Views on the relationship between voice hearing and self-harm1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do those who hear voices and also self-harm understand the relationship between the two?
IRAS ID
193648
Contact name
Holly K Tett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 29 days
Research summary
The study aims to ask those who hear voices and also self-harm how they think about and make sense of the relationship between the two. Previous research has not focused on voice hearing and self-harm together, instead polarising the two as a symptom of mental illness (Holzer, Willis & Halfon, 2001) and a feature of personality disorder (Gratz & Tull, 2012) respectively. However, there is significant overlap, with 1 in 10 diagnosed as being in an initial episode of psychosis also having an episode of self-harm during this period (Challis, Nielssen & Large, 2013). If it were found that individuals do perceive a link that they are able to talk about, this may have implications for improvement to working therapeutically with people experiencing similar difficulties. \n\nThis study will use interviews (approximately 1 hour) and participants may be asked to take part in a second interview dependent on the direction the research takes. Consent to re-contact will be obtained at first interview. The interviews will ask participants to talk about their personal experiences of voice hearing and self-harm. \n\nParticipants will be recruited from an inpatient forensic medium secure unit and from the community via the research recruitment website. In inpatient settings, staff teams will be consulted prior to approaching potential participants both before and on interview day so as to ensure they are considered stable in mental state and unlikely to be unduly distressed by the interviews. Participants will be excluded from the study if their care team have said they do not have capacity to consent.\n\nInpatient interviews will be conducted in a private space on the ward. Community interview locations will be co-decided with participants. \n
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0774
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jul 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion