Predictors of state and trait anger in a forensic psychosis population

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Predictors of state and trait anger in a forensic psychosis population

• IRAS ID

  362956

• Contact name

  James Gilleen

• Contact email

  james.gilleen@manchester.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Manchester

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 3 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  Psychosis affects around 1% of the population. Aggression is more common in people experiencing psychosis and can lead to poorer outcomes, like being placed in hospital. Aggression can also lead to harm to a person and those around them. Anger plays a key role in aggression and can be difficult to manage for people with psychosis. This study plans to explore anger in this population.
  
  Many factors influence anger in psychosis, like childhood trauma and unhelpful thinking patterns. Childhood trauma, the experience of distressing events as a child (such as neglect or abuse), is common in people with psychosis. This can make relationships with other people difficult and can lead to feelings of anger. Unhelpful thoughts can also increase anger, like thinking a lot about anger and expecting rejection from others.

  This study will involve people with a forensic history who have been admitted to hospital for support with their mental health. Participants will be recruited from NHS forensic inpatient settings. This study will use questionnaires to ask people about their childhood experiences, thinking patterns, and how angry they generally feel. We will also use an online task to look at how angry people feel in a particular moment and how this links with childhood trauma and unhelpful thought patterns. The questionnaires and online task will help us to explore general and momentary experiences of anger. The study is aiming to recruit 55 participants, and it is expected that study duration will be no more than 1 hour 50 minute for each participant.

  Findings from this study will improve understandings of what contributes to general feelings of anger and angry episodes. This will enable targeted support, care planning, and risk management for people who have experienced psychosis and struggle to manage their anger.

• REC name

  West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  26/WM/0009

• Date of REC Opinion

  28 Jan 2026

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion