Psychological processes in psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Psychological processes linking childhood adverse experiences to psychotic symptoms
IRAS ID
125326
Contact name
Richard Bentall
Contact email
Research summary
While considerable amount of research has consistently shown an association between adverse experiences in childhood and psychosis in adulthood, the role of the psychological processes linking this association are not yet fully understood. The proposed study aims to explore the role of several psychological processes such as attachment, dissociation, depersonalisation, source monitoring, implicit and explicit self-esteem, schemas, and attributions. Some of these processes have previously been shown to individually play an important role in mediating the trauma-symptom associations; however some of these processes have not been tested in a single model, or tested in a psychiatric population. Inclusion of these processes will allow the researcher to determine the magnitude of effect for each psychological process, and to test competing theories against one another (Preacher & Hayes, 2008). The study will employ a sample of 120 individuals with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder who experience hallucinations and delusions. Participants will be recruited from the National Health Service (NHS) mental health services and from voluntary services (e.g. Hearing Voices Network) across the Northwest region. Participants will be administered a series of questionnaires and computerized assessments. Findings will have implications for clinicians who may focus psychological interventions targeting these processes.
References:
Preacher, K.J., Hayes, A.F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879-891.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0325
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jun 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion