Susan G. SimpsonNHS Forth Valley · Eating Disorders
Susan G. Simpson
DClinPsy University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Director, Schema Therapy Training Scotland
About
82
Publications
51,324
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2,499
Citations
Citations since 2017
Introduction
Additional affiliations
August 2016 - August 2022
August 2016 - May 2022
Schema Therapy Scotland
Position
- Managing Director
Description
- Schema Therapy Scotland is a training and research organisation based in Stirlingshire, Scotland
May 2016 - July 2018
Publications
Publications (82)
A significant proportion of those with eating disorders (EDs) do not respond to first-line treatments. This systematic review was conducted to identify whether personality disorders (PDs)/traits predict or moderate ED treatment outcomes and whether these outcomes were differentially influenced by ED or PD diagnostic subtypes, or treatment approach....
Introduction:
Optimizing maintenance of weight loss for people with obesity following intragastric balloon (IGB) therapy hinges on the degree to which health care providers can recognize both the impact of emotional problems and mood difficulties on their capacity to self-manage, and requirements for additional support. However, there is limited r...
High levels of comorbidity and complexity amongst eating disorder sufferers is associated with reduced treatment effectiveness and higher dropout. There is an urgent need for research into transdiagnostic treatment models that address comorbidity, particularly rigid personality traits and disorders, alongside eating disorder pathology. Schema thera...
Although it is well established that emotion‐focused coping is associated with burnout, the schema therapy model may improve the prediction of who is most vulnerable to using emotion‐focused coping and what kinds of emotion‐focused coping carry the greatest risk of burnout. It is also unknown the extent to which resilience might buffer against mala...
The arrival of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has confronted us with a global and unprecedented challenge of community-wide psychological distress alongside reduced access to therapeutic services in the traditional face-to-face format, due to the need to self-isolate. This previously unimagineable set of circumstances provides a unique opportu...
Barriers to the equitable provision of evidence-based psychological treatments in rural and regional areas are significant in both developed and developing countries. Psychologists and mental health workers are turning to telehealth as a means of overcoming some of these barriers, including the use of email, telephone, web-based interventions, soci...
Perceived social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly has had an extraordinary global impact, with significant psychological consequences. Changes in our daily lives, feelings of loneliness, job losses, financial difficulty, and grief over the death of loved ones have the potential to affect the mental health of many. In an atmosphe...
A growing body of research indicates that imagery facilitates more direct access to emotions, thereby providing a unique opportunity for change. Indeed, imagery has a greater impact on negative and positive emotions than verbal processing of the same information (Cuthbert et al., 2003; Holmes, Mathews, Dalgleish & Mackintosh, 2006). In effect, imag...
Purpose
To examine the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the Italian version of the schema mode inventory for eating disorders—short form (SMI-ED-SF) for adults with dysfunctional eating patterns.
Methods
649 participants (72.1% females) completed the 64-item Italian version of the SMI-ED-SF and the eating disorder examination...
The article Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the Italian version.
Drunkorexia is a trend on the rise within the young adult population with significant physical, psychological, and social health implications. Many studies have investigated the link between Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) and both eating disorders and substance misuse. To date, no studies have specifically focused on EMS amongst those with Drunkor...
Recent studies highlight a range of factors that place psychotherapists at risk of burnout. The aim of this study was to investigate the ethics issues linked to burnout among psychotherapists and to describe potentially effective ways of reducing vulnerability and preventing collateral damage. A purposive critical review of the literature was condu...
Preliminary research suggests EMS and schema processes play a key role in eating disorder (ED) pathology, indicating a focus on surface level cognitions alone may be insufficient when treating EDs (Gongora, Derkson, & van der Staak, 2004; Hughes, Hamill, van Gerko, Lockwood & Waller, 2006). Although some aspects of the schema model have been invest...
There has been a recent growth in research into the schema therapy model for eating disorders (EDs). The aim of the present review is to describe the studies that have investigated the schema model for EDs with a view to understand the factors contributing to the development and maintenance of ED symptoms. Findings regarding the links between ED pa...
This chapter explores a range of behavioural interventions to specifically
address anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN)/binge eating, by integrating schema therapy (ST) with behavioural strategies utilised in other evidence based approaches. Each diagnostic profile is symptomatically different, to the extent that, at times, the specific challenge...
Health services are more challenged than ever to find ways of providing effective treatments for eating disorders (EDs) with limited resources. One way of addressing this is through combining group and individual treatment protocols. It is suggested that group therapy may in fact catalyse the effects of schema therapy (ST), by providing corrective...
Given the limited efficacy of maintenance models such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs), there has been increased attention dedicated to exploring the role of deeper level factors such as core beliefs and schemas in the eating disorders literature. One model, which integrates both developmental and de...
A myriad of interconnected factors contribute to the aetiology and maintenance of eating disorders (EDs). A comprehensive assessment must take into consideration factors associated with the onset of the eating disorder, premorbid and systemic factors, temperament, personality traits, and both psychological and physical comorbidities. There is incre...
The schema therapy (ST) model aims to bring about transformational change through working in four main areas: cognitive, behavioural, experiential and interpersonal. Experiential techniques ‘fire up’ the cognitive work, transcending intellectual change and penetrating early maladaptive schemas (EMS) that are held at a deeply embodied level. The exp...
In schema therapy (ST), the case conceptualisation integrates multiple complex factors that influence the development and perpetuation of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and modes that play a role in driving eating problems. Preliminary studies indicate that EMS and modes mediate childhood experiences and both eating and comorbid symptoms, with a r...
The aim of this study was to ascertain the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Body–Self
Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) for a sample of youth in Chile. Cross-sectional survey was conducted with 451 participants. A non-clinical sample of adolescents and young adults between 15 and 25 years responded the MBSRQ and a sociodemographic ques...
The term drunkorexia refers to the act of self-imposed utilization of extreme weight control methods to compensate for alcohol consumption typically observed among university students. Despite its diffusion, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of this new alarming trend in Italy. Aim: this study estimates the frequency of drunkor...
Introduction: the term drunkorexia refers to the act of self-imposed utilization of extreme weight control methods to compensate for alcohol consumption typically observed among university students. Despite its diffusion, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of this new alarming trend in Italy. Aim: this study estimates the freque...
Psychologists are subject to multiple competing emotional demands that increase the risk of burnout. Research has demonstrated that burnout arises from both organizational and personal factors, including psychologists' personal beliefs and coping. Preliminary research indicates that Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) are associated with high burnout,...
Background
It is increasingly acknowledged that the outcomes of medical treatments are influenced by the context of the clinical encounter through the mechanisms of the placebo effect. The phenomenon of placebo analgesia might be exploited to maximize the efficacy of neurorehabilitation treatments. Since its intensity varies across neurological dis...
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Schema Mode Inventory for Eating Disorders (SMI-ED) in a disordered eating population.
Method: 573 participants with disordered eating patterns as measured by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) completed the 190-item adapted...
1 Objectives
Emotionally taxing job demands place psychotherapists at risk for burnout, often to the detriment of the therapist, clients, and the profession of psychotherapy (Maslach, 2007). The aim of the present systematic review was to (a) explore the levels of both burnout and job stress in psychotherapists, (b) identify tools used to measure w...
Background
The treatment of eating disorders is a difficult endeavor, with only a relatively small proportion of clients responding to and completing standard cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Given the prevalence of co-morbidity and complex personality traits in this population, Schema Therapy has been identified as a potentially viable treatme...
Cite as:
Simpson, S. (Autumn/Winter, 2017). Schema Therapy: Current Evidence and Applications. Counselling in Scotland, 15-18.
Background: Weight loss is challenging and maintenance of weight loss is problematic. Web-based programs offer good potential for delivery of interventions for weight loss or weight loss maintenance. However, the precise impact of Web-based weight management programs is still unclear.
Objective: The purpose of this meta-systematic review was to pro...
Purpose
To examine the factorial structure of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (IT-URICA) for weight management in a sample of Italian overweight and obese patients enrolled in a nutritional rehabilitation program.
Methods
334 inpatients completed the translated and adjusted version of the IT-URICA at admission to the hospital...
Objective: Little is known about the personal factors that increase vulnerability to job-related stress and burnout among psychologists in training. This study was based on a large international sample and aimed to explore the role of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) in predicting vulnerability to burnout, as well as attendant effects on short-term...
The therapeutic alliance has demonstrated an association with favorable psychotherapeutic outcomes in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs). However, questions remain about the inter-relationships between early alliance, early symptom improvement, and treatment outcome. We conducted a meta-analysis on the relations among these constructs, and pos...
Diabesity could be defined as a new global epidemic of obesity and being overweight with many complications and chronic conditions. The financial direct and indirect burden of diabesity is a real challenge in many Western health-care systems. Even if multidisciplinary protocols have been implemented, significant limitations in the chronic care mana...
Objective: The main aim of this project was to provide a client profile and to evaluate effectiveness of therapy as provided by trainees in a university-based psychology clinic setting. Method: The participants included face-to-face (n = 82) and video-therapy (n = 20) adult clients of the University of South Australia Psychology Clinic at Magill Ca...
Background: Preliminary studies suggest that both childhood experiences and coping behaviours may be linked to eating disorder symptoms.
Methods: In this study maladaptive schema coping modes were investigated as mediators in the relationship between perceived negative parenting and disordered eating. A total of 174 adults with eating and/or body i...
In this article, we investigate therapist views on their experiences using a technological adjunct (goACT) to traditional, face-to-face psychotherapy. goACT is a web-based mobile interactive software application that facilitates an interactive platform, allowing therapists to connect with their clients between face-to-face psychotherapy sessions. P...
Diabesity could be defined as a new global epidemic of obesity and being overweight with many complications and chronic conditions. The financial direct and indirect burden of diabesity is a real challenge in many Western health-care systems. Even if multidisciplinary protocols have been implemented, significant limitations in the chronic care mana...
Anecdotal claims insinuate that female Australian university students may be engaging in a new type of hazardous phenomena called “drunkorexia” (i.e., using disordered eating to compensate for planned binge drinking). However, to date, this conjecture has not been validated by empirical evidence. The primary aim of the present study was to estimate...
Background
In order to provide effective care to patients suffering from chronic pain secondary to neurological diseases, health professionals must appraise the role of the psychosocial factors in the genesis and maintenance of this condition whilst considering how emotions and cognitions influence the course of treatment. Furthermore, it is import...
Background: It is increasingly recognized that treating pain is crucial for effective care within neurological rehabilitation in the setting of the neurological rehabilitation. The Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation was constituted with the purpose identifying best practices for us in this context. Along with drug therapies...
The aim of this study was to examine the association between eating disorders (ED) and schema modes, and identify which specific schema modes are associated with particular eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED).
A total of forty seven women with eating disorder...
Obesity and being overweight could be real chronic conditions above all if there are other complications such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, cancer, and various psychosocial and psychopathological disorders. Due to the multifactorial etiology of obesity, evidence-based interventions to...
Australian psychologists have always been challenged to find innovative ways of overcoming the geographical, social, and economic barriers that characterise health care across this vast country. With the rapid digitalisation of communication globally, psychologists are urged to anticipate the ways in which information and communication technology w...
Objective: The focus of the present study was to investigate levels of psychological distress and therapeutic alliance rated by clients attending psychological therapy sessions via video therapy or in person at a university psychology-training clinic.
Method: Participants were 23 clients who had completed at least five therapy sessions with a provi...
Australian psychologists have always been challenged to find innovative ways of overcoming the geographical, social, and economic barriers that characterise health care across this vast country. With the rapid digitalisation of communication globally, psychologists are urged to anticipate the ways in which information and communication technology w...
A commentary on
Short-term group schema therapy for mixed personality disorders: a pilot study
by Simpson,S.G.,Skewes,S.A.,Samson,R.,and van Vreeswijk,M. (2014). Front Psychol.5:1592.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01592
Background
The following article illustrates the development of the identity configuration process of Chilean female patients with an eating disorder (ED) following successful psychotherapeutic treatment.Method
This was a qualitative, descriptive study, which explored patients' subjective perspectives. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 fem...
Schema Therapy has shown promising results for personality disorders but there is a limited evidence base for group Schema Therapy (ST-g) with mixed personality disorders. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of ST-g in a sample of eight participants with mixed personality disorders (with...
Psychotherapy services are limited in remote and rural areas in Australia and across the globe.
Videoconferencing has become well established as a feasible and acceptable mode of psychological treatment
delivery. Therapeutic alliance (TA) is an essential factor underlying successful therapy across therapeutic
models. In order to determine the state...
The current roll-out of broadband across Australia provides new opportunities for psychologists to reach out to
residents in remote and rural areas. With the advent of internet protocol (IP)-based videoconferencing, telepsychology is becoming more accessible and affordable, and a potential solution to those in remote areas who require access to spe...
In this paper we introduce and investigate the capacity for a novel, technologically
advanced system (goACT) to enhance face-to-face psychotherapy. Specifically,
we explore the capacity for goACT to enhance therapeutic alliance (TA) and
engagement, and reduce distress. Using a mixed-methods, multiple-baseline design
we present the first study to ex...
There is a significant shortage of clinical psychology services in rural and remote Australia. It is proposed that tele-web psychology may provide one potential solution to this inequity in health provision. A tele-web psychology project was developed through a partnership between a university and country health service setting in rural South Austr...
An exploration of Schema Modes in Clinical and Sub-Clinical Eating Disorders
Authors: Susan Simpson, Evelyn Smith, Stephanie Bond
Objectives: Two studies were undertaken to investigate the role of schema modes in eatings disorders. In study 1, results from the Schema Mode Inventory were compared between individuals with eating disorders and a comm...
Obesity is currently an important public health problem of epidemic proportions (globesity). Inpatient rehabilitation interventions that aim at improving weight-loss, reducing obesity-related complications and changing dysfunctional behaviors, should ideally be carried out in a multidisciplinary context with a clinical team composed of psychologist...
This study explored which aspects of recovery from Anorexia Nervosa (AN) are
perceived by sufferers as the most and least helpful, identifying turning points for
change. Data were collected from 5 women using internet blog sources and analysed
using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Five superordinate themes
were identified: factors l...
Introduction
The term "Drunkorexia" has been used by the popular media to denote the use of extreme weight-control behaviours to compensate for planned binge drinking. This hazardous phenomenon has been declared a genuine public health concern due to its rapid growth as a popular trend among Australian female university students. To date, no empiri...
We piloted three-dimensional (3D) body scanning in eating disorder (ED) patients. Assessments of 22 ED patients (including nine anorexia nervosa (AN) patients, 12 bulimia nervosa (BN) patients, and one patient with eating disorder not otherwise specified) and 22 matched controls are presented. Volunteers underwent visual screening, two-dimensional...
IntroductionCase Study – NickiAcknowledgementsReferences
Schema Therapy is becoming an increasingly popular psychological model for working with individuals who have a variety of mental health and personality difficulties. The aim of this review is to look at the current evidence base for Schema Therapy and highlight directions for further research. A systematic search of the literature was conducted up...
Both eating and weight disorders are prevalent in our society but many sufferers do not have access to specialist treatments, especially those living in remote and rural areas. Video therapy is proposed as a potential solution, allowing therapists to deliver psychological treatments without the costs associated with travel. Furthermore, there is a...
This paper describes the use of Group Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders (ST-E-g) in a case series of eight participants with chronic eating disorders and high levels of co-morbidity. Treatment was comprised of 20 sessions which included cognitive, experiential, and interpersonal strategies, with an emphasis on behavioral change. Specific schema-b...
Research into the use of videoconferencing for clinical purposes, in particular psychotherapy, is gradually expanding. A number of case studies and case series have suggested that videoconferencing can be clinically effective and acceptable to patients. Nevertheless, there is a lack of methodologically rigorous studies with adequate sample sizes fr...
Shame has received increased attention over recent years and has been shown to be a feature of many forms of psychopathology, including eating disorders. The current study contributes to this field by exploring relationships between shame and a variety of factors hypothesized to contribute to shame in a sample of 52 females with eating disorders.
A...
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is established as the treatment of choice for Bulimia Nervosa, but is not accessible to many sufferers living in remote and rural areas. This study used a single case interrupted time series design to examine the effectiveness of CBT delivered via videoconferencing for six participants with bulimic disorders. Wee...
In recent years a wide range of technological innovations have opened up opportunities for the development of new ways of delivering treatments for eating disorders. Historically, many sufferers have been unable to access empirically validated treatments, particularly specialist outpatient psychotherapies. Further research is required in order to i...
This study examines the clinical utility of cognitive behavioural therapy delivered via videoconferencing for bulimic disorders, and factors associated with adjustment to this mode of treatment delivery. A single-case-series design was used with six participants with bulimic disorders. Most were living in remote areas in north-east Scotland or Shet...
A minor injuries telemedicine network in Grampian connects 14 accident and emergency departments in community hospitals to a teaching hospital department. In a six-month study, 407 new telemedicine consultations met the inclusion criteria. Rates of transfer for treatment to the base hospital were used as an outcome measure. Fourteen out of a total...
Until recently many remote communities in Scotland, especially on the northern islands, were unable to access specialist eating disorder services. The Grampian Eating Disorder Service, based in the north-east of Scotland, has developed a video-therapy service that offers specialist psychological and nutritional therapy for sufferers of eating disor...
Hypnosis is not normally accessible to patients living in remote areas. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of providing hypnosis via videoconferencing, using ISDN at 384 kbit/s. Eleven of 15 patients invited to do so took part. Ten of the 11 stated that they were satisfied with the video-hypnosis session and all indicated that t...
This paper describes preliminary findings of a pilot project designed to evaluate a teleconferencing clinical psychology service between Aberdeen and Shetland. Over a 12-month period, 10 clients were assessed face-to-face in Shetland, then attended an average of 12 therapy sessions each via a teleconferencing link with a clinical psychologist based...
We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of videoconferencing as a means of providing a clinical psychology service in the Shetland Islands. A general practitioner was equipped with a desktop PC-based system connected to a mainland hospital videoconferencing system by ISDN at 128 kbit/s. Qualitative methods were used t...
Questions
Question (1)
We are looking at carrying out an exploratory factor analysis on a measure that has established validity in english speaking and spanish speaking populations. Previous studies showed a 4 factor solution in the original validation study, and then a 7 factor solution in the Spanish study. We have collected data in a Chilean population - would like to keep an open mind about the factor structure and therefore thinking of an EFA (rather than a CFA) to see which (if any) of the previous factor structures emerge. Is this an acceptable rationale for using EFA analyses in this scenario? many thanks for any advice, Susan
Projects
Projects (2)
The aims of the current exploratory study are to:
1) Examine the level of burnout in clinical and counselling psychologists (and trainee psychologists)
2) Identify the predominant schemas in clinical and counselling psychologists
3) Identify the predominant Coping Modes in clinical and counselling psychologists
4) Investigate the association between burnout, schemas and Coping Modes in clinical and counselling psychologists.