Dr. Wolfgang Linden (he/his) is a Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia. He holds Diploma in Clinical Psychology from Muenster University, Germany (1975) and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, McGill University, Montreal (1981).

Dr. Linden sees himself as scientist-practitioner and has conducted experimental and clinical studies into mechanisms of disease, clinical trials, and systematic reviews in the following areas: Reduction of Health Risk Behaviors, Treatment of Hypertension, Psychosocial Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Psychological Factors in Cancer Care.

He has written over 170 peer-reviewed articles and book chapter and seven books, including an undergraduate textbook in Clinical Psychology that first appeared in 2011, a second edition in 2018, and a third edition in preparation. This textbook was recently translated and published in Turkish and Chinese. His clinical affiliations included consultancies on the heart transplant team, the Provincial Heart Centre, and the British Columbia Cancer Agency.

Dr. Linden previously served as president of the British Columbia Psychological Association, and also the Canadian Psychological Association. For four decades now, he volunteered as an advocate for improved mental health care in British Columbia and Canada. His current focus for advocacy is the reduction of adverse childhood events.

Professional interests include health psychology; cardiac rehabilitation; psychological adjustment to cancer; advocacy for improved mental and addictions services and minimizing the impact of adverse childhoods on youth and adult health.

Undergraduate Textbook

Linden W, Hewitt PL (2018, Second Edition) Clinical Psychology: A Modern Health Profession. 452 pages. Taylor and Francis, New York, USA

Recent Book  

Linden W (2024). The lllusion of Control: A practical guide to avoid futile struggles. Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, USA

Journal Publications (Last 5 years)

Pauly T, Ashe MC, Murphy R, Gerstorf D, Linden W, Madden KM, Hoppmann CA (2021). Active With Whom? Examining the Social Context of Physical Activity in Individuals after Stroke and Their Partners.  Frontiers in Public Health, 9 – 2021 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.754046

Linden W, Young S, Ignaszewski A, Campbell T (2022).  Psychosocial and medical predictors of 14-year mortality and morbidity in male and female coronary artery bypass graft recipients: a prospective observational study. Psychological Medicine, 52 (15), 3460-3471  https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329172100012X

Linden W, LeMoult J (2022).  Adverse childhood events causally contribute to mental illness:  We must act now and intervene early.  Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63 (6), 715-719. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13541

Heidary M, Nosrat Abad TH, Linden W (2022) The Effect of Family-Based Mindfulness Intervention on Aggression and Rule-breaking Behaviors in Male Elementary School Students.  Journal of Psychologists and Counselors in School, 32 (1), 15-22

Ross KM, HogganR, Campbell TS, Gordon J, Boucher VG, Kim E, Lavoie K, Linden W, Rash JA ,  Rouleau RR, Stewart SH, Presseau J (2023). Health psychology and behavioral medicine researchers in Canada: An environmental scan. Journal of Health Psychology, 28(6) 509–523

Pauly T, Lüscher J, Berli C, Hoppmann CA, Murphy RA, Ashe MC, Linden W, Madden KM, Gerstorf D, & Scholz U (2023).  Let’s enjoy an evening on the couch? A daily life investigation of shared problematic behaviors in three couple studies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,1 –17, DOI: 10.1177/01461672221143783

Luo M, Pauly T, Broen T, Ashe MC, Murphy RA, Linden W, Madden KM, Gerstorf D,  Hoppmann CA (2023) Daily Affect and Daily Prospective Memory in People after Stroke and Their Partners: The Moderating Role of Resting Heart Rate.  Gerontology, 69 (10): 1255–1268. https://doi.org/10.1159/000533577 

Pauly T, Nicol A, Lay JC, Ashe MC, Gerstorf D, Graf P, Linden, W, Madden KM, Mahmood A, Murphy RA, & Hoppmann CA (2023). Everyday Pain in Middle and Later Life: Associations with Daily and Momentary Present-Moment Awareness as One Key Facet of Mindfulness. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980823000326

Zambrano Garza E, Murphy RA, Linden W, Ashe MC, Madden KM , Jakobi J,  DeLongis A, Gerstorf D, & Hoppmann CA (2024). Daily Rumination–Affect Associations in Dyads During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 79(3), gbad187.  https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad187

Zambrano Garza E, Pauly T, Choi Y, Murphy RA, Linden W, Ashe MC, Madden KM, Jakobi J, Gerstorf D, Hoppmann CA (2025).  Social Resources for Everyday Physical Activity During a Chronic Stressor. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 7.  https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/cfp0000277

Zambrano Garza E, Pauly T , Choi Y, Murphy RA, Linden W, Ashe MC, Madden KM,  Jakobi J, Gerstorf D, Hoppmann CA  (2024). Daily solitude and well-being associations in older dyads: Evidence from daily life assessments. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being,16(1), 356–375. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12494

Zambrano Garza E, Pauly T, Choi Y, Murphy RA, Linden W, Ashe MC, Madden KM,  Jakobi J, Gerstorf D, Hoppmann CA  (2024). (2024). Everyday Social Support for Health Behaviours in Older Adults during Times of Challenge: Evidence from Daily Life Assessments. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980824000412

Zambrano Garza E, Pauly T, Murphy  RA, Ashe MC, Madden KM, Linden W, et al. (2026). Everyday moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in stroke survivors: the role of individual and joint intentions and self-efficacy.  Psychology and Health, 41 (7) 938-955. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2025.2496226

• Senior Investigator Award, Section for Behavioral Medicine, Canadian Psychological Association (2018)
• American Psychological Association Fellow (2001)

Present Rank

Professor Emeritus since July 1, 2018

Psychology-relevant Employment Record

Prior to coming to UBC and while at UBC

At UBC

Date of receiving tenure at U.B.C.:  July 1, 1987

Special Professional Training & Qualifications

Practicum, Neurology University Clinic, Vienna/Austria; training in personality & neuropsychological assessment, full-time, summer 1973.

Practicum, Student Counseling Service and Crisis Intervention Center, University of Cincinnati, Ohio/USA; training in cognitive- behavior therapy and crisis intervention, full-time, summer 1974.

Practicum, Student Counseling Service, Muenster University/Germany; training in treatment of sexual dysfunctions, part-time 1974-1975.

Intern, Community Clinic, Douglas Hospital, Montreal/Canada; In- and out-patient psychiatry, full-time, summer 1977.

Intern, Family Practice Center and Family Therapy Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal/Canada; psychological assessment and treatment of patients with medical problems, training in family therapy, half-time, one year, 1978-1979.  (APA accredited captive internship)

Registration as Psychologist in the Province of British Columbia, #876, 1983-2015.