Exploring the Impact of Psychoeducational Intervention on Carers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do parent carers under an Early Intervention in Psychosis Service experience familial and other relationships after attending a psychoeducational intervention?
IRAS ID
351041
Contact name
Neesha Barua
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
City St George's, University of London,
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
n/a, n/a
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
Early or first-episode psychosis (FEP) refers to a mental state condition where a person first presents with psychotic symptoms, particularly delusions, hallucinations, and/or disorganized speech. This can be a challenging experience that impacts not only the individual but also their family and friends. Parents may grapple with a sense of grief, mourning the loss of their hopes and dreams for their loved one, while friends may feel a sense of disconnection. As the individual begins to rely more on their support network to navigate and cope with this condition, the dynamics of these relationships can shift significantly. Families and friends may struggle with communication, harbour stigmatized views about psychosis, and feel overwhelmed by the challenges of maintaining a healthy and meaningful relationship with the individual experiencing FEP.
Research shows that providing psychoeducation to families supporting such individuals can greatly reduce familial burden, improve patient outcomes, enhance relationships, and improve carer health and emotional well-being. Despite extensive research, most studies have primarily focused on individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and their carers. Moreover, existing studies mainly report on service-user outcomes, neglecting the benefits of psychoeducation for carers. In light of this gap, this study aims to explore how a psychoeducational intervention impacts carers of individuals experiencing FEP, specifically examining how this intervention affects carer relationships. Given that FEP typically occurs during adolescence and early adulthood, parents often become the primary carers. Therefore, this study will focus exclusively on parent carers.
This study will use a qualitative research method, particularly Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), to explore the lived experience of parent carers after they have attended a psychoeducational intervention. The study will recruit parent carers who have been involved with an Early Intervention in Psychosis service and attended a psychoeducational intervention offered within this service. Interviews will be conducted face to face or remotely.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SW/0002
Date of REC Opinion
12 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion