Richard Bentall seminar

On  September 8th, the UAB PhD Program in Clinical and Health Psychology hosted the seminar «Trauma and Psychosis: From Science to Intervention», delivered by Professor Richard Bentall, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield. The event was organized by Professor Neus Vidal Barrantes together with the Academic Committee of the doctoral program.

The activity had originally been planned as a round-table discussion entitled «New perspectives on the interaction between social, psychological and genetic factors in mental health». However, the invited speaker who was due to address the genetic perspective was unable to attend for health reasons. The program was therefore reformulated to focus on Professor Bentall’s seminar on the relationship between traumatic experiences and psychosis.

During the session, Bentall reviewed how the understanding of psychosis has changed over recent decades. Until the beginning of the 21st century, findings from genetic studies involving families, twins and adopted individuals contributed to the view that heritability largely explained disorders such as schizophrenia, while environmental factors played a secondary role. Subsequent research, however, has shown that numerous social and environmental factors are associated with a higher likelihood of developing psychotic experiences.

These factors include childhood poverty, social inequality, migration, living in urban environments, early separation from parental figures, peer bullying, and experiences of physical or sexual abuse. Bentall presented findings from several meta-analyses showing a consistent association between traumatic experiences in childhood and psychosis across studies using different research designs.

The professor also emphasized the importance of studying specific experiences, such as hallucinations and delusions, rather than focusing exclusively on broad diagnostic categories such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. This perspective makes it possible to identify the psychological processes that may contribute to the development of each type of symptom.

The final part of the seminar focused on translating this knowledge into clinical intervention. Bentall reviewed trauma-focused treatments such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and presented the development process of the EASE clinical trial, «Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy in Early Psychosis». This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of applying an adapted form of EMDR therapy to people with early psychosis and a history of traumatic experiences.

Professor Richard Bentall is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield, a Fellow of the British Academy and a Distinguished Member of the British Psychological Society. His research has played an important role in reshaping the understanding of delusions, paranoia and hallucinations, highlighting the influence of psychological processes, adverse experiences, interpersonal relationships and social determinants. He is the author of numerous internationally recognized publications and books, including «Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature», which received the British Psychological Society Book Award.

The seminar offered doctoral students an opportunity to learn first-hand about advances in the psychological and social understanding of psychosis, as well as the challenges involved in translating research findings into clinical interventions centered on people’s needs and experiences.