Lived experiences of working age adults in attending NHS therapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Barriers to attending community NHS psychological therapy: a qualitative study.
IRAS ID
320554
Contact name
Ashlea Bedford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 23 days
Research summary
Psychological intervention is a key therapeutic tool in national guidelines for the treatment of mental health difficulties within the UK. Many National Health Service’s (NHS) offer therapy to working age adults within community settings. However, research has shown that there is currently a large number of individuals that do not take up or drop out of therapy prior to it ending. This can have implications for both the individual, the therapists and the service. Whilst research has begun to look into the barriers and reasons behind the high rates of drop-out, there is currently no clear understanding of why this is happening. Further, much of the research focuses on internal factors for the individual (e.g symptom severity and therapeutic alliance) and how these may result in non-engagement. However, some research has indicated that external barriers may exist to attending long term therapeutic interventions. Within the UK, whilst guidance exists to help support employers in providing reasonable adjustments for employees with mental health difficulties, these do not cover all employees, and research has shown that managers can find it difficult to ensure they are providing the right support . Given this, the focus of the following study is to consider the impact of employment on adults who have been offered psychological intervention within an NHS community setting. Consenting participants will take part in a qualitative, semi-structured interview which will be transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. By gaining an understanding of the experience’s individuals have had when being in employment and requiring therapy for their mental health the researchers hope to help inform guidance for employers and employees to ensure that psychological intervention is accessible to everyone.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
23/IEC08/0013
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion