Newcastle University

Introduction

My name is Dr. Thomas Daniel Meyer, I officially started in November 1st in 20606 as a Senior Lecturer formerly at the School of Neurology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry being mainly based in the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I am a member of the Institute of Neuroscience and closely affliated with the University Department of Psychiarty.

Background

To give you an idea who I am and what I have done so far, let me tell you some things about my background. I was born in Germany, actually in a city called Freiburg im Breisgau located at the Black Forest being close to France and Switzerland.

I started studying psychology in 1987 at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. My master thesis was about “Testing a phase-overlapping anhedonia model to predict the efficacy of antipsychotic medication for negative symptoms of schizophrenia”. While I was enrolled in a doctorate program of the DG BANK Frankfurt working in Human Resources for about two years (1993 – 1995) I started my research about schizotypy / psychosis proneness (for example its association cross-sectionally and prospectively to personality disorders, familial aggregation of schizotypy). Then I started my training to become a licensed psychotherapist and worked for two years at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Mainz, focusing on alcohol related disorders and personality disorders. When my mentor, Prof. Dr. Martin Hautzinger, moved away from Mainz and became head of the Department of Clinical and Developmental Psychology of the Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen I joined him as an assistant professor.

In Tuebingen I switched my focus to affective disorders partly influenced by Martin Hautzinger who originally introduced cognitive behaviour therapy of depression to Germany when he returned from the US. To extend his work I, however, focused on bipolar disorders. One of my research interests always was high risk research, so it was only natural for me to pursue this in this field as well. I published several papers about the correlates and predictive validity of risk indicators for bipolarity. I am also very interested in improving recognition and diagnostic assessment in this field. Together with Prof. Jules Angst and others I am involved in the project to validate a new screening tool for bipolarity – the Hypomanic Checklist-32 (HCL-32). Furthermore, since 1999 we ran the only randomized controlled trial of CBT for bipolar disorders in Germany to test the specific effects of CBT. Currently we are analyzing these data.

In addition to research and providing psychotherapy I was also always involved in training students at different levels, from undergraduate to graduate as well as post-graduate levels. Because I truly believe that the best teaching is provided when research and one’s own clinical experience come together, most of my teaching was within the fields of assessment, aetiology and treatment of psychosis, personality disorders, alcohol related disorders and affective disorders. But I also taught classes about research methods, focusing on efficacy and effectiveness of psychological interventions. My experience also includes preparing and training of managers for participating in job interviews and assessment centres. Because there are not too many people in Germany doing CBT for bipolar disorders I still have a lot of commitments over there, where I provide the training for clinical psychologists and psychotherapists on how to treat patients suffering from bipolar disorders.

Besides continuing these areas of research, I have several ideas that I wish to pursue and elaborate more intensively here in my new home in Newcastle. One topic of interest is to further investigate the cognitive and emotional processes involved in mania and depression and its triggers (such as specific stressors or life events). Furthermore I would love to extend my work to bipolar disorders in children and adolescents and what we can offer to them and their families. Last but definitely not least I want to combine my two traditional lines of research: intervention and high risk approach. Therefore I am working on a concept towards ‘indicative prevention’, i.e. to develop a programme for younger people being at risk for affective and especially bipolar disorders such as those having a family history of bipolar disorders and/or showing early specific and/or unspecific signs of impairment (for example mood swings, periods of excessive substance consumption or even signs of attention-deficit-hyperactivity). If we find that it is possible - as already studied and done in the area of psychosis - to prevent people with sub-threshold symptoms to cross the border to diagnosable disorders, this could prevent serious issues with which the patients, their families and we as therapists often have to deal afterwards such as hospitalizations, multiple medications, and disruptions of relationships or careers/education.

If you have any questions about these topics or are interested to join in, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Roles and Responsibilities

Associate Editor Psychology & Psychotherapy (since September 2005)
Reviewer for
Acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Anxiety, Stress & Coping
Biological Psychiatry
Bipolar Disorders
British Journal of Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology Review
Cochrane Reviews
Cognition & Emotion
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
European Psychiatry
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Journal of Affective Disorders
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Personality and Individual Differences
Psychiatry Research
Social Science & Medicine
Sucht
Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie

Qualifications

2004 Supervisor for psychologists in training for psychotherapy
2003 Habilitation
1999 Licensed Psychotherapist (federal Government license)
1996 Ph.D.
1993 Diploma in Psychology

Previous Positions

09. 1991 - 03. 1992 Research Assistant, Human Pharmacological Center, Boehringer Ingelheim KG
07. 1993 - 06. 1995 Human Resurcees (DG Bank Frankfurt)
07. 1995 - 09. 1995 Research Assistant, Department of Clinical Psychology (Chair: Prof. Dr. M. Hautzinger), Psychological Institute , Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz
10. 1995 - 03. 1997 Research scientist & internship, Department of Psychiatry (Chair: Prof. Dr. O. Benkert), Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz
04. 1997 – 03. 2003 Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology (Chair: Prof. Dr. M. Hautzinger), Psychological Institute, Eberhard Karls-University Tuebingen
04. 2003 – 10. 2006 Associate Professor (Hochschuldozent), Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology (Chair: Prof. Dr. M. Hautzinger), Psychological Institute, Eberhard Karls-University Tuebingen

Memberships

American Psychological Association
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Bipolare Störungen [German Socety for Bipolar Disorders]
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie [German Society for Psychology]
Society for Research in Psychopathology

Honours and Awards

May 2005 Professor of Psychopathology (University of Zürich) – listed as Number 3
June 2005 Liily Young Investigator Fellowship Award in Bipolar Disorder Award (ICBD, Pittsburgh, PA)
July 2006 Professor of Clinical Psychology (University of Leipzig) – listed as Number 3
Octobre 2006 Appointed personal chair: Professor (University of Tübingen)

Languages

German
English
French (rudimentary)

Funding

2000 - 2002
DFG Me 1681/7-1:Hypomanic personality– A potential marker for bipolar disorders (Principal investigator)

2000 - 2002
DFG Me 1681/6-1: Cognitive behavior therapy as adjunctive treatment for bipolar affective disorders (Principal investigator; with co-investigator: Prof. Dr. M. Hautzinger)

2002 - 2004
DFG Me 1681/6-2: Cognitive behavior therapy as adjunctive treatment for bipolar affective disorders” (Continuation of DFG Me 1681/6-1)

2004
DFG Me 1681/8-1: Meta-analysis. The influence of stress on the course of bipolar disorders (principal investigator)

2004 - 2005
Project funding for Young researchers of the University of Tuebingen: Social comparison processes and illusion of success as risk factors for mood changes in people at risk for affective disorders (principal investigator).

2004 - 2005
DFG Me 1681/6-3: Cognitive behavior therapy as adjunctive treatment for bipolar affective disorders”

since Summer 2007
DFG Me 1681/13-1: Social comparison processes and their role for affective disorders

Postgraduate Teaching

I did in Germany teaching in the fields of Research Methods, Assessment, Clinical Psychology, and Psychological Intervention, as well as workshops for several institutions training psychologists to become psychotherapists.

In Newcastle I am the module leader for the modules Assessment and Service Delivary in the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology. As a tutor I also contribute to the Research Module within the Doctorate (e.g. supervision of research projects). Furthermore I am in charge to organize our teaching for the MRC Psychiarty training.

• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Hypomanic Personality, Social Anhedonia and Impulsive Nonconformity: Evidence for Familial Aggregation?. Journal of Personality Disorders 2001, 15(4), 281-299.
• Bäzner E, Brömer P, Hammelstein P, Meyer TD. Current and former depression and their relationship to the effects of social comparison processes. Results of an internet based study. Journal of Affective Disorders 2006, 93(1-3), 97-103.
• Meyer TD, Maier S. Is there evidence for social rhythm instability in people at risk for affective disorders?. Psychiatry Research 2006, 141(1), 103-114.
• Meyer TD, Blechert J. The Sensory Cortical Representation of the Human Penis: Revisiting Somatotopy in the Male Homunculus. Journal of Affective Disorders 2005,84 1 63-72.
• Meyer TD. Hypomanie und Manie [Hypomania and mania]. In: Röhrle, B; Caspar, F; Schlottke, PF, ed. Lehrbuch der klinisch-psychologischen Diagnostik (Textbook for clinical psychological assessment). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2008, pp. 433-474.
• Hautzinger M, Meyer TD. Psychotherapie bei bipolaren affektiven Störungen - Ein systematischer Überblick kontrollierter Interventionsstudien [Psychotherapy for bipolar affective disorders - a systematic review of controlled intervention trial. Nervenarzt 2007, 78(11), 1248-1260.
• Meyer TD, Hammelstein P, Nilsson LG, Skeppar P, Adolfsson R, Angst J. The Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32): its factorial structure and association to indices of impairment in German and Swedish nonclinical samples. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2007, 48(1), 79-87.
• Meyer TD, Baur M, Krämer J. Comorbidity of bipolar affective disorders and personality disorders – A systematic review. In:MB Kotlar, ed. New developments in mania research.Hauppauge:Nova Science Publishers, Inc,2006, pp. 27-50.
• Hautzinger M, Meyer TD. Depressionsdiagnostik [Assessment of depression]. In:Petermann, F., Eid., M., ed. Handbuch der Psychologischen Diagnostik.Göttingen:Hogrefe,2006, pp. 540-549.
• Hofmann BU, Meyer TD. Mood fluctuations in people putatively at risk for bipolar disorders. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006,45 1 105-110.
• Peukert P, Meyer TD. Anzeichen für vermehrte subsyndromale affektive Episoden bei Vulnerabilität für bipolar affektive Störungen [Subsyndromal affective episodes as indicators of the vulnerability for bipolar affective disorders]. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie 2006,35 3 215-224.
• Holzwarth K, Meyer TD. The dysregulation of the "Behavior Activation System": An independent dimension. Personality and Individual Differences 2006, 41(2), 319-328.
• Blechert J, Meyer TD. Are the scales Hypomanic Personality, Impulsive Nonconformity and Rigidity predictors of bipolar symptoms?. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 2005,44 1 15-27.
• Meyer TD, Hofmann BU. Assessing the dysregulation of the Behavioral Activation System: the Hypomanic Personality Scale compared with the BIS-BAS-Scales. Journal of Personality Assessment 2005,85 3 318-324.
• Krumm-Merabet C, Meyer TD. Leisure activities, alcohol, and nicotine consumption in people with a hypomanic/hyperthymic temperament. Personality and Individual Differences 2005,38 3 701-712.
• Meyer TD. Manisch-depressiv? Was Betroffene und Angehörige wissen sollten? [English title: Manic depression? – What those who are affected and their relatives should know]. Weinheim:Beltz Verlag,2005.
• Meyer TD, Deckersbach T. No Evidence for Verbal Memory Impairment in Individuals Putatively at Risk for Bipolar Disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2005,46 6 472-476.
• Angst J, Adolfsson R, Benazzi F, Gamma A, Hantouche E, Meyer TD, Skeppar P, Vieta E, Scott J. The HCL-32: Towards a self-assessment tool for hypomanic symptoms in outpatients. Journal of Affective Disorders 2005,84 2 217-233.
• Meyer TD. und Selbstmanagement bei bipolar affektiven Störungen [Psychoeducation and self management of bipolar affective disorders]. In:Behrendt, B., Schaub, A., ed. Psychoedukation und Selbstmanagement. Verhaltenstherapeutische Ansätze zur Krankheitsbewältigung für die klinische Praxis.Tübingen:DGVT Verlag,2005, pp. 209-246.
• Meyer TD. Bipolar affektive Störungen [Bipolar affective disorders]. In: Linden, M., Hautzinger, M., ed. Verhaltenstherapiemanual. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer Verlag, 2004, pp. 429-437.
• Meyer TD, Koßmann-Böhm S, Schlottke PF. Do Child Psychiatrists in Germany Diagnose Bipolar Disorders in Children and Adolescents? - Results from a Survey. Bipolar Disorders 2004,6 5 426-431.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Manisch-depressive Störungen: kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutisches Behandlungsmanual [Manic depressive illness – Cognitive behavior therapy as relapse prevention – A treatment manual]. Weinheim: Beltz Verlag, 2004.
• Meyer TD, Krumm-Merabet C. Academic performance and expectations for the future in relation to a vulnerability marker for bipolar disorders: the hypomanic temperament. Personality and Individual Differences 2003, 35(4), 785-796.
• Meyer TD, Keller F. Is there evidence for a latent class called “hypomanic temperament”?. Journal of Affective Disorders 2003, 75(3), 259-267.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Psychotherapie und Psychoedukation [Psychotherapy and psychoeducation]. In: Deutsche Gesellschaft für bipolare Störungen(DGBS e V), ed. Weissbuch Bipolare Störungen in Deutschland. Norderstedt: Books on Demand GmbH, 2003, pp.251-306.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Screening for bipolar disorders using the Hypomanic Personality Scale. Journal of Affective Disorders 2003, 75(2), 149-154.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. The structure of affective symptoms in a sample of young adults. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2003, 44(2), 110-116.
• Meyer TD. Correlates of the Hypomanic Personality Scale: Results from a family sample. Personality and Individual Differences 2002, 32(1), 3-14.
• Hautzinger M, Meyer TD, Pheasant B. Cyclothymic but not depressive temperament influences the mood of another person in social interactions. In: Kaschka, W.P, ed. Perspectives in Affective Disorders. Basel: S. Karger AG, 2002, pp.178-187.
• Hautzinger M, Meyer TD. Diagnostik affektiver Störungen [Assessment of affective disorders]. Göttingen: Hogrefe, 2002.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Kognitive Verhaltenstherapie als Ergänzung der medikamentösen Behandlung manisch-depressiver Störungen – Wie sieht die Empirie aus? [English title: Cognitive behavior therapy as adjunctive treatment for manic depressive disorders - What is the evidence?]. Der Nervenarzt 2002, 73(7), 620-628.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Prediction of personality disorder traits by psychosis proneness scales in a German sample of young adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology 2002, 58(9), 1091-1101.
• Meyer TD. The Hypomanic Personality Scale, the Big Five, and their relationship to depression and mania. Personality and Individual Differences 2002, 32(4), 649-660.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Allgemeine Depressions-Skala (ADS) –Normierung an Minderjährigen und Erweiterung zur Erfassung manischer Symptome (ADMS) ). Diagnostica 2001, 47(4), 208-215.
• Meyer TD. Das Spektrum manisch-depressiver Störungen in den Zeitschriftenpublikationen der letzten 20 Jahre. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie 2001, 30(1), 42-44.
• Hautzinger M, Meyer TD. Diagnostik affektiver Störungen. In: Stieglitz, RD; Baumann, U; Freyberger, D, ed. Psychodiagnostik in Klinischer Psychologie, Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie. Stuttgart: Thieme Verlag, 2001, pp.418-429.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Erfüllen psychometrische Schizotypie-Indikatoren die Kriterien für Vulnerabilitätsmarker? - Versuch einer Bewertung [English title: Do psychometric indicators for schizotypy fulfill the criteria for vulnerability markers – An evaluation]. In: B. Andresen & R. Maß, ed. Schizotypie. Psychometrische Entwicklungen und biopsychologische Forschungsansätze. Göttingen: Hogrefe, 2001, pp.324-348.
• Meyer TD, Salkow K, Hautzinger M. Erste Ergebnisse zur prädiktiven Validität der Skala Hypomane Persönlichkeit - 3 Jahre später (English title: First results supporting the predictive validity of the Hypomanic Personality Scale – Three years later). Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie 2001, 30, 103-114.
• Meyer TD, Keller F. Exploring the latent structure of the Perceptual Aberration, Magical Ideation and Physical Anhedonia Scales in a German sample. Journal of Personality Disorders 2001, 15(6), 521-535.
• Hautzinger M, Meyer TD. Prospektive Studien im Bereich der psychometrischen High-risk-Forschung English title: Prospective studies in the psychometric high-risk paradigm. In: B. Andresen & R. Mass, ed. Schizotypie. Psychometrische Entwicklungen und biopsychologische Forschungsansätze. Göttingen: Hogrefe, 2001, pp.233-250.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Bipolare affektive Störungen [English title: Bipolar affective disorders]. In: M. Hautzinger, ed. Kognitive Verhaltenstherapie bei psychischen Störungen (3., überarbeitete und erweitere Aufl.). Weinheim: Psychologie Verlags Union, 2000, pp.40-69.
• Meyer TD, Drüke B, Hautzinger, M. Hypomane Persönlichkeit - Psychometrische Evaluation und erste Ergebnisse zur Validität der deutschen Version der Chapman-Skala - (Hypomanic personality – Psychometric evaluation and first results supporting the validity of the German version of the Chapman scale). Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie 2000, 29(1), 35-42.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Psychotherapie bei bipolaren affektiven Störungen - Ein Überblick über den Stand der Forschung [English title: Psychotherapy for bipolar affective disorders – A review about the empirical evidence]. Verhaltenstherapie 2000, 10(3), 177-185.
• Meyer, T.D. & Hautzinger, M. Intrafamiliäre Ähnlichkeit von Physischer Anhedonie, Wahrnehmungsabweichungen und Magischem Denken Denken [English title: Intrafamilial resemblance of physical anhedonia, perceptual aberration and magical ideation].. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie 1999, 28, 9-17.
• Meyer, T.D. & Hautzinger, M. Two year stability of psychosis proneness scales and their relationship to personality disorder traits. Journal of Personality Assessment 1999, 73, 472-488.
• Meyer, T.D. & Hautzinger, M. Quantitative und qualitative familiäre Häufung von Schizotypie Schizotypie [English title: Quantitative and qualitative aspect of familial aggregation of schizotypy].. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie 1998, 27, 254-261.
• Day AM, James I, Meyer TD, Lee D. Can a lie be therapeutic? The views of people with dementia. Ageing and Mental Health 2012. In Press.
• Meyer TD, Hautzinger M. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Supportive Therapy for Bipolar Disorders – Relapse rates for treatment period and 2 year follow-up. Psychological Medicine 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Watkins HB, Nendick J, Atkinson L, Ferrier IN, Grunze H, Scott J, Meyer TD. Investigating impulsivity in bipolar II disorder: more state than trait?. In: 5th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. 2012, Istanbul, Turkey: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
• Nendick J, Watkins H, Atkinson L, Ferrier IN, Grunze H, Meyer T, Scott J. Met and unmet needs: evidence of significant health and social problems in bipolar II disorders from the MRC UK, 'ABC' Cohort study. In: 5th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. 2012, Istanbul, Turkey: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Lex C, Hautzinger M, Meyer TD. Cognitive styles in hypomanic episodes of bipolar I disorder. Bipolar Disorders 2011, 13(4), 355-364.
• Day AM, James IA, Meyer TD, Lee DR. Do people with dementia find lies and deception in dementia care acceptable?. Aging & Mental Health 2011, 15(7), 822-829.
• Meyer TD, Finucane L, Jordan G. Is risk for mania associated with increased daydreaming as a form of mental imagery?. Journal of Affective Disorders 2011, 135(1-3), 380-383.
• Wolkenstein L, Bruchmüller K, Schmid P, Meyer TD. Misdiagnosing bipolar disorder – do clinicians show heuristic biases?. Journal of Affective Disorders 2011, 130(3), 405-412.
• Schottle D, Huber CG, Bock T, Meyer TD. Psychotherapy for bipolar disorder: a review of the most recent studies. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 2011, 24(6), 549-555.
• Meyer TD, Fuhr K, Hautzinger M, Schlarb AA. Recognizing mania in children and adolescents-age does not matter, but decreased need for sleep does. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2011, 52(2), 132-138.
• McDonald JL, Meyer TD. Self-Report Reasons for Alcohol Use in Bipolar Disorders: Why Drink Despite the Potential Risks?. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2011, 18(5), 418-425.
• Meyer TD, Bernhard B, Born C, Fuhr K, Gerber S, Schaerer L, Langosch JM, Pfennig A, Sasse J, Scheiter S, Schotle D, van Calker D, Wolkenstein L, Bauer M. The Hypomania Checklist-32 and the Mood Disorder Questionnaire as screening tools - going beyond samples of purely mood-disordered patients. Journal of Affective Disorders 2011, 128(3), 291-298.
• Scheurich A, Meyer TD, Müller MJ, Trautmann B, Wetzel H, Dreher M, Hautzinger M, Szegedi A. Form 90: Strukturierte Interviews zur Erhebung der aktuellen Trinkmenge und des aktuellen Trinkverhaltens (Brief Form 90). Mannheim: Zentrum für Umfragen, Methoden und Analysen, 2002.
• Munch C, Penndorf A, Schwalenstocker B, Troost D, Ludolph AC, Ince P, Meyer T. Impaired RNA splicing of 5 '-regulatory sequences of the astroglial glutamate transporter EAAT2 in human astrocytoma. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2001, 71(5), 675-678.