Kirsten Smith

MA (HONS), DClinPsy, DPhil

MRC Clinical Scientist Fellow

Clinical Psychologist

Research Interests

My interests include psychological and neurobiological responses to traumatic experiences and the clinical translation of experimental research. My DPhil research focused on increasing our understanding of the processes involved in an intense or enduring grieving process or Prolonged Grief (PG) with a view to developing more effective psychological treatments to manage distress.

I was awarded an MRC Clinical Scientist Fellowship to develop and provide initial empirical support for a new therapist-assisted digital cognitive therapy for Prolonged Grief Disorder (ICT- PG).

I am a trustee on the board of a registered charity providing free facilitated group support to those who have lost loved ones to cancer (www.thelossfoundation.org). In acknowledging the scale and impact of loss to cancer, we aim to encourage discussion, provide information and raise awareness through our bereavement support services across the UK.

Key publications

Impaired allocentric spatial processing in posttraumatic stress disorder.
Journal article

Smith KV. et al, (2015), Neurobiol Learn Mem, 119, 69 - 76
Effectiveness of a Cancer Bereavement Therapeutic Group.
Journal article

Jerome H. et al, (2019), J Loss Trauma, 23, 574 - 587

Recent publications

Prolonged Grief and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Following the Loss of a Significant Other: An Investigation of Cognitive and Behavioural Differences
Journal article

Smith KV. and Ehlers A., (2021), PLoS One
Validation of the new DSM-5-TR criteria for prolonged grief disorder and the PG-13-Revised (PG-13-R) scale.
Journal article

Prigerson HG. et al, (2021), World Psychiatry, 20, 96 - 106
Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress disorder following the loss of a significant other: An investigation of cognitive and behavioural differences.
Journal article

Smith KV. and Ehlers A., (2021), PLoS One, 16
A qualitative analysis of loss-related memories after cancer loss: a comparison of bereaved people with and without prolonged grief disorder.
Journal article

Smith KV. et al, (2020), Eur J Psychotraumatol, 11
The Masking of Mourning: Social Disconnection After Bereavement and Its Role in Psychological Distress.
Journal article

Smith KV. et al, (2020), Clin Psychol Sci, 8, 464 - 476

More publications

The Loss Foundation #IWontGoQuiet

The Loss Foundation campaign highlighting the impact of going silent when those around us become bereaved. Pledging to acknowledge the loss and taking steps to demonstrate that you care care can have a big impact on reducing social isolation in this vulnerable population.