Making sense of psychosis relapse
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do individuals experience and make sense of psychosis recurrence: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.
IRAS ID
259043
Contact name
Andrew Gumley
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 28 days
Research summary
Background
Many people who experience psychosis will recover, however, individuals can also be at risk of relapse. Relapse can be a frightening experience and has been associated with negative outcomes including rehospitalisation and less complete recovery. Research has suggested that people who are more fearful about relapsing may be more likely to have a relapse in the future. By listening to individuals’ experiences of relapse, particularly descriptions of their worries, we may better understand this phenomenon and learn more about how to better support individuals.Aims
The study aims to explore individuals’ experiences of psychosis and fear of relapse and is particularly interested in understanding how individuals describe their worries about relapse.Methodology
Between 6 and 10 individuals with psychosis who have experienced at least one relapse will be recruited. Participants will be included if they are adults (over 16 years) attending a Community Mental Health Team or adult mental health inpatient services within NHS Ayrshire and Arran. Individuals will be invited to take part if they have the capacity to understand what is involved in the study and to reflect on their experiences of psychosis. The study is qualitative; individuals will be invited to complete a semi-structured interview lasting approximately one hour. Each individual will be asked to explore the experiences that led them to access services, their experiences of relapse, and if they have any worries or concerns about relapse. The interviews will be transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to identify the main themes from the interviews.Implications
The information gained in the study will provide a rich understanding of individuals’ experiences and how they make sense of relapse. We hope that this will contribute to an improved description of Fear of Relapse, which may support the development of treatments aimed at helping people with psychosis to recover.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
19/WS/0106
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion