Exploring the impact of complex trauma on personal relationships. IPA
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the impact of complex trauma on personal relationships: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
IRAS ID
335519
Contact name
Caroline Mangham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia - Research and Innovation Services
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 5 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
The research question is: How do people experience the impact of complex trauma on personal relationships in their day-to-day lives? It is relevant to patients and the public due to the lack of qualitative research in this area, particularly studies that explore the personal experiences and meanings that people hold. Relationships can be very difficult for people who have endured complex trauma events and struggle with psychological, emotional, and relational difficulties throughout their lives. This may also impact their engagement with services because of difficulties trusting others. Therefore, further research in this area is important. The study area is complex trauma which relates to those who have endured complex trauma events throughout their development and often life course, and experience psychological difficulties because of their trauma. Potential participants would be NHS secondary care community mental health service users; adults over the age of 18 who struggle with complex trauma difficulties because of traumatic experiences. Recruitment will take place within secondary care mental health teams to establish a sample of 8-10 participants. The interviews will be conducted at an NHS site, participant’s home, or virtually via MS Teams. Each participant will be able to choose a suitable location for the interview. Potential participants will be approached by service professionals and provided with an information sheet. Once consent has been obtained from services, the Chief Investigator will contact potential participants, share information, and answer questions. If the potential participant decides to take part, arrangements will be made, and written consent obtained prior to the interview taking place. The study will last from the point of ethics approval until March 2025. However, participants will only be involved from the point of contact by the Chief Investigator, throughout the interview, and for two weeks afterwards to provide a window of time to withdraw consent.
Summary of Results
Final Report – Lay Summary of ResearchStudy Title: Exploring the Impact of Complex Trauma on Personal Relationships: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
Who carried out the research? This study was completed by Caroline Mangham, Trainee Clinical Psychologist, as part of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of East Anglia.
Research Sponsor: Research and Innovation Services (RIN), University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
Funding: Funding for the study was arranged by the University of East Anglia. There were no competing interests.
Public Involvement: The Chief Investigator consulted with a PPI group of five individuals who experienced complex trauma events and struggled with complex trauma difficulties. The PPI group were enlisted from a social media support group for people with complex trauma. The Chief Investigator consulted with the group about the methodology of the research. The PPI group provided insights into the value of qualitative research - that it would provide meaningful narratives on the impact of complex trauma on personal relationships which would be important to introduce into the evidence base and clinical settings. The PPI group also provided feedback on the data collection method (interviews) and reviewed the project documents (Topic Guide, Informed Consent Form, and Participant Information Sheet).
Where and when the study took place: The study took place at the University of East Anglia and recruited participants from two NHS Mental Health Trusts in East Anglia. A favourable opinion from the NHS REC A was approved on 21st March 2024. Recruitment processes started on 1st April 2024 and all participants were recruited and interviewed by 1st November 2024. The End of Study Declaration Form was submitted to REC A on 21st November 2025.
Why was the research needed? Personal relationships can be very challenging for people who have endured complex trauma events and struggle with psychological, emotional, and relational difficulties throughout their lives. Such difficulties can impact individuals’ engagement with services due to challenges trusting others. The research was important due to the lack of qualitative research in this area, particularly studies that explore the personal experiences and meanings that people hold regarding the impact of complex trauma on their personal relationships.
Through conducting this qualitative study, participants were able to directly express their experiences, narratives and meanings; an important consideration as people who experience complex trauma have frequently experienced oppression, abuse, and silencing. Rich and meaningful data from the study directly informs clinical and research-based knowledge. It is relevant for patients and the public through enhancing awareness of lived experience of the impact of complex trauma on personal relationships.
Research Aim: The study aimed to gain an understanding of the ways that complex trauma impacts individuals’ experiences of their personal relationships.
Research Question: How do people experience the impact of complex trauma on personal relationships in their day-to-day lives?
Participants: Ten participants took part in the study; all were recruited from NHS secondary care Community Mental Health Teams across two NHS Trusts in East Anglia. Participants had histories of chronic and severe traumatic events that took place within caregiving/interpersonal relationships and struggled with emotional, psychological and relational challenges.
What happened during the study? Service professionals within CMHTs assisted in the recruitment process by identifying service users who met the inclusion criteria for the study. They made first contact with service users and provided information about the research. After this contact and with consent, the Chief Investigator got in touch with participants to discuss the research and plan an interview.
Ethical processes were followed regarding recruitment, information sharing, informed consent and interview considerations. Each participant took part in one semi structured interview at an NHS clinical site, at their home, or virtually on MS Teams. Interviews were held between July and November 2024, and a Topic Guide was used to facilitate discussion. Participants shared their experiences and narratives and interviews were recorded. At the end of the interview, each participant was debriefed and provided with a debrief form. Ongoing support post-interview was not provided by the Chief Investigator, and participants were referred to their CMHT and other services for support if needed. Participants could withdraw from the study up to two weeks after the interviews had taken place. One participant expressed distress during the interview and potential risk was managed through consultation with the CMHT. Participants were given a £20 Love2Shop Voucher, as a thank you gesture for taking part.
Interviews were transcribed by the Chief Investigator and data were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The study was written up as part of the Thesis Portfolio and submitted to the University of East Anglia on 12th September 2025, in partial fulfilment of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
What the Study Found:
From the interviews, four main themes were developed that captured participant’s shared experiences:The Void of Attachment needs: This theme described how early unmet needs for safety and connection sometimes led to anxiety about being close to other people. This anxiety often led to strong desires to seek closeness or a sense of being isolated or distanced from personal relationships.
Inner narratives that shape our relationships: This theme explored how individuals’ internal beliefs about themselves and others, which developed because of traumatic experiences in relationships, influenced their personal relationships in the present day.
Challenges in relating with others: This theme described a number of challenges that participants experienced in their personal relationships. These were found to relate to unhelpful patterns/dynamics with others and difficulties establishing trust. Communication challenges in personal relationships and the impact of emotional triggers were also identified.
Change and growth: This theme highlighted that, over time, many had found healing and connection through positive, supportive, and secure relationships, often within smaller, trusted circles. Individuals experienced a sense of growth and learning through personal relationships.
Overall, the findings suggested that early experiences of trauma had a lasting impact on participants’ ability to form and maintain personal relationships. Feelings of fear, mistrust, or self-doubt often made connection with others challenging. However, many participants also described how recovery and growth became possible through reparative and healthy relationships that provided safety, trust, and acceptance.
How has the study helped patients and researchers? The study highlights the importance of personal relationships, not only in how trauma affects people but also in how healing can take place. This likely helps patients through increasing understanding and potential validation of their challenges. The findings embed participants’ experiences of the impact of complex trauma on personal relationships within existing theoretical frameworks, giving a voice to patients and supporting the development of clinical and research-based knowledge. The findings also support the use of attachment-informed and relational approaches in therapy for individuals with complex trauma.
The study adds to a growing understanding of the relational experiences of people living with complex trauma and helps to fill an important gap in current research. It opens possibilities for further research in this area including studies with people engaged in personal relationships with individuals with complex trauma and exploring the impact of complex trauma in relationships across age ranges and gender categories.
Where can I learn more about this study? A paper based on the findings will be submitted for publication in an academic journal in the coming months. Additionally, the thesis portfolio (which includes this study) will be uploaded onto the University of East Anglia’s Digital Repository.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
24/NI/0040
Date of REC Opinion
21 Mar 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion