lived experience of delusions in first episode psychosis.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
First-hand individual account of the onset of delusions in people who recovered from first episode psychosis, with specific emphasis on the role of emotions – a qualitative investigation.
IRAS ID
280175
Contact name
Ahmed Ismail
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 29 days
Research summary
The study aims to investigate possible links between delusions and preceding emotions and between content of delusions and past life events.
Giving research evidence to further our understanding of the link between delusions formation and emotions, will in turn help us to design better psycho-therapeutic interventions to help individuals with delusions.
The study will focus on individuals who recently recovered from experiencing a first episode psychosis. The study will explore their lived experience of the emergence of delusions and its link to, and effect on, preceding emotions. The study will also explore any link between content of delusions and preceding life events and past adverse experiences. Finally, the study will examine participants' awareness of likely source of negative distressing emotions preceding onset of delusions.
Individuals between 18 and 65 years of age who experienced their first and only episode of psychosis within the last two years, will be eligible for the study. They should have scored a minimum of four for delusions on the Positive And Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) at the time they were experiencing psychosis.The study will be conducted on NHS sites and/or individuals’ homes. The study will last for six months. Each participant will be given information about the study and allowed time to make an informed decision in regard to participation in the study.
Each participant will be interviewed twice. First interview is a standard clinical assessment. The second is semi-structured interview lasting for up to ninety minutes. The semi-structured interview will be audio recorded. The individual will be encouraged to talk freely about their subjective experience of having delusions. The audio-recording of the semi-structured interviews will subsequently be transcribed and analysed for within and between cases themes using a method of qualitative enquiry known as interpretative phenomenological analysis.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/PR/0647
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jan 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion