John Read

John Read

Professor

Department of Psychology & Human Development , School of Childhood and Social Care

Professor John Read worked for nearly 20 years as a Clinical Psychologist and manager of mental health services in the UK and the USA, before joining the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1994, where he worked until 2013. He has served as Director of the Clinical Psychology professional graduate programmes at both Auckland and, more recently, the University of Liverpool.

Areas Of Interest

 

​​​​​​The relationships of life events (e.g.childhood neglect and abuse) and circumstances (e.g. poverty, ethnicity) to the development of psychopathology (e.g. psychosis, depression and suicidality); and the need for primary prevention programmes, especially in the early years of life. This stream includes a focus on the biological and psychological (e.g. attachment, dissociation) processes by which adverse early life experiences lead to negative outcomes.

  1. The relationships of life events (e.g.childhood neglect and abuse) and circumstances (e.g. poverty, ethnicity) to the development of psychopathology (e.g. psychosis, depression and suicidality); and the need for primary prevention programmes, especially in the early years of life. This stream includes a focus on the biological and psychological (e.g. attachment, dissociation) processes by which adverse early life experiences lead to negative outcomes.
  2. The extent to which mental health professionals are asking about, and responding appropriately to histories of childhood abuse and neglect, and the development and evaluation of training programmes to improve this area of clinical practice.
  3. The stigmatisation of people with mental health problems, especially the roles of causal beliefs and amount of contact with users of mental health services.
  4. Evaluating the effectiveness of treatments for people experiencing psychosis and depression.
  5. The phenomenology of psychotic experiences, especially how people who hear voices (hallucinations) and have unusual beliefs (delusions) understand those experiences.
  6. The influence of the pharmaceutical industry on public opinion, research and clinical practice.

 

 

 

 

 

John Read

OVERVIEW

Professor John Read worked for nearly 20 years as a Clinical Psychologist and manager of mental health services in the UK and the USA, before joining the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1994, where he worked until 2013. He has served as Director of the Clinical Psychology professional graduate programmes at both Auckland and, more recently, the University of Liverpool.

He has published over 200 papers in research journals, primarily on the relationship between adverse life events (e.g. child abuse/neglect, poverty etc.) and psychosis.

He also researches the extent to which mental health services enquire about adverse life events, the negative effects of bio-genetic causal explanations on prejudice, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the experiences of recipients of anti-psychotic and anti-depressant medication, and the role of the pharmaceutical industry in mental health research and practice.

John is Chair of the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal (www.iipdw.org) and is on the Board of the Hearing Voices Network - England. In 2022 he was listed in Stanford University’s register of the top 2% most cited researchers in the world, and was inducted as a Life Member of the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (www.isps.org). He has been the Editor of the ISPS's scientific journal 'Psychosis' for 14 years.

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research, which is both applied and theoretical, has six streams:

  1. The relationships of life events (e.g.childhood neglect and abuse) and circumstances (e.g. poverty, ethnicity) to the development of psychopathology (e.g. psychosis, depression and suicidality); and the need for primary prevention programmes, especially in the early years of life. This stream includes a focus on the biological and psychological (e.g. attachment, dissociation) processes by which adverse early life experiences lead to negative outcomes.
  2. The extent to which mental health professionals are asking about, and responding appropriately to histories of childhood abuse and neglect, and the development and evaluation of training programmes to improve this area of clinical practice.
  3. The stigmatisation of people with mental health problems, especially the roles of causal beliefs and the amount of contact with users of mental health services.
  4. Evaluating the effectiveness of treatments for people experiencing psychosis and depression.
  5. The phenomenology of psychotic experiences, especially how people who hear voices (hallucinations) and have unusual beliefs (delusions) understand those experiences.
  6. The influence of the pharmaceutical industry on public opinion, research and clinical practice.

My research has led to:

 

  • > 200 publications (Google Scholar)
  • > 25,000 citations (H-index 72; i10-Index 200; Google Scholar 30.9.2024);
  • 50 book chapters
  • 5 books
  • > 65 Keynote/Plenary Addresses

 

My research has had a significant impact on both the academic and professional communities, nationally and internationally. This is evidenced by the international uptake of my clinical workshops (based on my own and others' research), invitations to numerous international conferences (often as a keynote speaker) to present my research, invitations to write chapters in international books summarising my research, and over 6,800 citations. These include 17 publications cited more than 100 times. 

My research is cited in several undergraduate textbooks, e.g. Rieger E. (ed.) (2008) Abnormal Psychology; Cromby J. et al. (2013) Psychology, Mental Health and Distress.

My research involves international and interdisciplinary collaborations. I have published with researchers from Germany, Holland, England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland, USA, Canada, Italy, Norway, New Zealand and Australia, and (besides psychologists) with psychiatrists, social psychologists, neuroscientists, general practitioners, nurses, service managers and service users.

I disseminate our research findings in the media and via international conferences as an invited/keynote speaker, in U.S.A., Russia, China, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Spain, Hungary, France, Denmark, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the U.K.

Invited Keynote/Plenary Addresses and Workshops

2024

  • ‘Models of Madness: Psychosis and the Role of Trauma’. St Olav’s University Hospital one-day conference. Trondheim, Norway, September
  • ‘Un abordaje Psicosocial de la psicosis: ¿son relevantes la Adversidad social y el abuso infantil?’. Spanish Mental Health Association conference, Madrid, June
  • ‘Why is the medical model of psychosis so unhelpful?’ 5th International Mental Health Meeting of Romão de Sousa Foundation, Porto, Portugal, July
  • ‘Why, when and how to ask about childhood abuse and neglect’ (workshop)  ISPS Conference. Kristiansand, Norway, April
  • ‘Does Electroconvulsive Therapy have a place in 21st-century, evidence-based medicine?’ Queen's University Belfast, February

2023

  • ‘Voices and Trauma: A research update’ Danish Hearing Voices Network. Online workshop

2022

  • ‘Trauma, psychosis and hearing voices groups’. International Consortium on Hallucination Research (ICHR). International Conference, September, Online.
  • ‘Trauma, psychosis and hearing voices groups’. International Consortium on Hallucination Research (ICHR). International Conference, September, Online.

2021

  • ‘Do diagnoses help us understand the causes of madness?’ Danish Psycho-social Rehabilitation Network Conference. Copenhagen, November
  • ‘Are antidepressants overprescribed?’ Royal College of Psychiatrists – SW Region Conference, UK.  June, Online.
  • ‘Correcting the denial of the withdrawal effects of antidepressant drugs.’ XIV Congresso Nazionale SIEP - Salute mentale e strategie per la ripresa’ September, Rome/online.
  • ‘Antidepressant withdrawal’ Annual Meanings of Madness Conference, University of Cork, Ireland, November

2019

  • ‘Schizophrenia - The least scientific and most damaging of psychiatric labels’ ADisorder4Everyone Conference. Ipswich, December
  • ‘Antidepressants: An evidence-based approach to withdrawal’ Bristol & District Tanquillizer project AGM. Bristol, October
  • ‘What causes psychosis – A research update’ ISPS-Ireland Conference, Castlebar, Ireland, May.

2018

  • ‘This house believes that electroconvulsive therapy has no place in modern medicine. ’ Proposer of this motion at the 57th Maudsley Debate, Institute of Psychiatry, London, September
  • ‘How the biological model causes stigma and prejudice’ Drogas Psiquiatrica. Rio de Janero, Brazil
  • ‘Is it time to abandon the schizophrenia construct: Reliability, validity and stigma. World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation Congress, Madrid, Spain, May
  • ‘Estado actual de la investigación sobre las vicisitudes en la infancia y psicosis’ VI Jornadas Técnicas Internacionales de Atención Integral a la Psicosis. Barcelona, Spain, October.

2017

  • ‘The social causes of psychosis: From heresy to certainty’. ‘Trauma, Dissociation and Psychosis Conference. Kristiansand, Norway, May/June
  • ‘Trauma, adversity and mental health: The case for routine enquiry in mental health services’. One Day Conference. British Psychological Society. Psychological Practice and Guidance regarding disclosures of non-recent Child Sexual Abuse. London, May.
  • ‘The psycho-social causes of madness: Developing a genuinely bio-psycho-social model of psychosis’. Lincoln Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Postgraduate Medical Teaching Programme. Lincoln, April.

2016    

  • 'Childhood adversity and psychosis: A research update'. Psychosis Research Unit Conference on Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation, Manchester University, May.

2015    

  • 'Understanding psychosis: Bad things happen and can drive you crazy', Australian & New Zealand School Counsellors and Psychologists Annual Conference. Melbourne, November.
  • 'Trauma and psychosis: From heresy to certainty.' Danish Hearing Voices Network Conference. Copenhagen, October.
  • 'The real causes of madness: Creating a paradigm shift'. Driving Us Crazy Film Festival, Gothenburg, Sweden, October.
  • 'Mental health and child sexual abuse'  Silence No More Conference. Macquarie University, Sydney, April.

2014   

  •  'Creating evidence-based, effective and humane mental health services: Overcoming barriers to a paradigm shift'  International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry, University of California - Los Angeles, November
  • 'The Traumagenic Neurodevelopmental Model of psychosis revisited' East Midlands B.P.S. Division of Clinical Psychology AGM, Nottingham, November
  • 'The benefits of understanding the contribution of placebo to the effects of psychiatric drugs and ECT: Enhancing the therapeutic relationship'  Royal College of Psychiatry International Congress, London, June
  • 'The social causes of madness'  International Network Towards Alternatives and Recovery (INTAR) Conference. University of Toronto, June
  • 'Understanding psychosis'  ISPS Conference, Leicester, UK, September

2013 

  • 'El significado de la locura/The meaning of madness'

And

'Familias infelices/Unhappy families'

XI Jornada Annual INTAR Conference, Madrid, November 

  • 'The social causes of psychosis: From heresy to certainty' Annual Meanings of Madness Conference, University of Cork, Ireland, November
  • 'Is attachment theory the missing link in the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis?'

And

'Trauma and psychosis: An update, with emphasis on possible research projects in psychotherapy research’'

20th Annual  'Schizofrenidagene' Conference, Stavanger, Norway, November

  • 'DSM 5 and the medicalisation of human behaviour: Practical implications' Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland Members Conference. Glasgow, September
  • 'The social causes of psychosis: From heresy to certainty'

and

'Working effectively with distressing voices: From theory to practice' (one day workshop) 18th ISPS Annual International Congress, University of Warsaw, Poland, August

  • 'Trauma and psychosis: A research update and clinical implications' British Psychological Society 'Trauma and Psychosis' Conference, Lincoln, July
  • 'Trauma and psychosis:  Another reason for providing psychological treatments for psychosis'

Lancashire Early Intervention Service Shared Learning IAPT Conference, Blackpool, June

2012    

  • 'Trauma and hearing voices: A research summary' Listening to Voices Conference, Macquarie University, Sydney, July
  • 'Psycho-social causes of psychosis: A research update'  La Attencion Integral a  Las Psicosis Conference, Barcelona, May
  • 'How to reduce stigma' La Attencion Integral a Las Psicosis Conference, Barcelona, May

2011    

  • 'Childhood trauma and psychosis:  Theoretical and clinical implications' XVI Annual Conference on Schizophrenia, Madrid, November
  • 'Time to abandon the 'schizophrenia' construct? Reliability and validity' XVI Annual Conference on Schizophrenia, Madrid, November
  • 'Can poverty drive you mad? "Schizophrenia",  socio-economic status and the case for primary prevention: Hunter Award Address; New Zealand Psychological Society Annual Conference, Queenstown, August

2010 

  • 'Psychosocial perspectives on psychosis'   Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust Conference, Ipswich, UK, July.
  • 'Psychosis and childhood trauma: Scientific, public and personal perspectives' Dipartimento di Salute Mentale, Turin, Italy. June.
  • 'Hallucinations in the context of abuse and neglect' World Hearing Voices Congress, Maastricht, September

2009 

  • 'Childhood adversity and psychosis: Research and practice' (one day workshop) 16th ISPS International Congress, Copenhagen, June
  • 'Psychiatric diagnoses: Problems and alternatives' New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses Conference. Auckland, March
  • 'Trauma, attachment and psychosis: The destructive and restorative powers of relationships' 6th Annual ISPS 'Making Sense of Psychosis' Conference. Wellington, February

2008

  • 'Trauma and psychiatric disorders: Celebrating progress'  19th Annual Schizophrenia Conference, Stavanger, Norway, November
  • 'Establishing trust by acknowledging trauma: A New Zealand training programme on when and how to ask about abuse' Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) Training Day on Trauma and Violence. London, England, November
  • 'Is Attachment Theory the missing link in the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis?' Attachment and Psychosis Conference - John Bowlby Society. Institute of Child Health, London, October
  • 'Modele Bezymeyar' (Models of Madness). Moscow Regional Psychiatry Conference. Tula, Russia, September

2007

  • 'How social determinants of psychosis are buried by an overemphasis on genes and neurotransmitters' Northern Health Trust Psychosis and the Environment Conference, Antrim, N. Ireland, December
  • 'Childhood trauma and psychosis: Can attachment theory help explain the relationship?' International Conference. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany. December
  • 'Does it matter what the public thinks about schizophrenia?' 5th Annual ISPS Making Sense of Psychosis Conference, University of Auckland, November.
  • 'From trauma to psychosis: Research update on aetiology and public opinion' ISPS-Sweden Conference. Malmö, Sweden. November
  • 'Schizophrenia: The history and future of a damaging psychiatric myth'  Konferansen om psykisk helsevern I et nytt artusen Conference. Hamar, Norway, September
  • 'Why the 'schizophrenia' label increases prejudice: An evidence-based approach to destigmatization', Family Tree/CASL Conference. Liverpool, UK, September
  • 'The effects of childhood trauma on mental illness in later life,' Western Australia Association for Mental Health conference. Perth, July
  • 'Creating a future which makes sense of madness'  Queensland Alliance for Mental Health: Altering States - Creating Futures conference, Brisbane, June
  • 'Childhood trauma, psychosis and dissociation' 23rd Conference of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation, Los Angeles, November
  • 'Who is right - the public or biological psychiatry and the drug companies?' 7th International Mental Health Conference: Schizophrenia and Related Psychoses. Gold Coast Department of Health, Australia, August

2006   

  • 'Biología, psicoanálisis, cognitivismo en el estudio y el cuidado de las psicosis: Modelos de la locura'  Invited debate: Department of Health, Barcelona, July
  • 'The politics of 'schizophrenia': Understanding and overcoming the barriers to a genuinely integrated socio-psycho-biological model of madness' and
  • 'Establishing trust by asking about trauma: A New Zealand training programme' (One-day workshop).
  • British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies Conference, Warwick University, UK, July
  • 'This House believes that child abuse is a cause of schizophrenia' Proposer of motion at public debate at Maudsley Hospital, organised by the Institute of Psychiatry, London, June   http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/podcast/rss/Maudsley_Debates.xml
  • 'Partnerships and power: Ideological and economic barriers to humane, evidence-based services' VICSERVE, Richmond Fellowship ASPAC Conference, Melbourne, April
  • 'Childhood trauma and psychosis: A research update' Psychosis and Trauma Conference. Manchester University & Salford NHS Trust, UK, June

2005

  •  'Establishing trust by acknowledging trauma: When and how to ask about abuse' Psychosis and Trauma Conference.  Manchester University & Salford NHS Trust, UK, June
  • 'Bad things do happen and can drive you crazy: The Psychosocial causes of psychosis' and
  • 'When and how to take trauma histories, and responding to abuse disclosures' (One-day workshop). Trauma and Psychosis Conference. University of Glasgow, June
  • 'Models of madness' New Horizons in Health Philosophy Conference. Brisbane, May

2004

  • 'Models of madness: Psychological, social and biological approaches to schizophrenia' and    
  • 'Treating psychosis: Putting the relationship first' [Training workshop] 8th Annual Regional Dual Diagnosis Conference, Tauranga, New Zealand, November
  • 'Models of madness: Can an abusive childhood drive you crazy?' Annual Advanced Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Training Conference. Wellington, June
  • '" Schizophrenics" have childhoods too: Resurrecting buried knowledge' Annual Frieda Fromm-Reichmann Memorial Lecture. Washington School of Psychiatry, March

2003    

  • 'Child abuse, hallucinations and delusions:  A post-traumatic dissociative psychosis?' and
  • 'How and when to take a trauma history: A research-based New Zealand training programme.' International Conference on Trauma, Attachment and Dissociation.  Melbourne, September
  • 'Child abuse as a risk factor for psychotic illness'  14th International Symposium for the Psychological Treatment of Schizophrenia, Melbourne, September

2002

  • 'The Traumagenic Neurodevelopmental Model of Schizophrenia' and
  • 'How and when to take a trauma history'  Annual Subjecktive Seite der Schizophrenie Conference, Hamburg University, Germany, February
  • 'Psychological interventions for traumatised patients'

ISPS Conference to report the research findings of the ISPS Task Force on Psychotherapy for Schizophrenia. Stavanger, Norway, February

2001

  • 'Child abuse and psychosis: Making sense of nonsense'

Sandor Ferenczi Society International Conference. Budapest, Hungary, February

'Trauma und Psychose; Psychose als Posttraumatische Belastungsstorung' Annual Subjektive Seite der Schizophrenia Conference, Hamburg University, Germany, March

2000

  • 'Child abuse and schizophrenia' 13th ISPS Congress, Stavanger, Norway, June

EXTERNAL ROLES

  • Editor, 'Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches' journal
  • Chair, International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal IIPDW
  • Board Member, Hearing Voices Network - England

IMPORTANT LINKS

Publications

Browse past publications by year.

Full publications list

Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications

Research repository