Compassion Focused Therapy for distressing experiences
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A case series study of Compassion Focused Therapy for distressing experiences
IRAS ID
167443
Contact name
Charles Heriot-Maitland
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
This study aims to develop and test the feasibility of a new therapy called Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) for psychosis. This therapy helps people with psychosis manage distressing experiences by building internal feelings of safeness and affiliation, and by providing contexts, practices and insights that facilitate the development of compassion to self and others. The focus is on helping people feel safe in relation to their experiences and their social worlds. CFT is a promising new approach that has been successfully provided for people with a range of mental health difficulties. It is also firmly based in the most up-to-date knowledge and science about how the mind works (both normally and under stress).
18 participants will be recruited from NHS psychological therapies services for people with psychosis. Following a short baseline period they will receive up to 26 weekly sessions (about 6 months) of CFT with a clinical psychologist, and will provide interview and questionnaire research data at four different points during the study. These questionnaire sessions will gather information on participant’s experiences, mood, and perceptions of their position in the social world.
The initial therapy protocol has been developed by psychologists with expertise in CFT, alongside people with lived experience of hearing voices and having distressing beliefs. However, it will continue to be developed and evolve as the study progresses, and as more is learnt (e.g. from the service-user participants) about applying the model in this population. At the end of this study, the aim is to have all the information needed to run a pilot randomised controlled trial of this therapy.
REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0198
Date of REC Opinion
9 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion