The internet as a support for acute ward inpatients with psychosis

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  An exploration of how inpatients experiencing psychosis use internet resources to obtain information about their condition.

• IRAS ID

  172714

• Contact name

  Mary Chambers

• Contact email

  M.Chambers@sgul.kingston.ac.uk

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 5 months, 2 days

• Research summary

  This study proposes to interview 10 service users experiencing psychosis (delusions, hallucinations and disordered thoughts) about their lived experience of using the Internet while inpatients on an acute ward in a psychiatric hospital. The study aims:

  • To find out whether service users have used the internet to learn about their diagnosis
  • To explore whether the resources found online were useful or detrimental to them, and if so, how AND whether the information helped or hindered the recovery process
  • To investigate whether, at this acute stage of their illness, using the Internet can support service users through their crisis
  • To determine whether using the Internet can support the educational and informative work of the nursing and medical staff on the ward

  Three acute wards in one London Mental Health Trust will recruit service user participants. Informed, written consent to participate will be obtained. The ward manager will assess whether the service users have capacity (informed free-will) to take part in an interview which will explore the above issues. These interviews will be transcribed anonymously and the emerging themes will be identified and coded.

  It is anticipated that the information that emerges from this study will identify the best ways of helping service users during their admission by means of the Internet.

• REC name

  London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/LO/0715

• Date of REC Opinion

  26 May 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion