Dr Ruth Taylor , BSc.(Hons Psychology); MBChB, MRC Psych, MSc (Psych), MSc (Epid), PhD

Profile

Dr Taylor trained in psychiatry in Manchester and then as a senior trainee at the Maudsley and the Institute of Psychiatry where she completed her PhD.  Her PhD research was a study of factors predicting persistence of medically unexplained symptoms in primary care.  Dr Taylor runs a liaison psychiatry clinic at the Royal London and has both a clinical and research interest in somatisation and medically unexplained symptom syndromes, Together with a dermatology colleague Dr Taylor has established and runs an innovative psychodermatology clinic at the Royal London Hospital.  The clinic is involved in clinical research in psychodermatology particularly looking at treatment approaches for patients with unexplained dermopathy.  Dr Taylor is co chair of the UK Association of Psychodermatology which seeks to promote understanding of the interface area between psychiatry and dermatology and improve services for patients, and training for staff as well as stimulating research in this field.

Dr Taylor is also involved in research in medical education.  She is part of a collaborative project with a group of colleagues which is developing and evaluating a training package to teach medical students skills in psychiatric interviewing.   

Research

Publications

Taylor R.E., Creed F., Hughes D.  Relation between psychiatric disorder and abnormal illness behaviour in patients undergoing operations for cervical discectomy.  Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 1997 Aug; 63(2):  169-174

 Heinze M., Taylor R., Priebe S., and Thornicroft G.  The Quality of Life of Patients with paranoid schizophrenia in London and Berlin.  Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 1997 Jul; 32(5):  292-297

 Taylor R., Leese M., Clarkson P., Holloway F., Thornicroft G. Quality of Life Outcomes for Intensive Versus Standard Community Mental Health services.  PRiSM Psychosis Study 9.  British Journal of Psychiatry 1998, 173:  414-422

 Wykes T., Leese M., Taylor R., Phelan M. Effects of Community Services on Disability and Symptoms. PRiSM Psychosis Study 4. British Journal of Psychiatry  1998, 173:  385-390

 Becker T., Leese M., Clarkson P., Taylor RE., Turner D., Kleckham J. and Thornicroft G.  Links between social network and quality of life: an epidemiologically representative study of psychotic patients in south London.  Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 1998 Jul; 33(7):  229-304.

 Taylor RE. and Mann AM.  Somatization in primary care (Editorial).  Journal of Psychosomatic Research 2000, 47(1):  61-66.

 Slade M., Leese M.., Taylor R.E., Thornicroft G.  The association between needs and quality of life in an epidemiologically representative sample of people with psychosis.  Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2000, 100:  149-157.

 Thornicroft G., Becker T., Holloway F., Johnson S., Leese M., McCrone P., Szmukler G., Taylor R. and Wykes T.  Community Mental Health Teams: Evidence or Belief? (Editorial).  British Journal of Psychiatry, 2000, 175:  508-513.

Taylor R.E., Mann A.H., White N.J., and Goldberg D.P. Attachment style in patients with unexplained physical complaints. Psychological Medicine. 2000, 30:931-941.

 Taylor RE.  The Death of Neurasthenia and its Psychological Reincarnation.  The prevalence of Neurasthenia at the National Hospital Queen Square,1870-1930. British Journal of Psychiatry, 2001,179:550-557

 Friedmann AC, Ekeowa-Anderson A, Taylor R, Bewley A. Delusional Parasitosis Presenting as Folie a Trois, Successful Treatment with Risperidone.  British Journal of Dermatology, 2006 October, 144(4): 841-2.

Book Chapters and other publications:

1. Taylor R. & Thornicroft G.  The Uses and Limitations of the Randomised Controlled Trial in Mental Health Service Research.  Book chapter in Thornicroft G. and Tansella M.  Mental Helath Outcome Measures.  Springer Verlag. Heidelberg.  2000

2. R E Taylor, Bewley A, Melidonis, N.  Psychodermatology, 2006 Psychiatry 5: 3: 81

3.. Healy R., Dhoat S., Taylor R and Bewley A.  Three years' experience of the management of patients with delusional parasitosis in a joint dermatology and liaison psychiatry clinic.  Br J Dermatol 2007;  (157 suppl 1) : 54. Abstract