Stakeholders priorities for social functioning in schizophrenia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social functioning in schizophrenia: service user and carer views and priorities
IRAS ID
179297
Contact name
Maria Long
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/11/13 , UCL data protection reference
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Background
Schizophrenia and other long-term psychotic conditions make daily life difficult for those that experience them. 'Positive' symptoms include hallucinations, unusual beliefs and disordered thoughts. 'Negative' symptoms include lack of motivation, social withdrawal and emotional blunting. Antipsychotic medication is the main treatment and helps many cope with distressing 'positive' symptoms. Despite this, people with schizophrenia and other long-term psychotic conditions are often unemplpoyed, unmarried and socially isolated. 'Social functioning' is a global concept that has been used to capture these outcomes. Much research has explored interventions for improving social functioning, but treatment provision is scarce. This may be further impacted by the lack of consensus of definition around what social functioning is and how it should be measured. Many measures of social functioning have been developed and often they do not incorporate the views and experiences of people with schizophrenia and similar conditions.
Aims
The present qualitative research will explore differing perspectives of social functioning with service users and carers/family members/friends. Up to 30 interviews will be conducted with service users and carers recruited from mental health services and community groups. The interviews will explore service user, carer/family member/friend views on various aspects of social functioning. They will explore what difficulties are currently present, what changes would be helpful and what the barriers and facilitators to this might be.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
19/NI/0013
Date of REC Opinion
13 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion