Cathy Creswell

Education Creswell was educated at University of Oxford, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. She later qualified as a Clinical Psychologist at University College London followed by a PhD in 2004.

Research and career Creswell joined the University of Reading as a research fellow in 2003, where she was later promoted to a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Professorship. At the University of Reading she led the Anxiety and Depression in Children and Young People clinic (AnDY).

Creswell studies why some children develop anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders often emerge before the age of 12 and develop in preadolescence. and although 6.5% of children suffer from anxiety disorders, only 2% of those who meet the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder seek any effective treatment. As part of this work, Creswell showed that children of anxious parents are more likely to become anxious, but that this likely reflects a complex interaction of child, parent, and other characteristics Emerging Minds is a network that looks to reduce the number of children who experience mental health challenges. Creswell is a member of the scientific advisory group of Evidence to Impact, a not-for-profit organisation that looks to improve public health.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Creswell co-led the Co-SPACE (COVID-19 Supporting Parents, Adolescents and Children during Epidemics). Co-SPACE looks to understand how families cope with coronavirus disease and the impact of the pandemic on children and young people's mental health. Her study revealed that only 1 in 5 families who had previously received care continued to do so throughout the lockdown.

Selected publications Creswell's publications