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Dr Helen L Fisher  BSc MSc MSc PhD CPsychol AFBPsS
Lecturer & MRC Population Health Scientist

activities and interests

Research interests

Role of childhood maltreatment in the aetiology and course of psychosis and depression; gene-environment correlation and interaction in psychopathology; psychosocial mechanisms underlying the pathway from early adverse experiences to psychotic phenomena; developmental trajectories of psychosis; gender differences in the development and outcome of psychosis; evaluation of Early Intervention Services for young people with first-presentation psychosis; and siblings’ experiences of having a brother/sister recently diagnosed with psychosis.

KISS Doctoral Training Centre

Theme 1 lead for Genes, Environment & Public Health; sit on ESRC studentship panel; involved in developing internship opportunities for PhD students.

E-Risk Co-investigator

Creating victimisation dossiers on the twins & coding psychotic symptoms.

London Early Intervention Research Network

Developer, co-ordinator & trainer of MiData EIS package;
Mapping of Early Intervention Services across London

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

I provide statistical consultancy on research and evaluation projects pertaining to childhood victimisation and mental health outcomes.

MHRN Clinical Research Group

Early Intervention in potentially severe mental health problems

teaching activities

Develop training activities for KISS-DTC Health Themes PhD students

Academic mentor for students with mental health problems at UCL

MSc dissertation supervisor at KCL & UCL

Visiting examiner for MRes Mental Health at SGUL

PhD supervisor at KCL & UCL

RoleCourse
Lecturer
Mental Health Studies » Masters (MSc)
Lecturer
Psychiatric Research » Masters (MSc)
Lecturer
Psychology » BSc (Intercalated)

publications

2013

Fisher, H.L., Caspi, A., Poulton, R., et al. (2013). Specificity of childhood psychotic symptoms in predicting schizophrenia by 38 years of age: A birth cohort study. Psychological Medicine, doi:10.1017/S0033291712003091.

Fisher, H.L., Cohen-Woods, S., Hosang, G., et al. (2013). Interaction between specific forms of childhood maltreatment and the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) in recurrent clinical depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 145, 136-141.

Radford, L., Corral, S., Bradley, C., Collishaw, S. & Fisher H.L. (in press). The prevalence and impact of child maltreatment and victimisation in the UK: Findings from a population survey of children and young people aged 0 to 17 years. Child Abuse & Neglect.

Schroeder, K., Fisher, H.L., Schäfer, I. (2013). Psychotic symptoms in patients with borderline personality disorder - Prevalence and clinical management. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 26(1), 113-119.

Sideli, L., Fisher, H.L., Russo, M., et al. (2013). Failure to find association between childhood abuse and cognition in first-episode psychosis patients. European Psychiatry, doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2013.02.006.

2012

Aas, M., Navari, S., Gibbs, A., Mondelli, V., Fisher, H.L., et al. (2012). Is there a link between childhood trauma, cognition, and amygdala and hippocampus volume in first-episode psychosis? Schizophrenia Research, 137(1-3), 73-79.

Fisher, H.L., Appiah-Kusi, E., Grant, C. (2012). Anxiety and negative self schemas mediate the association between childhood maltreatment and paranoia. Psychiatry Research, 196, 323-324.

Fisher, H.L., Cohen-Woods, S., Hosang, G., et al. (2012). Stressful life events and the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) in recurrent clinical depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 136, 189-193.

Fisher, H.L., Moffitt, T.E., Houts, R.M., et al. (2012). Bullying victimisation and increased risk of self-harm in early adolescence. British Medical Journal, 344, e2683. [featured in F1000, classified as ‘must read’]

Fisher, H.L., Morgan, C., Hutchinson, et al. (2012). Childhood abuse and psychosis in different ethnic groups: A case-control study. Advances in Psychology Research, 85, 173-181.

Fisher, H.L., Schreier, A., Zammit, S., et al. (2012). Pathways between childhood victimisation and psychosis-like symptoms in the ALSPAC birth cohort. Schizophrenia Bulletin, doi:10.1093/schbul/sbs088.

Ghali, S., Fisher, H.L., Joyce, J., et al. (2012). Ethnic variations in the pathways into Early Intervention Services for psychosis. British Journal of Psychiatry, doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.097865.

Radford, L., Corral, S., Bradley, C., Fisher, H. (2012). A Response to Gilbert et al, 2011. Lancet, 379 (9831), 2048.

Schafer, I., Fisher, H.L., et al. (2012). Dissociative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia: Relationships with childhood trauma and psychotic symptoms. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 53, 364-371.

2011

Aas, M., Dazzan, P., Fisher, H.L., et al. (2011). Childhood trauma and cognitive function in first-episode affective and non-affective psychosis. Schizophrenia Research, 129 (1), 12-19.

Aas, M., Dazzan, P., Mondelli, V., Toulopoulou, T., Reichenberg, A., Di Forti, M., Fisher, H.L., et al. (2011). Abnormal cortisol awakening response predicts worse cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis. Psychological Medicine, 41 (3), 463-476.

Arseneault, L., Cannon, M., Fisher, H.L., et al. (2011). Childhood trauma and children’s emerging psychotic symptoms: a genetically sensitive longitudinal cohort study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 168, 65-72. [cited 38 times]

Fisher, H.L., Bunn, A., Jacobs, C., Moran, P., & Bifulco, A. (2011). Concordance between mother and offspring retrospective reports of childhood adversity. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 117-122.

Fisher, H.L., Craig, T.K., Fearon, P., et al. (2011). Reliability and comparability of psychosis patients’ retrospective reports of childhood abuse. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 37 (3), 546-553. [cited 27 times]

Radford, L., Corral, S., Bradley, C., Fisher, H., et al. (2011). Child Abuse and Neglect in the UK Today. London: NSPCC.

Schafer, I., & Fisher, H.L. (2011). Childhood trauma and PTSD in patients with psychosis. Traumatic StressPoints, 25 (4), 10-12.

Schafer, I., & Fisher, H.L. (2011). Childhood trauma and PTSD in patients with psychosis – clinical challenges and emerging treatments. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 24, 514-518.

Schafer, I., & Fisher, H.L. (2011). Childhood trauma and psychosis - what is the evidence? Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 13 (3), 360-365.

Schafer, I., Morgan, C., Demjaha, A., Morgan, K., Dazzan, P., Fearon, P., Jones, P.B., Doody, G.A., Leff, J., Murray, R.M., & Fisher, H.L. (2011). Assessment of posttraumatic symptoms in patients with first-episode psychosis. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 199 (11), 896-898.

2010

Fisher, H.L. (2010). Adult psychosis and childhood abuse: a direct or indirect connection? Irish Psychiatrist, 11 (2), 84-86.

Fisher, H.L. & Hosang, G.M. (2010). Childhood Maltreatment and Bipolar Disorder – Critical Review of the Evidence. Mind & Brain, the Journal of Psychiatry, 1 (1), 75-85.

Fisher, H.L., Jones, P.B., Fearon, P., et al. (2010). The varying impact of type, timing and frequency of exposure to childhood adversity on its association with adult psychotic disorder. Psychological Medicine, 40 (12), 1967-1978. [cited 12 times]

Mondelli, V., Dazzan, P., Hepgul, N., Di Forti, M., Aas, M., D’Albenzio, A., Di Nicola, M., Fisher, H., et al. (2010). Abnormal cortisol levels during the day and cortisol awakening response in first-episode psychosis: the role of stress and of antipsychotic treatment. Schizophrenia Research, 116 (2-3), 234-242. [cited 24 times]

Reininghaus, U., Craig, T., Fisher, H., et al. (2010). Acculturation, ethnicity, and psychosis: Findings from the ÆSOP Study. Schizophrenia Research, 124 (1-3), 43-48.

2009

Fisher, H., Morgan, C., Dazzan, P., et al. (2009). Gender differences in the association between childhood abuse and psychosis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 194, 319-325. [cited 30 times]

Morgan, C., Fisher, H., et al. (2009). Ethnicity, social disadvantage and psychotic-like experiences in a healthy population-based sample. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 119 (3), 226-235. [cited 24 times]

Schürhoff, F., Laguerre, A., Fisher, H., et al. (2009). Self-reported childhood trauma correlates with schizotypal measures in schizophrenia but not bipolar pedigrees. Psychological Medicine, 39 (3), 365-370.

2008

Fisher, H., & Craig, T. (2008). Childhood adversity and psychosis. In C. Morgan, K. McKenzie & P. Fearon (Eds.), Society and Psychosis. Cambridge University Press.

Fisher, H., Theodore, K., Power, P., et al. (2008). Routine evaluation in first episode psychosis services: feasibility and results from the MiData project. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43 (12), 960-967. [cited 12 times]

2007

Morgan, C., & Fisher, H. (2007). Environmental Factors in Schizophrenia: Childhood Trauma—A Critical Review. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 33 (1), 3-10. [cited 143 times]

Power, P., Iacoponi, E., Reynolds, N., Fisher, H., et al. (2007). The Lambeth Early Onset Crisis Assessment Team study: general practitioner education and access to an early detection team in first-episode psychosis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 191 (suppl. 51), s133-s139. [cited 19 times]

Singh, S.P., & Fisher, H.L. (2007). Early intervention services. Psychiatry, 6 (8), 333-338.

Singh, S.P., Grange, T., Vijaykrishnan, A., Francis, S., White, S., Fisher, H., et al. (2007). One-year outcome of an early intervention in psychosis service: a naturalistic evaluation. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 1, 282-287.

2006

McCreadie, R.G., Henderson, J., Fisher, H., & Singh, S. (2006). Sildenafil in males with schizophrenia and erectile dysfunction: failed randomised controlled trial. Quarterly Journal of Mental Health, 1 (1), 77-79.

Morgan, C., Fisher, H., & Fearon, P. (2006).Child abuse and psychosis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 113 (3), 238.

2005

Fisher, H.L., & Rose, D. (2005). Comparison of the effectiveness of two versions of the Rey Memory Test in discriminating between actual and simulated memory impairment, with and without the addition of a standard memory test. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, 27, 840-858.

Singh, S.P., Cooper, J., Fisher, H.L., et al. (2005). Determining the chronology and components of psychosis onset: the Nottingham Onset Schedule (NOS). Schizophrenia Research, 80, 117-130. [cited 25 times]

Singh, S.P., & Fisher, H.L. (2005). Early intervention in psychosis: obstacles and opportunities. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11, 71-78. [cited 16 times]

2004

Singh, S.P., & Fisher, H.L. (2004). A specialist early intervention for first-episode psychosis. Psychiatric Services, 55 (8), 942-943.

Singh, S.P., & Fisher, H.L. (2004). Early intervention services. Psychiatry, 3 (9), 17-22.

In preparation/under review

Ajnakina, O., Borges, S., DiForti, M., Mondelli, M., Powell, J., Morgan, C., Pariante, C., Murray, R.M., Fisher, H.L.*, Iyegbe, C.* (submitted). Could environmental confounding mask an effect of FKBP5 rs1360780 on risk of psychosis? Molecular Psychiatry.

Beards, S., Gayer-Anderson, C., Borges, S., Fisher, H.L.*, Morgan, C.* (under review). Life events and psychosis: A literature review. Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Cullen, A.E., Fisher, H.L., Roberts, R.E., Laurens, K.R. (under review). Daily stressors and negative life events in children at risk for developing schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry.

Dominguez, M., Fisher, H.L., Major, B., et al. (under review). Duration of untreated psychosis in adolescent-onset psychosis: Ethnic differences and clinical profiles. Schizophrenia Research.

Fisher, H.L., Penton-Voak, I., & Munafo, M. (under review). The role of enhanced anger recognition in the pathway between childhood trauma and paranoia. Psychiatry Research.

Gayer-Anderson, C., Fisher, H.L., Fearon, P., et al. (in prep). Gender differences in the association between childhood physical and sexual abuse, social support and psychosis. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology.

Hosang, G.M., Uher, R., Fisher, H.L. et al. (under review). Childhood maltreatment and adult medical conditions among people with bipolar disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Jaffee, S., Bowes, L., Oullet-Morin, I., Fisher, H.L., et al. (under review). Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships Break the Intergenerational Cycle of Violence: A prospective nationally-representative cohort of children in the UK. Journal of Adolescent Health.

Lereya, T.S., Winsper, C., Heron, J., Lewis, G., Gunnell, D., Fisher, H.L., Wolke, D. (under review). Being bullied during childhood and the prospective pathways to self-harm in late adolescence. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Mann, F., Fisher, H.L., Major, B., et al. (under review). Ethnic variations in compulsory detention and hospital admission for psychosis across four UK Early Intervention Services. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology.

Mann, F., Fisher, H.L., & Johnson, S. (submitted). A systematic review of ethnic variation in hospital admission and compulsory detention in first episode psychosis. Journal of Mental Health.

Meier, M.H., Caspi, A., Reichenberg, A., Fisher, H.L., et al. (under review). Neuropsychological decline in schizophrenia from childhood to midlife: evidence of a neuroprogressive process. American Journal of Psychiatry.

Moffitt, T., et al. (under review). Childhood exposure to violence and lifelong health: Clinical intervention science and stress biology research join forces. Development & Psychopathology.

Power, R.A., Lecky-Thompson, L., Fisher, H.L., et al. (under review). The interaction between child maltreatment and adult stressful life events in major depression. Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Radford, L., Corral, S., Bradley, C., & Fisher H.L. (under review). Children exposed to domestic violence: findings on prevalence, risks and impact from a UK population study. British Journal of Social Work.

Schiltroth, K. & Fisher, H.L. (in prep). Problem Families or Problem Systems? An examination of the impact of changes in social worker and parental participation on case drift in child protection systems: A case control study.

Soni, S., Fisher, H.L., Major, B., et al. (in prep). Correlates of violence in first-episode psychosis: A naturalistic cohort study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences.

Stone, J.M., Fisher, H.L., Major, B., et al. (under review). Cannabis use and manic symptomatology in first-episode psychosis. Psychological Medicine.

Tapfumaneyi, A., Johnson, S., Joyce, J., Major, B., Lawrence, J., Mann, F., Chisholm, B., Rahaman, N., Wooley, J., Fisher, H.L. (under review). Predictors of one-year vocational outcomes in inner-city early intervention in psychosis services. Early Intervention in Psychiatry.

Theleritis, C., Fisher, H.L., Schafer, I., et al. (in prep). Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) is associated with childhood abuse in first episode psychosis. Genes, Brain & Behavior.

Trotta, A., DiForti, M., Mondelli, V., Morgan, C., Dazzan, P., Pariante, C., David, A., Mule, A., Ferraro, L., Formica, I., Murray, R.M., Fisher, H.L. (under review). Prevalence of bullying victimisation amongst first-episode psychosis patients and unaffected controls. Schizophrenia Research.

Velikonja, T., Morgan, C., Dazzan, P., Morgan, K., Fearon, P., Doody, G., Jones, P.B., Murray, R.M., Fisher, H.L. (in prep). Childhood Adversity and Premorbid Schizotypal Traits: Findings from the AESOP first-episode psychosis case-control study. Schizophrenia Research.

Wolke, D.*, Lereya, T.S*, Fisher, H.L., Lewis, G., Zammitt, S. (under review). Bullying in elementary school and psychotic symptoms at 18 years: A longitudinal, population based cohort Study. JAMA Psychiatry.

last updated: Monday, March 11, 2013