The University of Sheffield
Medical Humanities Sheffield
A randomised controlled trial to investigate if Focused Expressive Writing reduces
symptoms in patients with epilepsy and Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder
Supervisor: Professor Markus Reuber (Medicine), Professor Brendan Stone (English),
and Dr Ian Brown (Psychology)
Project:
This project is one of three in a University-funded network studying the impact of
shame and stigma in a variety of diseases. All projects are interdisciplinary
collaborative projects coordinated by Medical Humanities Sheffield. The projects will
run in a network with regular meetings, providing cross-discipline insights into
clinically relevant problems, with a translational humanities perspective.
This is a multidisciplinary project, which will forge a closer collaboration between the
departments of Neurology, English and Psychology. The project will involve an
intervention called Focused Emotional Writing (FEW). FEW about traumatic, stressful
or emotional events has previously been found to result in improvements in both
physical and psychological health, in healthy people and in patients with mental and
physical health disorders. In FEW interventions, participants may be asked to write
about distressing events for 15–20 minutes on 3–5 occasions. Several studies have
shown that participants who have engaged in this sort of task have better physical
and psychological outcomes than those who have written about neutral topics.
In this project, we will compare the effects of FEW and writing about neutral topics in
two groups of patients in which this intervention has not been used in the past:
patients with epilepsy and patients with non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD).
Whereas epileptic seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain, nonepileptic attacks (NEAs) are caused by an abnormal response to distress. The use of
FEW in these patient groups is of particular interest because many patients with
epilepsy feel that there seizures are triggered by stress and most NEAs are interpreted
as an abnormal response to distress (often occurring in patients with a history of
significant traumatisation).
To assess the effects of FEW, patients in both groups will be randomised to complete
an FEW task or to write about emotionally neutral topics. We will measure healthrelated quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety, depression, seizure frequency / severity and
healthcare usage before the intervention and three and six months afterwards. We
will look for differences in outcomes between the FEW and neutral writing groups as
well as for differences between patients with epilepsy and NEAD.
Uniquely, we intend to combine this randomised intervention with a detailed
language analysis of the material participants in the FEW groups have written. By
carrying out a very careful examination of the texts provided by the study participants
we intend to learn more about the psychological problems of patients with seizures
and hope to develop ideas for more effective treatments for the distress which is often
associated with seizure disorders.
Entry Requirements:
Candidates must have a relevant first or upper second class honors degree or
significant research experience.
Enquiries:
Interested candidates should in the first instance contact Professor Markus Reuber
(m.reuber@sheffield.ac.uk)
How to apply:
Please send your cover letter, CV, references and transcripts to Ms Jodie Burnham
(j.a.burnham@sheffield.ac.uk)
Website: http://mhs.group.shef.ac.uk
Closing date: Friday 28th April 2014
PhD Studentships (3):
Interdisciplinary Medical Humanities
Closing date: April 18th 2014
Overview: Outstanding graduate scientists are invited to apply for PhD Studentships to study
concepts of shame and stigma that have shaped our responses to disease throughout history. The
meanings of diseases as constructed through the interaction of medicine, the law, and societal
assumptions requires a new, multidisciplinary vision to identify, dissect and explore their historical,
cultural, emotional and clinical perspectives. Medical Humanities Sheffield was created to enable
these translational networks. The diseases that are the focus of this student network are alcohol
related liver disease (ALD) (studentship 1), non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD) (studentship 2),
and disfiguring skin complaints (studentship 3). The supervisory team of each of the studentships
involves a clinician with first-hand experience of treating the condition plus colleagues from the Arts
and Humanities and/or Social Sciences who will supervise the students in recovering and dealing
with the requisite historical, cultural, and emotional contexts. They will bring different tools from
unique perspectives that will cross boundaries and bring the historical and contemporaneous
patient voice into sharp relief within established narrative and psychological frameworks.
Projects and supervisors:
1. Medical And Public Understanding Of Alcohol And The Liver Over The Last 100 Years.
Professor Phil Withington (History), Professor Dermot Gleeson (Medicine), and Dr Richard Cooper
(School of Health and Related Research)
2. A randomised controlled trial to investigate if Focused Expressive Writing reduces
symptoms in patients with epilepsy and Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder
Professor Markus Reuber (Medicine), Professor Brendan Stone (English), Dr Ian Brown
(Psychology)
3. Understanding body shame, stigma, disgust, and depression: How can developing selfcompassion help in living with a visible skin condition
Dr Andrew Thompson (Psychology), Professor Andrew Messenger (Medicine), Dr Julia Moses
(History).
The PhD students and their supervisors will form a network that will meet on a regular basis to
discuss progress and plan future work. The students will also be supported by a Doctoral
Development Programme that provides a cohesive training plan for cross-Faculty PhD students.
The students will be encouraged to present their findings at national and international conferences
and to publish in high-quality, international journals.
Entry Requirements: Applicants should possess a good honours degree in a relevant discipline.
Further details are given for each studentship on this link:
http://mhs.group.shef.ac.uk/studentships/
Enquiries: Please contact the relevant supervisor of each project.
How to apply: Please send your cover letter, CV, references and transcripts to Ms Jodie Burnham
(j.a.burnham@sheffield.ac.uk).