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School of Psychological Sciences

Dr Warren Mansell BAHons (Cantab) DPHil DCLinPsy CPsychol

Photograph of Warren Mansell

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

For an overview of Perceptual Control Theory, go to the newly launched website at: http://www.pctweb.org

 

 

Memberships of Committees and Professional Bodies

Co-chair of the Scientific Committee of the Annual Conference of the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) 2008/9 onwards

Member of the Scientific Committee of the Annual Conference of the British BABCP 2000 onwards

Chair of the BABCP Special Interest Group on Control Theory

Member of the British Psychological Society; Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Member of the University of Manchester Division of Clinical Psychology Research Subcommittee

Member of the Scientific Committee of the World Congress of Cognitive Therapy Barcelona 2007

Member of the Scientific Committee of the World Congress of Cognitive Therapy Boston 2010

Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal, Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice

Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal, Cognition and Emotion

Memeber of the Conference Referee Panel of the International Conference on Cognitive Modelling (ICCM 2009)

Member of Association of Psychological Science

 

 

Research

Cognitive processes in bipolar disorder

Cognitive behavioural processes across psychological disorders (The Transdiagnostic Approach)

Perceptual Control Theory

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - theory, research, practice & dissemination

 

Teaching

University of Manchester Distinguished Achievement Award - Teacher of the Year 2008 - Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences

Post-graduate Training (PGT) Tutor for School of Psychological Sciences

External Examinar of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Hull

1st Year Psychology and Mental Health - Module Leader

2nd Year Psychology and Mental Health  - Module Leader

3rd Year: Conflict and Control in Human Behaviour

MSc in Research Methods: Designing and Running a Survey; Testing the Controlled Variable (TCV)

 

Biography

The current focus of my research, teaching and clinical work is three-fold: (1) CBT for mood swings and 'bipolar disorder' (2) Transdiagnostic approaches to CBT and related psychological therapies, including the use of Perceptual Control Theory and Method of Levels (3) CBT Delivery issues including self-help for fear, phobias and anxiety. In essence, my current aims are (1) to help apply CBT to people with mood swings who often receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and, with my colleagues, to develop a strong and ongoing empirical basis for this approach; (2) to identify the core process or processes that are addressed in CBT, regardless of any specific 'diagnosis', and use Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) to try to explain these processes and address them as efficiently as possible; and (3) to widen the accessibility of the science and practice of CBT at the health professional, service user, public health, and undergraduate psychology levels.... So, how did I get to this point?...

I began my research career in 1994 with a D.Phil on cognitive processes in social anxiety and social phobia at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, under the supervision of David M. Clark and Anke Ehlers. I followed up my work on social anxiety in a post-doctorate appointment at the same department. During this time I broadened my interest in cognitive behavioural processes across a range of psychological disorders, and became involved in more integrative approaches to psychopathology (e.g. self-regulation theory; selection theory; attachment theory). 

In 2000 I commenced a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London. During this time I began to develop my work on cognitive behavioural processes in bipolar disorder, working closely with Dominic Lam. At the same time, I worked on a collaborative project with Allison Harvey, Ed Watkins and Roz Shafran to provide an overview of the core cognitive behavioural processes that are implicated in maintaining symptoms across a wide range of psychological disorders - the 'transdiagnostic approach'. The end product of this effort, a book published by Oxford University Press, appeared in 2004.

In 2004 I worked with Jan Scott to develop my work on bipolar disorder, and in particular the cognitive processes that may be implicated in the ascent into mania, culminating in our integrative cognitive model (Mansell, Morrison, Reid, Lowens, & Tai, 2007) that is being evaluated in research studies, clinical practice and a case series.

Since June 2005, I have been based at the University of Manchester, where I work as a Lecturer. I also work as a Clinical Psychologist for the IMPACT Early Psychosis Team in Bolton, Salford & Trafford Mental Health NHS Trust. Since 2008, I have joined the Salford Primary Care Mental Health Service on an honorary basis, where I deliver and evaluate Method of Levels cognitive therapy (based on PCT) for clients who present with a diverse range of presenting problems. The therapy helps the client to direct their awareness to the source of their presenting problem and facilitates their own independent problem-solving. The therapy can be carried out with little formal assessment, and on an immediate booking basis, for as long as the client requires. Alongside Dr Sara Tai, I am involved in training Method of Levels cognitive therapy to a range of health professionals. 

