Professor Christopher Darryl Graham

Psychology

Personal statement

I am probably most accurately considered a 'research clinical psychologist'. I joined Strathclyde in February 2023 as Professor of Clinical Psychology via the Global Talent Attraction Programme.

I undertake a funded (NIHR, Yorkshire Cancer Research) research programme in clinical health psychology – mostly evaluating the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for improving quality of life in physical and mental health conditions within clinical trials. Work from this programme is published in the leading medical and clinical psychology journals, including The Lancet, Psychological Medicine, Clinical Psychology Review, Annals of Behavioural Medicine, and has featured on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4 and many other media outlets.

My main research areas are:

1) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as applied to chronic diseases and mental health

2) Psychological therapies for people living with neuromuscular conditions

3) Psychological interventions for maintaining well-being during and after cancer treatment

Current trials include:

- FRESH START (NIHR) - multi-centre RCT - testing ACT alongside other talking therapies for improving well-being for those who self-harm https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/RP-PG-1016-20005

- CONTACT-GAD (NIHR) - multi-centre RCT - testing ACT as a treatment for treatment resistent GAD in older adults https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR134141

- PROPEL (NIHR) - multi-centre RCT - testing a MDT intervention for improving fatigue and well-being in leukaemia https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR134257

- ROSETA (NIHR Advanced Fellowship - Sam Smith, University of Leeds) - definitive factorial trial of interventions for non-adherence to hormone therapies https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR300588

Teaching and wider roles:

I teach on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and psychological therapy across programmes in Psychology. I supervise several doctoral students internally and externally at other institutions. I supervise many students on the Masters in Clinical Health Psychology. I lead the mental health stream of the Future Hospitals Initiative. I am a member of the Department Ethics Committee.

I am Associate Editor of the British Journal of Health Psychology and Chair of the Mental Health sub-committee for the International Standards of Care for FSH Muscular Dystrophy. I am on the Medical Advisory Board for the Myositis Association. I hold honorary academic appointments at the University of Warwick and University of Leeds.

Publications

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Publications

A randomised controlled trial of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plus usual care in comparison to usual care alone for reducing anxiety in older people with treatment-resistant generalised anxiety disorder (CONTACT-GAD): Trial protocol: Gould Rebecca L, Callaghan Tia, White David, Loebach Wetherell Julie, Bursnall Matt, Bradburn Mike, Wailoo Allan, Serfaty Marc A, Graham Christopher Darryl, Howard Robert J, Wilkinson Philip, Musson Lucy, Ekers David, Walters Kate, Livingston Gill, Wuthrich Viviana M; BMC Geriatrics (2026)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people living with motor neuron disease : the COMMEND feasibility study and randomised controlled trial: Gould Rebecca L, Thompson Benjamin J, Rawlinson Charlotte V, Bursnall Matt, Bradburn Mike, Keetharuth Anju D, Young Tracey, Lawrence Vanessa, White David A, Howard Robert J, Serfaty Marc A, McCracken Lance M, Graham Christopher D, Al-Chalabi Ammar, Goldstein Laura H, Androulaki-Koraki Dynameni, Kumar Pavithra, Weeks Kirsty, Gossage-Worrall Rebecca, Turton Emily J, Waterhouse Simon, Drewry Nicola, Cooper Cindy, Shaw Pamela J, McDermott Christopher J; Health Technology Assessment Vol 29, pp. 1-28 (2025); https://doi.org/10.3310/jhgd7339
"How do you know you know that you’re doing ACT?" An experimental study of simulated therapy sessions to explore the measurement properties of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Fidelity Measure (ACT-FM): Collins Daniel, Vowles Kevin E, Norton Samuel, McCracken Lance M, Curran David, Graham Christopher D; Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science Vol 37 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2025.100926
Psychological risk factors for suicide and self-harm thoughts and behaviours, irrespective of intention in Nigeria: Kasim Bahijja Tanko, Graham Christopher Darryl, Russell Kirsten, Rasmussen Susan; 9th Suicide & Self-harm Early & Mid-Career Researchers’ Forum 2025 (2025)
Results of a feasibility study of the FReSH START intervention to improve quality of life and other outcomes in people who repeatedly self-harm (Function REplacement in repeated Self-Harm: Standardising Therapeutic Assessment and the Related Therapy): , Copsey Bethan, Wright-Hughes Alexandra, Farrin Amanda, Gates Cara, Farley Kate, Brennan Cathy, McMillan Dean, Graham Christopher Darryl, Bojke Chris, Mattock Richard, Martin Adam, Bijsterveld Petra, Horrocks Judith, Hartley Suzanne, McAdam Marsha, Hammond-Jones Dafydd, Bryant Louise D, House Allan, Guthrie Elspeth; Pilot and Feasibility Studies Vol 11 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-025-01644-2
Acceptability of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for medication-decision-making and quality of life in women with breast cancer : a qualitative process evaluation: Green Sophie MC, Hall Louise H, Ellison Rachel, Clark Jane, Wilkes Hollie, Hartley Suzanne, Naik Jay, Buckley Sarah, Hirst Charlotte, Hartup Sue, Neal Richard D, Velikova Galina, Farrin Amanda, Collinson Michelle, Graham Christopher D, Smith Samuel G; British Journal of Health Psychology Vol 30 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12802

More publications

Research

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Professional Activities

Internal Examiner PhD - Dr Sommer Agnew: Examiner; 16/10/2025
Psychology (Organisational unit): Advisor; 12/2/2025
Brown University - Promotion referee: Consultant; 2025
NIHR159167 – A cluster randomized controlled trial of online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training to improve mental wellbeing in staff caring for terminally ill people and their caregivers: Consultant; 2025
ACT for fear of recurrence: Speaker; 17/10/2024
Frontiers in Psychology (Journal): Editor; 10/2024

More professional activities

Projects

Acceptance Commitment Therapy: Graham, Christopher Darryl (Principal Investigator) Rickardsson, Nils (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2027
a qualitative study exploring the experience of psychological therapists working with patients with acute myeloid leukaemia: Rickardsson, Nils (Principal Investigator) Graham, Christopher Darryl (Co-investigator); Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), and its treatment, is known to have a range of physical and psychological challenges on patients. From a patient perspective, these challenges are documented in both qualitative and quantitative research highlighting the experience of people suffering from them, and the prevalence of these issues. From these findings, psychological support, and the provision of clinical psychology services, in oncology is more common now and is recommended to meet the full biopsychosocial needs of AML patients. However, we have a limited knowledge in terms of what psychological problems are referred to clinical psychology services, and what interventions and methods are used in these services to manage these issues today. It is also not known how psychological therapists find it working with a population faced with a highly challenging condition.

By exploring the experiences of psychological therapists working with people with AML, we hope to learn more about what type of psychological issues they tend to see in their practice, and what techniques and methods they employ to support this patient group. It is hoped that knowing more about this area can support clinicians and services in this field as it can highlight challenges to be addressed or strengths of specific working practices, techniques, models. It is also hoped that this research has validating and educational value to less experienced clinicians. Likewise, by exploring the experiences of clinicians first hand, this can provide qualitative data for researchers developing and evaluating interventions in this area.; 01-Jan-2025 - 01-Jan-2027
Joint RA Post - Epilepsy (WQSE/Strath): Graham, Christopher Darryl (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2027
Mental Health Futures Collaborative: Cogan, Nicola (Principal Investigator) Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Principal Investigator) Fleming, Leanne (Principal Investigator) Quinn, Neil (Principal Investigator) Tse, Dwight (Principal Investigator) Knifton, Lee (Principal Investigator) McCann, Lisa (Principal Investigator) Maguire, Roma (Principal Investigator) Smith, Matthew (Principal Investigator) Graham, Christopher Darryl (Principal Investigator) Grealy, Madeleine (Principal Investigator) Stephen, Susan (Principal Investigator) Weir, Natalie Mcfadyen (Principal Investigator) Donnachie, Craig (Principal Investigator) Cameron, Julie (Principal Investigator) Kane, Tony (Co-investigator) Lakey, Trevor (Academic) Donovan, Kevin (Fellow); This Engage with Strathclyde event is aimed at all those with an interest in mental health including people with lived experience, NHS and social care personnel and staff, occupational health and human resource management staff, student support services, university student and staff, academics, private and public sector and other personnel interested in mental health research and knowledge exchange.; 12-Jan-2023 - 12-Jan-2023
A randomised CONtrolled trial of Tailored Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for older people with treatment resistant Generalised Anxiety Disorder (CONTACT-GAD): Graham, Christopher Darryl (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2027
Evaluation of PeRsOnalised PrEhabilitation in acute myeloid Leukaemia (PROPEL): Graham, Christopher Darryl (Principal Investigator); 27-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2027