Maria Michail

Contact

• workFloor A, South Block, Queens Medical Centre
• work0115 823 0806
• Maria.Michail@nottingham.ac.uk

Expertise Summary

Recent Research Supervisees

Liam Andrew Gillies: "The Cognitive Model of Voices in Psychosis: An Ecological Validation of the Social Ranking Perspective" (co-supervising with Prof. Max Birchwood, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham / thesis submitted)

Dyaa Saymah: "A Proposed Approach for Management of Community Mental Health Projects in Areas of Political Conflicts" (co-supervising with Dr Lynda Tait, Department of Primary Care and Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham / in progress - submission in Dec 2012)

Research Summary

My area of expertise is that of youth and adult mental health with a particular focus on early psychosis, co-morbid affective dysfunction, early intervention and prevention. The research programme I… read more

Recent Publications

• MICHAIL, M. & BIRCHWOOD, M, 2012. Social anxiety and shame cognitions in psychosis Psychological Medicine.
• MICHAIL, M & BIRCHWOOD, M., 2011. Understanding the role of emotion in psychosis: social anxiety disorder in first-episode psychosis.. In: RITSNER, M., ed., Handbook of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Phenotypic and Endophenotypic Presentations 1st. 2nd. Springer. 89-110
• PALMA, C, CAÑETE, J, FARRIOLS, N, CEBRIÀ, J, MICHAIL, M, ALONSO, I and FERNÁNDEZ, M. Y SEGARRA, G, 2011. Randomised Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Motivational Therapy Program for the initial phase of schizophrenia: a 6-month assessment The European Journal of Psychiatry. 25(2), 68-80
•  MAX BIRCHWOOD, EMMANUELLE PETERS, NICHOLAS TARRIER, GRAHAM DUNN, SHON LEWIS, TIL WYKES, LINDA DAVIES, HELEN LESTER, MARIA MICHAIL, 2011. COMMAND: A multi-centre, randomised controlled trial of cognitive therapy to reduce harmful compliance with command hallucinations BMC Psychiatry. 11, 155

• View all publications

Current Research

My area of expertise is that of youth and adult mental health with a particular focus on early psychosis, co-morbid affective dysfunction, early intervention and prevention. The research programme I have developed during my postgraduate research studies and following these, focuses on investigating the phenomenology and psychological processes that underlie the development and maintenance of social anxiety disorder, distress and avoidance in young people with psychosis. I am particularly interested in delineating the role of negative appraisals (e.g. shame, stigma, loss of social status) in triggering symptoms of social anxiety and withdrawal in individuals with psychosis. I am also examining how disturbed developmental pathways (e.g. childhood trauma, abuse, dysfunctional attachment relations) are implicated in the emergence of affective problems like depression and anxiety in early psychosis.

I have extensive experience in the conduct and management of psychological treatment trials and I am currently collaborating with experts in the area in order to develop and evidence based cognitive-behavioural intervention for the management of social anxiety, distress and avoidance in people with psychosis.

Future Research

Evaluation of psychological interventions for severe mental health problems; family adaptation to psychosis; shame and affective disorders

• MICHAIL, M. & BIRCHWOOD, M, 2012. Social anxiety and shame cognitions in psychosis Psychological Medicine.
• MICHAIL, M & BIRCHWOOD, M., 2011. Understanding the role of emotion in psychosis: social anxiety disorder in first-episode psychosis.. In: RITSNER, M., ed., Handbook of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Phenotypic and Endophenotypic Presentations 1st. 2nd. Springer. 89-110
• PALMA, C, CAÑETE, J, FARRIOLS, N, CEBRIÀ, J, MICHAIL, M, ALONSO, I and FERNÁNDEZ, M. Y SEGARRA, G, 2011. Randomised Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Motivational Therapy Program for the initial phase of schizophrenia: a 6-month assessment The European Journal of Psychiatry. 25(2), 68-80
•  MAX BIRCHWOOD, EMMANUELLE PETERS, NICHOLAS TARRIER, GRAHAM DUNN, SHON LEWIS, TIL WYKES, LINDA DAVIES, HELEN LESTER, MARIA MICHAIL, 2011. COMMAND: A multi-centre, randomised controlled trial of cognitive therapy to reduce harmful compliance with command hallucinations BMC Psychiatry. 11, 155
• MICHAIL, M. & BIRCHWOOD, M., 2010. Social Anxiety in Psychosis: Towards a new understanding of affective dysfunction. Mind & Brain, The Journal of Psychiatry. 1(1), 65-73
• MICHAIL, M. & BIRCHWOOD, M., 2010. Command Hallucinations. Theory and Psychological Interventions. In: HAGEN, R, TURKINGTON, D, BERGE, T and GRAWE, R., eds., CBT for Psychosis: A Symptom-based Approach Routledge.
• LESTER, H, BIRCHWOOD, M, FREEMANTLE, N, MICHAIL, M and TAIT, L, 2009. REDIRECT: Cluster randomized controlled trial of GP training in first-episode psychosis British Journal of General Practice. 183-190
• BIRCHWOOD, M, GLEESON, J, CHANEN A, MCCUTCHEON L, FRANCEY S and MICHAIL, M., 2009. Emotional and personality dysfunctions in early psychosis.. In: JACKSON, H and MCGORRY, P., eds., The Recognition and Management of Early Psychosis 2nd. Cambridge University Press. 283-302
• MICHAIL, MARIA and BIRCHWOOD, MAX, 2009. Social anxiety disorder in first-episode psychosis: incidence, phenomenology and relationship with paranoia. The British journal of psychiatry. 195(3), 234-41
• MICHAIL, M. & BIRCHWOOD, M, 2007. Social phobia and depression in psychosis Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association. 44, 2-11
• GRIFFITHS, S.L, MICHAIL, M and BIRCHWOOD, M., Cognitive Appraisals in Auditory Hallucinations: Cognitive Model and Intervention Journal of Experimental Psychopathology. (In Press.)