SPEAKS focus groups
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Specialist Psychotherapy with Emotion for Anorexia in Kent and Sussex (SPEAKS), an intervention development and feasibility study: Development focus groups
IRAS ID
225571
Contact name
Anna Oldershaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
This study forms part of the SPEAKS research programme (Specialist Psychotherapy with Emotion for Anorexia in Kent and Sussex) aiming to develop a new emotion focussed therapy for adults with anorexia. It is funded by the National Institute of Health Research.
It is important to us and to the success of SPEAKS that we learn as much as possible from people with experience of anorexia (patients, carers, therapists, service managers) during intervention development. We feel that it is only by better understanding the experience from different perspectives and experience that we can develop a useful therapy.
We will be holding separate focus groups with each partcipant group at NHS sites in both Kent and Sussex to give us an opportunity to hear as many views as possible. The focus groups will enable us to ask questions about the experiences of what did or did not help you. It will also be a space for us to put to participants some of our initial hypotheses and ideas for SPEAKS. If participants would like to have their views heard, but do not feel comfortable in a group setting, we can arrange to meet with them on a one-to-one basis instead.
The focus groups (or interview) will be recorded by audio-tape and transcribed (typed up) word for word. This is to help us better remember everything that has been talked about. During the transcription process identifying information will be removed.
Short extracts from groups/interviews may appear in reports or publications. This may include publication in a scientific journal, presentations at professional conferences, research reports to participants/the ethics committee/NIHR or in other SPEAKS documents (e.g. description of the resulting therapy intervention). Extracts will be anonymised and it will not be possible for anyone to tell that who took part or to know which views were whose.
REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0606
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion