UndER EI Study v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the experiences and reactions to hospital admission in early intervention.
IRAS ID
169367
Contact name
Sarah Swan
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 28 days
Research summary
Psychosis is a severe mental health condition that can affect any population group but will tend to have its first onset during young adulthood. Significant numbers of individuals experience extremely stressful responseS to psychosis severe enough to meet criteria for PTSD, with rates between 31% and 46% in first episode groups. These individuals are more likely to experience poorer outcomes including reduced quality of life, increased substance misuse, poorer cognitive functioning and greater service use. The need to understand these responses is important since an improved understanding of potentially modifiable factors that lead to the stressful responses, the greater the chance of implementing strategies to prevent this occurring.
The theory of social rank postulates that an individual’s emotional states are significantly influenced by the interpretation of their social status. Feelings of loss, entrapment and lack of control have repeatedly been shown to arise in individuals with low social rank. The research will investigate the extent to which social rank theory can explain the development of a traumatic stress response to the experience of psychosis in a first episode hospitalised population. Recovery from first episode psychosis has been proposed to depend on the individual’s adjustment and understanding of a number of areas such as the subsequent social disadvantage, their experience of negative hospital experiences and perceived loss of control. These are all factors that could be conceptualised within a social rank framework. This research seeks to determine this relationship.
Using a combination of self report questionnaires and structured interviews, the research aims to assess three psychological factors: participants' beliefs about psychosis, their perceived social standing in comparison to others and their beliefs about themselves and others. The research aims to determine the respective roles of these factors in the development of a post traumatic stress response to psychosis.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0463
Date of REC Opinion
24 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion