Sussex Psychosis Research interest Group (SPRiG)

The U&I project: Uptake and implementation of CBT for unusual distressing experiences (psychosis)

 

The U&I Project – Uptake and Implementation of CBT for psychosis

 

The U&I Project is a 33-month NIHR-funded study being conducted in SPT and SLaM.

Study background

CBT for psychosis is the only individual talking therapy recommended by NICE for people experiencing psychosis, despite this 84% of trusts struggle to deliver it and only 20% of service users receive it. Aside from the issue around capacity, we know there are many barriers to mental health teams being able to implement this in practice. We also know that improved access to therapies relies on a better understanding of the barriers and facilitators influencing its uptake (in service users) and implementation (in clinicians).

Study aims

To better understand the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours which influence uptake (in service users) and implementation (in clinicians) of CBT for psychosis. To use this understanding of the barriers and facilitators to develop a pre-CBT ‘informed choice’ package.

Participants

All those recruited were either service users with a psychosis-related diagnosis (F20-29) or clinicians who works with individuals experiencing psychosis. Service user participants must be aged between 16-65 years old and be able to give informed consent.

Study design

  • Phase 1a: Qualitative methods (focus groups and interviews) will allow in depth analysis of CBTp knowledge and beliefs and their role of facilitators or barriers to implementation and uptake.
  • Phase 1b: Questionnaire response from patients and professionals to clarify issues to be addressed with interventions.
  • Phase 2: Delphi consultation methods (a series of semi structured interviews with experts), including feedback on materials and ratings of importance and usefulness of different parts of the intervention leading to consensus on the interventions.
  • Phase 3: Quantitative methods (knowledge, beliefs) among service users and clinicians to estimate the feasibility of the intervention and the protocol for a future study of change following delivery of the 'informed choice' interventions

This study has now finished.

You can access the protocol paper via Sussex Research Online.

The results of the study are currently being written-up. This page will be updated with a brief summary of the findings when they are available.

Contact details

If you would like more information please contact Kathryn Greenwood at k.e.greenwood@sussex.ac.uk