Professor Taj Nathan

Professor Nathan was a regular contributor to the undergraduate medical curriculum at the University of Liverpool for over 10 years, he was responsible for academic/in-service training programme for Scott Clinic and he continues to teach masters students and psychiatric trainees. He has delivered lectures and training events to local, regional and national audiences, including:

• Clinical Service Research, North West School of Psychiatry, November 2021
• Formulation vs Diagnosis: The interface of Intellectual Disability and Forensic Psychiatry, North West Grand Round, October 2021
• Reports in family cases, The 20th Annual Grange Conference Medico-legal Event for Mental Health Professionals, North Yorkshire, September 2021
• Assessment of coexisting psychosis and substance misuse: complexities, challenges and causality, University College Dublin, School of Medicine, August 2021
• Competing priorities or conflicting emotional needs? Psychiatric expert assessment of parenting decisions in family proceedings, St Johns Buildings Barristers Chambers (Manchester) Seminars, April 2021
• A Career in Medicine, Alumnus presentation, Ruthin School, March 2021
• Medico-legal matters, North West Regional Forensic Specialty Training Academic Programme, Jan 2021
• Assessment of ASD in custody, Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians webinar, November 2020
• Autism and Mental Illness: Challenges and Pitfalls (keynote speaker), CANDID Conference, Chester, May 2019
• Decision-making in Borderline Personality Disorder: Is the general model for assessing capacity fit for purpose? The Care Act 2014: a new legal framework for safeguarding adults in civil society – Seminar 6: ‘Intersections with mental capacity and mental health’ University of Chester, Nov 2017
• Suicide/self-harm research: Understanding clinical decision-making. Suicide and Self-Harm Research Exercise North West (SSHaRE NoW): Priorities, University of Manchester, 2 June 2017
• Neuroscientific processes in personality disorder and diminished responsibility. Birmingham Forensic Psychiatric Post-Graduate Academic Programme, Tamarind Centre, Birmingham, November 2016
• A Remedy for the Psychiatric Delusion: models of understanding mental disorder in the era of neuroscience. Liverpool Medical Institute, Autumn Lecture, November 2015
• Pathways from prisons to specialist forensic mental health services. Trent Study Day (Latest developments in prison mental health care), Rampton Hospital, June 2015
• Expert psychiatric evidence in family proceedings: diagnosis, formulation and risk assessment. Family Law Breakfast Seminar, St John’s Buildings Barristers Chambers, Liverpool, June 2015

Professor Nathan has undertaken wide-ranging research including in the areas of standardised assessments, neurocognitive disorders, personality disorder and risk. He is a current/recent co-supervisor of 4 PhDs.

PUBLICATIONS

Wood D, Robinson C, Nathan R & McPhillips R (2023), One size doesn’t always fit all: professional perspectives of serious incident management systems in mental healthcare, Mental Health Review Journal, (in press).

Challinor A, Briggs P, Brennan F,  Daniels C,  Hurst G,  Thorpe M, Xavier P & Nathan R (2023), An assessment of interventions following moderate and high scores on the dynamic appraisal of situational aggression risk assessment tool in a forensic mental health unit, (in press) The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology.

McCarthy M, Saini P, Nathan R & McIntyre J (2023), Socioeconomic predictors of crisis and clinical pathways among people contacting a mental health crisis line. Health Service Insights, 16, DOI: 10.1177/11786329231212120 

McCarthy M, McIntyre J, Nathan R, Ashworth E, & Saini P (2023), Staff Perspectives of People Attending Emergency Departments in Suicidal Crisis: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.

Wood D, Robinson C, Nathan R & McPhillips R (2023), The art of the possible? Supporting a patient safety culture in mental healthcare to maximise safety.  Mental Health Review Journal.

Collins B, Downing J, Head A, Comerford T, Nathan R, & Barr B (2023), Impact of undiagnosed anxiety and depression on health and social care costs and quality of life: a cross-sectional study using a household health survey. BJPsychOpen, Oct 27;9(6):e201. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2023.596.

Challinor A, Whyler J, Meggison N, Cresswell P, Evans L, Bingley M, Somarathne P, Thompson J, McIntyre J, Washington D. & Nathan, R (2023), An investigation of mental health care pathways for patients with psychosis who engage in antisocial behaviours. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 34(1), pp.94-112. 

Collins B, Downing J, Head A, Cornerford T, Nathan R, Barr B. (2023), Cross-sectional study using a household health survey to estimate healthcare costs and quality of life related to multimorbidity. P40 Are health issues exacerbated by undiagnosed mental health problems? Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 77 (S1).

Balmer A, Sambrook L, Roks H, Ahsley-Mudie P, Bu C, McIntyre JC, Shetty A, Nathan R & Saini P (2023), Perspectives of service users and carers with lived experience of a diagnosis of personality disorder: a qualitative study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 

McCarthy M, Saini P, Nathan R & McIntyre J (2023), Predictors of Self-Harm and Emergency Department Attendance for Self-Harm in Deprived Communities. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, April 1-7. 

Elliott, R., White, E., & Nathan, R. (2023), Thematic Analysis of Inquiries into Concerns About Institutional Health Care. BJPsych Open, 9(S1), S48-S48. doi:10.1192/bjo.2023.185

McCarthy, M., Nathan, R., McIntyre, J., Ashworth, E., & Saini, P. (2023), Staff Perspectives of Emergency Department Pathways for People Attending in Suicidal Crisis: A Qualitative Study. BJPsych Open, 9(S1), S61-S61. doi:10.1192/bjo.2023.213

McCarthy, M., Saini, P., Nathan, R., Ashworth, E., & McIntyre, J. (2023), Improve Coding Practices for Patients in Suicidal Crisis. BJPsych Open, 9(S1), S61-S61. doi:10.1192/bjo.2023.214

Mulholland H, Whittington R, Steven L, Haines-Delmont A, Nathan R, Saini P, Kulu C, Comerford T, Yameen F, and Corcoran R, (2023), A longitudinal investigation of the presence of different trajectories and associated health and socio-economic determinants for participants who report suicidal ideation within a community-based public health survey. BMJ Open, 13(5), e063699. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063699

Wood D, Robinson C, Nathan R & McPhillips R (2023), The practice of incident reporting and management: current challenges and opportunities for mental health trusts in England. Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice,18(3), 248-260. 

Nathan, R., Caplan, R., & Gill-Mullarkey, M. (2023), Examining the operationalizability of findings from homicide investigations. European Psychiatry, 66(S1), S883-S884. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.1870

McCarthy M, Saini P, Nathan R & McIntyre J, (2023) Factors influencing emergency department staff decision-making for people attending in suicidal crisis: A systematic review. Archives of Suicide Research: 1-15

Challinor A, Whyler J, Meggison N, Creswell P, Evans L,…. Nathan R (2023) The utilisation of services by patients with psychosis who engage in antisocial behaviours. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology. 

Nathan R & Bhandari S (2022) Risk Assessment in Clinical Practice: a Framework for Decision-Making in Real-World Complex Systems. BJPsych Advances.

Bhandari S, Thomassen Ø & Nathan R, (2022) Causation, historiographic approaches and the investigation of adverse incidents in mental health care settings. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine.

Wood D, Robinson C, Nathan R & McPhillips R, (2022) A study of the implementation of patient safety policies in the NHS in England since 2000: what can we learn? Journal of Health Organization and Management.

Mills R, Nathan R, Soper P, Michelet F, Stewart A & Jaydeokar S (2022) Intellectual disability and autism in adults influence psychological treatments for mental health comorbidities. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities (accepted for publication July 5, 2022)

Hadjioannou I, Lewis E…. Nathan R (2022) A qualitative study exploring the role of hindsight bias in the process of reviewing clinical practice prior to adverse incidents. BJPsych Open 8, no. S1 (2022): S76–S76.

Anderson C & Nathan R (2022) A phenomenological approach to understanding the association between psychosis and violence. BJPsych Open 8, no. S1 (2022): S40–S41.

Soper P, Stewart A, Nathan R, Nall-Evans S, Mills R, Michelet F & Jaydeokar S (2022) Do demographic and clinical characteristics influence meeting NICE quality standards for young people transitioning to adult intellectual disability services? Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities (accepted for publication May, 2022)

Saini P, Roks H, Sambrook L, Balmer A, McIntyre J, Martin A, Tait J, Ashley-Mudie P, Shetty A & Nathan R (2022) A qualitative study exploring the experiences of carers of service users with complex mental health needs. BJPsych Open 8, no. S1 (2022): S9–S9.

Saini P, Sambrook L, Balmer A, Roks H, McIntyre J, Martin A, Tait J, Ashley-Mudie P, Shetty A & Nathan R (2022), A qualitative study exploring the experiences of service users with complex mental health needs. BJPsych Open 8, no. S1 (2022): S70–S70.

Coutinho E, Van Criekinge T, Hanford G, Nathan R, Maden, M & Hill R (2022), Music Therapy interventions for Eating Disorders: lack of robust evidence and recommendations for future research. British Journal of Music Therapy (accepted for publication June, 2022)

Saini P, Balmer A, Roks H, Sambrook L, McIntyre J, Martin A, Tait J, Ashley-Mudie P, Shetty A & Nathan R  (2022), The provision of mental health care for people with complex needs who are at risk of suicide. BJPsych Open 8, no. S1 (2022): S70–S70.

Challinor A…. Nathan R (2022) A Pilot Study of Service Utilisation Pathways of Patients with Distinct Psychotic and Antisocial Typologies. BJPsych Open 8, no. S1 (2022): S45–S45.

Saini P, Martin A, McIntyre J, Sambrook L, Roks, Burton S, Balmer A, Shetty A & Nathan R (2022) COMplex mental health PAThways (COMPAT) Study: a mixed methods study to inform an evidence-based service delivery model for people with complex needs: Study protocol. PLoS One, Mar 8;17(3)

Wilson P, Humpston C & Nathan R (2022) Innovations in the psychopathology of schizophrenia: a primer for busy clinicians. BJPsych Advances 28, no. 2, 79–89.

Jones S & Nathan R (2022) Constructing and conceptualizing suicide and self-harm, in Contemporary Social Problems in the UK, Stanley S (ed), Routledge (in press).

Saini P, Martin A, McIntyre J, Sambrook L, Roks H, Burton S, Balmer A, Shetty A & Nathan R (2021) Informing the Development and Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Service Delivery Model for Mental Health Patients with Complex Needs. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, vol. 37, no. S1, 2021, pp. 37–38.

McCarthy M, Saini P, Nathan R & McIntyre J (2021) A&E departments need better coding practice for patients in suicidal crisis (editorial). British Medical Journal; 375: n2480.

Challinor A, Ogundalu A, McIntyre JC, Bramwell V & Nathan R (2021) The empirical evidence base for the use of the HCR-20: a narrative review of study designs and transferability of results to clinical practice.  International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 78, 101729.

Nathan R, Gabbay M, Boyle S, Elliot P, Giebel C, O’Loughlin C, Wilson P & Saini P (2021) Use of acute psychiatric hospitalisation: a study of the factors influencing decisions to arrange acute admission to inpatient mental health facilities. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 891.

Nathan R, Callaghan S, Walker K, Mason A, & Whittington R (2021). Does the advice requested by carers of people who live with dementia reflect the level of commissioned post-diagnostic support? A retrospective evaluation of calls to the Me2U dementia day centre 24-hour advice line. BJPsych Open, 7(S1), S337-S337.

Saini P, Nathan R, Sambrook L, Burton S, Roks H, Balmer A, . . . Shetty A (2021). The use of coproduction to inform an evidence-based service delivery model for mental health service users with complex needs. BJPsych Open, 7(S1), S286-S286.

Boughdady M, Connah L, Inman J, Jaydeokar S, Marnoch D & Nathan R (2021) Professionals’ experience of the rapid implementation of a remote consultation model of healthcare: A survey of clinicians in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. European Psychiatry, 64(S1), S97-S98.

Nathan R, Whyler J & Wilson P (2021) Risk of harm to others: subjectivity and meaning of risk in mental health practice, Journal of Risk Research (Peer reviewed).

Nathan R & Lewis E (2021). Assessment of coexisting psychosis and substance misuse: Complexities, challenges and causality. BJPsych Advances, 1-11. 

Rix K & Nathan R (2021) Reports for criminal proceedings and in prison cases. In Rix’s Expert Psychiatric Evidence, second edition, Rix et al (Eds). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Rix K, Nathan R & Rowley K (QC) (2021). Reports for family proceedings related to children. In Rix’s Expert Psychiatric Evidence, second edition, Rix et al (Eds). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nathan R & Nathan K (2020) A novel approach to identifying causal factors for risk events: applying the hazard and operability study methodology to mental health services. European Psychiatry, 63(S1), S283–S589. Abstract EPV1449 (Peer reviewed).

Nathan R (2020) Mental health and the criminal courts: Fitness to plead, culpability and the defence of insanity. In Mental Health and Punishments: Critical Perspectives in Theory and Practice, 1st edition. Taylor et al, Routledge.

Nathan R & Lewis E (2020). Assessment of coexisting psychosis and substance misuse: Complexities, challenges and causality. BJPsych Advances, 1-11. 

Rix K & Nathan R (2020) Reports for criminal proceedings and in prison cases. In Rix’s Expert Psychiatric Evidence, second edition, Rix et al (Eds). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Rix K, Nathan R & Rowley K (QC) (2020). Reports for family proceedings related to children. In Rix’s Expert Psychiatric Evidence, second edition, Rix et al (Eds). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Saini P. McIntyre J, Corcoran R, Daras K, Giebel C, Fuller E, Shelton J, Wilson T, Comerford T, Nathan R, Gabbay M (2019) Social and Mental Health Predictors of Emergency Department and General Practitioner Usage. British Journal of General Practice.  

Nathan R & Wilson P. (2019) The clinical assessment of acts of violence: mental mechanisms and subjectivity. British Journal of Psychiatry, Advances. 

Nathan R, Scarisbrick R & Brown G. (2019) Psychiatric assessment of adults in care proceedings. British Journal of Psychiatry, Advances. 

Nathan R, Centifanti L, Baker V & Hill J. (2019) A pilot randomised controlled trial of a programme of psychosocial interventions (Resettle) for high risk personality disordered offenders. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 66. 

McElroy E, McIntyre J, Bentall R, Wilson T, Holt K, Kullu C, Nathan R, Kerr A, Panagaki K, McKeown M, Saini P, Gabbay M & Corcoran R (2019) Mental health, deprivation, and the neighbourhood social environment: a network analysis. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(4),719-734. 

Nathan R (2018) Dangerous minds: searching for the origins of psychotic violence. The Spectator, Nov/17 (Winner of JM Press international non-fiction essay prize).

Nathan R, Boyle S, Elliot P, & Saini P (2018) Real-life clinical decision-making: Examining the role of multiple clinical and non-clinical factors on decisions to admit patients to acute psychiatric units. European Psychiatry, April 2018, 48S, S448-449.

Lennox C & Nathan R (2017) Serious Offences – Origins and Nature of Serious Violence. In Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Meeting the Needs of Young Offenders, Cambridge University Press

Nathan R and Rix K (2016) A special case for personality disorder: are the distinctions between personality disorder and mental illness in clinical and legal practice justified? In Legal Perspectives on State Power: Consent and Control, Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Nathan R and Medland S (QC) (2016) Psychiatric expert evidence and the new defences of diminished responsibility and loss of control. British Journal of Psychiatry, Advances, 22 (4) 277-284

Heffernan S, Brown A, Burns D, Chidambaram A & Nathan R (2016) Assessment, Formulation and Care Pathways for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum who have Violently Offended, Clinical Psychology Forum. Special issue: Forensic Psychology, No 282 (June)

Nathan R, Rix K. (2016) Suicide: Self-harm. In Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, second edition, Payne-James J, Byard R, Corey T, & Henderson C (eds). Oxford: Elsevier.

Nathan R, Wood H. (2016) Forensic Psychiatry and Forensic Psychology: Personality disorder. In Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, second edition, Payne-James J, Byard R, Corey T, & Henderson C (eds). Oxford: Elsevier.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Anderson N, Nathan R et al (2024), Responses to serious adverse incidents in mental health care settings: a qualitative study of a complex patient safety system. European Congress of Psychiatry, April 2024

Saini P, Nathan R et al (2023), An examination of inpatient ward and secondary community care stay costs for individuals with complex mental health needs in the UK. International Congress Royal College of Psychiatrists Liverpool, July 2023.

Saini P, Nathan R et al (2023), The Journey of Service Users with Complex Mental Health Needs: A Qualitative Study. International Congress Royal College of Psychiatrists Liverpool, July 2023

Nathan R, Saini P et al (2023), A qualitative study to explore clinician decision-making and inform an evidence-based service delivery model for mental health service users with complex needs. International Congress Royal College of Psychiatrists Liverpool, July 2023

Nathan R (2023), Psychosis and substance use: dealing with causal complexity in clinical practice. Irish EIP webinar, Republic of Ireland, June 2023

Nathan R (2023), Investigating serious adverse incidents in complex systems, Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine 16th Annual Conference, York, May 2023

Nathan R (2023), Assessment of ASD/Neurodiversity in Detainees, Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine,  Mental Health & Intellectual Disability Day, February 2023

Nathan R (2023), Why does history repeat itself: can we learn from investigating serious incidents? The British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Kings College London, February 2023

Nathan R (2023), Developing and delivering innovative training for rehabilitation services. Joint World Congress of the RCPsych Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry Faculty and the World Association of Social Psychiatry (WASP), January 2023

Nathan R (2022) Authors in forensic psychiatry series: Dr Najat Kalifa in conversation with Professor Taj Nathan, Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Conference, March 2022

Bandari S, Thomassen O & Nathan R (2021) Historiographic methods to debias serious incident investigations, Royal College of Psychiatrists Philosophy SIG Conference, September 2021

Nathan R (2021) Different views on violence risk assessments (Risk of harm to others: subjectivity and meaning of risk in mental health practice) International Congress, Royal College of Psychiatrists, June 2021

Nathan R (2021) Subjective representations of risk: a neglected topic in clinical practice and research, Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Conference (Royal College of Psychiatrists), March 2021

Whyler J, Wilson P & Nathan R (2020) ‘Risk’: a textual and phenomenological analysis to clarify its meaning in clinical practice. Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Conference, Liverpool, March 2020

Watson E, Hughes D, Patterson J, Mandara A & Nathan R (2019) A Qualitative Study of Mental Health Presentations to University Student Support Services. Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Conference, Belfast, September 2019

Kumar M, Wilson P & Nathan R (2019) How stable is diagnosis in secure services? An exploratory qualitative study? Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Conference, Vienna, March 2019

Ogundalu A, Bramwell V, Challinor A & Nathan R (2019) Does the mostly commonly used violence risk assessment and management instrument in forensic mental health services have a robust evidence base? Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Conference, Vienna, March 2019

Wilson P & Nathan R (2018) Phenomenology and causal entities in psychiatry. British Society for Phenomenology Annual Conference, Kent, July 2018

Nathan R, Boyle S, Elliot P, Saini P, & O’Loughlin C (2018). The risk to the clinician of risk management: analysis of recalled and anticipated consequences of decision-making in acute psychiatric scenarios. Royal College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry Annual Conference, Liverpool, May 2018.

Nathan R (2017) Improving identification and engagement in dual diagnosis: addressing conflicting casual narratives about the relationship between substance use and mental illness symptoms. Royal College of General Practitioners, Managing Drug and Alcohol Problems in Primary Care Conference, London, November 2017

Boyle S, Elliot P, Saini P, O’Loughlin C & Nathan R (2017) The use of acute psychiatric inpatient beds: study of in-vivo clinical decision-making. NIHR CLAHRC NWC Dissemination event, Preston, October 2017

Wilson P, Williams T, Shaw E & Nathan R (2017) Exploratory study of approaches to the assessment and formulation of psychotic-spectrum symptoms in routine clinical practice. Faculty of General Adult Psychiatry Annual Conference, Gateshead, October 2017. (Presentation prize winner, Wilson)

Ahsan T, Washington D, Thorley C, Taylor P & Nathan R (2017) The influence of the format of presentation of clinical histories (narrative versus template) on clinicians’ ability to recall risk related information. Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Residential Meeting, March 2017

MB BCh (University of Wales College of Medicine, 1991)

MRCPscyh (Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, 1996)

MMedSc (University of Leeds, 1997)

Dip. Foren. Sc. (University of Liverpool, 1999)

MD (University of Liverpool, 2007)

PGCert Historical Studies (distinction) (University of Oxford, 2022)