Pathways to care in FEP: role of caregiving appraisals
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pathways to care in first-episode psychosis inpatient admissions; identifying the role of caregiving appraisals
IRAS ID
263897
Contact name
Juliana Onwumere
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 28 days
Research summary
Individuals experiencing a first episode psychosis (FEP) inpatient admission represent an important subgroup in the psychosis population. Those experiencing a FEP inpatient admission are more likely to be in crisis and may have very different pathways into care e.g. encounters with police. An understanding of pathways to care during FEP is especially important as initial experiences and interactions may have lasting impact on future help-seeking behaviours, engagement with services and treatment adherence.
Models of caregiving responses in psychosis posit that carer appraisals, including those expressed about the service user and their problems and carer coping capabilities, can impact on carers’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This, in turn, can lead to different carer behaviours towards service users and services, as well as distinctive carer outcomes. The proposed research aims to explore the relationship between caregiving appraisals about the caregiving relationship and pathways to care at FEP in an inpatient sample. It also aims to assess a carer’s experience of supporting their relative and their coping strategies following a psychiatric admission for FEP in a relative. Service user’s own appraisals about the caregiving relationship and pathways to care will also be explored.
Carers will be asked to complete a series of self-report measures assessing carer functioning and key appraisals about their relative’s problems and caregiving relationship as well as appraisals of their caregiving experiences and coping. Carers will also be asked about the type of services they and/or the service user had contact with prior to admission, whether any treatment was offered and who initiated the initial contact with services. Service users will also be asked to complete a self-report measure assessing their appraisal of the caregiving relationship. Clinical notes of service users will be reviewed to gather further information about the service user’s pathway to care.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1074
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion