The perceived impact of EMDR on clients with psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do individuals with psychosis experience and perceive Eye Movement Desensitisation (EMDR) Therapy?
IRAS ID
252207
Contact name
Aline Hardwick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Enduring psychosis or schizophrenia is one of the most challenging mental disorders to treat. Many individuals with psychosis are not receiving sufficient help through traditional medication treatments (Alphs et al. 2016). The British Psychological Society (2017) recommends that broader types of interventions are developed that address the social and psychological causes of psychosis.
It is well-known that there is a link between traumatic experiences and the development of psychosis (Trauelsen et al. 2015). Eye Movement and Desensitization Therapy (EMDR) is a well-established psychological therapy used to alleviate the emotional distress that results from traumatic events and it has recently been accepted as a treatment for psychosis. Previously, clinicians were worried that addressing trauma could be re-traumatising for individuals with psychosis. However, it has been found to be safe and promising in alleviating symptoms of psychosis (Croes et al. 2014; Brand et al. 2017). So far, its effectiveness has been measured quantitatively and descriptive accounts of how it is experienced by individuals with psychosis are lacking.
The current study asks the question: “How do individuals with psychosis experience trauma-focused therapy?” The project will look in detail at how adults with enduring psychosis understand and perceive this therapy. It is hoped that this will contribute to the development of this innovative treatment for psychosis.
Participants will have undergone at least 6 sessions of EMDR and will be currently receiving, or have previously received, treatment from a community mental health team. They will be invited to take part in an interview lasting 1 hour to talk about their experiences of this therapy. Interviews will take place in an NHS location familiar to the participants and will be analyzed using a qualitative methodology that looks for common themes in their responses. All participants will be invited to give feedback on the study results.
REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0077
Date of REC Opinion
9 Apr 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion