Phenomenological investigation of attenuated psychotic symptoms
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative phenomenological analysis of attenuated psychotic symptoms and their development in an ARMS group
IRAS ID
166781
Contact name
Ciaran Shannon
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 2 days
Research summary
To date there is no conclusive theory to explain the development of psychosis. Over recent years the identification of clients who are termed to have an At Risk Mental State (ARMS) who are reporting sub-threshold psychotic experiences and are displaying potentially prodromal psychotic symptoms has allowed for further investigation into potential risk factors for the development of frank psychosis. Links with individuals lived experience have been made to the development of psychotic illness with particular interest in childhood adversity and trauma. However, the majority of these studies have been quantitative in nature and little is known about how individuals experience their attenuated psychotic symptoms and how they incorporate their lived experience into understanding the development of their symptoms. This proposed study aims to approach the research questions “How do individuals experience their attenuated psychotic symptoms?” and “How do individuals make sense of the development of their attenuated psychotic symptoms?” using a qualitative phenomenological approach. This study plans to recruit 6-10 participants from an early intervention team (STEP team) within a HSC service in Northern Ireland. Using semi-structured interviews, data gathered will be coded and checked against the emerging themes. From the data, themes and clusters will be identified with similarities and differences within and between participants accounts examined. This will be a dynamic process through the lifetime of data analysis. From this clusters and themes will be developed that will help explain the subjective experience of participants’ attenuated psychotic symptoms and the how they make sense of the development of their symptoms.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
15/NI/0034
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion