Experiences of adults with Autism who have had CBT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the experiences of adults with Autism who have had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
IRAS ID
325892
Contact name
Sanu PATTNI
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 25 days
Research summary
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by difficulties in social communication and interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests and activities, not accounted for by any other intellectual disability or physical condition. Co-occurring mental health conditions are more prevalent in the autism population than in the general population (Lai et al., 2019)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a short-term, present-focused psychotherapy designed to challenge and change unhelpful beliefs, behaviours and maintenance cycles common among many mental health difficulties. CBT is an evidence-based intervention for working with MH difficulties in the general population, and in people with Autism. Research suggests that that the difficulties experienced by people with autism may prove to be a barrier to therapeutic engagement; therefore CBT-based research should also focus on CBT-specific adaptations for autistic people to ensure best practice and positive therapeutic outcomes. the voice of people with ASD should be considered, however there seems to be a paucity of research in the area, with much of the research not considering CBT specifically, or only focuses on experiences of therapists and parents of people with ASD; the voice of the person with ASD is often lost.
As such, there is a gap in the research to consider how CBT in particular can be adapted for people with ASD by collating and analysing the experiences of people with ASD. This study will look to recruit participants with a diagnosis of autism, and whom have received CBT in the last 2 years from NHS Trusts and Teams, with a view to interviewing them regarding their experiences of CBT; these interviews will be analysed qualitatively.
Project aim: to understand experiences of people with autism who have received CBT with a view to informing autism-specific CBT adaptations and training for practitioners.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/WM/0183
Date of REC Opinion
3 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion