DrDavid John Hallford

My work focuses on autobiographical thinking, i.e., recalling our past experiences (memory) and thinking about our future (future thinking). I study these processes and their association with cognitive, emotional, and behavioural outcomes, such as emotion regulation, self-concept and schemas, and engaging in rewarding behaviours. I focus particularly on how autobiographical processing is impaired and biased in the context of mental illness, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. I develop and trial interventions that draw on the capacity for autobiographical thinking and aim to improve it to disrupt psychopathology and improve well-being. I am also currently focusing on research on suicide disclosure and coping.