Does being more satisfied with relationship status increase wellbeing?

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Does being more satisfied with romantic relationship status increase wellbeing in people who experience psychosis?

  • IRAS ID

    271957

  • Contact name

    Filippo Varese

  • Contact email

    filippo.varese@manchester.ac.uk

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    n/a , n/a

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 8 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    It is generally accepted that supportive social relationships are helpful in terms of recovery from mental health difficulties, including psychosis, however less is known about the role of romantic/intimate relationships.

    Studies in non-clinical populations suggest that romantic relationships are associated with physical and psychological benefits and within clinical populations, qualitative research suggests that romantic relationships may have a positive impact on recovery and well-being for people who experience psychosis.

    Currently however there is limited research that has explored the possible pathways between romantic relationships and wellbeing for people who experience psychosis. It is possible that romantic relationships may improve wellbeing or improve symptomology for people who experience psychosis by improving self-esteem, increasing social support and/reducing internalised stigma. However, not all relationships will be beneficial to wellbeing - some may even be detrimental. The effect a romantic relationship has on an individual’s wellbeing is likely to depend on the quality of the relationship, which may depend on numerous factors, such as expressed emotion (EE) and attachment.

    Currently there are no known studies that consider role of all of the above variables on the relationship between romantic relationship status (whether an individual has a romantic partner or not)/ satisfaction with romantic relationship status (how happy an individual is with their current relationship status) and wellbeing for people who experience psychosis.

    The study will employ a cross-sectional design. Participants will be invited to complete an online battery of self-report questionnaires, the data from which will be used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis.

    The study will aim to recruit participants who:
    •Are at least 16 years old
    •Self-report experiences of psychosis which have required support from mental health services

    Those who do take part will be offered entry into a prize draw as a token of appreciation for their time.

  • REC name

    North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    19/NW/0665

  • Date of REC Opinion

    21 Nov 2019

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion