, 10, 1373 - 1373
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Bond J. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Taylor MJ. et al, (2022), JAMA Psychiatry
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Rek SV. et al, (2022), Sci Rep, 12
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Listening to and believing derogatory and threatening voices
SHEAVES B. et al, (2022), Schizophrenia Bulletin
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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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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.
Isham L. et al, (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.
Isham L. and FREEMAN D., (2022), Lancet Psychiatry
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Grech L. et al, (2022), Behavioral Medicine, 1 - 10
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Day D. et al, (2022), Vaccines (Basel), 10
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Greenwood KE. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Brown P. et al, (2022)
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Brown P. et al, (2022), JMIR Form Res, 6
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WAITE F. et al, (2022), Psychological Medicine
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VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS: SATISFACTION AND SIDE EFFECTS
FREEMAN D. et al, (2022), Psychological Medicine
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Černis E. et al, (2022), Journal of Psychiatric Research, 148, 165 - 173
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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
FREEMAN D. and FREEMAN D., (2022), Lancet Psychiatry
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Brown P. et al, (2022), Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 1 - 8
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Rosebrock L. et al, (2022), Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy, 1 - 12
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Bird JC. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Waite F. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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Nguyen M. et al, (2022), Asia Pac J Clin Oncol
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Ward T. et al, (2022), Psychol Psychother
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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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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)
Miller C. et al, (2022), JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, 31
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Alsuhibani A. et al, (2022), PLoS One, 17
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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
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
Havers L. et al, (2021), BEHAVIOR GENETICS, 51, 709 - 709
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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
FAZEL M. et al, (2021), E Clinical Medicine
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Rek SV. et al, (2021), BMC Psychiatry, 21
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Altunkaya J. et al, (2021), The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1 - 12
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Garety P. et al, (2021), Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation, 8, 1 - 90
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Rek SV. et al, (2021), Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci
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McInerney J. et al, (2021), Behav Res Ther, 144
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Injection fears and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
FREEMAN D., (2021), Psychological Medicine
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Forkert A. et al, (2021), Behav Cogn Psychother, 1 - 13
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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).
FREEMAN D., (2021), Lancet Public Health
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Smith K. et al, (2021), Evid Based Ment 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
FREEMAN D., (2021), Lancet Psychiatry
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Garety P. et al, (2021), JAMA Psychiatry
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Kuhn SAK. et al, (2021), Psychol Med, 1 - 33
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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’
Cernis E. et al, (2021), PLoS One
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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
CRESWELL C. et al, (2021), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
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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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Chadwick A. et al, (2021), Social Media and Society, 7
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Sheffield JM. et al, (2021), Front Psychiatry, 12
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Morrison AP. et al, (2021), Health Technol Assess, 25, 1 - 124
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Cardno AG. et al, (2021), Psychiatr Res Clin Pract, 3, 67 - 75
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Rosebrock LE. et al, (2020), Psychiatry Res, 297
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FREEMAN D., (2020), Psychological Medicine
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Cognitive appraisals of dissociation in psychosis: A brief new measure
CERNIS E. et al, (2020), Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy