Ellen Townsend

Contact

• workRoom B44 School of Psychology
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• work0115 84 67305
• fax0115 95 15324
• ellen.townsend@nottingham.ac.uk
• https://digitalyouth.ac.uk/

Biography

I hold a B.A. (Hons) from the University of Leeds and a PhD from the University of Nottingham. Before joining Nottingham as a Lecturer in 2001 I spent three years as a post-doctoral researcher in the Centre for Suicide Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. I am PI of the Self-Harm Research Group (SHRG) and co-PI (with Prof Chris Hollis) of the UKR funded 'Digital Youth' programme. I am Co-Director of Connect Nottingham - a pioneering community research and engagement hub at the newly acquired Castle Meadow Campus, along with Dr Rebecca Ford.

Expertise Summary

Self-Harm. Suicide Prevention. Mental Health. Psychology. Participatory research. Public Engagement.

Research Summary

I am a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham and PI leading the Self-Harm Research Group (SHRG) and co-PI for the MRC funded 'Digital Youth' programme. SHRG researches… read more

Selected Publications

• TOWNSEND E, NESS J, WATERS K, KAPUR N, TURNBULL P, COOPER J, BERGEN H and HAWTON K, 2016. Self-harm and life problems: findings from the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
• HAWTON K, WITT KG, TAYLOR SALISBURY TL, ARENSMAN E, GUNNELL D, TOWNSEND E, VAN HEERINGEN K and HAZELL P, 2015. Interventions for self-harm in children and adolescents. Cochrane Library.
• TOWNSEND E, WADMAN R, SAYAL K, ARMSTRONG M, HARROE C, MAJUMDER P, VOSTANIS P and CLARKE D, 2016. Uncovering key patterns in self-harm in adolescents: Sequence analysis using the Card Sort Task for Self-harm (CaTS): (Open Access.) Journal of Affective Disorders. 206, 161-168
• NIELSEN, E., SAYAL, K. and TOWNSEND, E., 2016. Exploring the relationship between experiential avoidance, coping functions and the recency and frequency of self-harm PloSONE. 11(7), e0159854

• View all publications

Current Research

I am a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham and PI leading the Self-Harm Research Group (SHRG) and co-PI for the MRC funded 'Digital Youth' programme. SHRG researches psychological factors associated with self-harm and interventions (including digital interventions) that support recovery, especially in young people using a range of techniques including sequence analysis, the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm (CaTS), experiments, questionnaires, epidemiology, interviews and systematic reviews. This work has been funded by UKRI, NIHR and the Wellcome Trust.

I am a collaborator on the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England, HORIZON and the Autism Adapted Safety Plans study

A full list of my publications via Google scholar is here.

• 2024. Risk and protective factors for self-harm thoughts and behaviours in transgender and gender diverse people: A systematic review
• 2024. Adapting safety plans for autistic adults with involvement from the autism community Autism in Adulthood.
• WADMAN, R., ARMSTRONG, M., CLARKE, D., HARROE, C., MAJUMDER, P., SAYAL, K., VOSTANIS, P. and TOWNSEND, E., 2018. Experience of self-harm and its treatment in looked-after young people: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Archives of Suicide Research. 22, 365-379
• WADMAN, R., CLARKE, D., SAYAL, K., VOSTANIS, P., ARMSTRONG, M., HARROE, C., MAJUMDER, P. and TOWNSEND, E., 2017. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experience of self-harm repetition and recovery in young adults. Journal of Health Psychology. 22, 1631-1641
• NIELSEN, E., SAYAL, K. and TOWNSEND, E., 2017. Dealing with difficult days: functional coping dynamics in self-harm ideation and enactment Journal of Affective Disorders. 208, 330-337
• LOCKWOOD, J., DALEY, D., TOWNSEND, E. and SAYAL, K., 2017. Impulsivity and self-harm in adolescence: A systematic review. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 26, 387–402
• NIELSEN, E and TOWNSEND, E, 2017. Public perceptions of self-harm - A test of an attribution model of public discrimination. Stigma and Health. (In Press.)
• NIELSEN E, KIRTLEY O and TOWNSEND E, 2017. 'Great powers and great responsibilities': A Brief Comment on a brief mobile app reduces nonsuicidal and suicidal self-injury: Evidence from three randomized controlled trials (Franklin et al., 2016). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 85(8), 826-830
• NIELSEN E, SAYAL K and TOWNSEND E, 2017. Functional coping dynamics and experiential avoidance in a community sample with no self-injury vs. non-suicidal self-injury only vs. those with both non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behaviour. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 14, E575
• WADMAN R, CLARKE D, SAYAL K, ARMSTRONG M, HARROE C, MAJUMDER P, VOSTANIS P and TOWNSEND E, 2017. A sequence analysis of patterns in self-harm in young people with and without experience of being looked-after in care. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 56, 388-407
• GLAZEBROOK, K., TOWNSEND, E. and SAYAL, K., 2016. Do coping strategies mediate the relationship between parental attachment and self-harm in young people? Archives of Suicide Research. 20, 205-218
• GEULAYOV G, KAPUR N, TURNBULL P, CLEMENTS C, WATERS K, NESS J, TOWNSEND E and HAWTON K, 2016. Epidemiology and trends in non-fatal self-harm in three centres in England, 2000–2012: findings from the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England BMJOpen.
• HAWTON K, WITT KG, TAYLOR SALISBURY TL, ARENSMAN E, GUNNELL D, HAZELL P, TOWNSEND E and VAN HEERINGEN K, 2016. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults. Cochrane Library.
• TOWNSEND E, NESS J, WATERS K, KAPUR N, TURNBULL P, COOPER J, BERGEN H and HAWTON K, 2016. Self-harm and life problems: findings from the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
• CLEMENTS C, TURNBULL P, HAWTON K, GEULAYOV G, WATERS K, NESS J, TOWNSEND E, KUNDAKAR K and KAPUR N, 2016. Rates of self-harm presenting to general hospitals: a comparison of data from the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England and Hospital Episode Statistics. BMJOpen.
• HOCHARD K, HEYM N and TOWNSEND E, 2016. The behavioral effects of frequent nightmares on objective stress tolerance. Dreaming. 26(1), 42-49
• TOWNSEND E, WADMAN R, SAYAL K, ARMSTRONG M, HARROE C, MAJUMDER P, VOSTANIS P and CLARKE D, 2016. Uncovering key patterns in self-harm in adolescents: Sequence analysis using the Card Sort Task for Self-harm (CaTS): (Open Access.) Journal of Affective Disorders. 206, 161-168
• NIELSEN, E., SAYAL, K. and TOWNSEND, E., 2016. Exploring the relationship between experiential avoidance, coping functions and the recency and frequency of self-harm PloSONE. 11(7), e0159854
• HOCHARD, K, HEYM, N and TOWNSEND, E, 2016. Investigating the interaction between sleep symptoms of arousal and acquired capability in predicting suicidality Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior.
• GLAZEBROOK, K., TOWNSEND, E. and SAYAL, K., 2015. The role of attachment style in predicting repetition of adolescent self-harm: A longitudinal study. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 45(6), 664-678
• HAWTON K, WITT KG, TAYLOR SALISBURY TL, ARENSMAN E, GUNNELL D, TOWNSEND E, VAN HEERINGEN K and HAZELL P, 2015. Interventions for self-harm in children and adolescents. Cochrane Library.
• TURNBULL P, WEBB R, KAPUR N, BERGEN H, HAWTON K, NESS J, WATERS K, TOWNSEND E and COOPER J, 2015. Variation by ethnic group in premature mortality risk following self-harm: a multicentre cohort study in England BMC Psychiatry.
• KAPUR N, STEEG S, TURNBULL P, WEBB R, BERGEN H, HAWTON K, GEULAYOV G, TOWNSEND E, NESS J, WATERS K and COOPER J, 2015. Hospital management of suicidal behaviour and subsequent mortality: a prospective cohort study Lancet Psychiatry.
• HAWTON K, WITT KG, TAYLOR SALISBURY TL, ARENSMAN E, GUNNELL D, HAZELL P, TOWNSEND E and VAN HEERINGEN K, 2015. Pharmacological interventions for self-harm in adults Cochrane Library.
• HOCHARD K, HEYM N and TOWNSEND E, 2015. The Unidirectional Relationship of Nightmares on Self-Harmful Thoughts and Behaviors Dreaming.
• TOWNSEND, E., 2014. Self-Harm in Young People. Clinical Review. Evidence-Based Mental Health. 2014,
• TOWNSEND E, 2014. Suicide Terrorism. In: NOCK M, ed., Oxford Handbook of Suicide and Self-Injury 2014. Oxford University Press.
• KNOWLES, S, TOWNSEND, E and ANDERSON, M, 2013. “In two minds”. Socially motivated self harm is perceived as less serious than internally motivated: A qualitative study of youth justice staff. Journal of Health Psychology. 18(9), 1187-1198
• KNOWLES, S.E. and TOWNSEND, E., 2012. Implicit and explicit attitudes toward self harm: support for a functional model Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 43(2), 730-736
• TOWNSEND, E. and PITCHFORD, N.J., 2012. Baby knows best?: the impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case-controlled sample BMJ Open. 2(1), e000298
• FLEMING, P, TOWNSEND, E, VAN HILTEN, J, SPENCE, A and FERGUSON, E, 2012. Expert-relevance and the use context-driven heuristic processes in risk perception. Journal of Risk Resarch. 15, 857-873
• KNOWLES, S, TOWNSEND, E and ANDERSON M, 2012. Youth Justice staff attitudes towards screening for self-harm. Health and Social Care in the Community: o. 20(5), 506-515
• KNOWLES, S., TOWNSEND, E. and ANDERSON, M., 2011. 'Factors associated with self-harm in community-based young offenders:the importance of psychological variables Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology. 22(4), 479-495
• ULPH, F., LEONG, J., GLAZEBROOK, C. and TOWNSEND, E., 2010. A qualitative study exploring genetic counsellors' experiences of counselling children European Journal of Human Genetics. 18(10), 1090-1094
• TOWNSEND, E., WALKER, D.M., SARGEANT, S., VOSTANIS, P., HAWTON, K., STOCKER, O. and SITHOLE, J., 2010. Systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions relevant to young offenders with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, or self-harm Journal of Adolescence. 33(1), 9-20
• ULPH, F., TOWNSEND, E. and GLAZEBROOK, C., 2009. How should risk be communicated to children: a cross-sectional study comparing different formats of probability information BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. 9, 26
• FERGUSON, E., SPENCE, A., TOWNSEND, E., PROWSE, C., PALMER, J., FLEMING, P. and VAN HILTEN, J.A., 2009. What information is trusted by whom:a multi-level analysis of the stability of the information source-trust association for blood transfusion. Transfusion. 49(8), 1637-1648
• TOWNSEND, E., WALKER, D.M., SARGEANT, S., STOCKER, O., VOSTANIS, P., SITHOLE, J. and HAWTON, K., 2009. Interventions for mood and anxiety disorders and self harm in young offenders: Systematic review protocol Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. CD007195
• FERGUSON, E., PROWSE, C., TOWNSEND, E., SPENCE, A., VAN HILTEN, J.A. and LOWE, K., 2008. Acceptability of blood and blood substitutes Journal of Internal Medicine. 263(3), 244-255
• SPENCE, A. and TOWNSEND, E., 2008. Spontaneous evaluations: similarities and differences between the affect heuristic and implicit attitudes Cognition and Emotion. 22(1), 83-93
• FLEMING, P, FERGUSON E, TOWNSEND, E and LOWE, KC, 2007. Stakeholder perceptions in transfusion medicine: A Pilot field study on risk and ethics for blood and blood substitutes. Artificial Cells, Blood Substitutes and Biotechnology. 35(149-156),
• SPENCE, A. and TOWNSEND, E., 2007. Predicting behaviour towards genetically modified food using implicit and explicit attitudes. British Journal of Social Psychology. 46(2), 437-457
• FLEMING, P, TOWNSEND, E, LOWE, KC and FERGUSON, E, 2007. Social desirability influences on judgements of biotechnology across the dimensions of risk, ethicality and naturalness Journal of Risk Research. 10, 989-1003
• TOWNSEND, E., 2007. Suicide Terrorists: Are They Suicidal? SUICIDE AND LIFE THREATENING BEHAVIOR. VOL 37(NUMB 1), 35-49
• TOWNSEND, E., 2007. Cognitive-Behavioural Interventions for Young Offenders. In: VOSTANIS, P., ed., Mental Health Interventions and Services for Vulnerable Children and Young People London: Jessica Kingsley.
• SPENCE, A. and TOWNSEND, E., 2006. Implicit attitudes towards genetically modified (GM) foods: a comparison of context-free and context-dependent evaluations Appetite. 46(1), 67-74
• KNOWLES, S., TOWNSEND, E. and ANDERSON, M., 2006. Using ASSET data for mental health research on young offenders: Issues and implications for researchers Educational and Child Psychology. 23(2), 52-61
• SPENCE, A. and TOWNSEND, E., 2006. Examining Consumer Behavior Toward Genetically Modified (GM) Food in Britain Risk Analysis. VOL 26(NUMBER 3), 657-670
• TOWNSEND, E., 2006. Affective Influences on Risk Perceptions of, and Attitudes Toward, Genetically Modified Food Journal of Risk Research. VOL 9(NUMB 2), 125-139
• FERGUSON, E., LEAVISS, J., TOWNSEND, E., FLEMING, P. and LOWE, K.C., 2005. Perceived safety of donor blood and blood substitutes for transfusion: the role of informational frame, patient groups and stress appraisals Transfusion Medicine. 15(5), 401-412
• CAMPBELL, S. and TOWNSEND, E., 2005. How to Make a Minority Look Like a Majority AUSTRALASIAN SCIENCE. VOL 26(NUMB 2), 28-29
• ULPH, F., GLAZEBROOK, C., LEONG, J., SHAKESPEARE, F. and TOWNSEND, E., 2005. "It's certainly letting a little bit of a flood gate open": Genetic counsellors' views about the UK newborn screening programme for cystic fibrosis. Journal of Medical Genetics. 42: S122-S122 Suppl. 1,
• TOWNSEND, ELLEN, CLARKE, DAVID D and TRAVIS, BETSY, 2004. Effects of context and feelings on perceptions of genetically modified food. Risk Analysis. 24(5), 1369-84
• TOWNSEND, E. and CAMPBELL, S., 2004. Psychological determinants of willingness to taste and purchase genetically modified food. Risk Analysis. 24(5), 1385-1393
• CAMPBELL, S. and TOWNSEND, E., 2003. Flaws undermine results of UK biotech debate. Nature.. 425(6958), 559
• HAWTON, K., HOUSTON, K., HAW, C., TOWNSEND, E. and HARRISS, L., 2003. Comorbidity of Axis I and Axis II Disorders in Patients Who Attempted Suicide American Journal of Psychiatry. VOL 160(PART 8), 1494-1500
• HAW, C., HAWTON, K., WHITEHEAD, L., HOUSTON, K. and TOWNSEND, E., 2003. Assessment and Aftercare for Deliberate Self-Harm Patients Provided by a General Hospital Psychiatric Service Crisis. VOL 24(PART 4), 145-150
• HAW, C., HAWTON, K., HOUSTON, K. and TOWNSEND, E., 2003. Correlates of Relative Lethality and Suicidal Intent among Deliberate Self-Harm Patients Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. VOL 33(PART 4), 353-364
• HOUSTON, K., HAW, C., TOWNSEND, E. and HAWTON, K., 2003. General practitioner contacts with patients before and after deliberate self harm British Journal of General Practice. VOL 53(MAY), 365-370
• HAWTON, K., HAW, C., HOUSTON, K. and TOWNSEND, E., 2002. Family history of suicidal behaviour: prevalence and significance in deliberate self-harm patients Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. VOL 106(PART 5), 387-393
• GEDDES, J., BURGESS, S., HAWTON, K., TOWNSEND, E., JAMISON, K. and GOODWIN, G., 2002. Lithium prophylaxis of mood disorders: Efficacy, acceptability and anti-suicidal effects Journal of Affective Disorders. 68(1), 83
• HAW,C., HOUSTON,K., TOWNSEND,E. and HAWTON,K., 2002. Deliberate self-harm patients with depressive disorders: treatment and outcome. Journal of Affective Disorders. 70(70(1)), 57-65
• HAWTON, K. and TOWNSEND, E., 2002. UK legislation on analgesic pack sizes: impact on suicidal behaviour European Psychiatry. VOL 17(NUMBER), 67
• HAWTON, K., TOWNSEND, E., DEEKS, J., APPLEBY, L., GUNNELL, D., BENNEWITH, O. and COOPER, J., 2001. Effects of legislation restricting pack sizes of paracetamol and salicylate on self poisoning in the United Kingdom: before and after study British Medical Journal. 322(7296), 1203-1206
• TOWNSEND, E., HAWTON, K., HARRISS, L., BALE, E. and BOND, A., 2001. Substances used in deliberate self-poisoning 1985-1997: trends and associations with age, gender, repetition and suicide intent Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 36(5), 228-234
• HAW, C, HAWTON, K, HOUSTON, K and TOWNSEND, E, 2001. Psychiatric and personality disorders in deliberate self-harm patients. British Journal of Psychiatry. 178(1), 48-54
• TOWNSEND, E., HAWTON, K., ALTMAN, D. G., ARENSMAN, E., GUNNELL, D., HAZELL, P., HOUSE, A. and VAN HEERINGEN, K., 2001. The efficacy of problem-solving treatments after deliberate self-harm: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with respect to depression, hopelessness and improvement in problems Psychological Medicine. VOL 31(PART 6), 979-988
• BURGESS, S., GEDDES, J., HAWTON, K., TOWNSEND, E., JAMISON, K. and GOODWIN, G., 2001. Lithium for maintenance treatment of mood disorders. (Cochrane Review) Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• HAW, C., HOUSTON, K., TOWNSEND, E. and HAWTON, K., 2001. Deliberate Self-Harm Patients with Alcohol Disorders: Characteristics, Treatment, and Outcome Crisis. VOL 22(PART 3), 93-101
• ARENSMAN, E., TOWNSEND, E., HAWTON, K., BREMNER, S., FELDMAN, E., GOLDNEY, R., GUNNELL, D., HAZELL, P., VAN HEERINGEN, K. and HOUSE, A., 2001. Psychosocial and Pharmacological Treatment of Patients Following Deliberate Self-Harm: The Methodological Issues Involved in Evaluating Effectiveness Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. VOL 31(PART 2), 169-180
• HAWTON K, TOWNSEND E, ARENSMAN E, GUNNELL D, HAZELL P, HOUSE A and VAN HEERINGEN K, 1999. Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for deliberate self harm. Cochrane Library.
• HAWTON K, ARENSMAN E, TOWNSEND E, BREMNER S, FELDMAN E, GOLDNEY R, GUNNELL D, HAZELL P, VAN HEERINGEN K, HOUSE A, OWENS D, SAKINOFSKY I and TRASKMAN-BENDZ L, 1998. Deliberate self-harm: a systematic review of the efficacy of psychosocial and pharmacological treatments in preventing repetition BMJ.
• NIELSEN E, Public perceptions of self-harm: Perceived motivations of (and willingness to help in response to) adolescent self-harm. Archives of Suicide Research.. (In Press.)
• HOCHARD KD, ASHCROFT S, CARROLL J and HEYM N, Exploring thematic nightmare content and associated self-harm risk. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.. (In Press.)
• Suicide risk and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic Lancet Psychiatry..
• A systematic review and meta-analysis of suicidality in autistic and possibly autistic people without co-occurring intellectual disability.
• Adapted suicide safety plans to address self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide behaviours in autistic adults: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial: Pilot and Feasibility Studies