Trauma and psychopathology in young people: New directions in research and clinical practice

Professor Andrea Danese is a Clinical Scientist interested in childhood trauma and trauma-related psychopathology across the life-course. Research from his team has led to highly-cited publications on the measurement of childhood trauma, risk factors for trauma exposure, biological mechanisms through which trauma affects later health, mechanisms of resilience, modelling of individualised risk prediction for trauma-related psychopathology, and the epidemiology of child trauma and trauma-related psychopathology. He is also an active clinician at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, where he is Honorary Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist at the National & Specialist CAMHS Clinic for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression. This national service attracts referrals from across the UK and abroad for second opinion on diagnosis and treatment of difficult-to-treat young people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and unipolar depression, often as a last option before inpatient admissions. The clinic has also worked with NHS-England and the Department of Health to deliver screen and treat programmes for British families affected by terrorist attacks in the UK and abroad. Professor Danese is the Academic Secretary for the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at NSPCC, and a member of the Evidence Panel at the Early Intervention Foundation.

Dr Stephanie Lewis is Clinical Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London. Dr Lewis’s research focusses on understanding the mental health difficulties experienced by young people who have been exposed to traumatic events, in order to inform and improve psychiatric care for those affected. As part of this work, she has studied trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in young people, to understand the prevalence and clinical features of these experiences, and factors that predict the development of PTSD after trauma exposure. She has also investigated and compared the mental health and cognitive function of young people exposed to different types of trauma, including complex traumas, such as child abuse or severe bullying. Additionally, she has studied young people’s health service use and the recognition of PTSD and other psychiatric disorders in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Dr Lewis works clinically as a CAMHS psychiatrist in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Alan Meehan is a Teaching Fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. Dr Meehan’s research interests centre on the developmental processes underlying child and adolescent psychopathology, with a particular focus on risk and resilience following adverse childhood experiences. Using data from both longitudinal cohorts and real-world clinical records, his recent postdoctoral work has sought to apply advanced statistical and machine learning methods to enhance individualised prediction and prognosis of psychiatric outcomes in young people. This work involves ongoing collaborations with teams at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, as well as Yale University’s Child Study Center through an honorary Clinical Research Affiliate position.

Dr Patrick Smith is Reader in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry King’s College London, and Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the National & Specialist Child Traumatic Stress & Anxiety Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. His collaborative research has focused on understanding children’s psychological reactions to trauma, and on developing individual and group interventions for traumatised young people.  With colleagues and students, he has investigated cognitive models of PTSD in children, and has evaluated Cognitive Therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD) in children and young people in randomized controlled trials. He is currently leading a project, funded by the Medical Research Council, to develop and trial internet-delivered CT-PTSD for young people.  He is a longstanding Board member of a charity, the Children and War Foundation (www.childrenandwar.org), and in this role has helped to develop and evaluate a CBT-based group intervention for children exposed to war and disasters.