Staff Members
Dr David Ekers, RMN ENB 650 (Dip CBT) MSc PhD
(email at david.ekers@durham.ac.uk)
Biography
Dr David Ekers has worked in inpatient settings both in London, North Devon and Australia. Whilst in Australia he worked on a community extended hours and crisis team in Sydney. On return to the UK David worked as a community psychiatric nurse before enrolling on the ENB 650 CBT training. Following this David was a clinical nurse specialist in CBT in Southampton becoming the CBT nurse lead in April 2000. His current role is a Consultant Nurse and Clinical Lead for ‘Talking Changes’ IAPT service in Co Durham and Darlington. This role is split between clinical leadership service development and research with the Mental Health Research Centre at Durham University.
Research interests:
David currently focuses on primary care mental health research at Durham University Mental Health Research Centre. In particular his interest is improving access to psychological treatments of anxiety and depression.
Current research projects:
Co investigator on NIHR HTA funded multi centre RCT: Collaborative care for screen positive elders: the CASPER Trial.
Chief Investigator Professor Simon Gilbody, University of York, David is PI for the Durham site of this research.
Co investigator on NIHR HTA funded multi centre RCT: Cost and Outcome of Behavioural Activation (COBRA). Chief investigator Professor David Richards University of Exeter, David is PI for the Durham site.
Selected Publications
Books: sections
- Curran, J., Ekers, D., McMillan, D. & Houghton, S. (2012). Behavioural Activation. In Cognitive Behaviour Therapies. Dryden, W. Sage.
- Ekers, D. (2010). Training depression case managers. In Oxford Guide to Low Intensity CBT Interventions. Bennet-Levy, J., Richards, D., Christensen, C., Farrand, P., Griffiths, K., Kavanagh, D., Klein, B., Proudfoot, J., Lau, M. A., Ritterband, L., White, J. & Williams, C. Oxford University Press. 427-436.
- Ekers, D. & Ricketts, T. (2008). Primary Care. In Mental Health from Policy to Practice. Brooker, C. & Repper, J. Elsevier.
Journal papers: academic
- Ekers, D. & Webster L. A. D. (2013). An overview of the effectiveness of psychological therapy for depression and stepped care service delivery models. Journal of Research in Nursing 18(2): 171-184.
- Ekers, D., Dawson, M. & Bailey, L. (2013). Dissemination of Behavioural Activation for depression to mental health nurses. Training evaluation and benchmarked clinical outcomes. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 20(2): 186-192.
- Ekers, D., Murphy, R., Archer, J., Ebenezer, C., Kemp D. & Gilbody, S. (2013). Nurse-delivered collaborative care for depression and long-term physical conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders In Press.
- Mitchell, N., Hewitt, C., Adamson, J., Parrott, S. Torgerson, D., Ekers, D., Holmes, J., Lester, H., McMillan, D., Richards D., Spilsbury, K., Godfrey, C & Gilbody, S. (2011). A randomised evaluation of CollAborative care and active surveillance for Screen-Positive EldeRs with sub-threshold depression (CASPER): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 12: 225.
- Ekers, D., Richards, D., McMillan, D., Bland, M. & Gilbody, S. (2011). Behavioural Activation delivered by the non-specialist: phase II randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry 198(1): 66-72.
- Houghton, S., Curran, J. & Ekers, D. (2011). Behavioural Activation in the treatment of depression. Mental Health Practice 14(7): 18-23.
- Ekers, D., Godfrey, C., Gilbody, S., Parrott, S., Richards, D. A., Hammond, D. & Hayes, A. (2011). Cost utility of Behavioural Activation delivered by the non-specialist. British Journal of Psychiatry 199(6): 510-511.
- Ekers, D., Richards, D. & Gilbody, S. (2008). A Meta Analysis of Randomised Trials of Behavioural Treatment of Depression. Psychological Medicine 38(5): 611-623.
- Ekers, D. & Wilson, W. (2008). Depression case management by practice nurses in primary care: an audit. Mental Health in Family Medicine 5(2): 111-119.
- Gamble, C., Ekers, D. & Callaghan, P. (2008). Nurse consultants and the research community. Mental Health Practice 11(10): 32-35.
- Ekers, D. & Richards, D. (2007). Anxiety and Depression in Primary Care. Primary Health Care 17(4): 36-39.
- Ekers, D., Richards, D. & Grant, H. (2007). Developing depression management in primary care. Primary Health Care 17(8): 31-33.
- Ekers, D. & Preston, J. (2006). Depression case management in a stepped care system. Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry 10(7): 31-36.
- Ekers, D., Lovell, K. & Payle, J. (2006). The use of CBT based, brief, facilitated self-help interventions in primary care mental health service provision: Evaluation of a 10-day training programme. Clinical Effectiveness in Nursing 9(S1): e88-e96.
- Ekers, D. & Fletcher, J. (2005). Learning About Depression care management from Health Maintenance Organisations in the USA. Journal of Mental Health Nursing 25(2): 16-19.
- Lovell, K., Ekers, D., Fulford, A. & Bagley, C. (2004). Pilot of Self-Help Manual & Short Appointments in The Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Specialist CBT Services. Clinical Effectiveness in Nursing 8: 122-127.
- Ekers, D., Carmen, S. & Schlich, T. (2004). Successful Outcome of Exposure and Response Prevention in the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in A Patient with Schizophrenia. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy 32(3): 375-378.
- Ekers, D. & Kingdon, D. (2003). Can Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy Assist Adherence to Fluid Restriction with Dialysis Patients: A case series. Clinical Effectiveness in Nursing 7: 15-17.
- Ekers, D., Lovell, K. & Richards, D. (2002). Treatment for agoraphobia with a self-help treatment manual and telephone guidance: A Case Study. Journal of Mental Health Nursing 22(3): 18-21.