Dr Daniel Michelson

I am an academic clinical psychologist working to improve the quality and coverage of mental health care for disadvantaged and underserved youth. I joined the Centre for Global Mental Health at LSHTM in 2016 after holding previous posts at King’s College London and the University of Oxford.

My research experience spans clinical trials, service evaluations, in-depth qualitative studies, psychometric measure development, evidence synthesis and participatory design of complex interventions. I am also experienced as a therapist, trainer and supervisor in the UK’s National Health Service, specialising in cognitive and behavioural therapies for children, adolescents and parents.

I currently work as Clinical Academic Director for PRIDE ('PRemIum for aDolEscents'). This is a Wellcome Trust-funded programme that aims to develop and trial a school-based, stepped care intervention for common adolescent mental health problems in Goa and New Delhi, and investigate the use of digital platforms to support scaling up in low-resource settings.

My wider research programme is concerned with understanding the social determinants of mental health and psychological help seeking for youth and families, and applying these insights to address challenges in service delivery for ‘hard-to-reach’ and 'hard-to-treat' groups. This has involved work on service innovations such as a digital self-help app for common adolescent mental health problems (India); stress management workshops in secondary schools (UK); a peer-led parenting curriculum for homeless families (UK); a specialized parenting intervention for caregivers with personality difficulties (UK); and an internationally validated service experience measure and quality improvement system for child and adolescent mental health care providers (Sweden, UK). User involvement is integral to these efforts, ensuring that research and practice elements are grounded in the priorities and preferences of young people and families.