 

Collaborators and affiliated staff

Collaborators 

  • Dr Sara Tai
  • Dr Timothy Carey
  • Dr Alex Wood
  • Dr Fiona Ulph
  • Dr Wael El-Deredy
  • Professor Tony Morrison
  • Professor Peter Totterdell
  • Dr David Holman
 

Selected publications

2010

  • Stott, R., Mansell, w., Salkovskis, P. M., Lavender, A., & Cartwright-Hatton, S. (2010). The Oxford Guide to Using Metaphors in CBT. Oxford University Press.
  • Mansell W. (2010). Bipolar Disorders. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Mental Health Care, 2nd Edition. further details
  • Dodd, A. L., Mansell, W., Sadhnani, V., Morrison, A. P., & Tai, S. (2010). Principal components analysis of the Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictions Inventory & associations with measures of personality, cognitive style & analogue symptoms in a student sample. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 38(1), 15-34. Full text doi:doi:10.1017/S1352465809990476
  • Higginson, S., Mansell, W., & Wood, A. M. (2010). An integrative mechanistic account of psychological distress, therapeutic change and recovery: the Perceptual Control Theory Approach. Clinical Psychology Review,
  • Lee, R., Lam, D., Mansell W., & Farmer, A. (2010). Sense of hyper-positive self, goal-attainment beliefs and coping strategies in bipolar I disorder. Psychological Medicine, Full text doi:10.1017/S0033291709991206 further details
  • Mansell W, Gemma Paszek, Karen Seal, Rebecca Pedley, Sarah Amelia Jones, Nia Thomas, Helena Mannion, Sari Saatsi, Alyson Dodd. (2010). Extreme Appraisals of Internal States in Bipolar I Disorder: A Multiple Control Group Study. Cognitive Therapy and Research, further details
  • Mansell W., Powell, S., Pedley, R., Thomas, N., Jones, S. A. (2010). The process of recovery from Bipolar I Disorder: A qualitative analysis of personal accounts in relation to an integrative cognitive model. British Journal Of Clinical Psychology, Full text doi:10.1348/014466509X451447 further details

2009

  • Mansell W, Sarah Hodson. (2009). Imagery and Memories of the Social Self in People with Bipolar Disorders: Empirical Evidence, Phenomenology, Theory and Therapy. Routledge. further details
  • Mansell W, Allison Harvey, Ed Watkins, Roz Shafran. (2009). Conceptual Foundations of the Transdiagnostic Approach. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23, 6-19. further details
  • Mansell W. (2009). Perceptual Control Theory as an Integrative Framework and Method of Levels as a Cognitive Therapy: What are the Pros and Cons? The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, Full text doi:10.1017/S1754470X08000093 further details
  • Mansell, W. & Carey T. A. (2009). A century of psychology and psychotherapy: Is an understanding of 'control' the missing link between theory, research, and practice? Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 82, 337-353. Full text doi:10.1348/147608309X432526 further details
  • Timothy A. Carey, Warren Mansell. (2009). Show us a behaviour without a cognition and we'll show you a rock rolling down a hill. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 2, 123-133. Full text doi:doi:10.1017/S1754470X0999016X
  • Timothy Bird, Warren Mansell & Sara Tai. (2009). Method of Levels: initial steps in assessing adherence and the development of a qualitative framework for mapping clients’ control hierarchies. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 2, 145-166. Full text doi:doi:10.1017/S1754470X09990158
  • Warren Mansell. (2009). Understanding Control and Utilising Control Theory in the Science and Practice of CBT. the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 2, 115-117. Full text doi:doi:10.1017/S1754470X09990146
  • White L, Mansell W. (2009). Failing to ponder? Delusion-prone individuals rush to conclusions. Clin Psychol Psychother, 16( 2), 111-24. Full text doi:10.1002/cpp.607 further details

2008

  • Mansell W. (2008). What is CBT Really and How Can We Enhance The Impact of Effective Psychotherapies such as CBT?. Against and For CBT: Towards and Constructive Dialogue. (19-32). further details
  • Dominic Lam, Mansell W. (2008). Mood Dependent Cognitive Change in a Man with Bipolar DisorderWhose Cycles Every 24 Hours. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 15, 255-262. further details
  • Higginson S, Mansell W. (2008). What is the mechanism of psychological change? A qualitative analysis of six individuals who experienced personal change and recovery. Psychol Psychother, 81( Pt 3), 309-28. Full text doi:10.1348/147608308X320125 further details
  • Mansell W, Allison Harvey, Ed Watkins, Roz Shafran. (2008). Cognitive Behavioural Processes Across Psychological Disorders: A Review of the Utility and Validity of the Transdiagnostic Approach. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy - Special Issue on Transdiagnostic Approaches to CBT [W.Mansell Ed.], 1, 181-191. further details
  • Mansell W, Pedley R. (2008). The ascent into mania: a review of psychological processes associated with the development of manic symptoms. Clin Psychol Rev, 28( 3), 494-520. Full text doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2007.07.010 further details
  • Mansell W, Rigby Z, Tai SJ, Lowe C. (2008). Do current beliefs predict hypomanic symptoms beyond personality style? Factor analysis of the hypomanic attitudes and positive predictions inventory (HAPPI) and its association with hypomanic symptoms in a student population. J Clin Psychol, 64( 4), 450-65. Full text doi:10.1002/jclp.20455 further details
  • Mansell W. (2008). Commentary on "Contexts of CBT": A Weak Case Against a Straw Man But A Strong Case for an Informed Debate About How to Improve Access to Effective Psychological Therapies. European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling - Special Issue on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 10, 261-269. further details
  • Mansell W. (2008). Keep It Simple - The Transdiagnostic Approach to CBT. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy - Special Issue on Transdiagnostic Approaches to CBT [W.Mansell Ed.], 1, 179-180. further details
  • Mansell W. (2008). The Seven Cs of CBT: A Consideration of the Future Challenges for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 36, 641-649. further details
  • Peter Taylor, Mansell W. (2008). “I Get So Energetic and Dominating!” A Study of Hypomanic Personality and Conflicting Self-perception during Activated States in a Co-operative Task. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 483-487. further details
  • Seal K, Mansell W, Mannion H. (2008). What lies between hypomania and bipolar disorder? A qualitative analysis of 12 non-treatment-seeking people with a history of hypomanic experiences and no history of major depression. Psychol Psychother, 81( Pt 1), 33-53. further details

2007

  • Mansell W. (2007). Coping with Fear, Phobias and Anxiety. further details
  • Dominic Lam, Mansell W. (2007). Bipolar Disorder: Investigation. The Handbook of Clinical Adult Psychology. (116-136). further details
  • Mansell W, Dominic Lam. (2007). Bipolar Disorder: Treatment. The Handbook of Clinical Adult Psychology. (137-163). further details
  • Alisa Udachina, Mansell W. (2007). Cross-validation of the Mood Disorders Questionnaire, the Internal State Scale, and the Hypomanic Personality Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 1539-1549. further details
  • Mansell W, Morrison AP, Graeme Reid, Ian Lowens, Tai SJ. (2007). The Interpretation of and Responses to Changes in Internal States in Bipolar Disorder: An Integrative Cognitive Model. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 35, 515-539. further details
  • Mansell W. (2007). An Integrative Formulation-Based Cognitive Treatment of Bipolar Disorders:Application and Illustration. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63, 447-481. further details
  • Mansell W. (2007). Reading about Self-Help Books on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anxiety. Psychiatric Bulletin, 31, 238-240. further details

2006

  • Mansell W. (2006). The Bluffer's Guide to Psychology. further details
  • Mansell W, Jan Scott. (2006). Dysfunctional Beliefs in Bipolar Disorders. Psychological Approaches to Bipolar Disorder. (73-90). further details
  • Jones SH, Mansell W, L Waller. (2006). Appraisal of Hypomania Relevant Experiences: Development of a Questionnaire to Assess Positive Self Dispositional Appraisals in Bipolar and Behavioural High Risk Samples. Journal of Affective Disorders, 93, 19-28. Full text doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.01.017 further details
  • Mansell W, Dominic Lam. (2006). I wont do what you tell me! Elevated mood and the computerised assessment of advice-taking in remitted bipolar disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 1787-1801. Full text doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.01.002 further details
  • Mansell W, Jones SH. (2006). The HAPPI: A questionnaire to assess cognitions that distinguish between individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and non-clinical controls. Journal of Affective Disorders, 93, 29-34. further details
  • Mansell W. (2006). The Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictions Inventory (HAPPI): A pilot study to identify items that are elevated in individuals with bipolar affective disorder compared to non-clinical controls. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 34, 467-476. further details

2005

  • Dominic Lam, Mansell W. (2005). Bipolar Disorder. Improving Outcomes and Preventing Relapse Following Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: A Clinical Handbook. (246-267). further details
  • Holmes E, Brown R, Mansell W, Fearon R, Hunter E, Frasquilho F, Oakley D. (2005). Are there two qualitatively distinct forms of dissociation? A review and some clinical implications. Clin Psychol Rev, 25( 1), 1-23. further details
  • Mansell W, Jan Scott, Francesc Colom. (2005). The nature and treatment of depression in bipolar disorder: Implications for psychological investigation. Clinical Psychology Review, further details
  • Mansell W. (2005). Control theory and psychopathology: An integrative approach. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 78, 141-178. further details

2004

  • Allison Harvey, Edward Watkins, Mansell W, Roz Shafran. (2004). Cognitive Behavioural Processes Across Psychological Disorders: A Transdiagnostic Approach to Research and Treatment. Oxford University Press. further details
  • Bogels S, Mansell W. (2004). Attention processes in the maintenance and treatment of social phobia: hypervigilance, avoidance and self-focused attention. Clin Psychol Rev, 24( 7), 827-56. further details
  • Mansell W, Lam D. (2004). A preliminary study of autobiographical memory in remitted bipolar and unipolar depression and the role of imagery in the specificity of memory. Memory, 12( 4), 437-46. further details
  • Mansell W, Morris K. (2004). A survey of parents' reactions to the diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder by a local service: access to information and use of services. Autism, 8( 4), 387-407. further details
  • Mansell W. (2004). Cognitive Psychology and Anxiety. Psychiatry, 3, 6-11. further details

2003

  • Mansell W, Clark D, Ehlers A. (2003). Internal versus external attention in social anxiety: an investigation using a novel paradigm. Behav Res Ther, 41( 5), 555-72. Full text doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00029-3 further details
  • Mansell W, Morris K. (2003). The dental cognitions questionnaire in CBT for dental phobia in an adolescent with multiple phobias. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIOR THERAPY AND EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHIATRY, 34, 1, further details
  • Mansell W. (2003). Conceptualising a cycle of ascent into mania: A case report. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 31, 363-368. further details
  • Mansell W. (2003). Universal Selection Theory: Implications for multidisciplinary approaches to clinical psychology and psychiatry. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 21, 2, further details
  • Musa C, Lepine J, Clark D, Mansell W, Ehlers A. (2003). Selective attention in social phobia and the moderating effect of a concurrent depressive disorder. Behav Res Ther, 41( 9), 1043-54. Full text doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00212-7 further details

2002

  • Chen YP, Ehlers A, Clark DM, Mansell W. (2002). Patients with generalized social phobia direct their attention away from faces. BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH AND THERAPY, 40, 6, further details
  • Mansell W, Ehlers A, Clark DM, Chen YP. (2002). Attention to positive and negative social-evaluative words: Investigating the effects of social anxiety, trait anxiety and social threat. ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING, 15, 1, further details
  • Stuart Perowne, Mansell W. (2002). Social anxiety, self-focused attention, and the discrimination of negative, neutral and positive audience members by their non-verbal behaviours. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 30, 11-23. further details

2001

  • Fearon R, Mansell W. (2001). Cognitive perspectives on unresolved loss: insights from the study of PTSD. Bull Menninger Clin, 65( 3), 380-96. further details
  • Shafran R, Mansell W. (2001). Perfectionism and psychopathology: a review of research and treatment. Clin Psychol Rev, 21( 6), 879-906. further details

2000

  • Mansell W. (2000). Conscious appraisal and the modification of automatic processes in anxiety. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 28, 99-120. further details

1999

  • Mansell W, Clark D. (1999). How do I appear to others? Social anxiety and processing of the observable self. Behav Res Ther, 37( 5), 419-34. further details
  • Mansell W, Clark DM, Ehlers A, Chen YP. (1999). Social anxiety and attention away from emotional faces. COGNITION & EMOTION, 13, 6, further details

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