Change processes in group compassion focused therapy for psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Building a grounded theory of change processes in group compassion focused therapy for psychosis in relation to stages of recovery.
IRAS ID
336146
Contact name
Megan Crawford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research indicates high levels of shame and self-criticism in people with experiences of psychosis, which can be a barrier to engaging in traditional cognitive behavioural therapy. Compassion focused therapy (CFT) aims to reduce shame and self-criticism by developing self-compassion through psychoeducation, imagery and mindfulness. Research indicates good acceptability and feasibility of CFT for psychosis, and positive outcomes for self-esteem, self-criticism, mood and psychosis symptoms. Group-based CFT (CFTgp) could be more powerful than an individual format, due to group processes such as normalisation, shared experience and increasing social confidence. Additionally, group-based therapies demonstrate advantages such as cost-reduction, increased access and efficient use of resources.
Though research indicates efficacy and acceptability of CFTgp for psychosis, specifically what works for whom remains unknown as individuals may derive different benefits depending on their stage of recovery. For example, given that shame and stigma are associated with lower engagement in individual therapies, processes in CFTgp such as normalisation, reduction of shame and self-criticism may be particularly beneficial for someone who has not yet felt able to engage in individual therapy. Recovery style may also impact therapeutic processes as ‘sealing over’ strategies such as reluctance to explore experiences of psychosis are associated with poorer engagement in therapy. This highlights the need for developing a conceptual framework for how individuals at different stages of recovery can derive therapeutic benefits from CFTgp.
This study’s research questions are:
a. How do service users and therapists describe the process of change from participating in or delivering CFTgp for psychosis?
b. How do people at different stages of recovery describe the process of change that they experienced participating in CFTgp psychosis?
c. How do people describe how the change processes from participating in CFTgp for psychosis relate to previous or subsequent experiences of therapies?
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
24/NS/0013
Date of REC Opinion
18 Mar 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion