Recovery From Late Onset Psychosis: A Narrative Approach
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Recovery From Late Onset Psychosis: A Narrative Approach
IRAS ID
194877
Contact name
Georgina Charlesworth
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2016/02/100, UCL Data protection Registration
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 29 days
Research summary
Psychosis can be defined as a psychiatric disorder in which a person’s perception, thoughts, mood and behaviour can be significantly altered (NICE Guidelines CG178, 2014). Although psychosis is generally regarded as an illness with onset in late adolescence or early adult life, a sizeable minority of patients first become ill in middle or old age (Howard, Rabins, Seeman & Jeste, 2000). Experiencing a psychotic episode after the age of 40 is therefore termed ‘late onset psychosis’.
Narrative approaches aim to help people who experience a psychotic episode regain an understanding of themselves and their experiences via the reconstruction of narrative coherence (Lysaker & Lysaker, 2002; Roe & Davidson, 2005). Such approaches are growing in popularity. Research has suggested that regaining a sense of self as a social being and a restored life narrative not only indicates a marked recovery from psychosis, but also plays a crucial role in the process of recovery itself (Roe & Davidson, 2005). However, to date, the majority of research in this area has focused on younger adults (Lysaker, et al., 2002; Lysaker & Lysaker, 2002; Roe & Davidson, 2005) and little research has been carried out with the aim of understanding how people who experience a psychotic episode for the first time in later life make sense of their experiences, and how this might affect their recovery.
Following this notion the aims of this study are to gain an understanding of the process and content of life history and present-time narratives of adults who have experienced a psychotic episode for the first time in mid or late-life. The second aim is to extend this understanding further and evaluate a group therapy called 'My story for recovery' run within North East London NHS Foundation Trust’s psychosis services. This 8 session, psychologist led group therapy uses narrative enhancement therapy (a form of narrative CBT) for people with late-onset psychosis.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EM/0275
Date of REC Opinion
4 Aug 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion