Experiences of people with PTSD during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What have been the experiences of people with PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK?
IRAS ID
283242
Contact name
Lucy Purnell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research aims to understand the experiences during the coronavirus pandemic for individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There are concerns that the coronavirus pandemic will have significant implications for the mental health of the global, and UK, populations and there has been a call to research how the pandemic is impacting the mental health of the population (Holmes et al., 2020). This research study will be important to better understand how a pandemic might affect the needs of people with PTSD.\n\nTo fulfill this aim, this research proposes to recruit participants from patients who have been under the care of a national traumatic stress service during the pandemic, who have been assessed as meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Data will be collected through video call/phone semi-structured interviews that are estimated to last up to an hour. An interview guide has been developed inline with the research aims. Questions covered in the interviews will relate to areas such as well-being, PTSD symptoms, day-to-day activity, use of support networks and coping strategies during the pandemic. It is hoped that the collection of this data will be a meaningful and valuable opportunity to promote understanding of the experiences and needs of those with PTSD during and following this pandemic and if there are future pandemics.\n\nParticipant details pertinent to this research will also be collected through the completion of a brief form by participants prior to the interview. The case records for each participant will be checked to establish the type of trauma to which the PTSD of each participant relates and also to gather information relating to the date of birth, gender, ethnic background and first language.\n\nOnce the data has been analysed, the research will be written up for publication and the results will be shared with participants.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/YH/0212
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion