Understanding Experiences of Relationships for People with UBs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the Experiences of Social Relationships for People with Unusual Beliefs
IRAS ID
339248
Contact name
Elijah Black
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hull
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
There is limited research into the experiences of social relationships and unusual beliefs (UBs; distressing beliefs that are not widely held by the majority of other people), however there are high rates of isolation and loneliness reported. A lot of current research focuses on voice-hearing, First Episode Psychosis, or experiences through the umbrella of ‘psychosis’, for example hearing voices, or unusual beliefs. Mental health services provide social interventions to assist social development in this population. A greater understanding of the social relationship experiences of people with UBs could improve understanding and the care provided to people with UBs. This indicates the importance of exploring social relationships within the context of a person with unusual beliefs. This will involve asking the research questions of: what are people with UBs’ experiences of social relationships, and what may hinder or help these experiences and connections?
This exploratory study of the phenomenology (i.e., the meaning and experience) of social relationships for people who experience unusual beliefs will use semi-structured interviews to generate qualitative data, and interpretative phenomenological analysis to formulate results. The study aims to recruit between four to ten participants from three local NHS Trusts. Participants will meet inclusion criteria of being over 18, having either a diagnosis of a form of psychosis, or eligibility for a psychosis service, experience of distressing, unusual beliefs, and being able to speak English. Participants will be invited to take part in an interview (online or at their NHS site) to talk about their experiences of unusual beliefs and social relationships for up to one hour. To compensate people for their time, they will receive a £10 voucher.
This exploratory study could help to increase our understanding of social relationships and UBs, and could provide insights for mental health services to improve care.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
25/WS/0094
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion