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 was 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 have held/hold honorary academic appointments at the University of Warwick and University of Leeds.
Prize And Awards
- Nomination - UoS Teaching Excellence Awards "Best PGR Supervisor"
- Recipient
- 12/5/2026
Publications
- Exploring the evidence base on the association between parents' adverse and positive experiences and the developmental, psychological and behavioral outcomes of their offspring : a scoping review
- Nichol Miriam Riaz, O’Donnell Christie, Campbell Irina, Murphy Carole, Graham Christopher
- Healthcare Vol 14 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14152253
- Living with FSHD : a patient-led narrative review of psychosocial well-being in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
- Drescher Kent, van Bruggen Marnix, Garcia Bosquez Tatiana, Graham Christopher Darryl, Cesar de Carvalho Piccolo Cassiano, van Engelen Baziel GM, Voet Nicoline
- Neuromuscular Disorders Vol 66 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmd.2026.106489
- Exploring trial acceptability, recruitment, and retention in a pilot optimisation randomised controlled trial of a behavioural intervention to support medication adherence in women with breast cancer : a qualitative process evaluation
- Ingram Jennifer F, Travis Elizabeth, Hall Louise H, Raine Erin, Ellison Rachel, McNaught Emma, Wilkes Hollie, Ow Pei Loo, Graham Christopher D, French David P, Howdon Daniel, Clark Jane, Waller Jo, Buxton Jacqueline, Moore Sally JL, Parbutt Catherine, Velikova Galina, Farrin Amanda J, Collinson Michelle, Smith Samuel G, Green Sophie MC
- NIHR Open Research Vol 6 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.3310/nihropenres.14321.1
- Optimising a behavioural intervention to support endocrine therapy adherence for women with breast cancer : protocol for the ROSETA optimisation factorial randomised controlled trial
- Green Sophie MC, Graham Christopher Darryl, Smith Samuel G
- Trials Vol 27 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-026-09765-6
- Goal setting in stroke rehabilitation : a systematic review and qualitative synthesis of the experiences and perspectives of healthcare professionals
- Fišerová Anna, Duchoňová Šarlota, Hafiz Hannah, Hagarová Martina, Morton Brodie, Tessmann Helena, Graham Christopher D, Rickardsson Nils
- Clinical Rehabilitation (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155261446313
- Healthcare professionals' experiences of supporting the psychological wellbeing of stroke survivors with aphasia : A systematic review and qualitative synthesis
- Rickardsson Nils, Graham Christopher Darryl, Hitchenes Amy, Henrich Gabriela, Mcintosh Aimee, Harju Sophie Emilia, Quigley Niamh, Hardie Chloe, Pieri Matilde
- (2026)
Professional Activities
- ACT Supervision for MND Scotland
- Consultant
- 6/2026
- Careers in Clinical Psychology
- Speaker
- 13/5/2026
- Invited workshop "Acceptance and commitment therapy for medical problems": Royal College of Psychiatry - Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry Annual Conference
- Speaker
- 7/5/2026
- Training on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Consultant
- 1/5/2026
- External Examiner - PhD (Yingna Li), University of Edinburgh
- Examiner
- 27/4/2026
- The use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with long-term health conditions: where are we now and where to next.
- Speaker
- 22/4/2026
Projects
- UoS/NHS Lanarkshire Psychological Therapies Research and Teaching Clinic
- Graham, Christopher Darryl (Principal Investigator) Rickardsson, Nils (Co-investigator)
- 20-Jan-2026
- 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
- Examining Narrative Crisis Model of Suicide
- Ahuja, Hardik Singh (Academic) Rasmussen, Susan (Principal Investigator) Graham, Christopher Darryl (CoPI)
- Through my doctoral research, I am studying the Narrative Crisis Model of Suicide (NCM), exploring the mediation of trait vulnerabilities, suicidal narrative and suicide crisis syndrome leading to suicide outcomes. Currently, I am working on a scoping review to map the existing literature on NCM. My focus area in the model is the influence of stressful life events resulting in the onset of a suicidal narrative.
- 01-Jan-2023
- 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
Contact
Professor
Christopher Darryl
Graham
Psychology
Email: christopher.graham@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted