Developing a grounded theory of engagement in group PBCT.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing a grounded theory of engagement and disengagement in group Person Based Cognitive Therapy.
IRAS ID
185649
Contact name
Fergal Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 28 days
Research summary
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends CBT for psychosis (CBTp). However access remains limited partly because there aren’t enough therapists to meet demand (Berry & Haddock, 2008). One way to improve access is to deliver CBTp in a group. The evidence for group CBTp is mixed. For example one study found CBTp did not improve anxiety, depression and functioning for a patient group (Barrowclough et al., 2006). Some new approaches have been developed to achieve better outcomes. Person Based Cognitive Therapy (PBCT) is one such treatment.
PBCT is aimed at people who hear distressing voices, regardless of their diagnosis. One study found group PBCT improved people’s wellbeing, distress, sense of control over and dependence upon voices more than routine care (Dannahy et al., 2011). Group PBCT is promising but fostering engagement in groups can be difficult. One paper reviewed 37 studies of group treatment and found an average dropout rate of 35% (Bostwick, 1987). We hope to support people to gain more benefit from group PBCT by discovering what helps people engage better with the treatment.
We plan to interview group therapists and client participants about their experiences of engaging with group PBCT. We will interview people in familiar NHS locations. The interviews will last up to one hour. Normally we would only interview each person once. The client participants will have care co-ordinators within the host trust and will already have engaged with a one-to-one intervention in the hearing voices clinic by the time they are asked to take part in our study. The interviews will be analysed using a qualitative method to develop a theory of engagement in group PBCT.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0045
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion