MUSE FEP v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Managing Unusual Sensory Experiences (MUSE): A feasibility trial of a targeted, psycho-education toolkit for distressing hallucinations, in people with a first episode of psychosis (FEP).
IRAS ID
292150
Contact name
Robert Dudley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
CNTW NHS FT
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN16793301
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 3 days
Research summary
Psychosis is a term for conditions like schizophrenia. One common symptom is hearing things that are not there (hallucinations) which can cause distress, disability and social isolation. Although there are effective treatments like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), less than 10% of people with psychosis have access to therapy owing to i) a shortage of therapists and ii) how long therapy takes. Our study addresses this by providing community nurses with training and tools to help them deliver a targeted and brief treatment in their day-to-day practice.
In this research, community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) will use a novel toolkit, MUSE (Managing Unusual Sensory Experiences) with people with psychosis and hallucinations. The toolkit explains why people have hallucinations and helps develop strategies to cope and reduce distress. It is loaded on a smart tablet or laptop, so that everyone is offered the same treatment. The toolkit focuses only on hallucinations, which makes the treatment short (4-6, one-hour weekly sessions). It has user-friendly and engaging content with many video clips to explain how the brain can experience hallucinations.
Eighty people with psychosis and hallucinations will be included in the study. Forty will receive MUSE sessions and the standard treatment provided by clinical services. Forty people will only receive the usual treatment. Participants will be assessed on a range of measures before and after treatment (at 6 weeks) and 3 months later. This study will tell us how feasible it is to train staff to deliver this toolkit and if patients can be recruited to, and retained in the study.
Using interviews and focus groups we will explore staff and patient views of the acceptability of MUSE. Our findings will inform a larger study to determine if the treatment works to reduce distress caused by hallucinations.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0090
Date of REC Opinion
13 May 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion